ASPECTS OF THE BREEDING BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF THE SECRETARYBIRD SAGITTARIUS SERPENTARIUS NEAR PRETORIA,SOUTH AFRICA

Kemp, A. C. 1995. Aspects of the breeding biology and behaviour of the Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius near Pretoria, South Africa. Ostrich 66: 61–68.

Secretarybirds in three adjacent territories were monitored from 1977 to 1988 on grass- and croplands near Pretoria, South Africa. Most observations of breeding biology and behaviour confirmed or extended previous studies. There was no correlation between pairs in occupancy of territory, productivity or development periods of young: this confirms the flexible breeding abilities which are unusual for such a large bird. Some aspects of breeding biology (egg shape and texture, watering of chicks) and behaviour (Wings open and Up-down greeting displays) may be homologous with storks and important in understanding the phylogeny and evolution of the Sagitariidae and other diurnal raptors.     

Spatial models to account for variation in observer effort in bird atlases

To assess the importance of variation in observer effort between and within bird atlas projects and demonstrate the use of relatively simple conditional autoregressive (CAR) models for analyzing grid‐based atlas data with varying effort. Pennsylvania and West Virginia, United States of America. We used varying proportions of randomly selected training data to assess whether variations in observer effort can be accounted for using CAR models and whether such models would still be useful for atlases with incomplete data. We then evaluated whether the application of these models influenced our assessment of distribution change between two atlas projects separated by twenty years (Pennsylvania), and tested our modeling methodology on a state bird atlas with incomplete coverage (West Virginia). Conditional Autoregressive models which included observer effort and landscape covariates were able to make robust predictions of species distributions in cases of sparse data coverage. Further, we found that CAR models without landscape covariates performed favorably. These models also account for variation in observer effort between atlas projects and can have a profound effect on the overall assessment of distribution change. Accounting for variation in observer effort in atlas projects is critically important. CAR models provide a useful modeling framework for accounting for variation in observer effort in bird atlas data because they are relatively simple to apply, and quick to run.     

Space-time diversification of Androcymbium Willd. (Colchicaceae) in western South Africa

 We examined patterns of cpDNA RFLP variability using 21 restriction endonucleases in 21 populations of Androcymbium that represent 12 endemic species distributed in the winter rainfall areas of South Africa to explore the diversification of the genus in its area of maximum species diversity. Our results are supportive of a diversification landscape characterized by continued opportunistic short-range invasion, naturalization, and rapid speciation, in which the selective action of the different environments where Androcymbium species occur determined their colonization success and subsequent short-range geographic expansion. The historical presence of fire, the constraint imposed by the low concentration of nutrients throughout southwestern South Africa and the different reproductive capabilities of Androcymbium species have also likely stimulated species' diversification. Our divergence time estimates bolster the view that speciation of South African Androcymbium initiated in the late Eocene, intensified in the Oligocene and proceeded more sporadically during the Miocene. These chronological estimates also substantiate the previous hypothesis that most lineages of Androcymbium in South Africa are much more ancient than their North African relatives, whose diversification began in the late Miocene-early Pliocene. Received July 25, 2001 Accepted December 6, 2001     

How to work with children and animals: A guide for school‐based citizen science in wildlife research

Engaging school students in wildlife research through citizen science projects can be a win–win for scientists and educators. Not only does it provide a way for scientists to gather new data, but it can also contribute to science education and help younger generations become more environmentally aware. However, wildlife research can be challenging in the best of circumstances, and there are few guidelines available to help scientists create successful citizen science projects for school students. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges faced when developing school‐based citizen science projects in wildlife research by synthesising two sources of information. First, we conducted a small, school‐based citizen science project that investigated the effects of supplementary feeding on urban birds as a case study. Second, we reviewed the literature to develop a database of school‐based citizen science projects that address questions in wildlife ecology and conservation. Based on these activities, we present five lessons for scientists considering a school‐based citizen science project. Overall, we found that school‐based citizen science projects must be carefully designed to ensure reliable data are collected, students remain engaged, and the project is achievable under the logistical constraints presented by conducting wildlife research in a school environment. Ultimately, we conclude that school‐based citizen science projects can be a powerful way of collecting wildlife data while also contributing to the education and development of environmentally aware students.     

