Research Articles (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/10566/35

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 289

Germination and establishment of Teramnus labialis (l.f.) sprenG plants are affected by scarification treatment used
(Sociedad Botanica de Mexico, A.C, 2025) Naidoo, Sershen; Acosta, Yanier; Sánchez, Jorge A.
Background: Some of the species that make up the legume family are used as animal feed and to improve soil fertility. However, their use is limited due to low seed availability and low germination rates. Questions: Which scarification treatment is most effective in increasing germination? What is the response of plants to growth under field conditions? Studied specie: Teramnus labialis (L.f.) Spreng. Study site and date: Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, 2019 year. Methods: Four scarification treatments (sanding, sulfuric acid, hot water, and liquid nitrogen (LN)) were evaluated under controlled laboratory and field conditions. Seed coat structures, imbibition capacity, electrolyte loss, and germination were studied under controlled laboratory conditions. Under field conditions, plant morphological traits were evaluated during the vegetative and reproductive phases. Results: Scarification with LN caused multiple cracks in the seed coat, while sulfuric acid caused wear and detachment of the seed coat. With the use of LN, seed imbibition and germination were improved. In addition, 78 % of plants emerged with this treatment and crop establishment was achieved 120 days after sowing. Conclusions: Scarification with LN of T. labialis seeds was the most effective treatment to improve germination and reduce the time to establishment of the species. © 2025 Sociedad Botanica de Mexico, A.C.
A decade of implementing the Biodiversity management plan for African penguins – successes, failures and lessons learnt
(Elsevier GmbH, 2025) Barham, Peter; Ludynia, Katta; Sherley, Richard; Waller, Lauren
The rapid decline of the African penguin Spheniscus demersus in the early 2000 s triggered the drafting of the first African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) published in 2013, to “halt the decline of the African penguin population”. Working Groups (WGs) were created with stakeholders involved in penguin conservation to facilitate the implementation of the BMP. This study reviews the execution of the plan (1) from aide memoires and reports circulated within these WGs between 2013 and 2022; (2) by interviewing (in 2023) some of the stakeholders involved to assess their perceptions of the BMP 10 years post-implementation; and (3) by assessing the effectiveness of some actions using available scientific data. Interviewees unanimously agreed that the plan improved the species's management and facilitated collaboration across institutions involved. Conservation actions identified as the most effective were 1) the rehabilitation of adults and chicks; 2) predator management and 3) habitat improvement with the provision of artificial nests. Scientific reviews of these actions validated their success. For example, rehabilitation effort may have increased the 2023 penguin breeding population by ca 7 %. Nevertheless, African penguin numbers continued decreasing and the species is now “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List. Measures are still lacking in effectively increasing prey availability despite intensive engagement. Dedicated funding, trained capacity and accountability by relevant institutions undertaking their actions and deliverables were identified as essential for a more successful implementation of the BMP. Lessons learnt may pave the way for stronger conservation actions for African penguins and other threatened seabirds.
The first record of Cape Clawless Otters Aonyx capensis predating on African Penguins Spheniscus demersus
(Taylor and Francis Ltd, 2025) Ludynia, Katrin; Snyman, Albert; Purves, Arne
The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, a critically endangered seabird endemic to southern Africa, faces substantial threats from terrestrial predators at its mainland colonies. Correct identification of the predator species is essential for effective conservation management. This study provides the first documented evidence of Cape Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis predation on African Penguins. We describe characteristic lesion patterns distinguishing otter predation from other predators, such as Caracal Caracal caracal. These findings underscore the importance of accurate predator identification to guide targeted mitigation strategies and highlight the need for adaptive management to protect vulnerable mainland African Penguin colonies from emerging predation pressures.
