Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen

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dc.contributor.advisorMidgley, Jeremy Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorKruger, L Men_ZA
dc.contributor.authorViljoen, Stormeen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-15T10:33:15Z
dc.date.available2015-09-15T10:33:15Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.description.abstractEndozoochorous plant species that have obligate dispersal mutualisms with megafauna are at risk of extinction because of the unique conservation threats associated with large animals. This study examines Balanites maughamii which appears to have similar dispersal attributes to Sclerocarya birrea and Balanites wilsoniana, both of which are considered to be obligate elephant fruits. Here, I emphasize the traits that make B. maughamii suitable for elephant dispersal and examine the cues required for seed germination. Large, fleshy fruits with a single, exceptionally hard seed which requires a crushing force of > 2.0 kN to promote germination are characteristic of this species. Using scent analysis of ripe fruits, the range of volatile that are responsible for the pungent odour were identified as being those which should function in mammal-attraction. Finally I examine the potential for long-distance dispersal by elephants using a gut passage time experiment, which revealed that elephants retain seed for approximately 48 hours, equating to a 4-8 km dispersal distance. Using fruit and seed bait stations to determine which other animals interact with B. maughamii, I found that small mammals may play a significant role in seed predation and that there is little evidence to suggest extensive secondary dispersal by rodents. These finding allude to the vulnerability of the long-term maintenance of B. maughamii in the absence of elephants, who appear to be their only legitimate disperser.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationViljoen, S. (2013). <i>Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14028en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationViljoen, Storme. <i>"Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14028en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationViljoen, S. 2013. Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Viljoen, Storme AB - Endozoochorous plant species that have obligate dispersal mutualisms with megafauna are at risk of extinction because of the unique conservation threats associated with large animals. This study examines Balanites maughamii which appears to have similar dispersal attributes to Sclerocarya birrea and Balanites wilsoniana, both of which are considered to be obligate elephant fruits. Here, I emphasize the traits that make B. maughamii suitable for elephant dispersal and examine the cues required for seed germination. Large, fleshy fruits with a single, exceptionally hard seed which requires a crushing force of > 2.0 kN to promote germination are characteristic of this species. Using scent analysis of ripe fruits, the range of volatile that are responsible for the pungent odour were identified as being those which should function in mammal-attraction. Finally I examine the potential for long-distance dispersal by elephants using a gut passage time experiment, which revealed that elephants retain seed for approximately 48 hours, equating to a 4-8 km dispersal distance. Using fruit and seed bait stations to determine which other animals interact with B. maughamii, I found that small mammals may play a significant role in seed predation and that there is little evidence to suggest extensive secondary dispersal by rodents. These finding allude to the vulnerability of the long-term maintenance of B. maughamii in the absence of elephants, who appear to be their only legitimate disperser. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen TI - Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14028 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/14028
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationViljoen S. Elephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoen. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2013 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14028en_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.titleElephant fruit :The dispersal attributes of Balanites maughamii / Storme Viljoenen_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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