Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo

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dc.contributor.advisorSiegfried, Royen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorDean, William Richard Johnen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-15T19:43:55Z
dc.date.available2014-11-15T19:43:55Z
dc.date.issued1995en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 231-256.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe primary objectives of this study were to assess the protected status of birds in the Succulent and Nama-Karoo, and to identify areas, using a GIS approach, where new protected areas could be established. The Karoo sensu lato lacks a distinctive avifauna, but is rich in species. A total of 407 bird species has been recorded in the Succulent and Nama-Karoo, of which 294 species are considered typical of the region. The Karoo is not particularly rich in bird species endemic to the region, and all Karoo endemic species occur in both biomes. The Nama-Karoo has an unusually high species richness of nomadic birds, and both the Succulent and Nama-Karoo have an unusually high species richness of larks (Alaudidae) compared with other biomes. The Succulent and Nama-Karoo have stochastically low annual rainfall and generally low above-ground primary production. Rainfall is often highly localized and varies annually in amount and timing. The variability of the rainfall and long dry spells or severe droughts create a mosaic so that high and low resource areas occur as patches in the landscape. Resident species of birds tend to maintain low densities and wait for rainfall events, whereas nomadic species search for high resource patches scattered in time and space, so that their respective densities likewise vary temporally and spatially. Compared with other biomes in southern Africa, there is a high species richness of nomadic birds in the Karoo. The small nomadic larks are most common in areas of perennial and annual desert grasses, and they feed on grass seeds, whereas resident granivorous birds tend to feed on the seeds of forbs and shrubs. Clutch sizes of the nomadic larks birds are small, apparently selected for by the need for a short breeding cycle.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationDean, W. R. J. (1995). <i>Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9674en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationDean, William Richard John. <i>"Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9674en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationDean, W. 1995. Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Dean, William Richard John AB - The primary objectives of this study were to assess the protected status of birds in the Succulent and Nama-Karoo, and to identify areas, using a GIS approach, where new protected areas could be established. The Karoo sensu lato lacks a distinctive avifauna, but is rich in species. A total of 407 bird species has been recorded in the Succulent and Nama-Karoo, of which 294 species are considered typical of the region. The Karoo is not particularly rich in bird species endemic to the region, and all Karoo endemic species occur in both biomes. The Nama-Karoo has an unusually high species richness of nomadic birds, and both the Succulent and Nama-Karoo have an unusually high species richness of larks (Alaudidae) compared with other biomes. The Succulent and Nama-Karoo have stochastically low annual rainfall and generally low above-ground primary production. Rainfall is often highly localized and varies annually in amount and timing. The variability of the rainfall and long dry spells or severe droughts create a mosaic so that high and low resource areas occur as patches in the landscape. Resident species of birds tend to maintain low densities and wait for rainfall events, whereas nomadic species search for high resource patches scattered in time and space, so that their respective densities likewise vary temporally and spatially. Compared with other biomes in southern Africa, there is a high species richness of nomadic birds in the Karoo. The small nomadic larks are most common in areas of perennial and annual desert grasses, and they feed on grass seeds, whereas resident granivorous birds tend to feed on the seeds of forbs and shrubs. Clutch sizes of the nomadic larks birds are small, apparently selected for by the need for a short breeding cycle. DA - 1995 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1995 T1 - Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo TI - Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9674 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9674
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationDean WRJ. Where birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1995 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9674en_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.otherZoologyen_ZA
dc.titleWhere birds are rare or fill the air : the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karooen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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