Updated list of Collembola species currently recorded from South Africa

Understanding the abundance and richness of species is one of the most fundamental steps in effecting their conservation. Despite global recognition of the significance of the below-ground component of diversity for ecosystem functioning, the soil remains a poorly studied terrestrial ecosystem. In South Africa, knowledge is increasing for a variety of soil faunal groups, but many still remain poorly understood. We have started to address this gap in the knowledge of South African soil biodiversity by focusing on the Collembola in an integrated project that encompasses systematics, barcoding and ecological assessments. Here we provide an updated list of the Collembola species from South Africa. A total of 124 species from 61 genera and 17 families has been recorded, of which 75 are considered endemic, 24 widespread, and 25 introduced. This total number of species excludes the 36 species we consider to be dubious. From the published data, Collembola species richness is high compared to other African countries, but low compared to European countries. This is largely a consequence of poor sampling in the African region, as our discovery of many new species in South Africa demonstrates. Our analyses also show that much ongoing work will be required before a reasonably comprehensive and spatially explicit picture of South Africa’s springtail fauna can be provided, which may well exceed 1000 species. Such work will be necessary to help South Africa meet its commitments to biodiversity conservation, especially in the context of the 2020 Aichi targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity.     

THE ROLE OF LARGE-SCALE DATA COLLECTION PROJECTS IN THE STUDY OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN BIRDS

Underhill, L.G., Oatley, T.B. & Harrison, J.A. 1991. The role of large-scale data collection projects in the study of southern African birds. Ostrich 62:124-148.

The major ornithological data collections in southern Africa (checklists, migration enquiry, atlas projects, censuses, bird ringing and recoveries, biometric data, nest record cards, moult cards and beached birds) are described. For each project, current volumes of data are tabulated. The Southern African Bird Atlas Project database contained 5,0 million records in December 1990. 1,25 million birds of 810 species had been ringed with South African Bird Ringing Unit rings by June 1989, resulting in 22 000 recoveries. There were more than 100 recoveries for 27 species. The nest record card scheme of the Southern African Ornithological Society had 117 000 cards on file in February 1990, representing 696 species, with more than 1 000 cards for 18 species. There were 4 040 cards of 380 species in the moult record scheme. African Seabird Group beach patrols had found 10 057 seabirds by the end of 1985. A selection of published applications for each data set is given. The potential of the data sets for further analyses is considered, especially in relation to key demographic characteristics such as abundance, productivity and survival. It is recommended that volunteer participation projects should concentrate on monitoring and that indices for change in the demographic characteristics be developed. Most of the projects could be incorporated into an Avian Demography Unit.     

Can Observation Skills of Citizen Scientists Be Estimated Using Species Accumulation Curves?

Volunteers are increasingly being recruited into citizen science projects to collect observations for scientific studies. An additional goal of these projects is to engage and educate these volunteers. Thus, there are few barriers to participation resulting in volunteer observers with varying ability to complete the project’s tasks. To improve the quality of a citizen science project’s outcomes it would be useful to account for inter-observer variation, and to assess the rarely tested presumption that participating in a citizen science projects results in volunteers becoming better observers. Here we present a method for indexing observer variability based on the data routinely submitted by observers participating in the citizen science project eBird, a broad-scale monitoring project in which observers collect and submit lists of the bird species observed while birding. Our method for indexing observer variability uses species accumulation curves, lines that describe how the total number of species reported increase with increasing time spent in collecting observations. We find that differences in species accumulation curves among observers equates to higher rates of species accumulation, particularly for harder-to-identify species, and reveals increased species accumulation rates with continued participation. We suggest that these properties of our analysis provide a measure of observer skill, and that the potential to derive post-hoc data-derived measurements of participant ability should be more widely explored by analysts of data from citizen science projects. We see the potential for inferential results from analyses of citizen science data to be improved by accounting for observer skill.     

