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A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis

Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1994.

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Other Authors: Ferguson, J. Willem H.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2022
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Ferguson, J. Willem H.
author_browse Ferguson, J. Willem H.
author_facet Ferguson, J. Willem H.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1994.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:30.132Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/83175 A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis Ferguson, J. Willem H. Swart, Martha Katharina Johanna UCTD Population vulterability analysis South African black rhinoceros Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1994. To determine the vulnerability of black rhinoceros populations in South Africa it was necessary to study all aspects of population biology. Since most of the remaining black rhinoceros populations are small the emphasis was on the genetics and demography of these populations. The aim was to identify those factors that have a negative effect on the effective population size. Thirty protein and enzyme loci of four black rhinoceros populations were studied using starch and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All four populations still carry high levels of genetic variation which is reassuring for the long-term survival of the species. A genetic polymorphism of the erythrocyte enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was observed. Evidence suggest that a deficiency of this enzyme is associated with intravascular haemolysis similar to the situation in humans. Since haemolytic anaemia is the major cause of rhinoceros mortality in captivity, stress and the administration of some drugs, may induce haemolytic anaemia in G-6-PD deficient rhinoceroses. A demographic extinction model (DEMM) was developed to project the persistence time of South African black rhinoceros populations. The model uses a Leslie matrix with age-specific fecundity and mortality data and was written in Pascal. Other extinction models (Vortex and Goodman) based on the small population paradigm were also used to project the persistence time of different black rhinoceros populations and the results compared to that of DEMM. A population persistence analysis model (PPA) which is based on the declining population paradigm was used to predict persistence time for black rhinoceros populations. PPA is useful in identifying the first stages of a population decline and because the model uses census data (which is easy obtainable), the model is accessible to managers. Poaching, haemolytic anaemia and captive breeding are a few of the problematic issues that emerged from this project and valuable management recommendations are made regarding these. Zoology and Entomology PhD Unrestricted 2022-01-12T06:00:00Z 2022-01-12T06:00:00Z 19/8/2021 1994 Thesis * http://hdl.handle.net/2263/83175 en © 2021 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Population
vulterability analysis
South African black rhinoceros
A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
title A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
title_full A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
title_fullStr A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
title_full_unstemmed A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
title_short A population vulnerability analysis of South African black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis
title_sort population vulnerability analysis of south african black rhinoceros diceros bicornis
topic UCTD
Population
vulterability analysis
South African black rhinoceros
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/83175