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Improved criteria for classifying hydric soils in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: D.C. Kotze --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South Africa J.R. Klug --- Department of Grassland Science, Republic of South Africa J.C. Hughes --- Department of Agronomy, Republic of South Africa C.M. Breen --- , Republic of South AfricaThere is an increasing awareness of the ecological and agricultural importance of hydric (wetland) soils. Because of the scarcity of information in South Africa, this study aimed to critically examine systems currently being applied to the hydric soils of South... -
A SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODEL OF PART OF THE PONGOLO RIVER FLOODPLAIN: DEVELOPMENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT POLICY ANALYSIS
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Journal of the Limnological Society of Southern Africa • Authors: A.K. Drewes --- ,The issue of allowing the Liming, duration and magnitude of a flood release to be determined by man has led to a wide spectrum of viewpoints as to which values of these parameters are most suitable for the Pongolo River... -
THE DISTRIBUTION OF WETLANDS IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences • Authors: M.J. Silberbauer --- Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa J.M. King --- Freshwater Research Unit, Zoology Department, South AfricaThe hydrological and habitat value of wetlands is beginning to be recognised in South Africa, but only in parts of Natal Province has an effort been made to map wetlands and to record their status over large areas. While the... -
GEOGRAPHICAL TRENDS IN THE WATER CHEMISTRY OF WETLANDS IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences • Authors: M.J. Silberbauer --- Department of Water Affairs, South Africa J.M. King --- Freshwater Research Unit, Zoology Department, South AfricaAlthough it is becoming increasingly important for the aquatic chemistry of wetlands to be understood, little chemical information is available for the wetlands of South Africa. During a project aimed at beginning to redress this gap in our knowledge, conductivity... -
A LIMNOLOGICAL PROFILE OF THE UPPER OKAVANGO DELTA AT LOW WATER LEVEL
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern African Journal of Aquatic Sciences • Authors: Rob C. Hart --- ,Selected limnological attributes of the Okavango Delta panhandle were measured during a brief summer survey of “open-water” habitats extending from the permanent mainstream channel, through contiguous off-channel lagoons and still backwaters, to seasonally isolated floodplain lagoon and temporary pool biotopes... -
An analysis of plant species distributions on the floodplain of the Okavango River, Namibia, with respect to impacts of possible water abstraction
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: NJ Diederichs WN ElleryThe proposed abstraction of water from the Okavango River in Namibia could potentially result in significant changes in the vegetation of floodplains downstream of the abstraction point. Direct gradient analysis was used to determine the distribution of the most common... -
Beacons in the limnological landscape
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: BR AllansonAn overview is given of a number of major developments in the limnology of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. None was possible without the involvement of enthusiastic investigators who, over some 70 years, stimulated the growth of freshwater research in... -
The impact of land use on water quality of the Lwiro River, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: M BagalwaThe water quality of the Lwiro River, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central Africa, was investigated on a monthly basis from December 1999–October 2000, at six stations along a hydraulic gradient from source to mouth, to evaluate the impact of... -
Testing the applicability of the SASS5 scoring procedure for assessing wetland health: a case study in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: Rebecca Bowd DonovanC Kotze CraigD Morris NevilW QuinnA study was undertaken between 29th January and 17th February 2004 to test the applicability of the South African Scoring System Version 5 (SASS5) scoring and calculation procedure in nutrient-enriched palustrine wetlands in the midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Four... -
The influence of biotope and sampling method on the assessment of the invertebrate community structure in endorheic reed pans in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: AR de Klerk --- Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, South Africa V Wepener --- Centre for Aquatic Research, Department of Zoology, South AfricaReed pans in the Mpumalanga Lakes District, South Africa, support an abundant diversity and richness of aquatic macroinvertebrates in a variety of different biotopes which, in the case of depressional wetlands such as reed pans, are not well studied. This... -
Spatial and temporal variations in densities of small fishes across different temporary floodplain types of the lower Okavango Delta, Botswana
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: N Siziba --- , Botswana MJ Chimbari --- , Botswana K Mosepele --- , Botswana H Masundire --- Department of Biological Sciences, BotswanaSmall-sized and juvenile fishes as well as physicochemical water parameters in various primary, secondary and rarely flooded temporary floodplains of the Okavango Delta were assessed during the different hydrological phases of the 2009–2010 flooding season. Small fishes were sampled in... -
Heavy metal concentrations in the water of the Nyl River system, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: R Greenfield --- Department of Zoology, South Africa JHJ van Vuren --- Department of Zoology, South Africa V Wepener --- Department of Zoology, South AfricaThe Nyl River floodplain, a Ramsar site that provides habitat for a number of endangered species, is one of the jewels in the arid Limpopo province and thus its conservation and protection are vitally important. Very little work has been... -
