Global ETD Search
Search theses and dissertations gathered from participating repositories worldwide. Every result links back to the library that holds it. No account is needed.
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Showing 1 to 20 of 151 for “"African ornithology"”.
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Assessing sea turtle, seabird and shark bycatch in artisanal, semi-industrial and industrial of fisheries in the Cabo Verde Archipelago
… Peter Ryan of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, for agreeing to supervise this project and for his guidance, insights and comments on the write-up. I am grateful to Sarah Saldanha, for all the support during this MSc. Many thanks also to Dr Ross …
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Handling the heat: managing microclimates for nesting desert hornbills
Anthropogenic climate change poses a major conservation threat to organisms globally, including via negative impacts on breeding success. For example, over the last decade, rising temperatures in the Kalahari Desert, South Africa, have caused serious declines in the breeding success of Southern …
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How well do buffer circles capture the ranging behaviours of territorial raptors?
… to cover the ranging movements of six southern African raptor species, throughout the year, as well as during their breeding and non-breeding season. My study revealed that buffer circles whose dimensions were based on the species' 95% Kernel Density Estimate (KDE) did relatively well at …
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Long-term vegetation change in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa following 67 years of rest from grazing
Changes in species richness and vegetation composition in the diverse semi arid Succulent Karoo vegetation of South Africa were investigated after 67 • (1937-2004) years of rest from grazing at the Worcester Veld Reserve. Vegetation change in 70 plots at this 75 ha site was assessed using multi …
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Coevolution between brood-parasitic honeyguides and their hosts
Obligate brood parasites lay their eggs in the nests of other species, foisting the costs of parental care onto the host parents. The success of the parasite and host are then at odds, with both parties evolving defences and countermeasures in an evolutionary arms race. This reciprocal influence of …
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Collisions & biases: estimating the impact of low-voltage distribution lines on the Ludwig's Bustard (Neotis ludwigii)
Bird collision mortality associated with power lines is a global conservation challenge. The Ludwig's Bustard (Neotis ludwigii) population is probably declining throughout its range as a result of collisions with power lines. Collision estimates derived from periodic carcass counts along power …
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The causes of avian extinction and rarity
Biological extinction rates have escalated by as much as 1000 times the background extinction rate over the last 1500 years, causing concern over the long-term survival of many species. Avian extinctions since 1600 have been well documented relative to other taxa, as have current levels of avian …
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The Impacts of Corvids on Biodiversity
… and land cover. Using data from the South African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP) in two surveyed periods (SABAP1: 1987-1991; SABAP2: 2007-2012), I examined changes in pied crow reporting rates (a proxy for relative abundance), describing both the overall change between these time periods, and …
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The distribution and habitat preferences of wild ungulates and cattle in Lochinvar National Park, Zambia and the use of resources by people living adjacent to the park
(1) The distribution and habitat preferences of wild ungulates and cattle were determined from observations and counts in Lochinvar National Park and the Game Management Area (GMA) on the west em part of the park on the Kafue river floodplain of Zambia over five months. Oribi, zebra and lechwe were …
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Effects of pine invasions on ground-dwelling ants on the southern slopes of the Swartberg Mountains
Ant and plant assemblages in patches of Pinus species trees in mountain fynbos and renosterbos (Elytropappus rhinocerotis) shru.bland were investigated in order to detennine whether there were differences in ant and plant species richness, abundance and cover between patches of pines and the …
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Population crash of an endemic South African cyprinid: the role of non-native fish, drought and other environmental factors
Native freshwater fish are in decline worldwide due to human impacts including impoundment, changes to water quality, over-abstraction, climate change and the introduction of non-native species. South Africa's Cape Fold Ecoregion (CFE) harbours exceptionally high freshwater fish endemism, yet the …
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How has woody vegetation changed in north-east Namibia in response to land use, climate and fire?
Bush encroachment or the thickening of woody vegetation is a phenomenon occurring throughout savannas, which tends to be more pronounced in small protected areas. The consequences of bush encroachment are often negative for the conservation of biodiversity, for the promotion of tourism and the …
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The influence of location on the structure and functioning of private land conservation networks in the Western Cape province of South Africa
Protected areas are an important tool for biodiversity conservation. Statutory protected areas are, however, perceived to currently be insufficient in extent and functioning for achieving conservation goals. Conservation action on privately owned land plays an increasingly vital role in expanding …
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A study of the ecology of the Namaqua Sandgrouse and other arid-zone birds
This field study set out to identify the key ecological factors influencing the population dynamics of the Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua, through an investigation of diet and the nutritional demands during different stages of the annual cycle, the timing of breeding seasons and movements in …
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Cape Town's domestic cats : prey and movement patterns in deep-urban and urban-edge areas
… the impacts of domestic cats on wildlife on the African mainland continent by comparing the diet and movement patterns of cats that live within urban areas with those of cats that live on the urban?edge adjacent to natural areas of Cape Town, South Africa. The findings suggest that domestic cats …
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Understanding predation of tortoises by nesting Pied Crows (Corvus albus) in western South Africa
Many species in a wide variety of taxonomic groups have shown shifts in their distribution ranges in recent decades. Rapidly changing distributions may lead to novel biotic interactions between species that have not historically interacted. As generalist predators, corvids are a potential threat to …
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The reintroduction of bearded vultures in South Africa: a feasibility analysis
The southern African population of bearded vultures, Gypaetus barbatus, is declining rapidly and plans for windfarm developments within the core of this species' range threaten to accelerate the population's passage to extinction. As an insurance against such a situation a reintroduction has been …
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