Spatial and temporal variation in species-area relationships in the Fynbos biological hotspot

Species-area relations (SARs) are among the few recognized general patterns of ecology, are empirical relations giving the number of species found within an area of a given size and were initially formulated for island environments. The use of SARs has been extended to mainland environments, and to give baseline estimates of extinction rates attending habitat loss. Using current species distributions based on atlas data, we examined the spatial variation of rates of species accumulation and species-area curves for Proteaceae species for all one-minute by one-minute areas within the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. We compared SARs for current distributions to those generated from modeled future Protea distributions following climate change. Within one biome and for two different scales, there exists a very large spatial variation in turnover rates for current Proteaceae distributions, and we show that these rates will not remain constant as climate warming progresses. As climate changes in coming years, some areas will gain species due to migration, as other areas lose species, and still other areas maintain current rates of species accumulation/turnover. Both current and future distributions show highly variable rates of species accumulation across the landscape. This means that an average species-area relationship will hide a very large interval of variation among SARs, for both current and future Proteaceae distributions. The use of species-area relations to estimate species extinctions following loss of current habitat, or loss of future climatically-suitable area is likely to result in erroneous predictions.     

An index to compare geographical distributions of species

We present an index for the dissimilarity/distance between geographical distributions based on reporting rates recorded on a regular lattice. Reporting rate data are common, for example, in bird atlas projects where observers fill in check lists of encountered species in a particular area. Our index is a variation of the Euclidean distance, with the contribution of each grid cell weighted by the number of checklists collected for the grid cell, and a scaling factor to ensure that the dissimilarity ranges between zero and one. Reporting rates were transformed to ordered percentile classes to make species with different mean reporting rates comparable. The index was developed for the comparison of distributions of The Atlas of Southern African Birds . We illustrate the dissimilarity index comparing distributions of whydahs and indigobirds (widowfinches), which are specialized brood parasites, to the distributions of their hosts: waxbills and other finches.     

Spatial Assessment of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in South Africa Confirms Endemic and Widespread Infection

Chytridiomycosis has been identified as a major cause of global amphibian declines. Despite widespread evidence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection in South African frogs, sampling for this disease has not focused on threatened species, or whether this pathogen poses a disease risk to these species. This study assessed the occurrence of Bd-infection in South African Red List species. In addition, all known records of infection from South Africa were used to model the ecological niche of Bd to provide a better understanding of spatial patterns and associated disease risk. Presence and prevalence of Bd was determined through quantitative real-time PCR of 360 skin swab samples from 17 threatened species from 38 sites across the country. Average prevalence was 14.8% for threatened species, with pathogen load varying considerably between species. MaxEnt was used to model the predicted distribution of Bd based on 683 positive records for South Africa. The resultant probability threshold map indicated that Bd is largely restricted to the wet eastern and coastal regions of South Africa. A lack of observed adverse impacts on wild threatened populations supports the endemic pathogen hypothesis for southern Africa. However, all threatened species occur within the limits of the predicted distribution for Bd, exposing them to potential Bd-associated risk factors. Predicting pathogen distribution patterns and potential impact is increasingly important for prioritising research and guiding management decisions.     

