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Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence
Competition-based models predict that coexistence of trees and grasses in savannas may be possible if trees and grasses occupy different niches when exploiting limited resources such as water and nutrients. I investigated two competition-based models, each of them considering a different axis for ni...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Biological Sciences
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613445682102272 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Verweij, Richard J T |
| author2 | February, Edmund C |
| author_browse | February, Edmund C Verweij, Richard J T |
| author_facet | February, Edmund C Verweij, Richard J T |
| author_sort | Verweij, Richard J T |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Competition-based models predict that coexistence of trees and grasses in savannas may be possible if trees and grasses occupy different niches when exploiting limited resources such as water and nutrients. I investigated two competition-based models, each of them considering a different axis for niche separation: the two-layer hypothesis, which is based on differences in rooting depth, and the phenological niche separation hypothesis, which is based on differences in timing of resource acquisition. My results show that niche separation along environmental axes on spatial and/or temporal scales, although unlikely to be the only mechanism of coexistence in savannas, may play a more significant role than has been appreciated recently. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11041 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:16.122Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Department of Biological Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Biological Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/11041 Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence Verweij, Richard J T February, Edmund C Botany Competition-based models predict that coexistence of trees and grasses in savannas may be possible if trees and grasses occupy different niches when exploiting limited resources such as water and nutrients. I investigated two competition-based models, each of them considering a different axis for niche separation: the two-layer hypothesis, which is based on differences in rooting depth, and the phenological niche separation hypothesis, which is based on differences in timing of resource acquisition. My results show that niche separation along environmental axes on spatial and/or temporal scales, although unlikely to be the only mechanism of coexistence in savannas, may play a more significant role than has been appreciated recently. 2015-01-02T09:25:52Z 2015-01-02T09:25:52Z 2011 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11041 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Botany Verweij, Richard J T Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence |
| title_full | Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence |
| title_fullStr | Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence |
| title_short | Niche differentiation in savannas : exploring competition-based hypotheses for inter-life form coexistence |
| title_sort | niche differentiation in savannas exploring competition based hypotheses for inter life form coexistence |
| topic | Botany |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11041 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT verweijrichardjt nichedifferentiationinsavannasexploringcompetitionbasedhypothesesforinterlifeformcoexistence |