Effects of habitat transformation on temporary wetlands in the South-Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The widespread loss of temporary wetlands to human activities has been well established, but virtually no information exists on how the human transformation of landscapes has altered the ecological character of those wetlands that remain. This thesis investigates environmental conditions and invertebrate assemblages in temporary wetlands in relation to the extent of habitat transformation in the adjacent landscape, using a broad (across multiple landscapes) and a fine (within-landscape) scale of analysis.