{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6113"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6113","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The effect of grassland shifts on the avifauna of a South African savanna","abstract":"Two distinct grassland types occur within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP); short stoloniferous grazing lawns and tall, tussock-like 'bunch' grasslands. Grazing lawns are maintained by grazing mammals, among which White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum is of major importance. By contrast, tall bunch grasslands are promoted by frequent burning. The extent of each grassland type within the park is highly dynamic and can be altered by changes in mammal numbers and/or fire regimes. Such changes may have cascading consequences on other components of the ecosystem if they show specialisation towards one or other grassland state. This study compared avifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and bunch grasslands to assess how bird species of the park might change with shifts in the grassland mosaic. Distinct bird communities were associated with each grassland type, including several specialists, and bird distribution as linked to vegetation structure, rather than floristics.","abstract_html":"Two distinct grassland types occur within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP); short stoloniferous grazing lawns and tall, tussock-like 'bunch' grasslands. Grazing lawns are maintained by grazing mammals, among which White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum is of major importance. By contrast, tall bunch grasslands are promoted by frequent burning. The extent of each grassland type within the park is highly dynamic and can be altered by changes in mammal numbers and/or fire regimes. Such changes may have cascading consequences on other components of the ecosystem if they show specialisation towards one or other grassland state. This study compared avifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and bunch grasslands to assess how bird species of the park might change with shifts in the grassland mosaic. Distinct bird communities were associated with each grassland type, including several specialists, and bird distribution as linked to vegetation structure, rather than floristics.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Krook, Kristine"],"institution":"Department of Biological Sciences","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Bond, William J","Hockey, Phil A R"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005","date_published":"2005","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:41Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6113","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Bond, William J","Hockey, Phil A R"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Krook, Kristine"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-08-13T14:04:28Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-08-13T14:04:28Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6113"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Bibliography: leaves 88-94."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Two distinct grassland types occur within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP); short stoloniferous grazing lawns and tall, tussock-like 'bunch' grasslands. Grazing lawns are maintained by grazing mammals, among which White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum is of major importance. By contrast, tall bunch grasslands are promoted by frequent burning. The extent of each grassland type within the park is highly dynamic and can be altered by changes in mammal numbers and/or fire regimes. Such changes may have cascading consequences on other components of the ecosystem if they show specialisation towards one or other grassland state. This study compared avifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and bunch grasslands to assess how bird species of the park might change with shifts in the grassland mosaic. Distinct bird communities were associated with each grassland type, including several specialists, and bird distribution as linked to vegetation structure, rather than floristics."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The effect of grassland shifts on the avifauna of a South African savanna"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Bond, William J","Hockey, Phil A R"],"dc:creator":["Krook, Kristine"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-08-13T14:04:28Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-08-13T14:04:28Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2005"],"dc:description":["Bibliography: leaves 88-94."],"dc:description.abstract":["Two distinct grassland types occur within Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP); short stoloniferous grazing lawns and tall, tussock-like 'bunch' grasslands. Grazing lawns are maintained by grazing mammals, among which White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum is of major importance. By contrast, tall bunch grasslands are promoted by frequent burning. The extent of each grassland type within the park is highly dynamic and can be altered by changes in mammal numbers and/or fire regimes. Such changes may have cascading consequences on other components of the ecosystem if they show specialisation towards one or other grassland state. This study compared avifaunal assemblages of grazing lawns and bunch grasslands to assess how bird species of the park might change with shifts in the grassland mosaic. Distinct bird communities were associated with each grassland type, including several specialists, and bird distribution as linked to vegetation structure, rather than floristics."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6113"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Biological Sciences"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["The effect of grassland shifts on the avifauna of a South African savanna"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:41Z"}