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Fire behaviour in the Kruger National Park
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: W.S.W. Trollope --- Sub‐department Pasture Science Faculty of Agriculture, Ciskei A.L.F. Potgieter --- Division Nature Conservation,Fire research in the Kruger National Park has largely been focussed on the effect of the season and frequency of burning on the vegetation. Very little information is available on the effect of fire behaviour and in particular fire intensity,... -
Effect of fire intensity on the grass and bush components of the Eastern Cape thornveld
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: W S W Trollope --- Department of Agronomy, Ciskei N M Tainton --- Department of Grassland Science,Fire intensity is an important component of the fire regime and its effect on the grass sward and bush were investigated in the Eastern Cape thornveld. Research indicated that fire intensity had no effect on the recovery of grass after... -
Estimating grass fuel loads with a disc pasture meter in the Kruger National Park
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: W S W Trollope --- Sub‐Department of Pasture Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ciskei A L F Potgieter --- Division of Nature Conservation,The major portion of the fuel load in the savanna areas comprises surface fuels in the form of the standing grass sward. The disc pasture meter was successfully calibrated for estimating grass fuel loads in the main landscapes of the... -
Refinement of a model describing forage production, animal production and profitability as a function of bush density in the false thornveld of the eastern cape
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: G.C. Stuart‐Hill --- Department of Agriculture and Water Supply (Eastern Cape Region),An existing model describing the influence of Aeacia karroo density on forage production, animal production and profitability is reviewed and amended to introduce recent research results. -
Effect of season of burning on grass recovery in the false thornveld of the eastern cape
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: W.S.W. Trollope --- Sub‐Department Pasture Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Republic of CiskeiSeason of burning is one of the most controversial questions concerning the use of fire in veld management. In the summer rainfall areas of South Africa the generally accepted rule of burning only after the first spring rains has proven... -
Browse and herbage production in the eastern cape thornveld in response to tree size and defoliation frequency
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: G.C. Stuart‐Hill --- , N.M. Tainton --- Department of Grassland Science,Grass yields in this semi‐arid savanna declined as the size of Acacia karroo increased. Browse yields, however, did not increase as trees grew out beyond 1,8 m in height and it follows that if bush thinning is required, then the... -
Water utilization patterns around isolated Acacia karroo trees in the False Thornveld of the eastern Cape
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: G.C. Stuart‐Hill --- Department of Agriculture and Water Supply (East Cape Region), Republic of South Africa N.M. Tainton --- Department of Agriculture and Water Supply (East Cape Region), Republic of South AfricaThe effect of various vegetation treatments on two soil moisture regimes (i.e. the proportion of the experimental period where the soil had sufficient water for: (a) growth, and (b) to keep the plants turgid in the vicinity of experimentally isolated... -
Changing perceptions of fire management in savanna parks
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: M.T. Mentis --- Resource Ecology Group, Department of Botany, Republic of South Africa A.W. Bailey --- Department of Plant Science, CanadaParks are managed to preserve their pristine state. Fire has had a varied role in this, depending on shifting paradigms of savanna functioning. Formerly, an equilibrium theory of functioning prevailed where fire was at first an unavoidable evil, and then... -
An alternative approach to veld condition assessment in the non‐grassveld regions of South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa • Authors: G.C. Stuart‐Hill --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South Africa F.O. Hobson --- , Republic of South AfricaTraditional veld condition assessment methods score veld either in terms of its ‘state of health’ or its value for a specific land‐use objective. This is problematic and we propose that ‘veld condition’ should simply be a descriptive index, devoid of... -
Organic matter, pH and nutrient distribution in soil layers of a savanna Thornveld subjected to different burning frequencies at Alice in the Eastern Cape
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: S.A. Materechera --- Facility of Agriculture, Republic of South Africa O.T. Mandiringana --- Department of Agronomy, Republic of South Africa P.M. Mbokodi --- Department of Agronomy, Republic of South Africa K. Nyamapfene --- , Republic of South AfricaFire is an important tool for the management of grazed savanna grasslands in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The aim of this study was to quantify the influence of veld burning frequency on soil properties especially organic matter, pH, exchangeable... -
The effect of different fire treatments on the population structure and density of the Marula, Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) subsp. caffra (Sond.) kokwaro (Kokwaro & Gillet 1980) in the Kruger National Park
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: OS Jacobs R BiggsTo determine the influence of frequency and season of burn on the growth structure and density of Sclerocarya birrea, six replicated fire treatments of the experimental burning plot trial were surveyed in the Sclerocarya birrea / Acacia nigrescens savanna of... -
