Download or read book Fynbos Coast written by Peter Slingsby and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Field Guide to the Eastern Southern Cape Coasts written by Irene J. De Moor and published by Juta and Company Ltd. This book was released on 1998 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether you are a bird-watcher, an angler, a hiker, a diver, an environmentalist, or merely a weekend nature lover, this guide will provide hours of fascinating reading and be an invaluable reference for years to come.
Download or read book Coastal Dunes written by M. L. Martínez and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-09-14 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, coastal dune specialists from tropical and temperate latitudes cover a wide set of topics, including: geomorphology, community dynamics, ecophysiology, biotic interactions and environmental problems and conservation. The book offers recommendations for future research, identifying relevant topics where detailed knowledge is still lacking. It also identifies management tools that will promote and maintain the rich diversity of the dune environments in the context of continuing coastal development.
Download or read book Biogeography and Ecology of Southern Africa written by Marinus J.A. Werger and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 1402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Southern Africa is certainly not a naturally bounded area so that there are several possibilities for delineating it and concepts about its extent. Wellington* discussed the various possibilities for delineation and suggested that one line stands out more clearly and definitely as a physical boundary than any other, namely the South Equatorial Divide, the watershed between the ZaIre, Cuanza and Rufiji Rivers on the one hand and the Z ambezi, Cunene and Rovuma Rivers on the other. This South Equatorial Divide is indeed a major line of separation for some organisms and is also applicable in a certain geographical sense, though it does not possess the slightest significance for many other groups of organisms, ecosystems or geographical and physical features of Africa. The placing of the northern boundary of southern Africa differs in fact strongly per scientific dis cipline and is also influenced by practical considerations regarding the possibilities of scientific work as subordinate to certain political realities and historically grown traditions. This is illustrated, for example, in such works as the Flora of Southern Africa, where the northern boundary of the area is conceived as the northern and eastern political boundaries of South West Africa, South Africa and Swaziland. Botswana, traditionally included in the area covered by the Flora Zambesiaca, thus forms a large wedge in 'Southern Africa'.
Download or read book The Ecology of Fynbos written by Richard M. Cowling and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa's Cape Floristic Region includes approximately 8,500 plant species. Most of this biodiversity is concentrated in fynbos, a fire-prone shrubland occurring on the sandy, infertile soils which predominate in this region.This book reviews a decade of rigorous research into the biogeography, ecology and management of fynbos, carried out under the auspices of the Fynbos Biome Project.
Download or read book Components of productivity of Mediterranean climate regions Basic and applied aspects written by N.S. Margaris and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our knowledge of the functional characteristics of the plants of mediterranean-cl imate regions has increased greatly in the past decade. In recent times the possibility of large-scale util ization of biomass for energy from these regions has been proposed. In order to assess the feasibil ity of these proposals we must consider the productive structure of these plant communities and how they vary through time and space. This symposium was an attempt to examine our recently acquired basic knowledge of the environmental I imitations on the productivity of Mediterranean plant communities in relation to the consequences of the possible util ization of these communities for energy and chemicals. Specifically in this book we examine the mechanisms by which plants of mediterranean-cl imate regions maintain their productive capacity under the prevail ing conditions of summer draught and winter cold. We consider the characteristics of leaves, their history, morphology and plasticity. Evergreen sclerophyll leaves are common to the dominant plants of all mediterranean-cl imate regions and thus they have significance in terms of enhancing carbon gain and water-use efficiency as well as ensuring survival under the prevail ing cl imatic conditions.
Download or read book Plant community ecology Papers in honor of Robert H Whittaker written by R.K. Peet and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: R. K. Peet Dep. of Botany, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. 27514, USA Robert Whittaker's contributions to ecology were many and remarkably varied. His publication record will long stand as a monument to his greatness, and whatever we do to honor him will likely be rather small in comparison. Less well known were his personal interactions and the impact they had on the development of ecology as well as individual scientists. Over the years he touched many of us and we felt not just a professional but also a deep personal loss in his passing. After his death I was contacted by numerous colleagues who wondered what they might do to honor him. Whittaker had long served on the editorial board of Vegetatio, which prompted Eddy van der Maarel to suggest that a series of papers in the journal might be a fitting memorial, and so this project was conceived. Whittaker was a master of synthesis and during his career he published numerous review papers which showed clearly how his work related to and built on that of others. For this reason it seemed inappropriate and redundant to solicit papers reviewing areas to which Whittaker made important contributions. Instead, I chose to solicit research papers illustrating current applications of approaches Whittaker developed and showing a few of the recent advances which have grown directly from his pioneering work.
Download or read book Vegetation of Southern Africa written by R. M. Cowling and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive illustrated guide to plant science and ecology of southern African vegetation.
