Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape
| dc.contributor.advisor | Cramer, Michael D | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Midgley, Jeremy J | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Power, Simon C | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-11-08T12:11:42Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-11-08T12:11:42Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2006 | en_ZA |
| dc.date.updated | 2017-02-24T13:29:30Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Blackwater rivers and lakelets are a common feature of the landscape in the South Western Cape. Contrastingly, white rivers can also be found in the region. Key to the colour of blackwaters is the increased presence of dissolved organic carbon. The vegetation of the regions is known to posses' large amounts of polyphenols and potentially low microbial decomposition. Therefore, are the plant-soil dynamics a possible answer to variation in river colour? To answer this, the chemical correlates of rivers in the region, along with the in vitro leaching of the fynbos vegetation compared to other types and the effects of nutrient fertilisation on microbial activity in soil were determined. The results revealed that organic carbon, Fe and pH are significantly correlated with blackwaters. The Fe in the water appears to be bound to humic compounds. Fynbos vegetation is able to produce greater concentrations of polyphenol leachates (315 mg/l humic acid) compared to savanna species (246 mg/ humic acid) over a four-day period. P fertilisations increased the concentrations of humic acids from 30 mg/1 to 200 mg/l in some soils through their affinity to bind with humic compounds. The N fertilisations moderately increased the humic acid concentrations and in some cases lowered the concentration by 10 mg/l, indicating that it provided a nutrient source to the microbes for carbon breakdown. The interactions between humic compounds, nutrients and Fe are key to the formation of blackwaters in the region. Attached to this is the limited decomposition that takes place due to nutrient limitations. Therefore, the interactions between the carbon leached from the vegetation and below ground activities are determinants of water colour in the South Western Cape. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Power, S. C. (2006). <i>Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26063 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Power, Simon C. <i>"Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26063 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Power, S. 2006. Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape. University of Cape Town. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Power, Simon C AB - Blackwater rivers and lakelets are a common feature of the landscape in the South Western Cape. Contrastingly, white rivers can also be found in the region. Key to the colour of blackwaters is the increased presence of dissolved organic carbon. The vegetation of the regions is known to posses' large amounts of polyphenols and potentially low microbial decomposition. Therefore, are the plant-soil dynamics a possible answer to variation in river colour? To answer this, the chemical correlates of rivers in the region, along with the in vitro leaching of the fynbos vegetation compared to other types and the effects of nutrient fertilisation on microbial activity in soil were determined. The results revealed that organic carbon, Fe and pH are significantly correlated with blackwaters. The Fe in the water appears to be bound to humic compounds. Fynbos vegetation is able to produce greater concentrations of polyphenol leachates (315 mg/l humic acid) compared to savanna species (246 mg/ humic acid) over a four-day period. P fertilisations increased the concentrations of humic acids from 30 mg/1 to 200 mg/l in some soils through their affinity to bind with humic compounds. The N fertilisations moderately increased the humic acid concentrations and in some cases lowered the concentration by 10 mg/l, indicating that it provided a nutrient source to the microbes for carbon breakdown. The interactions between humic compounds, nutrients and Fe are key to the formation of blackwaters in the region. Attached to this is the limited decomposition that takes place due to nutrient limitations. Therefore, the interactions between the carbon leached from the vegetation and below ground activities are determinants of water colour in the South Western Cape. DA - 2006 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2006 T1 - Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape TI - Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26063 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26063 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Power SC. Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2006 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26063 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher.department | Department of Biological Sciences | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Science | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject.other | blackwaters | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.other | fynbos | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.other | humic compounds | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.other | dissolved organic carbon | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.other | plant leachates | en_ZA |
| dc.subject.other | microbial activity | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Determinants of blackwaters in the South Western Cape | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Bachelor Thesis | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Honours | |
| dc.type.qualificationname | BSc (Hons) | en_ZA |
| uct.type.filetype | ||
| uct.type.filetype | Text | |
| uct.type.filetype | Image | |
| uct.type.publication | Research | en_ZA |
| uct.type.resource | Thesis | en_ZA |