The effects of topo-edaphic variables and cultivation on the woody vegetation of Weenen Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: L Breebaart TG O'Connor JC Hughes CD Morris IA RushworthThe soil types and woody vegetation of Weenen Nature Reserve (WNR), KwaZulu-Natal, were described. Mispah, overlying shale, and Shortlands, overlying dolerite were the most common of 18 the soil forms encountered. Six vegetation types were identified by TWINS PAN which... -
The effect of prolonged heavy grazing pressure on the regrowth of two perennial grass species in a semi-arid communal rangeland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: W Twine V Gray N Owen-SmithWe tested the hypothesis that initial above-ground regrowth of defoliated grass tufts would be reduced in sites which have been exposed to prolonged heavy grazing. The regrowth of Themeda triandra and Urochloa mosambicensis tufts was compared between three heavily grazed... -
The coppicing ability of Acacia erubescens and Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum in response to cutting
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: G N SmitThe investigation was conducted in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Twenty single stemmed trees of both Acacia erubescens and Combretum apiculatum subsp. apiculatum were randomly selected and five trees of each species were cut at heights of 5cm, 15cm,... -
Kudu foraging behaviour: influenced by animal density?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: C van der WaalIn deciduous savanna a marked decline in browse availability characterises the late dry season and apparently regulates populations of large browser species such as kudu. The dry season utilisation patterns of two woody species, Acacia tortilis and Boscia albitrunca, in... -
Is carry-over of grass biomass between years important in determining savanna fire regimes?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: JJ Midgley D Balfour N GovenderWe show that the size of areas burned in three southern African parks is dominated by the amount of rainfall in the immediately preceding summer. Considering mean rainfall from two years previous changes r2 values by <20%. We interpret this... -
Do mammalian herbivores influence invertebrate communities via changes in the vegetation? Results from a preliminary survey in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M Jonsson --- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Sweden D Bell --- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Sweden J Hjältén --- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Sweden T Rooke --- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Sweden PF Scogings --- Department of Agriculture, South AfricaWe investigated the indirect influence of mammalian herbivores on invertebrates, by utilising long-term mammalian herbivore exclosures in Kruger National Park. The exclosures span three distinct habitat types (crest, footslope and riparian) on a catena. By performing invertebrate collections in the... -
Influence of bushdumps on the herbaceous understorey in a mesic Eastern Cape savanna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M. Mapuma --- Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture, Republic of South AfiicaStudies of the effects of woody vegetation on herbaceous vegetation in southern Africa have focused almost exclusively on savannas with isolated trees with no attention given to multi‐species bushclump savannas. The influence of multi‐species bushdumps on herbaceous vegetation was investigated... -
The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank composition
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: MJ Tedder --- Grassland Science, School of Life Sciences, South Africa KP Kirkman --- Grassland Science, School of Life Sciences, South Africa CD Morris --- Agricultural Research Council, c/o School of Life Sciences, South Africa WSW Trollope --- Research and Development, South Africa MC Bonyongo --- Okavango Research Institute, BotswanaSoil seed banks provide not only a historical record of vegetation composition but also the potential for post-disturbance revegetation. Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) is a multistemmed, aromatic shrub, occurring in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the northern regions of South... -
The vegetation of Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, south-eastern Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: BW Clegg --- The Malilangwe Trust, Research, Zimbabwe TG O'Connor --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science, South AfricaThe vegetation of Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe (39 378 ha) was classified and mapped in 2003 using an integrated approach of ground-based measurement and remote sensing. Environmental variables, structure and composition of the tree, shrub and herbaceous layers were... -
Bush clump succession in grassland in the Kei Road region of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: TG O'Connor --- , South Africa SC Chamane --- , South AfricaBush encroachment is a vegetation dynamic of global interest. This study describes the pattern of succession of bush clumps in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, using a space-for-time substitution. Clumps formed following establishment of mainly Acacia karroo in grassland through... -
Reforming communal rangeland policy in southern Africa: challenges, dilemmas and opportunities
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Martin Adams --- , UKIn the savanna rangelands of southern Africa, the debate about land reform tends to be about the redistribution of formerly freehold ranches and fencing-off the rangeland commons into ranches for better-off African farmers. The position of those who favour privatisation... -
