Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers

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dc.contributor.advisorWest, Adam Gen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorRogers, Annabelle Jen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-15T10:33:13Z
dc.date.available2015-09-15T10:33:13Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.description.abstract'Occult' precipitation may be an important moisture source that can impact specific plant responses to water stress in certain ecosystems. Species in many ecosystems have been shown to use this moisture source via foliar moisture uptake. The Cape Peninsula and the surrounding southern coast experience high altitude mountain cloud cover in the summer dry period. Previous work on species that exist exclusively in the cloud belt found that species from the Erica and Restionaceae family were able to absorb water through their leaf surfaces, while members of the Proteaceae were unable to do so (Gibson, 2012). Adding to the body of research, this study explores whether foliar uptake occurs in species that do not exist in the cloud belt of the Cape Peninsula and the relative importance of this method of uptake in positively impacting a plants water balance during a cloud event. Direct foliar uptake was assessed at the leaf level using two methods; submersion and mist exposure. The importance of foliar uptake was measured at the whole plant level by exposing whole plants to cloud in a mist chamber. By covering the soil in a subset of plants, we were able to isolate the importance of foliar uptake relative to uptake via drip. Results found that the restios and ericas showed a stronger ability to take up moisture via their leaves than protea species, which showed little ability to do so. In contrast to this, the mist exposure method showed no significant uptake in any species except E. quadrangularis. This disparity is possibly due to specific leaf morphology. All species showed significant hydration in response to a whole plant cloud event in both the covered and uncovered treatments. The significant hydration in response to an occult event suggests that certain low land species are capable of utilizing small occult inputs despite the lack of regular summer cloud events as seen in the cloud belt species. As family patterns of foliar moisture uptake seen in cloud belt species (Gibson 2012) are conserved in the surveyed low land species, it can be concluded that moisture uptake is not a trait specific to cloud belt species, and represents a family level pattern of ability.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationRogers, A. J. (2013). <i>Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14026en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationRogers, Annabelle J. <i>"Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14026en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationRogers, A. 2013. Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Rogers, Annabelle J AB - 'Occult' precipitation may be an important moisture source that can impact specific plant responses to water stress in certain ecosystems. Species in many ecosystems have been shown to use this moisture source via foliar moisture uptake. The Cape Peninsula and the surrounding southern coast experience high altitude mountain cloud cover in the summer dry period. Previous work on species that exist exclusively in the cloud belt found that species from the Erica and Restionaceae family were able to absorb water through their leaf surfaces, while members of the Proteaceae were unable to do so (Gibson, 2012). Adding to the body of research, this study explores whether foliar uptake occurs in species that do not exist in the cloud belt of the Cape Peninsula and the relative importance of this method of uptake in positively impacting a plants water balance during a cloud event. Direct foliar uptake was assessed at the leaf level using two methods; submersion and mist exposure. The importance of foliar uptake was measured at the whole plant level by exposing whole plants to cloud in a mist chamber. By covering the soil in a subset of plants, we were able to isolate the importance of foliar uptake relative to uptake via drip. Results found that the restios and ericas showed a stronger ability to take up moisture via their leaves than protea species, which showed little ability to do so. In contrast to this, the mist exposure method showed no significant uptake in any species except E. quadrangularis. This disparity is possibly due to specific leaf morphology. All species showed significant hydration in response to a whole plant cloud event in both the covered and uncovered treatments. The significant hydration in response to an occult event suggests that certain low land species are capable of utilizing small occult inputs despite the lack of regular summer cloud events as seen in the cloud belt species. As family patterns of foliar moisture uptake seen in cloud belt species (Gibson 2012) are conserved in the surveyed low land species, it can be concluded that moisture uptake is not a trait specific to cloud belt species, and represents a family level pattern of ability. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers TI - Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14026 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14026
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationRogers AJ. Occult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogers. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2013 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14026en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherBiological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.titleOccult moisture inputs in the fynbos : Foliar moisure uptake in Ericaceae, Restionaceae and Proteaceae / Annabelle J. Rogersen_ZA
dc.typeBachelor Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelHonours
dc.type.qualificationnameBSc (Hons)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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