The agony of choice: comparing abundance estimates from multiple N-mixture model variants fitted to a reptile community dataset
(Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2025) van Wyk, Kurt; Maritz, Bryan
Ecological surveys rarely achieve perfect detection of target species, and failure to account for imperfect detection produces erroneous estimates of abundance. N-mixture models account for variation in detectability by separating the observation process from the ecological process that determines true site-level abundance, making these models theoretically well suited to studies of inconspicuous species, such as reptiles. Multiple N-mixture model variants have been published in different fields of ecology, but little is known about their ability to provide ecologically realistic abundance estimates from real-world observation data, especially for reptiles, which routinely have very low detection probabilities. Using a dataset of reptile observations from southeastern Zimbabwe, we compared estimates of five N-mixture model variants. For each species, we assessed the goodness-of-fit of each variant, proximity of each variant’s site-level abundance estimates to an ecologically realistic range of values, and congruence between these estimates. We were able to fit acceptable models only for the most frequently detected species in our dataset (9 of 25 species). We found that model fit varied significantly according to model variant as well as species occupancy and detection probability, and that model variant pairs were rarely congruent in their abundance estimates. Importantly, our results demonstrate that fitting a single N-mixture model variant to data sampled from an ecologically diverse community can yield artifactual variation in abundance estimates. Further case studies in reptile spatial ecology will help to identify circumstances in which a priori matching of species and method of abundance estimation may be possible. Until then, rigorous but adaptive survey design may be a more reliable means of avoiding bias than accounting for it statistically. We provide a framework for application of multiple N-mixture model variants in faunal ecology to guide analytical decision-making.
The impact of weather variation on the body condition of cape cobras (Naja nivea) in the Kalahari — implications for climate change
(Academic Press, 2025) Scholtz, Kim J.; Maritz, Robin A.; Maritz, Bryan
Hot and dry weather conditions are known to impact the body condition and the fitness of many organisms. However, this relationship has not been extensively studied in snakes. We examined the impact of variation in rainfall and temperature on body condition for a population of cape cobras (Naja nivea) at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (Northern Cape Province, South Africa) over a period of five years during which time environmental conditions fluctuated substantially. We measured the mass and body length of 105 cobras, 58 from which we collected repeat measures, and calculated a body condition index (BCI) for each observation. We tested whether BCI was impacted by season, sex, and/or differences from expected mean monthly rainfall (during the preceding four-, 12-, and 24-week periods) and mean daily maximum temperature (during the preceding four-, 12-, and 24-week periods). Secondly, we tested whether BCI measures of cobras during the mating-season (September–November) were different between sexes and impacted by an index of environmental conditions (PC1 of rainfall and temperature) in the preceding summer. For our initial analysis, we found that the best-fitting model included season, sex, the relative amount of rain in the preceding twelve weeks (positive relationship), and the temperature in the preceding twelve weeks (negative relationship). Moreover, the BCI of cobras during the mating season was correlated with environmental conditions during the previous summer, with mating cobras exhibiting lower BCI measures following hot and dry summers. Our study reveals detrimental impacts of hot and dry conditions on cape cobra body condition, including measurable effects on body condition of mate-searching animals, following hot and dry summers. Taken together, we predict that prolonged hot dry periods, or increased frequency of hot dry periods in the future, might have detrimental effects on cape cobra populations in the Kalahari.
Premna sebrabergensis (Lamiaceae, Premnoideae), a new species from Angola and Namibia
(Magnolia Press, 2025) van Jaarsveld, Ernst Jacobus; Swanepoel, Wessel; Becker, Rolf W
Premna sebrabergensis, hitherto misidentified in herbaria as Volkameria glabra (= Clerodendrum glabrum), is here described as a new species. It is a range-restricted species, only known from the Zebra Mountains in the Kaokoveld Centre of Endemism, in northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola. It grows primarily in soils derived from anorthosite and gabbro of the Kunene Igneous Complex. Diagnostic characters for P. sebrabergensis include the pale green or yellow-green appearance of the plants, vegetative parts with an indumentum of simple antrorse-directed white trichomes and yellow glandular peltate scales, leaves usually ovate, often with elongated acuminate apex and flowers in paniculately arranged cymes. Based on IUCN Red List criteria, a provisional conservation assessment of Endangered (EN) is recommended for the new species.
