Biodiversity & Conservation Biology
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The department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology is active in the following research areas: jelly fish; education studies; endangered species conservation; landscape ecology and GIS; marine biology; plant ecophysiology; restoration ecology; sustainable livelihoods; taxonomy and systematics; traditional plant use.
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MACRODONTIA: A brief overview and a case report of KBG syndrome
(Elsevier, 2021)Macrodontia is a dental condition where a tooth or group of teeth are abnormally larger than average. Functional and aesthetic discrepancies may arise in affected individuals resulting in lowering the quality of life. It ... -
Tracking research trends and hotspots in sperm DNA fragmentation testing for the evaluation of male infertility: a scientometric analysis
(Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 2019)Background: This article describes the research trends in sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) over the past 20 years (1999–2018) using a scientometric approach. Methods: A stepwise approach was adopted to retrieve scientometric ... -
Records of ctenophores from South Africa
(PeerJ, 2021)Although ctenophores can be conspicuous components of the plankton in coastal marine ecosystems, only six species have been formally described from around South Africa. Using photographs from local community scientists, ... -
The implications of the reclassification of South African wildlife species as farm animals
(South African Assn. For The Advancement Of Science, 2020)The Government Gazette No. 42464 dated 17 May 20191 amended Table 7 of the Animal Improvement Act (Act no. 62 of 1998), which lists breeds of animals, to include at least 32 new wild animal species, including 24 ... -
Creating opportunities through science symposia
(South African Assn. For The Advancement Of Science, 2020)For most marine scientists, unless we work in the field of fisheries development or at the interface of science and policy, it is rare to feel that we are making an impact on the lives of people in the wider community. ... -
Assessing the effects of in vitro imposed water stress on pineapple growth in relation to biochemical stress indicators using polynomial regression analysis
(AcademicPres, 2020)Knowing the mechanisms that operate under water stress in commercial crops, particularly those that can affect productivity, such as phenolic or cell wall metabolism, is becoming increasingly important in a scenario of ... -
Sharing for science: High-resolution trophic interactions revealed rapidly by social media
(PeerJ, 2020)Discrete, ephemeral natural phenomena with low spatial or temporal predictability are incredibly challenging to study systematically. In ecology, species interactions, which constitute the functional backbone of ecological ... -
Applying science to pressing conservation needs for penguins
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)More than half of the world's 18 penguin species are declining. We, the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Penguin Specialist Group, determined that the ... -
Unraveling the diversification and systematic puzzle of the highly polymorphic Psammobates tentorius (Bell, 1828) complex (Reptilia: Testudinidae) through phylogenetic analyses and species delimitation approaches
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)The high level of phenotypic diversity in southern African tent tortoises (Psammobates tentorius complex) has for decades prevented systematists from developing a stable taxonomy for the group. Here, we used a comprehensive ... -
Rhodolith bed discovered off the south African coast
(MDPI, 2020)Rhodolith beds have not previously been recorded in South Africa. A multidisciplinary research effort used remote sampling tools to survey the historically unexplored continental shelf off the Eastern Cape coast of South ... -
Sampling bias in reptile occurrence data for the Kruger National Park
(OpenJournals Publishing AOSIS (Pty) Ltd, 2020)To effectively conserve and manage species, it is important to (1) understand how they are spatially distributed across the globe at both broad and fine spatial resolutions and (2) elucidate the determinants of these ... -
How many species of angulate tortoises occur in Southern Africa? (Testudines: Testudinidae: Chersina)
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)Using range-wide sampling and 1,143 bp of mtDNA (cytochrome b gene) and 14 microsatellite loci, we examined genetic differentiation in the widely distributed Southern African angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata). We found ... -
The conservation status and population decline of the African penguin deconstructed in space and time
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)Understanding changes in abundance is crucial for conservation, but population growth rates often vary over space and time. We use 40 years of count data (1979–2019) and Bayesian state-space models to assess the African ... -
An estuary ecosystem classification that encompasses biogeography and a high diversity of types in support of protection and management
(Taylor & Francis, 2020)For nearly three decades, the Whitfield (1992) characterisation scheme served as a reference framework to type South African estuaries. We outline a revised ecosystem classification scheme that incorporates biogeographical ... -
Phenological shift in swarming patterns of Rhopilema nomadica in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
(Oxford University Press, 2020)Jellyfish (JF) swarms impact human wellbeing and marine ecosystems. Their global proliferation is a matter of concern and scientific debate, and the multitude of factors affecting (and affected by) their density and ... -
Diet composition and some observations on the feeding ecology of the rhizostome Rhopilema nomadica in Israeli coastal waters
(Cambridge University Press, 2020)Since the mid-1980s, swarms of the rhizostome Rhopilema nomadica have been an annual phenomenon in Israeli Mediterranean coastal waters during the summer months. Despite its annual prominence and the potential impact on ... -
Does phylogeny have an influence on the date of first description? A comparative study of the world's fishes
(Elsevier, 2020)The process of species description is not random, and understanding the factors that influence when a species is first described (the date of first description, DoFD) allows us to target environments and/or species' traits ... -
An assessment of the influence of host species, age, and thallus part on kelp-associated diatoms
(MDPI, 2020)Diatom community composition and abundances on different thallus parts of adult and juvenile specimens of Ecklonia maxima and Laminaria pallida were examined in False Bay, South Africa, using light and scanning electron ... -
Climatic and topographic changes since the Miocene influenced the diversification and biogeography of the tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius) species complex in Southern Africa
(Springer Nature, 2020)Climatic and topographic changes function as key drivers in shaping genetic structure and cladogenic radiation in many organisms. Southern Africa has an exceptionally diverse tortoise fauna, harbouring one-third of the ... -
Changes in mangroves at their southernmost African distribution limit
(Elsevier, 2020)Mangroves in South Africa occur at one of the most southerly locations in the world, which provides a unique opportunity to study their dynamic responses to anthropogenic and natural perturbations. The exposed high-energy ...
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