Vegetation change over 40 years in the Weenen/Muden area, KwaZulu-Natal: evidence from photo-panoramas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: M.T. Hottman T.G. O'ConnorThe utility of panoramic photographs for studying the extent and pattern of vegetation change, in particular of bush encroachment, was investigated by revisiting thirteen sites in the Weenen and Muden areas of KwaZulu-Natal that had been photographed in 1955. The... -
Application of a 'stem number guide curve' for sustainable harvest control in the dry woodland savanna of northern Namibia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Southern African Forestry Journal • Authors: F. P. Graz K. von GadowThe savanna woodlands of north-eastern Namibia are a significant source of essential resources for the rural population. Thus far, however, there is little or no growth data available to predict future timber supplies and current yield regulation is limited to... -
Age determination of miombo species Brachystegia spiciformis (Leguminosae – Caesalpinoideae) in Zimbabwe using growth rings
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Southern African Forestry Journal • Authors: I.M. GrundyThe objective of this study was to determine whether Brachystegia spiciformis Benth. (Leguminosae – Caesalpinoideae), one of the dominants of dry miombo woodland in Zimbabwe, forms annual growth rings. In the past the production of effective cutting rotations and sound... -
Survival rates in West African savanna birds
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: MattC Stevens --- School of Biology, UK Ulf Ottosson --- AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Ross McGregor --- , UK Miriam Brandt --- , Germany Will Cresswell --- School of Biology, UKDespite widespread interest in life histories and the comparison of parameters between tropical and temperate regions, there are still relatively few multispecies studies assessing annual survival in Afrotropical species. We used data from systematic mist-netting of savanna birds in Nigeria,... -
Relationships between diameter and height of trees in natural tropical forest in Tanzania
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science • Authors: Wilson A Mugasha --- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norway Ole M Bollandsås --- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norway Tron Eid --- Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, NorwayThe relationship between tree height (h) and tree diameter at breast height (dbh) is an important element describing forest stands. In addition, h often is a required variable in volume and biomass models. Measurements of h are, however, more time... -
Prediction models for estimating available fodder of two savanna tree species (Acacia dudgeoni and Balanites aegyptiaca) based on field and image analysis measures
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: P Savadogo B ElfvingBrowse production is difficult to measure non-destructively without some level of subjectivity combined with a lack of accuracy and reproducibility. This study examined the possibility of using ground-based photographs to estimate browse production. Thirty five sample trees of Acacia dudgeoni... -
Disturbance and the frequency of root suckering in an invasive savanna shrub, Dichrostachys cinerea
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: JL Wakeling WJ BondThe ecology of clonal species has rarely been studied in savannas. Dichrostachys cinerea, a common invasive shrub in southern African savannas, forms root suckers. This paper examines the effect of disturbance type and frequency on this form of clonal spread... -
Performance of Stylosanthes hamata in the rangelands of northern Ghana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: SY Annor JR CofieStylosanthes hamata (stylo) was introduced into communities in the Northern Savanna Zone of Ghana in 1994 for rangeland improvement through oversowing. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of S. hamata in northern Ghana. The study was... -
BECVOL 3: an expansion of the aboveground biomass quantification model for trees and shrubs to include the wood component
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Nico Smit --- Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, South AfricaA quantitative description of woody plant communities that aimed at aiding studies on grass–tree competition interactions, bush encroachment and estimation of food to browser herbivore species, was proposed during 1989. It evolved as the BECVOL-model and differs from other methods... -
Response of Colophospermum mopane to different intensities of tree thinning in the Mopane Bushveld of southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Nico Smit --- Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences, South AfricaIn the Mopane Bushveld, Colophospermum mopane is viewed as a threat due to its ability to suppress the herbaceous layer. The objective of this study was to investigate the re-establishment of C. mopane over a 19-year period on seven plots... -
Diversity and structure of woody vegetation across areas with different soils in Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science • Authors: Edson Gandiwa --- School of Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation, Zimbabwe Patience Zisadza-Gandiwa --- Transfrontier Conservation Areas Unit, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Zimbabwe David Goza --- Mushandike College of Wildlife Management, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Zimbabwe Clayton Mashapa --- Tropical Resource Ecology Programme, Zimbabwe Never Muboko --- School of Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation, ZimbabweDespite the importance of edaphic factors in influencing woody vegetation diversity and structure in savannas, there is still limited research on the topic across most savanna ecosystems. Here we investigate the differences and/or similarities of woody vegetation diversity and structure... -
