Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-114).
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Biological Sciences
2014
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867611302685310976 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Botha, Susan |
| author2 | Bond, William J |
| author_browse | Bond, William J Botha, Susan |
| author_facet | Bond, William J Botha, Susan |
| author_sort | Botha, Susan |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-114). |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6238 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| 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:11427/6238 The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment Botha, Susan Bond, William J February, Edmund C Botany Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-114). My thesis investigates the rainfall requirements necessary for tree seedling survival of different savanna species in the first year of growth. Results from a field drought experiment showed that dry season survival for seedlings of Acacia nigrescens and Philenaptera vialacea was not related to wet season length. Instead mortality was highest immediately after germination despite irrigation to minimize dry spells. Furthermore there was no relationship between seedling size and the length of the dry spell seedlings of Acacia nigrescens and Philenaptera vialacea grown in basalt clay in the greenhouse, could survive. This was in contrast to seedlings of Scleracarya birrea and Terminalia sericea grown in granite sand, where number of dry days survived increased with number of growth days received. There was no significant differences in rainfall variability (t-test: tL III = 1.56, P = 0.121, F-ratio = 1.13) between a semi-arid (Satara) and semi-mesic (Pretoriuskop) site within the Kruger National Park despite significant differences in rainfall totals (t-test: tl, III = 4.40, P < 0.000, F-ratio 3.41). Results from a soil-water model show that seedling recruitment can occur at least twice a decade in the Satara area, which should be frequent enough to allow a transition to a woodland state over time. These results suggest that a mechanism other than the effect of rainfall variability on seedling establishment is required to explain the co-existence of trees and grasses at Satara. The lack of field germination, the absence of a seed bank and the germination of added seed at the field experiment site after rainfall emphasizes seed limitation as an important bottleneck at Satara. Higher herbivore biomass at Satara compared to Pretoriuskop may limit seedling establishment opportunities by destroying seed and seedlings of tree species. 2014-08-13T14:17:03Z 2014-08-13T14:17:03Z 2006 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6238 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Botany Botha, Susan The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| title_full | The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| title_fullStr | The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| title_short | The influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| title_sort | influence of rainfall variability on savanna tree seedling establishment |
| topic | Botany |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6238 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bothasusan theinfluenceofrainfallvariabilityonsavannatreeseedlingestablishment AT bothasusan influenceofrainfallvariabilityonsavannatreeseedlingestablishment |