Community- and species-level responses of reptiles to an avian ecosystem engineer
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Buckley, Emma E.; Maritz, Bryan
Ecosystem engineers can alter the distribution and abundance of resources in a landscape, thereby impacting the distribution of other species that use those resources. Although reptiles are known to respond to the ecosystem engineering of birds, case studies are surprisingly rare. Here, we sampled reptile abundance and diversity underneath pairs of trees that do, or do not, contain the thatched colonies of sociable weavers (Philetairus socius) in the Kalahari. We conducted our systematic sampling both when the weavers were breeding, and again at the beginning of summer before the onset of breeding. We test the hypotheses that (1) reptile species richness and (2) overall abundance are higher under trees with weaver colonies, and whether differences in those measures vary with season. We additionally explicitly test whether colony trees hosted greater abundances of (3) Kalahari tree skinks (Trachylepis spilogaster), and (4) cape thick-toed geckos (Pachydactylus capensis)—the two most frequently detected species in our study. We find robust support for all four hypotheses. Trees with colonies had approximately twice the richness of trees without colonies when weavers were breeding but showed no difference in richness outside of the breeding period. Trees with colonies also yielded approximately twice the number of captures (from all reptile species) than did trees without colonies, but this effect was present in both seasons. We found strong support for trees with colonies hosting larger populations of Kalahari tree skinks than noncolony trees in both seasons. We also found strong support for cape thick-toed geckos occurring at higher abundances under colony trees. Taken together, our results indicate that multiple species of reptiles are responding to the presence of sociable weaver colonies in the Kalahari, and that those species effects are summing up to detectable community-wide effects.
Target-enriched multilocus assay on poriferan museum collections unsettles tethyid classification.
(Academic Press Inc., 2025) Samaai, Toufiek; Erpenbeck, Dirk; Deister, Fabian
Marine biodiversity collections are critical resources for understanding biodiversity and evolutionary patterns. However, their taxonomic utility is limited due to challenges in morphological identification and cryptic speciation, particularly in sponges (Porifera). This study applied a novel target-enriched multilocus assay to a decades-old unidentified collection of Tethyidae from the Queensland Museum. Target-specific baits were designed based on Tethya genome data, enabling the sequencing of nuclear ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and mitochondrial genomes, even from degraded samples. In the study, 40 specimens were sequenced, and we found up to 4,440 UCEs per sample. The phylogenies were based on up to 2,788 loci and demonstrated overall high bootstrap support. Results include robust support for earlier findings on the non-monophyly of Tethya, with lineages linking to other genera (e.g., Stellitethya, Tethycometes), suggesting that Tethya is a paraphyletic group foundational to Tethyidae. Morphological subgroupings, previously hypothesized, were validated genetically, though several novel relationships emerged. This approach highlights the suitability of target-enriched multilocus assays for archival collections, enabling detailed biodiversity assessments using collection material initially not sampled for molecular work. Our Tethya case study underlines that this methodology provides a framework for broader applications in marine biodiversity conservation, facilitating the understanding and preservation of past and present biodiversity to guide future efforts.
Rangeland conditions and grazing capacities on livestock farms during and after drought in three biomes in South Africa
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Letsoalo, Ngoako L.; Samuels, Igshaan M.; Engelbrecht, Adriaan; Cupido, Clement F.
