A5017031452- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Plant and animal studies
- Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Urban Green Space and Health
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Insurance, Mortality, Demography, Risk Management
- Forest ecology and management
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
University of Cape Town
2010-2024
University of the Witwatersrand
2024
Endangered Wildlife Trust
2019-2023
South African Environmental Observation Network
2019
Ecological Society of America
2016
Abstract The Luxury Effect hypothesizes a positive relationship between wealth and biodiversity within urban areas. Understanding how development, both in terms of socio‐economic status the built environment, affects can contribute to sustainable development cities, may be especially important developing world where current growth populations is most rapid. We tested by analysing bird species richness relation income levels, as well human population density cover, landscapes along an...
Abstract Aim Urban biodiversity, and its associated ecosystem services, is an important component of the quality life urban residents. The "luxury effect" posits a positive association between biodiversity socioeconomic status in areas, thus reflective environmental injustice, as benefits with are not equitably shared across society. We aimed to determine generality luxury effect, identify factors causing variation published studies. Location Urbanized landscapes globally. Time period...
Abstract Animal tolerance towards humans can be a key factor facilitating wildlife–human coexistence, yet traits predicting its direction and magnitude across tropical animals are poorly known. Using 10,249 observations for 842 bird species inhabiting open ecosystems in Africa, South America, Australia, we find that avian was lower (i.e., escape distance longer) rural rather than urban populations exposed to human disturbance (measured as footprint index). In addition, larger with clutches...
The extensive nature of ostrich farming production systems bears the continual risk point introductions avian influenza virus (AIV) from wild birds, but immune status, management, population density, and other causes stress in ostriches are ultimate determinants severity disease this species. From January 2012 to December 2014, more than 70 incidents AIV were reported South Africa. These included H5N2 H7N1 low pathogenicity (LPAI) 2012, H7N7 LPAI 2013, 2014. To resolve molecular epidemiology...
The movement patterns of many southern African waterfowl are typified by nomadism, which is thought to be a response unpredictable changes in resource distributions. Nomadism and the related choices that make arid environments are, however, poorly understood. Tracking multiple individuals across wide spatiotemporal gradients offers one approach elucidating cues mechanisms underpinning decisions. We used first-passage time (FPT) analyse high spatial temporal resolution telemetry data for...
In South Africa, anthropogenic pressures such as water over-abstraction, invasive species impacts, land-use change, pollution, and climate change have caused widespread deterioration of the health river ecosystems. This comes at great cost to both people biodiversity, with freshwater fishes ranked country’s most threatened group. Effective conservation management Africa’s ecosystems requires access reliable comprehensive biodiversity data. Despite existence a wealth data, these data has been...
Abstract Traditional occupancy models that record detection/non‐detection (DND) of a species typically rely on either spatial or temporal survey replication to estimate model parameters. Recording the time until is first encountered after starting often possible with little extra effort and such time‐to‐detection (TTD) surveys may be more efficient than pure DND surveys. Using continuous data, TTD can in theory detection parameters using single survey. However, robustness general...
Abstract Metacommunity theory provides a framework for assessing the role of spatial and environmental processes in structuring ecological communities places emphasis on dispersal. Four metacommunity perspectives have been proposed: species‐sorting, patch dynamics, mass effects, neutral model. analysis decomposes variance into regional local dynamics ascribes it to one these perspectives, although they are not always mutually exclusive. Although birds well‐studied taxon, consensus around...
Abstract ContextThe disruption of normal activities by humans (i.e. ‘anthropogenic disturbance’) can have important behavioural, physiological and population effects on coastal birds. These negative include increased vigilance, energy expenditure reduced nesting success. To overcome this, separation distances (e.g. buffers setbacks) are often used to separate threatening stimuli, such as humans, from wildlife. However, in most instances the determination based little empirical information....
Bird atlases have become an important source of distribution data for broad-scale analyses in ecology, biogeography and conservation. However, national bird are undertaken different ways countries, usually with little formal assessment alternatives. Existing research suggests that the differences accuracy between line point transects influenced by context, habitat other details sampling protocol. To determine best approach to use southern Africa, where collection must cope a wide range field...
We described the geographic distribution of 82 haemosporidian lineages (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) in cattle egret sampled five countries central-western southern Africa. Seventy-three have not previously been reported. determined prevalence three haemosporidians samples. investigated influence internal environment host environmental variables on Plasmodium diversity whether may explain spatial variations Plasmodium. screened DNA from 509 blood samples nestlings 15 African...
Abstract We compared systematic and random survey techniques to estimate breeding population sizes of burrow-nesting petrel species on Marion Island. White-chinned ( Procellaria aequinoctialis ) blue Halobaena caerulea were estimated in surveys (which attempt count every colony) 2009 2012, respectively. In 2015, we counted burrows white-chinned, great-winged Pterodroma macroptera petrels within 52 randomized strip transects (25 m wide, total 144 km). Burrow densities extrapolated by...
Increasing aridity during glacial periods produced the retraction of forests and expansion arid semi‐arid environments in Africa, with consequences for birds. Cattle egret Bubulcus ibis is a dispersive species that prefers requires proximity to bodies water. We expected climatic oscillations led range cattle periods, such as Last Maximum Glacial (LGM) contraction distribution Interglacial (LIG) period, resulting contact populations previously isolated. investigated this hypothesis by...
<title>Abstract</title> Context. Urban ecosystems demonstrate complex biodiversity patterns, influenced by both social and ecological landscape heterogeneity. The role of factors is widely recognised, yet the relationships between elements, particularly across various spatial scales considering composition configuration, remains underexplored. This limits our understanding urban environments as interconnected socio-ecological systems. Objectives. We examine influence heterogeneity on...
AbstractThe African Bird Atlas Project (ABAP) and the Coordinated Waterbird Counts (CWAC) are main citizen science bird monitoring programmes in southern Africa. ABAP data collected by volunteers that compile lists over a grid of geographic areas known as pentads, resulting millions records key to studying distribution. In contrast, CWAC collects on waterbird abundance at selection wetlands twice year, offering important population dynamics. extensively used research. They also provide...
Abstract The community dynamics of organisms that exhibit multi‐scale responses to habitat change are poorly understood. We quantified changes in species diversity and the functional composition a waterbird over two iterations repeated transition, annual drying‐down arid‐region Lake Ngami, Botswana. used our data test three theoretical predictions: simplification bird time due reduction area concurrent niche loss; large fluctuations densities mobile, opportunistic species; high variance...
Abstract Ecological theory predicts that if animals with very similar dietary requirements inhabit the same landscape, then they should avoid niche overlap by either exploiting food resources at different times or foraging spatial scales. Similarly, it is often assumed fall in body mass modes and share plan will use landscapes We developed a new methodological framework for understanding scaling of (i.e. range distribution scales which their landscapes) applying combination three...