Download or read book Mediterranean Type Ecosystems written by F.J. Kruger and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 566 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The theory of ecological convergence underlies the biogeographers' maps of world biome-types. It also determines the degree to which ecological principles, derived from research on particular populations, communities or ecosystems, are generally valid, and hence also to what extent resource management principles are general. To quote Di Castri and Mooney (1973): "In effect, in order to assess the transfer of technology, it is essential to know to what extent information acquired from studying one particular ecosystem is applicable to another ecosystem of the same type but situated in a different location. " The five relatively small, isolated, mediterranean-climate zones of the earth, each with its distinct fauna and flora, have provided the ideal testing grounds for this theory. A heritage of precisely focused ecosystems research has resulted, beginning with the international comparative analyses conducted by Specht (l969a, b) but with antecedents in earlier studies in South Australia (Specht and Rayson 1957, Specht 1973). Cody and Mooney (1978) reviewed the information available at the time for the four zones excepting Australia and concluded that the arrays of strategy-types to be found among the different biotas were so similar that they could be explained only in terms of the convergence hypothesis; nevertheless, evident differences in community organization and dynamics, especially phenol ogy, required closer study of resource availability and resource-use patterns to better explain relations between form and function overall, and to assess the degree of convergence at higher levels of organization than the population.
Download or read book Ecological Effects of Fire in South African Ecosystems written by P. de V. Booysen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a stimulating tale of the interplay of observation, experimentation, working hypotheses, tentative conclusions, niggling and weightier doubts and great aspirations, on the part of some score of students, on varied ecological and other aspects of the regime and role of fire in relevant biomes and ecosystem- mainly in South Africa - and on other pertinent features of fire ecology. The impressive contents is a tribute to conveners and authors alike. One can expect a profound range and depth ofinvestigation and interpretation, a closeknit fabric of knowledge, delicately interwoven with wisdom, an exposition and quintessence of information. Admipable is the collective vision responsible for selecting appropriate topics: the wide sweeps of the brush picturing the nature of the biomes; ably describing the fire regimes - whether in grassland, savanna, fynbos or forest; skillfully defining the effects of such regimes - according to ecosystem - upon aerial and edaphic factors of the habitat, upon constituent biota, individually, specifically and as a biotic community; elucidating the basic implications in the structure and dynamics of the plant aspect of that community ... and unravelling to some degree the tangled knot of the conservation and dissipation of moisture and nutrients. Moreover, gratitude is owed for efforts exerted to understand the interplay of fire and faunal behaviour and dynamics as well as composition, together with the principle of adaptive responses of organisms of diverse kinds.
Download or read book Mediterranean type Ecosystems written by R.L. Specht and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The regions of the world which experience a mediterranean type climate, with a cool wet season alternating with a hot dry summer, contain some of the world's most attractive landscapes. In the Old World, the mediterranean landscapes became the cradle of civilization; other mediterranean areas of the world have attracted considerable populations for many centuries. These large human populations have exerted consid erable stress on the fragile ecosystems which developed in these sunny, but droughted, fire-prone land scapes. The mediterranean landscape has thus become one of the most threatened in the world. In recent years much has been learned about the structure and function of mediterranean-type ecosystems (Di Castri and Mooney 1973, Mooney 1977, Thrower and Bradbury 1977, Mooney and Conrad 1977, Specht 1979, 1981, Miller 1981, Di Castri et at. 1981, Conrad and Oeche11982, Queze11982, Margaris and Mooney 1981, Kruger et ai. 1983, Long and Pons 1984, Dell et ai. 1986, Tenhunen et ai. 1987). Much of this research has been fostered under the International Biological Program (IBP), UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) and, recently, the International Society of Mediterranean Ecologists (ISOMED). To facilitate intercontinental comparisons, many of these studies have concentrated on a limited number of intensive sites thought to be representative of a general region.
Download or read book Waterwise Gardening in South Africa and Namibia written by Ernst van Jaarsveld and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Plants that are indigenous to an area do not need additional watering; they are automatically adapted to the prevailing climate and weather conditions and are able to thrive under all but the most exceptional of circumstances. Gardening in harmony with nature means no longer having to provide the soil conditions and amount of water that non-indigenous species require. Waterwise Gardening in South Africa and Namibia is aimed at anyone who wants to create a new garden or convert an existing one to waterwise principles. The first part of the book focuses on general horticultural practises, such as creating the right type of garden for your climate and the best time to plant or prune. Part two details various garden types, based on South Africa's vegetation regions: Fynbos, Strandveld-fynbos and Succulent Karoo for the winter rainfall areas; Highveld, Bushveld, Thicket and Karoo for the summer rainfall regions. The forests and coastal belt of the Indian Ocean seaboard are covered, as are the Namib and adjacent desert areas, and indigenous indoor plants. For each region, representative lists of plant species are presented in categories such as trees, shrubs, perennials, architectural plants, succulents etc, with notes on plant form, height and growth rate, flower colour, months in flower and whether they prefer sun or shade.