Moult,breeding season,mass, wing length,and dispersal in Cape Robins (Cossypha caffra) and Olive Thrushes (Turdus olivaceus): results from mist-netting garden birds

We compared a data set from the Western Cape, South Africa (GDU, n = 170 Olive Thrushes (Turdus olivaceus), n = 475 Cape Robins (Cossypha caffra)) with our captures in the Eastern Cape, South Africa (n = 197 Olive Thrushes, n = 203 Cape Robins). In both regions Olive Thrushes began moult in December-January, while wing-moult lasted for 89 days in the Western Cape compared to 53 days in the Eastern Cape. Cape Robins began moult in early November in the Western Cape, early January in the Eastern Cape and again the duration of wing-moult was longer in the Western Cape (64 days) than in the Eastern Cape (50 days). For both species the start of moult coincided with the end of the breeding season. Cape Robins were heavier and longer-winged in the Western Cape than in the Eastern Cape. There was no significant difference in mean mass or mean wing length of the Olive Thrush between the two provinces. Both ringing and atlas data suggest that Cape Robins are relatively more common than Olive Thrushes in the Western Cape, but not in the Eastern Cape. In the Eastern Cape we observed colour-ringed robins (n = 2) and thrushes (n = 2) on their breeding territory in all months of the year, suggesting that some individuals of both species are strongly resident.     

全球标本数字化建设及共享发展趋势

标本数字化建设是生物多样性保护和利用的重要工作基础,通过标本数据的整合分析,在生物分类学、生态学、生物工程、生物保护、粮食安全、生物多样性评估、教学教育和人类社会活动等方面提供数据支撑。为了了解全球标本数字化建设工作的现状以及数据共享的策略与技术发展趋势,该文分别调查梳理了北美洲、南美洲、欧洲、非洲、亚洲和大洋洲地区的标本数字化和平台建设情况,对标本数据共享现状和趋势从数据使用协议、新技术新方法和公众科学等方面进行了对比和分析,并为中国国内的标本数字化工作提出了工作建议,包括:(1)加强标本数字化建设、管理和动态更新方面的协同机制建设,确保实物资源和数字化资源信息同步;(2)加强数据整理和发布,促进数据质量的提升,充分开放数据使用协议,减少数据使用的阻碍;(3)加强对新技术的学习和引入,特别是开源软件、机器学习和人工智能技术的应用,能够在标签快速识别、自动鉴定和属性数据提取等方面发挥作用;(4)加强区域和国际合作,推动数据的整合应用;(5)推动公众科学项目发展,促进野外采集、室内整理、在线纠错、数据产品研发等工作的开展。     

Potential impacts of climatic change on southern African birds of fynbos and grassland biodiversity hotspots

Aim To examine potential impacts of climatic change on bird species richness of the fynbos and grassland biomes, especially on species of conservation concern, and to consider implications for biodiversity conservation strategy. Location Southern Africa, defined for this study as South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Methods Climate response surfaces were fitted to model relationships between recorded distributions and reporting rates of 94 species and current bioclimatic variables. These models were used to project species’ potential ranges and reporting rates for future climatic scenarios derived from three general circulation models for 30‐year periods centred on 2025, 2055 and 2085. Results were summarized for species associated with each biome and examined in detail for 12 species of conservation concern. Results Species richness of fynbos and grassland bird assemblages will potentially decrease by an average of 30–40% by 2085 as a result of projected climatic changes. The areas of greatest richness are projected to decrease in extent and to shift in both cases. Attainment of projected shifts is likely to be limited by extent of untransformed habitat. Most species of conservation concern are projected to decrease in range extent, some by > 60%, and to decrease in reporting rate even where they persist, impacts upon their populations thus being greater than might be inferred from decreases in range extent alone. Two species may no longer have any areas of suitable climatic space by 2055; both already appear to be declining rapidly. Main conclusions Species losses are likely to be widespread with most species projected to decrease in range extent. Loss of key species, such as pollinators, may have far‐reaching implications for ecosystem function and composition. Conservation strategies, and identification of species of conservation concern, need to be informed by such results, notwithstanding the many uncertainties, because the certainties of climatic change make it essential that likely impacts not to be ignored.     