Variations and changes in habitat, productivity, composition of aquatic biota and fisheries of the Kyoga lake system: lessons for management
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: R Ogutu-Ohwayo --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda K Odongkara --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda W Okello --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda D Mbabazi --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda SB Wandera --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda LM Ndawula --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Uganda V Natugonza --- National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, UgandaThe Kyoga lake system, which is c. 4 m deep, originally had a diverse fish fauna, extensive macrophytes and wetlands. Most (82%) of its water comes from Lake Victoria, is controlled through three dams and has a short residence time... -
Status and breeding ecology of the Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus in Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria AhmedH Alfarhan --- Center of Excellence for Research in Biodiversity, Saudi Arabia Boudjéma Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Recherche et de Conservation des Zones Humides, AlgeriaThe status of the Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus in Algeria and its breeding ecology in North Africa are reported for the first time. Nest site selection and breeding parameters were studied at two contrasting sites in north-east Algeria: Boussedra, an... -
A SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODEL OF PART OF THE PONGOLO RIVER FLOODPLAIN: DEVELOPMENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT POLICY ANALYSIS
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Southern African Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health • Authors: A.K. Drewes --- ,The issue of allowing the timing, duration and magnitude of a flood release to be determined by man has led to a wide spectrum of viewpoints as to which values of these parameters are most suitable for the Pongolo River... -
Algal communities associated with aquatic macrophytes in some artificial ponds in Nyando District, Kenya
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: Balthazar Mpawenayo Christine CocquytThis study describes the algal communities of six ponds colonised by aquatic macrophytes in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Plankton samples were collected from the water column and epiphytic samples from macrophytes such as Azolla, Pistia, Nymphaea, Ipomoea and Ludwigia. Pond pH,... -
Groundwater seeps as potentially important refugia for freshwater fishes on the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: SvenM Vrdoljak RobC HartThe freshwater wetlands on the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia provide an important habitat for freshwater fishes, including a number of IUCN Red Listed species. The ecology of these wetlands is influenced greatly by water flowing from the large... -
Zooplankton and diatoms of temporary and permanent freshwater pans in the Mpumalanga Highveld region, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Luisa Riato --- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, South Africa Carin Van Ginkel --- Cripsis Environment, South Africa Jonathan C. Taylor --- School of Biological Sciences, North-West University, South AfricaThis paper provides a description of the zooplankton and epiphytic diatom communities of permanent and temporary freshwater pans in the Mpumalanga Highveld region of South Africa. Few studies have investigated the biota of pans in this area, which is seriously... -
Movement ecology of five Afrotropical waterfowl species from Malawi, Mali and Nigeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: John Y Takekawa --- US Geological Survey, USA Shane R Heath --- US Geological Survey, USA Samuel A Iverson --- US Geological Survey, USA Nicolas Gaidet --- CIRAD, UPR AGIRs, Campus international de Baillarguet, France Julien Cappelle --- CIRAD, UPR AGIRs, Campus international de Baillarguet, France Tim Dodman --- Hundland, UK Ward Hagemeijer --- Wetlands International, The Netherlands William D Eldridge --- US Fish and Wildlife Service, USA Scott A Petrie --- Long Point Waterfowl, Canada Gregory S Yarris --- US Geological Survey, USA Shiiwua Manu --- AP Levantis Ornithological Research Institute, Nigeria Glenn H Olsen --- US Geological Survey, USA Diann J Prosser --- US Geological Survey, USA Kyle A Spragens --- US Geological Survey, USA David C Douglas --- US Geological Survey, USA Scott H Newman --- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, VietnamHabitat availability for Afrotropical waterbirds is highly dynamic with unpredictable rainfall patterns and ephemeral wetlands resulting in diverse movement strategies among different species. Movement strategies among waterfowl encompass resident, regional and intercontinental migrants, but little quantitative information exists on their... -
Assessing the value of wetlands to waterbirds: exploring a population-based index at flyway and regional levels
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Doug M Harebottle --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa Les G Underhill --- Animal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, South AfricaTraditionally, species richness, species diversity, total count, biomass, energy consumption and the Ramsar ‘1% threshold’ have been used to assess the importance of wetlands for waterbirds. Designation of wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites) based on waterbirds has focused on... -
Long-term landscape changes in vegetation structure: fire management in the wetlands of KwaMbonambi, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: LB Luvuno --- School of Life Sciences, South Africa DC Kotze --- Centre for Water Resources Research, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, South Africa KP Kirkman --- School of Life Sciences, South AfricaIn wetlands the effects of fire on vegetation dynamics are somewhat uncertain. A change detection analysis in the herbaceous wetlands of KwaMbonambi, South Africa, which were subject to frequent fires, revealed that in 1937 the study area comprised grassland (69%),... -