Download or read book Fynbos written by Nicky Allsopp and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-09-18 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Africa's fynbos region has intrigued biologists for centuries. It has achieved iconic status as a locus of megadiversity and therefore a place to study the ecological underpinnings of massive evolutionary radiations. Researchers have made great advances over the past two decades in unravelling the complexities of fynbos ecology and evolution, and the region has contributed significant insights into the adaptive radiations of large lineages, conservation science, pollination biology, invasive plant biology, and palaeoanthropology. Lessons from the fynbos offer much of value for understanding the origin, maintenance, and conservation of diversity anywhere in the world. This book provides the first synthesis of the field for 20 years, bringing together the latest ecological and evolutionary research on the South African global biodiversity hotspots of the Greater Cape Floristic Region - the iconic fynbos and succulent karoo. It explores the historical and modern physical and biological environment of this region, the circumstances and processes which have fostered its remarkable biodiversity, and the role this diversity has played in the emergence of modern humans. It also discusses the challenges of contemporary management and conservation of the region's biodiversity in the face of accelerating global change.
Download or read book Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa written by Steve Woodhall and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-11 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This spectacular new edition of Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa is the only guide to cover all 671 butterfly species that occur in South Africa. Fully revised and expanded, it includes notes on size, identification, habitat, flight periods and larval food sources, plus notes on mimicry, plus accurate maps. More than 2,000 photographs fully showcase the region's diverse butterfly fauna, with full-colour images of male and female forms (where different) and of upper- and undersides (where possible) on pages facing the species entries, for easy reference. Designed for easy identification and optimal use in the field, this guide is an invaluable resource for any visiting naturalist or tourist to the country.
Download or read book Seven Days in Cape Town written by Sean Fraser and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Blessed with blue skies, a balmy climate, a rich cultural heritage and a magnificent backdrop of ocean and mountain, Cape Town boasts a profusion of museums, art galleries, restaurants, shops, theatres, night spots and landmarks, Presided over by Table Mountain and skirted by the Atlantic Ocean and a string of exquisite beaches, top attractions include the V&A Waterfront, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Table Mountain National Park, Robben Island, and the Cape Winelands. The bestselling Seven Days in Cape Town is essential for anyone wanting to make the most of their stay in one of the world’s most exciting cities. Filled with the insider knowledge that every visitor needs, it offers seven day-tours of the peninsula, covering seven different areas of the city and its immediate surrounds. For those who wish to extend their stay, there are six suggested itineraries for longer excursions to the Winelands towns of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, the Garden Route, the Southern Cape coast, the West Coast and Namaqualand. Handy directories cover shopping, dining and nightlife, and include names, addresses, and other relevant information. Over 200 colour photographs, including aerial images for a bird’s-eye view of the city, illustrate the informative text that covers everything from historical background and useful facts to engaging anecdotal information. Nineteen essential full-colour maps will help you find your way quickly and effortlessly. Sean Fraser is a Journalism and Media Studies graduate from Rhodes University and the author of a number of coffee-table, reference, travel and guidebooks on the people and places of southern Africa. His titles include South Africa, Picturesque South Africa, Cape Town A-Z and Gauteng A-Z, all published by Penguin Random House. He lives in Cape Town with his wife and two sons.
Download or read book The Southern Tip of Africa written by Stephan Wolfart and published by New Africa Books. This book was released on 2006 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Flora of the Mediterranean written by Christopher Gardner and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-03-06 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mediterranean – a land of blues skies, warm sunshine, rugged mountains and azure seas. Yet this familiar image conceals another Mediterranean – a secret landscape populated by a dazzling variety of wild flowers and plants, from spectacular orchids and ancient olive trees to delicate snowdrops and hardy cacti. Following on from their widely acclaimed Flora of the Silk Road, Chris and Basak Gardner present a stunning selection of 600 of the finest wild flowers that grow in the Mediterranean regions of the world. Travelling across five continents – Europe, North America, Africa, South America and Australia – the authors reveal the rich botanical profusion that makes up the flora of the Mediterranean regions of the world. For each region, a succession of the most outstanding flowers is featured, from the spectacular and exotic to the beautiful yet familiar, with each plant presented in its natural habitat. Beginning with the countries of the Mediterranean Basin, the reader is taken along the rugged Atlas Mountains, through Andalucía and Italy, to arrive at the amazing botanical richness of Greece, southern Anatolia and Jordan. In California and Chile the journey is through flowering deserts, snow-capped peaks and towering forests of redwood and monkey puzzle trees, beside a coast lapped by the Pacific Ocean. The ancient landscapes of Southern Australia provide a truly remarkable assemblage of astonishing flora, whilst the Western Cape of South Africa is home to an unimaginable diversity of flora. The accompanying text provides descriptions of the species, plant families and their distribution, as well as offering guidance to those wishing to photograph plants in the wild. With 600 stunning colour photographs, and presenting a breadth of flora never before brought together in a single volume, the authors offer a unique window on the floral wonders of the Mediterranean world.