Lack of human-assisted dispersal means <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pueraria montana</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">var. lobata</Emphasis> (kudzu vine) could still be eradicated from South Africa

The legume, Pueraria montana var. lobata (kudzu vine) is one of the worst plant invaders globally. Here we present the first study of P. montana in South Africa. We found only seven P. montana populations covering an estimated condensed area of 74 hectares during the height of the growing season. Based on a species distribution model, it appears that large parts of the globe are suitable, including parts of the eastern escarpment of South Africa (where most populations occur). South African populations of P. montana appear to have a similar ecology to populations in the USA: high growth rates, low seed germination, no natural long-distance dispersal, little herbivory and vigorous post-fire resprouting. In contrast to the USA, most South African populations do flower and flowers are capable of producing seed in the absence of pollinators. However, P. montana appears to have never been widely planted in South Africa, and the incursion was for many years restricted to a single introduction site. The comparison between the invasions of P. montana in the USA and South Africa highlights the often overriding importance of human-assisted dispersal and cultivation in creating widespread invasions, and should serve as a warning to people who have proposed to utilize the species in Africa.     

Assessing range‐wide conservation status change in an unmonitored widespread African bird species

Aim

With the exception of South Africa there are no systematic, long‐term, large‐scale bird monitoring programmes in Africa, and for much of the continent the most comprehensive available data for most species are incidental occurrence records. Can such data be used to assess range‐wide conservation status of widespread low‐density species? We examine this using Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori, a large, easily identifiable species with an extensive African range.

Location

Southern and East Africa, 14 countries.

Methods

A comprehensive and systematic review of published and unpublished sources provided 1948 unique locality records spanning the years 1863–2009; these included 410 non‐atlas records and 97 historical (pre‐1970) records. Range‐size changes were examined by comparing minimum convex polygons to quantify Extent of Occurrence pre‐ and post‐1970, and by testing whether more historical records fell outside the recent (post‐1970) 95% probability kernel than expected by chance. Additionally, qualitative evidence of changes in abundance was obtained from historical published accounts and contemporary assessments by in‐country experts.

Results

Since the late 19th century, range‐size (measured as Extent of Occurrence) has contracted, by 21% in East Africa and 8% in southern Africa. There is strong qualitative evidence of considerable pre‐ and post‐1970 population declines in all range states, except Zambia (slight increase) and Angola (trend unclear). In some countries, declines occurred from the early 1900s. Thus, while relatively modest change in range‐size has occurred in over 100 years, numbers have greatly reduced throughout the species’ range.

Main conclusions

Our methodology allowed objective appraisal of continent‐wide Kori status. Despite lacking quantitative population estimates and trends, and poor understanding of the species’ autecology, common issues for many African species, incidental occurrence records can be used to assess range‐wide changes in status. We recommend that this or similar approaches be applied to other widespread low‐density species that probably also have rapidly declining populations despite apparently stable range extents.

     

Waiting for the Barbarians: a public opinion analysis of South African attitudes towards international migrants

The South Africa’s democratic nation-building programme has sought to encourage a new non-racial nationalism. Over the last thirty years, racial divisions have lessened as the country has successfully consolidated a new democratic political system. However, interracial animosity and a sense of interracial competition continue to characterize many aspects of everyday life. Does this sense of interracial competition have an association with the emergence of widespread xenophobic sentiment in the country? Using the 2013 South African Social Attitudes Survey, a nationally representative survey, this paper will investigate determinants of anti-immigrants attitudes. The results show that anti-immigrant sentiment is linked to a sense of interracial competition and alienation. A belief that immigrants were beneficial to society was also strongly (and negatively) correlated with attitudes towards immigrants. These results suggest that reducing xenophobia in the country should be seen as part of a larger project of promoting social-cultural cohesion in the country.     