Climate change has intensified extreme weather events worldwide, such as droughts, which have severely affected South Africa’s rangelands by reducing productivity and increasing livestock mortality. This study aimed to investigate variability in grazing capacities and stocking rates with respect to land tenure, long-term grazing capacity norms, field surveys, and farmer perceptions during and post-drought conditions in the three biomes in South Africa. In-person interviews and field surveys were conducted with 85 farmers from the Grassland (n = 25), Savanna (n = 35), and Nama-Karoo (n = 30) biomes and vegetation condition was surveyed during or after the drought. Grazing capacity did not differ significantly across land tenure systems in the Savanna biomes (p > 0.05), but significant differences were found in the Grassland and Nama-Karoo biomes (p< 0.05). Over > 60% of farmers in the Nama-Karoo biome rated their rangeland condition as poor because of the drought, and field surveys showed that grazing capacities were four times lower than the national recommended grazing capacity norm. Considering the high inter-annual variability in vegetation productivity and differences in farmers’ perceptions based on local knowledge, it is recommended that the Department of Agriculture adopt flexible grazing capacity ranges in the regulations of the Conservation of Agricultural Resource Act 43 of 1983.
Methane emissions from indigenous nitrogen-efficient bovidae are overestimated
(Nature Publishing Group, 2025) Samuels, Igshaan; Ma, Zhiyuan; Mi, Jiandui
Livestock are vital for global food security, but are a significant source of methane, a greenhouse gas. Breeding for highly efficient nitrogen utilization and lower emissions is therefore a key goal for sustainable agriculture. Here we compared these traits across wild, indigenous, crossbred, and improved bovines via an extensive meta-analysis, supplemented with measurements of 150 yaks. Our results revealed that indigenous bovine produce less methane and have lower urinary nitrogen loss than improved breeds, indicating superior feed conversion and nitrogen efficiency. Notably, crossbreeds also produce significantly less methane, revealing a hybrid advantage for sustainable breeding. Furthermore, our direct measurements showed that methane emissions from yaks were 39% lower than predicted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Tier2 models, a pattern of overestimation also evident in other indigenous bovines. These findings reveal that well-adapted indigenous breeds are crucial genetic resources, highlighting the need for breed-specific data to guide global mitigation efforts. (Figure presented.)
Genome divergence between European anchovy ecotypes fuelled by structural variants originating from trans-equatorial admixture
(Royal Society Publishing, 2025) Van der Lingen, Carl; Meyer, Laura; Barry, Pierre
The formation of ecotypes is driven by evolutionary mechanisms that reduce gene flow through complex interactions among ecological, historical and genomic factors. In the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), marine and coastal ecotypes have been identified in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, yet the genomic basis of their divergence remains unclear. Here, we present the first genome-scale analysis of this species complex, integrating whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and RAD-seq data from populations spanning its distribution range. In addition to the known marine and coastal ecotypes, we identify a previously undetected lineage extending from southern Morocco, through the Canary Islands, to South Africa. This southern Atlantic lineage exhibits a gradient of admixture with northern populations near the Atlantic–Mediterranean transition zone. Genomic differentiation landscapes reveal large regions of high linkage disequilibrium, probably corresponding to 13 structural variants (SVs) segregating within or between lineages. Notably, three of the six SVs contributing to the gene flow barrier between northern ecotypes originated in the southern lineage, supporting a partially shared evolutionary history between the coastal ecotype and the southern lineage. This study highlights how SVs that arose in geographically isolated lineages can act as key genetic elements in ecotype formation, reinforcing reproductive isolation through distinct evolutionary pathways.