Seed removal by ants, birds and rodents in a woodland savanna habitat in Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Alicia V. Linzey --- Department of Biology, U.S.A. Kimberly A. Washok --- Department of Biology, U.S.A.Seed removal from bait stations was studied in miombo habitat in western Zimbabwe. Previous studies of seed predation in southern Africa have largely been conducted in desert ecosystems. However, this woodland-savanna habitat is more mesic and has relatively predictable rainfall... -
Patterns of millipede (Diplopoda), centipede (Chilopoda) and scorpion (Scorpionida) diversity in savanna habitats within the Greater Makalali Conservancy, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Dave Druce --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Michelle Hamer --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Rob Slotow --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaAlthough savanna is one of the most important biomes in southern Africa, it is, apart from the botanical component, one of the least studied. This study aimed to document the distribution patterns, richness and diversity of selected ground-dwelling, flightless arthropods... -
Seed removal by ants, birds and rodents in a woodland savanna habitat in Zimbabwe
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Alicia V. Linzey --- Department of Biology, U.S.A. Kimberly A. Washok --- Department of Biology, U.S.A.Seed removal from bait stations was studied in miombo habitat in western Zimbabwe. Previous studies of seed predation in southern Africa have largely been conducted in desert ecosystems. However, this woodland-savanna habitat is more mesic and has relatively predictable rainfall... -
Towards a standardized and optimized protocol for rapid biodiversity assessments: spider species richness and assemblage composition in two savanna vegetation types
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: M.I. Muelelwa --- Centre for Invasion Biology and Department of Zoology, South Africa S.H. Foord --- Centre for Invasion Biology and Department of Zoology, South Africa A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman --- ARC Plant Protection Research Institute, South Africa E.M. Stam --- National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, South AfricaA semi-quantitative inventory of spider diversity was done in the Blouberg Nature Reserve (BNR) and Western Soutpansberg Conservancy (WSC) situated in the Savanna Biome of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Two hundred and ninety-six samples of one person-hour work each,... -
Effect of management on rangeland phytomass, cover and condition in two biomes in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Roelof J Oomen --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany Anja Linstädter --- Range Ecology and Range Management Group, Germany Jan C Ruppert --- Range Ecology and Range Management Group, Germany Katharina Brüser --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany Jürgen Schellberg --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Germany Frank Ewert --- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, GermanyIn rangelands, grazing management is a main driver of rangeland condition. Due to masking effects of seasonal climate fluctuations, little is known about (dis)similarity of management effects on rangeland condition and forage provision across major dryland biomes. Taking a macro-ecological... -
Macro and trace elements of 26 browse species growing in semi-arid grazing lands of Eastern Cape, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Solomon Tefera --- Department of Animal Science, Namibia Victor Mlambo --- Department of Animal Sciences, South AfricaLeaves and twigs from woody plants provide essential nutrients to range animals. We examined variation in the mineral status of 26 woody species, and the influence of harvesting height as well as the interactions of the main effects on minerals... -
A new species of Scolecoseps (Reptilia: Scincidae) from coastal north-eastern Mozambique
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Luke Verburgt --- , , South Africa Ursula K. Verburgt --- , , South Africa William R. Branch --- , South AfricaSeven specimens of Scolecoseps Loveridge, 1920 from the vicinity of Palma on the north coast of Mozambique are compared morphologically with other known material of this genus. The new material can be distinguished morphologically from all other Scolecoseps by the... -
Comparative foraging behaviour of three species of shrike in southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Artur Golawski --- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Poland Zbigniew Kasprzykowski --- Department Environmental Studies and Biological Education, Faculty of Natural Science, PolandUtilisation of food resources in migrant and resident birds living sympatrically often leads to differences in feeding strategy. For sit-and-wait hunters such as shrikes, it is connected with competition for food and hunting places. In this study, foraging behaviour of... -
Seasonal changes in pasture biomass and grazing behaviour of cattle in the Guinea Savanna agroecological zone of Ghana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Maxwell Akapali --- Department of Animal Science, Ghana Terry Ansah --- Department of Animal Science, Ghana Ibn Iddriss Abdul-Rahman --- Department of Animal Science, Ghana Benjamin Alenyorege --- Department of Animal Science, Ghana Bernard N Baatuuwie --- Department of Forestry and Forest Resources Management, GhanaSpatial and temporal availability of pasture vegetation and cattle grazing behaviour in three seasons (intermediate season [IM], peak season [PS] and dry season [DS]) in the Guinea Savanna agroecological zone of Ghana was examined. The frequency of occurrence of three... -
Changes in bat community composition and activity patterns across a conservation-agriculture boundary