Patterns of bird migration phenology in South Africa suggest northern hemisphere climate as the most consistent driver of change

Current knowledge of phenological shifts in Palearctic bird migration is largely based on data collected on migrants at their breeding grounds; little is known about the phenology of these birds at their nonbreeding grounds, and even less about that of intra‐African migrants. Because climate change patterns are not uniform across the globe, we can expect regional disparities in bird phenological responses. It is also likely that they vary across species, as species show differences in the strength of affinities they have with particular habitats and environments. Here, we examine the arrival and departure of nine Palearctic and seven intra‐African migratory species in the central Highveld of South Africa, where the former spend their nonbreeding season and the latter their breeding season. Using novel analytical methods based on bird atlas data, we show phenological shifts in migration of five species – red‐backed shrike, spotted flycatcher, common sandpiper, white‐winged tern (Palearctic migrants), and diederik cuckoo (intra‐African migrant) – between two atlas periods: 1987–1991 and 2007–2012. During this time period, Palearctic migrants advanced their departure from their South African nonbreeding grounds. This trend was mainly driven by waterbirds. No consistent changes were observed for intra‐African migrants. Our results suggest that the most consistent drivers of migration phenological shifts act in the northern hemisphere, probably at the breeding grounds.     

Species cohesion despite extreme inbreeding in a social spider

Colonial social spiders experience extreme inbreeding and highly restricted gene flow between colonies; processes that question the genetic cohesion of geographically separated populations and which could imply multiple origins from predecessors with limited gene flow. We analysed species cohesion and the potential for long-distance dispersal in the social spider Stegodyphus dumicola by studying colony structure in eastern South Africa and the cohesion between this population and Namibian populations previously published. Data from both areas were (re)analysed for historic demographic parameters. Eastern South African S. dumicola were closely related to an east Namibian lineage, showing cohesion of S. dumicola relative to its sister species. Colony structure was similar in both areas with mostly monomorphic colonies, but haplotype diversity was much reduced in eastern South Africa. Here, the population structure indicated recent population expansion. By contrast, Namibia constitutes an old population, possibly the geographic origin of the species. Both the comparison of the eastern South African and Namibian lineages and the distribution within eastern South Africa show the potential for long-distance dispersal in few generations via colony propagation.     

River Restoration in Victoria, Australia: Change is in the Wind, and None too Soon

Stream restoration has become a multibillion dollar industry worldwide, yet there are few clear success stories and the scientific basis for effective stream restoration remains uncertain. We compiled data on completed river restoration projects from four management authorities in Victoria, Australia, to examine how the available data could inform the science of restoration ecology in rivers, and thus improve future restoration efforts. We found that existing data sources are limited and much historical information has been lost through industry restructuring and poor data archiving. Examining records for 2,247 restoration projects, we found that riparian management projects were the most common, followed by bank stabilization and in‐stream habitat improvement. Only 14% of the project records indicated that some form of monitoring was carried out. It is evident that overall there is little scientific guidance and little or no monitoring and evaluation of the projects for which we had information. However, recent advances with mandatory, statewide reporting and an increased emphasis on project design and monitoring strongly suggest that the design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of stream restoration projects have improved in recent years and will continue to do so.     

Bucking the trend: the African Black Oystercatcher as a recent conservation success story

The African Black Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini is a charismatic, southern African near-endemic, wader species, that is often seen as a flagship species for coastal bird conservation, as it was recently down-listed regionally to Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. To celebrate this rare conservation success story, BirdLife South Africa named it the 2018 Bird of the Year and ran a year-long programme in collaboration with the Nature’s Valley Trust highlighting aspects of the species’ biology, current threats, and conservation success. We used data collected by the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP1 and SABAP2) to examine changes in the species’ range and relative abundance, both in the records between the two projects, as well as trends within the SABAP2 sampling period (2008–2017). This case study enabled us to assess whether such metrics can accurately reflect abundance and distributional changes in a species. We found increases in the reported range and the reporting rates between the two Atlas projects, and that the SABAP2 reporting rate was stable. Regionally, across four coastal categories, the reporting rate was lowest in KwaZulu-Natal, though this region also showed an increase in the probability of reporting during the SABAP2 period. While corroborating the recent change in the species’ conservation status, we also provide good evidence that the long-term SABAP data can be used successfully to assess population trends and range changes over time.