Long-read de novo assembly of the spekboom (Portulacaria afra) genome
(Nature Research, 2025) Van Jaarsveld, Ernst; Meyer, Wilku; Barkhuizen-Roode, Helmien
Portulacaria afra (P. afra), or Spekboom as it is locally known, is a versatile evergreen shrubby succulent plant in the family Didiereaceae and endemic to the south-eastern parts of southern Africa. P. afra is not only known for its nutritional composition and its medicinal properties but has been shown to be pivotal in preventing desertification through limiting soil degradation. In addition, there is currently growing global attention on the use of P. afra as a garden ornamental. To address the lack of genetic resources for this increasingly important plant, we report on the de novo genome assembly of a Spekboom specimen of the Albany Thicket Biome using Oxford Nanopore Technology long-read sequencing, coupled with Illumina short-read polishing. Flow cytometry and k-mer analysis revealed the genome to be tetraploid and supports a haploid assembly size of ~ 0.68 Gb. BUSCO analysis revealed 99.3% complete BUSCO genes, indicative of the high gene completeness of the assembled genome
Blue Carbon at the southern tip of Africa: current knowledge and future perspectives for dynamic estuarine environments
(Academic Press, 2025) Rajkaran, Anusha; Adams, Janine; Buttner, Daniel
Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs), specifically salt marsh, seagrass, mangroves, occur in South Africa's relatively small, sheltered estuaries that are often disconnected from the ocean. These are dynamic environments where shifts between BCEs and other habitats along ecotones occur in response to mouth changes, floods and droughts, as well as anthropogenic pressures. Although Blue Carbon is becoming well established in South Africa, critical knowledge gaps remain; these are summarised under seven themes and future research and management actions identified. A holistic approach is recommended for Blue Carbon studies in estuaries to measure across elevation gradients (rather than focusing on individual vegetation types) and to include reeds, sedges and forested wetlands. Additionally, quantifying data deficient carbon stocks and processes, modelling future climate change impacts, instilling a sustainable long-term monitoring program, incorporating relevant emerging blue carbon stocks, realizing nationally inclusive restoration and protection co-management plans, and aligning local approaches with global frameworks of reporting are advocated as future recommendations with respect to South African BCEs. South Africa has high biodiversity and unique pressures influencing BCEs and is well positioned to inform the global research agenda. While the limited spatial extent of BCEs restricts the feasibility of carbon credit opportunities, high biodiversity values of these ecosystems hold potential under emerging ‘nature credit’ frameworks.
BioSoundSCape: a bioacoustic dataset for the fynbos biome
(Nature Research, 2025) Turner, Andrew; Clark, Matthew; Salas, Leo
Most biodiversity data are collected at fine spatial scales, but threats to species and ecosystems occur at broad spatial scales. Remote sensing allows broad-scale assessment of biodiversity but these data need to be ground-truthed with contemporaneous in situ datasets. Various faunal groups produce sounds or vocalizations which can then be related to remotely-sensed data. As part of the NASA-led BioSCape project, the BioSoundSCape project deployed Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs), which record sounds in an approximately 50 m radius, at 521 sites spread across an area of approximately 119,058 km2 in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, during the wet and dry seasons of 2023. The ARUs recorded sounds one in every ten minutes, over 4–10 days, producing 825,832 minutes of recordings (approximately 400,000 minutes of recording in each season). These sound data are georeferenced to within 20 m, with time and date information, so may be useful for relating biodiversity patterns in soundscapes to vegetation structure, fire history, plant phenology, distance to roads and other human infrastructure.
A global systematic review of resource nexus and nature-positive sustainable development: an invitation to a new research agenda
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) O’Farrell, Patrick John; Makwinja, Yamikani Harry; Kimengsi, Jude Ndzifon
The Resource Nexus concept is acknowledged as a transformative approach to managing resource challenges. Yet, its contribution to nature-positive sustainable development (NPSD) practices remains less understood. This study (i) analyses how resource nexus and NPSD practices have been conceptualised in the literature, (ii) determines the state-of-the-art on the NPSD outcomes that are driven by the Resource Nexus approach, and (iii) identifies methodological development in Resource Nexus and NPSD studies. Search queries were conducted in the Scopus core collection, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, resulting in the inclusion of 117 empirical studies. The study reveals that while Resource Nexus offers a broad lens for engaging with these different environmental resources, its integration with NPSD practices remains underexplored. Firstly, the overall dominance of the water-energy-food (WEF) Nexus (28.2%) was reported, followed by the water-energy-food-climate (WEFC) Nexus (24.8%), and the biota-energy-food-climate (BEFC) Nexus (15.4%). Secondly, most papers reported ecological parameters (61.3%) as the significant NPSD outcomes driven by the Resource Nexus, followed by political (48.7%), and economic (44.4%) outcomes. Only 17% of papers reported socio-cultural outcomes. Finally, quantitative approaches were most commonly used in the literature (56.4%), followed by qualitative approaches (33.3%), while the mixed methods approach (10.3%) remained the least frequently used. Our review highlights the urgent need for a new research agenda focused on (i) a diverse Resource Nexus constellation, (ii) transformative coupled citizen science research that develops actionable strategies to complete the Science-policy-practice cycle, and (iii)innovative research methodologies focusing on multi-level and mixed-method approaches while preserving the diverse values of qualitative and quantitative approaches.
