Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa
Bibliography: leaves 337-349.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Biological Sciences
2015
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613241811664896 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | David, Jeremy Hugh Markham |
| author2 | Jarvis, J U M |
| author_browse | David, Jeremy Hugh Markham Jarvis, J U M |
| author_facet | Jarvis, J U M David, Jeremy Hugh Markham |
| author_sort | David, Jeremy Hugh Markham |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography: leaves 337-349. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/12544 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:01.081Z |
| 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:11427/12544 Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa David, Jeremy Hugh Markham Jarvis, J U M Zoology Bibliography: leaves 337-349. In view of the fact that the long-term study of small mammal populations in southern Africa has been largely neglected, this project was an attempt to document more accurately than has hitherto been the case in Africa, the population changes in a small rodent, the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, over a relatively long period of time. It was felt that the usual field study of one or two years duration was insufficient to obtain reliable data on demographic parameters. This was because it was important to document the variability of population data and to have as large sample sizes as possible. The fieldmouse is an omnivore but mainly granivorous and the habitat chosen was favourable for the mice, being dominated by thickets of alien Acacia cyclops and A. saligna, which provided abundant food (seeds) all year round, as well as cover and shade. The study was conducted on the Cape Flats, an area of lowlying sand dunes, on the banks of the Kuils River. Livetrapping grids were established, consisting of parallel rows of trap stations, 10m apart. The overall size of the study area was 2,55ha with a total of 156 stations. This comprised a central control grid of 60 stations (0,45ha), which was first trapped in April 1972 and where regular monthly trapping for 4 consecutive days and nights was conducted from July 1972 through May 1977. This was surrounded on three sides by peripheral grid K of 96 stations arranged in three parallel rows (see Fig. 2). Trapping was conducted in 324. grid K from February 1975 through February 1976 in an attempt to detect dispersal of mice from the control grid. From March 1976 through May 1977 trapping was conducted in a third grid, experimental grid E, which was established in the north side of the old grid K. It comprised 60 stations (0,44ha), in which supplementary food was supplied in the form of commercial rat pellets. The effects of the extra food on the population of mice were compared with the control grid. The mice were readily captured in box-type aluminium Sherman livetraps and all mice caught were marked by toeclipping and released. A total of 2281 R. pumilio were marked and released during the five year study. In addition, over 860 specimens of R. pumilio were killtrapped for autopsy in the laboratory. These yielded information on reproduction, food habits and morphological characteristics - particularly skulls for age determination by tooth wear. 2015-02-24T04:15:11Z 2015-02-24T04:15:11Z 1980 Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12544 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Zoology David, Jeremy Hugh Markham Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_full | Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_short | Demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse, Rhabdomys pumilio, in alien Acacia vegetation on the Cape Flats, Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_sort | demography and population dynamics of the striped fieldmouse rhabdomys pumilio in alien acacia vegetation on the cape flats cape province south africa |
| topic | Zoology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12544 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidjeremyhughmarkham demographyandpopulationdynamicsofthestripedfieldmouserhabdomyspumilioinalienacaciavegetationonthecapeflatscapeprovincesouthafrica |