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Fezile Mtsetfwa --- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resource and Environment, United States Robert A McCleery --- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resource and Environment, United States Ara Monadjem --- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Natural Resource and Environment, United StatesAgricultural landscapes are typically associated with a decreased biodiversity, particularly when they extend across large spatial scales. Despite the fact that some African bat species seem to provide essential ecosystem services across landscapes, we only have a limited understanding of... -
Densities and population sizes of raptors in Uganda’s conservation areas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Derek Pomeroy --- Department of Zoology, Uganda Micheal Kibuule --- Department of Zoology, Uganda Dianah Nalwanga --- NatureUganda, Uganda George Kaphu --- Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda Michael Opige --- NatureUganda, Uganda Phil Shaw --- School of Biology, UKProjected increases in Africa's human population over the next 40 years point to further, large-scale conversion of natural habitats into farmland, with far-reaching consequences for raptor species, some of which are now largely restricted to protected areas (PAs). To assess... -
Disc pasture meter calibration to estimate grass biomass production in the arid dunefield of the south-western Kalahari
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Christiaan J Harmse --- Eiland Research Station, Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, South Africa Niels Dreber --- Department of Ecosystem Modelling, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Germany Winston SW Trollope --- Working on Fire International, South AfricaThe disc pasture meter (DPM) is a tool that is widely used to estimate aboveground standing grass biomass (ASB) in a rapid and non-destructive manner. Depending on the species composition, rangeland condition and local climate, available DPM calibrations may fail... -
Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii, a high-altitude encroacher: the effect of fire, frost, simulated grazing and altitude in north-western KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Jennifer M Russell --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Michelle J Tedder --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa Stuart Demmer --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaSavannas and grasslands throughout the world are experiencing bush encroachment, which has serious consequences for net primary productivity. In South Africa, Vachellia sieberiana is encroaching into the savannas and high-altitude grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal. We investigated the role of fire, frost... -
Observations on the natural history of a savanna drought
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Izak PJ Smit --- , South Africa William J Bond --- , South AfricaDrought studies are often opportunistic and post hoc, where a drought fortuitously occurs during a research project that was not specifically designed to study the drought, but where researchers capitalised on the opportunity. These studies often lack focus on formulating... -
Anatomical, physiological and allometric contrasts of the Cerrado tree Dalbergia miscolobium in full sun and shade environments
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science • Authors: Ane Marcela das Chagas Mendonça --- , Brazil Jean Marcel Sousa Lira --- , Brazil Marcelo Rodrigues --- , Brazil Vanessa da Fontoura Custódio Monteiro --- , Brazil Edson Simão --- , Brazil João Paulo Rodrigues Alves Delfino Barbosa --- , BrazilThe Brazilian Cerrado is a mosaic comprised of different vegetation formations and consequently, different environmental conditions. Tree density modifies the availability of light and affects species distribution. Thus, seedlings of species with a broad distribution should show contrasting anatomical, morphological,... -
High-intensity fire experiments to manage shrub encroachment: lessons learned in South Africa and the United States
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Rheinhardt Scholtz --- , United States Victoria M Donovan --- , United States Tercia Strydom --- , South Africa Carissa Wonkka --- , United States Urs P Kreuter --- , United States William E Rogers --- , United States Charles Taylor --- , United States Izak PJ Smit --- , South Africa Navashni Govender --- , South Africa Winston Trollope --- , South Africa Dillon T Fogarty --- , United States Dirac Twidwell --- , United StatesHuman alteration of fire regimes is a hallmark of the Anthropocene; yet few studies have fully explored the implications of utilizing high-intensity fires in grasslands and savannas to manage shrub encroachment. Decades of fire research in South Africa inspired a... -
Historic changes in the fire-rainfall relationship at a woodland-savanna transition zone in southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: T Hamilton --- , South Africa S Archibald --- , South Africa S Woodborne --- , South AfricaSouthern Africa is dominated by fire-prone arid and semi-arid landscapes that are expected to experience increased maximum temperatures, rainfall variation and frequency of extreme rainfall events in the future. These conditions will affect fire and vegetation dynamics, but feedback and... -
Too much, too late: fires and reactive wildfire management in northern Botswana’s forests and woodland savannas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: L Cassidy --- , Botswana JS Perkins --- , Botswana J Bradley --- , BotswanaAcross much of southern Africa’s savanna wildernesses, wildfires burn unchecked. This is particularly true in the woodland savannas of northern Botswana, where wildfires originate outside of management activities, and are left to burn uncontrolled, because of limited resources and remoteness... -
Occurrence of Dalbergia obovata in grasslands of urban nature reserves within a metropolitan municipality: Is it an encroaching woody species?