A taxonomic revision of the twelve-scaled species of struthiola (thymelaeaceae: thymelaeoideae): the struthiolamundiig roup
(Elsevier, 2025) Boatwright, James; Makhoba, Thuli; Magee, Anthony Richard
Struthiola L. (Thymelaeaceae: Thymelaeoideae) is a genus of approximately 40 species (Wright, 1915; manning and goldblatt, 2012) largely endemic to South Africa, but with four species in tropical Africa (Peterson, 1958, 1978, 2006). the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) is the centre of diversity for the genus, as well as for several other related southern African Thymelaeoideae, including Gnidial., Lachnaea l. and Passerina l. Almost all of the South African species of Struthiola are restricted to the GCFR (manning and goldblatt, 2012; Snijman, 2013), with only three of the South African species occurring beyond the region in the grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal (Wright, 1915; hilliard and burtt, 1986; Hilliard, 1993). Struthiola l. was established by Linnaeus (1767) in his Systema Naturae ed. 12 for two species of Thymelaeaceae that were characterised by flowers with just four anthers and petaloid scales (incorrectly described as nectary glands) and subsequently conserved against the earlier name Belvala Adans. (1763) with the conserved type S. erecta l. The genus was last revised more than a century ago by Wright (1915), and as the taxonomy of the southern African species remains poorly understood it has been identified as one of the priority groups for taxonomic revision (Victor et al., 2015; Victor, 2020). Meisner (1857), in his global treatment of Thymelaeaceae, subdivided the genus into three morphological groups based on the number of petaloid scales in the mouth of the hypanthium, viz. four, eight or 12. All subsequent authors have retained these informal subdivisions. The molecular analyses by Makhoba (2024) recovered the species with four scales (the Struthiola striata group) and those with 12 scales (the Struthiola mundii group) as two independent clades nested within the remaining species of the genus, all with eight scales. This confirms the value of the putatively derived scale-numbers of four and 12 in identifying relationships in the genus. The four-scaled S. striata group was recently revised (Makhoba et al., 2019) as a first step towards a comprehensive revision of the genus. As the next step we present a revision of the twelve-scaled species comprising the S. mundii group. Twelve species and three varieties were recognized in the S. mundii group at the onset of this study. Characters such as habit, flower colour, presence or absence of hairs on the hypanthium, hypanthium length, shape of the petaloid scales and the colour of the associated hairs, bracteole length, and presence or absence
The first record of Cape Clawless Otters Aonyx capensis predating on African Penguins Spheniscus demersus
(Taylor&Francis, 2025) Snyman, Albert; Ludynia, Katrin; Purves, Arne
The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, a critically endangered seabird endemic to southern Africa, faces substantial threats from terrestrial predators at its mainland colonies. Correct identification of the predator species is essential for effective conservation management. This study provides the first documented evidence of Cape Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis predation on African Penguins. We describe characteristic lesion patterns distinguishing otter predation from other predators, such as Caracal Caracal caracal. These findings underscore the importance of accurate predator identification to guide targeted mitigation strategies and highlight the need for adaptive management to protect vulnerable mainland African Penguin colonies from emerging predation pressures.