Grey Crowned Crane threat assessment around the wetlands of eastern Uganda
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: William Olupot --- Nature and Livelihoods, UgandaThe Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum was uplisted to globally Endangered in 2012. There is urgent need to determine the threats they face at local levels for their conservation. I conducted formal point-count surveys around the wetlands of eastern Uganda... -
The application of camera trapping to assess Rallidae species richness within palustrine wetland habitat in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Robin B Colyn --- Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme, South Africa Alastair M Campbell --- Ingula Nature Reserve, South Africa Hanneline A Smit-Robinson --- Terrestrial Bird Conservation Programme, South AfricaWetlands are vital habitats for a variety of organisms and ecosystem services, but the health of these valuable habitats is declining worldwide. The Rallidae species that rely on these habitats are typically elusive, cryptic and difficult to monitor accurately, especially... -
The breeding ecology of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos at Lake Tonga, north-eastern Algeria
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Aicha Fouzari --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Farrah Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, Algeria Boudjéma Samraoui --- Laboratoire de Conservation des Zones Humides, AlgeriaThe breeding ecology of Mallard Anas platyrhynchos was investigated at Lake Tonga, north-eastern Algeria, which is at the southern edge of the species’ range in the Western Palearctic. Breeding was mainly carried out in stumps of alder carr (Alnus glutinosa)... -
Effect of degree and duration of water saturation on iron, manganese and exchangeable cations in wetland soils of Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: Brenton Mabuza --- Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, South Africa Cornelius W van Huyssteen --- Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, South AfricaSoils of the Maputaland Coastal Plain are naturally grey, do not contain any redoximorphic features, and are therefore problematic to interpret during wetland delineation. This study was consequently initiated to determine if these soils were able to reduce in a... -
A tale of records from Hakskeen Pan, the first record of Pumilibranchipus deserti Hamer and Brendonck, 1995 (Anostraca, Branchiopoda) from South Africa and the pursuit of a new world land speed record
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: E Meyer-Milne --- South African Environmental Observation Network, South Africa MC Mlambo --- Department of Freshwater Invertebrates, Albany Museum, South AfricaUntil now, Pumilibranchipus deserti was known from only one locality in Namibia. This paper reports the first record of this species from South Africa in Hakskeen Pan, Northern Cape, which represents a new, easterly range extension of the known distribution... -
Ecology, conservation, and phylogenetic position of the Madagascar Jacana Actophilornis albinucha
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Josephine D’Urban Jackson --- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, United Kingdom Sama Zefania --- Institut d’Enseignement Supérieur de Menabe, Madagascar Sebastien Moehy --- Institut d’Enseignement Supérieur de Menabe, Madagascar Andrew J Bamford --- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, United Kingdom Michael W Bruford --- Organisms and Environment Division, School of Biosciences, United Kingdom Tamás Székely --- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, United KingdomThe Madagascar Jacana Actophilornis albinucha (Jacanidae) is an endemic shorebird found in the threatened wetlands of western Madagascar. This species is presumed to exhibit classical polyandry; however, few data are available to support that assumption. More generally, a lack of... -
The first range-wide assessment of Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis distribution
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Jonah Gula --- Department of Biology, United States Floyd Weckerly --- Department of Biology, United States KS Gopi Sundar --- International Crane Foundation, United StatesThe Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis exemplifies a case in conservation research in which a species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and the resulting consideration of low conservation priority has precluded proper scientific study. As a... -
A comparison of aquatic macroinvertebrate and large branchiopod community composition between temporary pans of a conservation area and surrounding communal area in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: T Dube --- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Belgium L de Necker --- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, South Africa V Wepener --- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, South Africa NJ Smit --- Water Research Group, School for Biological Sciences, South Africa T Pinceel --- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Belgium GN Mwaijengo --- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, Belgium P Lemmens --- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, Belgium L Brendonck --- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, BelgiumAlthough temporary wetlands are often biodiversity hotspots that deliver multiple ecosystem services, they are also threatened by human exploitation. We conducted a comparative field study to investigate the impact of reserve protection on the diversity and community structure of aquatic... -
Effects of untreated industrial effluents on water quality and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages of Lake Hawassa and its tributaries, Southern Ethiopia
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: ST Mereta --- , Ethiopia A Ambelu --- , Ethiopia A Ermias --- , Ethiopia Y Abdie --- , Ethiopia M Moges --- , Ethiopia A Haddis --- , Ethiopia D Hailu --- , Ethiopia H Beyene --- , Ethiopia B Kebede --- , Ethiopia WL Mulat --- , United StatesThe present study investigates the impacts of industrial effluents on the macroinvertebrate assemblages and water quality of the Lake Hawassa watershed. The water quality and macroinvertebrate assemblages were assessed at 40 sampling sites. The chemical and ecological water quality was... -
