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An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa
The Eerste River is situated in the south-western Cape Province, South Africa. Its upper reaches have a stony substratum, and can be divided into three physical/biotic zones: The Mountain Stream, Upper River and Lower River zones. Investigations of the abundance, biomass, species diversity and speci...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Biological Sciences
2019
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| _version_ | 1867613419286298624 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | King, Jacqueline Mary |
| author2 | Branch, George |
| author_browse | Branch, George King, Jacqueline Mary |
| author_facet | Branch, George King, Jacqueline Mary |
| author_sort | King, Jacqueline Mary |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The Eerste River is situated in the south-western Cape Province, South Africa. Its upper reaches have a stony substratum, and can be divided into three physical/biotic zones: The Mountain Stream, Upper River and Lower River zones. Investigations of the abundance, biomass, species diversity and species composition of the benthic macro-invertebrates in the three zones were carried out in 1975/76. Spatial and temporal changes in these factors can be correlated with changes in the physico-chemical quality of the water. Abundance and biomass generally increased downstream, but were low below a dam construction-site, because of the blanketing effects of silt on the substratum. Seasonal changes in abundance and biomass differed in the three zones, but always included a peak in spring. The highest values of both were in the Lower River in summer, reflecting the build-up of organic pollutants there during times of low flow. Diversity of the Ephemeroptera, which was felt to be representative of a change in.diversity of the fauna as a whole, generally decreased downstream, with a major drop at the town of Stellenbosch, and another at a sewage-farm outfall. A misleading increase in diversity occurred, however, in the silt-laden waters below the dam site,. due to the fleeting occurrence of individuals of several different species. Composition of the fauna was typical of local rivers with mountain sources. Figures for abundance, biomass and calorific values of species are given in appendices |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30322 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:35:50.949Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| 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:11427/30322 An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa King, Jacqueline Mary Branch, George Zoology The Eerste River is situated in the south-western Cape Province, South Africa. Its upper reaches have a stony substratum, and can be divided into three physical/biotic zones: The Mountain Stream, Upper River and Lower River zones. Investigations of the abundance, biomass, species diversity and species composition of the benthic macro-invertebrates in the three zones were carried out in 1975/76. Spatial and temporal changes in these factors can be correlated with changes in the physico-chemical quality of the water. Abundance and biomass generally increased downstream, but were low below a dam construction-site, because of the blanketing effects of silt on the substratum. Seasonal changes in abundance and biomass differed in the three zones, but always included a peak in spring. The highest values of both were in the Lower River in summer, reflecting the build-up of organic pollutants there during times of low flow. Diversity of the Ephemeroptera, which was felt to be representative of a change in.diversity of the fauna as a whole, generally decreased downstream, with a major drop at the town of Stellenbosch, and another at a sewage-farm outfall. A misleading increase in diversity occurred, however, in the silt-laden waters below the dam site,. due to the fleeting occurrence of individuals of several different species. Composition of the fauna was typical of local rivers with mountain sources. Figures for abundance, biomass and calorific values of species are given in appendices 2019-07-08T12:34:26Z 2019-07-08T12:34:26Z 1982 2019-07-08T12:33:56Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30322 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science |
| spellingShingle | Zoology King, Jacqueline Mary An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_full | An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_short | An ecological study of the macro-invertebrate fauna of the Eerste River, Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_sort | ecological study of the macro invertebrate fauna of the eerste river western cape province south africa |
| topic | Zoology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30322 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kingjacquelinemary anecologicalstudyofthemacroinvertebratefaunaoftheeersteriverwesterncapeprovincesouthafrica AT kingjacquelinemary ecologicalstudyofthemacroinvertebratefaunaoftheeersteriverwesterncapeprovincesouthafrica |