Technical considerations for use of sodium azide in plant biotechnology-assisted genetic improvement
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025) Naidoo, Sershen; Lozada, Alberto; Gómez, Daviel
odium azide has been used in plant biotechnology as a mutagen to induce genetic variation in plants for the purpose of improving traits such as yield, disease resistance, and stress tolerance, for more than four decades. It acts by causing random mutations and researchers can expose plant seeds and a variety of zygotic and vegetative explants to sodium azide for this purpose. Sodium azide can also be used in combination with other biotechnological tools, such as genetic engineering, to further enhance the genetic improvement of plants; for example, to induce mutations in plants that have been genetically modified to overexpress certain genes. Its sustained use over what has been plant biotechnology’s most intense period of innovation speaks to the value of sodium azide as a tool for creating genetic diversity and facilitating the development of new plant varieties with improved traits. Its widespread application in plant biotechnology has led to a lot of variation across facilities/laboratories and species in terms of the methods of exposure, tissues targeted, concentrations used, mutagenic efficiency and biological consequences. The use of mutagens like sodium azide also raises ethical concerns around the unintended consequences and potential risks of mutagens to the environment and human health. This motivated the current review on the technical considerations for the use of sodium azide in plant biotechnology-assisted genetic improvement. Despite the challenges associated with the use of sodium azide (mainly related to a decline in growth) when the method of application is optimized (in terms of plant material, concentration and exposure method) the technique can be a valuable, low cost, option for developing new plant varieties with improved characteristics that can benefit agriculture and food security. © Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS)
Mass mortality of African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) caused by Cape honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis)
(Taylor & Francis, 2025) Ludynia, Katrin; Snyman, lbert; Kock, Alison
The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is a seabird endemic to southern Africa and is currently classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left in the wild. Sixty-four African Penguins were found dead at a mainland colony in South Africa in September 2021 after being attacked by Cape honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis), a subspecies endemic to the southern coast of South Africa. An additional adult penguin was found alive with red-stained urine and died shortly after rescue. Post-mortem examination revealed bee stingers embedded in featherless facial areas, accompanied by localised erythema and swelling. The number of stingers ranged from 2 to 35 per penguin (on average 3.5 ± 2.7 stingers/kg in adult males and 4.1 ± 3.6 stingers/kg in adult females), suggesting the species may have a low tolerance to bee venom. Internal lesions were consistent with those previously reported in bee envenomation in other birds and mammals, including severe pulmonary congestion and oedema, systemic shock, and acute kidney injury. The cause of the bee attacks remains unclear but may relate to disturbance by humans or penguins. Habitat degradation and proximity to human activity can increase the risk of bee attacks. Management strategies should include buffer zones for beekeeping, removing or relocating highrisk hives, and educating residents about the risks of beekeeping near colonies. Understanding the drivers of bee defensiveness will be important to prevent further incidents and ensure this endemic bee subspecies does not become an added threat to the African Penguin.
Enabling conservation theories of change
(London: Nature Publishing Group UK, 2024) Christina A. Buelow; Anusha Rajkaran
Global theories of change (ToCs), such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF), provide broad, overarching guidance for achieving conservation goals. However, broad guidance cannot inform how conservation actions will lead to desired outcomes. We provide a framework for translating a globalscale ToC into focussed, ecosystem-specific ToCs that consider feasibility of actions, as determined by national socioeconomic and political context (i.e., enabling conditions). We demonstrate the framework using coastal wetland ecosystems as a case study. We identified six distinct multinational profiles of enabling conditions (‘enabling profiles’) for coastal wetland conservation. For countries belonging to enabling profiles with high internal capacity to enable conservation, we described plausible ToCs that involved strengthening policy and regulation. Alternatively, for enabling profiles with low internal enabling capacity, plausible ToCs typically required formalising community-led conservation. Our ‘enabling profile’ framework could be applied to other ecosystems to help operationalise the post-2020 GBF.

Browse

Recent Submissions