What grass characteristics drive large herbivore feeding patch selection? A case study from a South African grassland protected area
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Range & Forage Science • Authors: Elena Mariotti --- , South Africa Francesca Parrini --- , South Africa Cornelius J Louw --- , South Africa Jason P Marshal --- , South AfricaThe coexistence of a large herbivore community depends on the degree of overlap in the resource used by the different species composing it. We investigated the role of grass greenness, height, biomass and feeding patch status on feeding patch selection... -
A characterisation of wetland soil types on the Maputaland Coastal Plain
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: South African Journal of Plant and Soil • Authors: ML Pretorius --- , CW van Huyssteen --- , LR Brown --- , AT Grundling --- , CT Downs --- ,This paper addresses the shortage of wetland soil data on the Maputaland Coastal Plain. It does so by investigating the relationship between wetland types, slope position and soil properties. Four wetland types (a valley-bottom system, perched pans, hygrophilous grasslands and... -
The ecology of coastal wetland ponds created by diamond mining in southern Namibia. 1. Physical conditions
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Marine Science • Authors: L Maritz --- , South Africa D Pillay --- , South Africa GM Branch --- , South AfricaCoastal diamond mining in southern Namibia involves constructing seawalls to hold the sea at bay, and seaward accretion of the shoreline by up to 800 m opens what was previously the surf zone for excavation and extraction of bedrock alluvial... -
Assessments of range-wide distribution of six African storks and their relationships with protected areas
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Jonah Gula --- , USA M Clay Green --- , USA Sarah Fritts --- , USA W Richard J Dean --- , South Africa KS Gopi Sundar --- , IndiaSpecies range maps provided by the IUCN and BirdLife International are recognised to sometimes mischaracterise distribution and have resulted in inaccurate status assessments. In this study we assessed distribution trends and relationships with protected area extent for six African storks,... -
An assessment of water and sediment quality of aquatic ecosystems within South Africa’s largest floodplain
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: D van Rooyen --- , South Africa R Gerber --- , South Africa NJ Smit --- , South Africa V Wepener --- , South AfricaNdumo Game Reserve (NGR), a Ramsar site, situated in South Africa’s largest floodplain (Phongolo River floodplain) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, with important aquatic ecosystems: the Usuthu and Phongolo rivers and their associated floodplain lakes. While the Phongolo River is regulated, the... -
A critically endangered new species of Nectophrynoides (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Kihansi Gorge, Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: JohnC. Poynton --- , England KimM. Howell --- University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania BarryT. Clarke --- , England JonC. Lovett --- University of York, EnglandA new species of the Tanzanian ovoviviparous dwarf toad Nectophrynoides is described from the Kihansi River Gorge in the Udzungwa Mountains, and a key to the genus provided. The new species, currently known only from small patches of spray-dependent wetland... -
Restoring breeding habitat for Giant Bullfrogs (Pyxicephalus adspersus) in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Ryan L. Thomas --- , , South Africa Lynne Owen-Smith --- , , South Africa Deanne C. Drake --- , , South Africa Graham J. Alexander --- , , South AfricaHabitat fragmentation and transformation arising from urbanisation are leading causes of frog population declines. Artificial wetlands are sometimes used in remediation to minimise biodiversity loss in urban landscapes, but little is known about the specific habitat requirements of frog species... -
Reproduction of the Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus at the El Maleh Dam reservoir in north-western Morocco
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Abdeslam Rihane --- , Morocco Abdelmottalib Nahli --- Hassan II Université Casablanca, Morocco Rhimou El Hamoumi --- Hassan II Université Casablanca, Morocco Mohamed Chlaida --- Hassan II Université Casablanca, MoroccoThe reproduction of the Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus in submerged and dried up thickets of French tamarisk Tamarix gallica at El Maleh Dam reservoir, Benslimane Province, Morocco, was studied through monitoring nests in three successive years (2017–2019). Systematic field... -
Diet composition of the Marsh Owl Asio capensis at the Merja Zerga coastal lagoon, northwestern Morocco
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology • Authors: Abdeslam Rihane --- Regional Center for Education and Training (CRMEF) Casablanca-Settat, Morocco Sidi Imad Cherkaoui --- Institut Scientifique, Research Center: Geophysics, Natural Patrimony and Green Chemistry (GEOPAC), MoroccoThe diet of the Marsh Owl Asio capensis (family Strigidae) was examined at Merja Zerga coastal lagoon and wetland on the Gharb Plain, northwestern Morocco. The analysis was carried out on several small batches of regurgitated pellets, collected in January... -
Investigation on the foraging ecology of black crowned cranes at Lake Tana, Ethiopia, in the context of climate change impacts
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Aquatic Science • Authors: SA Zelelew --- Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia C Relton --- , South AfricaThere are significant gaps in understanding the food resources of the black crowned crane in the Lake Tana wetlands. This study examined macroinvertebrates in crane habitats, investigated the impact of rainfall on macroinvertebrates in relation to pollution tolerance, and identified...