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Terry Stewart --- , South Africa Peter F Scogings --- , South Africa Himansu Baijnath --- , South AfricaThe occurrence of Dalbergia obovata, which is typically associated with forests, in grasslands within conservation areas in a metropolitan municipality was investigated to assess whether it was encroaching and what the possible causes might be. Relevant legislation has not regarded... -
New range extensions for Dasypeltis atra Sternfeld in Tanzania (Serpentes : Colubridae), with a review of the distribution of colour phases
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: DonaldG. Broadley --- Biodiversity Foundation for Africa, Zimbabwe MichaelF. Bates --- National Museum, South AfricaFour Tanzanian specimens of the patterned phase of Dasypeltis atra represent range extensions into savanna areas. One of these specimens, from Ibaya Camp in Mkomazi Game Reserve, extends the species’ range by about 100 km to the south‐east from Mount... -
Anuran amphibians in a rapidly changing environment – revisiting Lamto, Côte d'Ivoire, 40 years after the first herpetofaunal investigations
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Patrick Joël Adeba --- University of Cocody, Philippe Kouassi --- University of Cocody, Mark-Oliver Rödel --- Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at the Humboldt University Berlin, GermanyWe reinvestigated the anuran amphibian fauna of the Lamto region in Central, Côte d'Ivoire, 40 years after this fauna was assessed for the first time. During this period, the region lost about 90% of the forest cover, resulting in an... -
Spatial variability of herbage yield, grazing capacity and plant diversity in a tropical savannah rangeland ecosystem
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: ND Anane --- University of Ghana, Ghana R Ayizanga --- University of Ghana, Ghana FO Sarkwa --- University of Ghana, Ghana T Ansah --- University for Development Studies, Ghana EC Timpong-Jones --- University of Ghana, GhanaTo improve ruminant livestock production, evaluation of rangelands must be a routine. Rangeland evaluation gives information about the vegetation structure, biomass yield and quality. The Guinea savannah rangelands of Ghana lack research that characterises the spatial variability of herbage yield... -
The diversity of epigeal insects after the application of the brush packing restoration method following bush-encroachment control in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: A Marquart --- North-West University, South Africa OB Sikwane --- North-West University, South Africa K Kellner --- North-West University, South AfricaEvidently, bush encroachment caused by factors, such as overgrazing, results in a change in savanna ecosystems. This shift in vegetation structure can affect many factors, including insect fauna. Epigeal arthropods occupy smaller habitat patches and therefore respond to the effects... -
The recent fire regimes of Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga national parks, Angola
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Willem A Nieman --- , United StatesThe adjoining Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga national parks in southeastern Angola are two of the largest though least actively managed protected areas in Africa. The parks are home to a diversity of wildlife and are managed as a single unit. The... -
Living together, feeding apart: the comparative foraging ecology of two African flycatcher species
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Peter GH Frost --- , South Africa Suzanne K Frost --- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, South AfricaThis study examined how habitat and resource conditions influence the foraging behaviour and ecology of the Pale (Pallid) Flycatcher Agricola pallidus and Marico Flycatcher Bradornis mariquensis, two perch-and-pounce insectivores that swoop on prey from elevated perches. These species were studied... -
From forage to multifunctionality: shifting perceptions of rangeland ecosystem services in the journals of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Craig D Morris --- University of KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaRangelands offer various goods and ecosystem services (ES) besides providing forage for commercial livestock production. An analysis of research published in the journals of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa from 1966 to 2023 revealed a widening focus on different... -
Putting the pieces together: woody plant encroachment across a precipitation gradient in southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: David Ward --- Kent State University, USAWoody plant encroachment is one of the most widespread land-cover changes in many countries. We put the data together along a precipitation gradient within southern Africa from 150 mm/annum (Namibia) to 1 500 mm/annum (eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa). We found... -
Allometric biomass estimations for Senegalia mellifera and Vachellia reficiens
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Jerome M Boys --- Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia Gert N Smit --- University of the Free State, South Africa Paul J Malan --- University of the Free State, South AfricaA well established tool that is able to provide a detailed estimation of the leaf and wood biomass of woody plants is the third version of the Biomass Estimate from Canopy Volume (BECVOL3) model. An Excel-based biomass quantification tool is...