The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo

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dc.contributor.advisorBond, William Jen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBeukman, Ruth Pamen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-20T12:34:54Z
dc.date.available2016-09-20T12:34:54Z
dc.date.issued1991en_ZA
dc.description.abstractLittle is known about the vegetation dynamics of the Karoo region of South Africa. The aim of this study was to focus on the role of the "availability of suitable space" in the regeneration of Succulent Karoo vegetation. By undertaking a series of manipulative experimental transplants and pattern analyses, it was shown not only that shrubs in the Karoo facilitate other species by provision of 'sui table space' beneath their canopies, but also that certain shrub species are more effective "nurses" I than others . The plants dependent on nurse plants are referred to as "patient" plants. Not only did the 'main patient species Tylecodon wallichi require nurse plants generally for successful establishment, but this species was also most successful (in terms of reaching maturity) beneath a specific nurse Pteronia pallens. Thus the patient was "nurse specific". In time however, the initial commensal relationship between the nurse and the patient (whereby the patient benefits and the nurse is unaffected) changes to a competitive one, since nurse vigour declines as the patient grows larger. Despite this area being arid, a manipulative experimental investigation revealed that competition between the nurse and the patient was not for water. An examination of the rooting patterns of the two species showed that their root systems were separated in vertical and horizontal space. Though the mechanism of competition between Pteronia and Tylecodon was not resolved in this study, the patient Tylecodon did appear to reduce nurse vigour and ultimately replace the nurse Pteronia pallens. Since specific species associations do exist (i.e. some patient species are nurse specific), the replacement of one species by another (the nurse by its patient) is predictable and so 'succession' at the scale of the individual plant can be said to occur in the Karoo.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBeukman, R. P. (1991). <i>The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21845en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBeukman, Ruth Pam. <i>"The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21845en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBeukman, R. 1991. The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Beukman, Ruth Pam AB - Little is known about the vegetation dynamics of the Karoo region of South Africa. The aim of this study was to focus on the role of the "availability of suitable space" in the regeneration of Succulent Karoo vegetation. By undertaking a series of manipulative experimental transplants and pattern analyses, it was shown not only that shrubs in the Karoo facilitate other species by provision of 'sui table space' beneath their canopies, but also that certain shrub species are more effective "nurses" I than others . The plants dependent on nurse plants are referred to as "patient" plants. Not only did the 'main patient species Tylecodon wallichi require nurse plants generally for successful establishment, but this species was also most successful (in terms of reaching maturity) beneath a specific nurse Pteronia pallens. Thus the patient was "nurse specific". In time however, the initial commensal relationship between the nurse and the patient (whereby the patient benefits and the nurse is unaffected) changes to a competitive one, since nurse vigour declines as the patient grows larger. Despite this area being arid, a manipulative experimental investigation revealed that competition between the nurse and the patient was not for water. An examination of the rooting patterns of the two species showed that their root systems were separated in vertical and horizontal space. Though the mechanism of competition between Pteronia and Tylecodon was not resolved in this study, the patient Tylecodon did appear to reduce nurse vigour and ultimately replace the nurse Pteronia pallens. Since specific species associations do exist (i.e. some patient species are nurse specific), the replacement of one species by another (the nurse by its patient) is predictable and so 'succession' at the scale of the individual plant can be said to occur in the Karoo. DA - 1991 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1991 T1 - The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo TI - The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21845 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21845
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBeukman RP. The role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karoo. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 1991 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21845en_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.otherBotanyen_ZA
dc.titleThe role of nurse plants in the vegetation dynamics of the succulent Karooen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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