Effects of natural vegetation, fire and alien plant invasion on bird species assemblages in mountain fynbos of the southwestern Cape Province, South Africa

The effects on birds of fine-scale differences in plant species assemblage and vegetation structure, and of two major disturbance factors (woody alien plant infestation and fire), were investigated in Mountain Fynbos at two sites in the southwestern Cape Province, South Africa. Three associated processes were also studied. These were the relative importance of three animal taxa as seed predators following fire, the extent to which an indigenous bird species ate alien Acacia cyclops fruits, and potentially dispersed its seeds, and the number of nectarivorous birds which visited an isolated nectar resource. Avian responses to fire in Mountain Fynbos varied according to season, locality and burning regime. Recently and cleanly burnt fynbos at a flat, low altitude, coastal site supported a distinctly non-fynbos avifauna, characterized by relatively large-bodied, ground-feeding, opportunistic species.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

1990

Author dc:creator

• Fraser, Michael, 1957-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Prys-Jones, Robert

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8423

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/8423