A study of the distribution, ecology and management of a threatened or data deficient species

Scope

MSc, Honours, Diploma, 3rd Year project

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Dr Coert Geldenhuys (ForestWood)

Michele Pfab (Gauteng Nature Conservation)

Janine Victor (SANBI, Pretoria)

Deshni Pillay (SANBI, Pretoria)

Many threatened plants are not well studied and it is therefore impossible to determine their level of threat or how conservation organisations can successfully manage for their survival. This study involves a detailed investigation into the distribution of all subpopulations as well as an assessment of their population status. Studies would involve a combination of the following objectives:

"  To determine the size of all known populations (or a sample thereof).

"  To determine the stage and size structure of all known populations (or a sample thereof).

"  To determine the regenerative capacity of the plants and populations.

"  To determine pollination and dispersal agents and requirements for the species.

"  To determine the biotic features of the habitat of the species.

"  To determine the abiotic features of the habitat of the species.

"  To determine the threats to the populations such as disturbances, harvesting, trampling, herbivory, pollution, invasive alien plants, etc.

"  To design a programme for future monitoring of the dynamics of the populations.

This data can then be used to conduct Red List assessments, develop conservation strategies and to contribute to finer-scale conservation planning.

Edge effects on a threatened species in an urban environment

Scope

Honours, Diploma, 3rd Year project

Possible supervisor(s)

Michele Pfab (Gauteng Nature Conservation)

Prof Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

What edge effects occur where natural areas border on urban environments and what sort of buffer do threatened plants need against urban development? Many populations of threatened species occur in urban areas and are completely surrounded by developments. How much space do they need? How can we manage them better? Do these populations have a long-term future?

Pollination biology of (a) threatened plant species

Scope

MSc, Honours, Diploma, 3rd Year project

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Steve Johnson (University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Dr Anton Pauw (Stellenbosch University)

Domitilla Raimondo (SANBI, Cape Town)

What are the pollination requirements of (a) selected little-known threatened species? Describe the pollinator(s), pollination mechanism, how these could be affected by threats and a possible management strategy.

Pollination in small populations

Scope

Honours, Diploma, 3rd Year project

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Steve Johnson (University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Dr Anton Pauw (Stellenbosch University)

What are the genetic effects (e.g. inbreeding, loss of self-incompatibility alleles) or ecological effects (e.g. pollinator limitation, lack of mating partners) of small population size? Why are low levels of seed production often observed in small populations?

The role of pollination guilds in the persistence (and speciation) of threatened plants

Scope

Honours, Diploma, 3rd Year project

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Steve Johnson (University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Dr Anton Pauw (Stellenbosch University)

Centres of plant endemism tend to have specific pollination guilds for narrow endemic taxa, many of which are Red Data Listed. The identification of these guilds, and the status of these pollinators are crucial in understanding and assessing the long-term persistence of these threatened plant taxa in these important landscapes. This project could also involve an evolutionary biology component looking at the speciation and co-evolution of plants and pollinators in a particular system.

A study on the impacts of pollination agents and spatial dynamics on the persistence of one or more cycad species

Scope

Honours, Diploma, 3 rd Year project

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Steve Johnson (University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Dr Anton Pauw (Stellenbosch University)

The pollination agents for most of the Critically Endangered cycad species are not known or understood. How pollination is achieved in the wild is not clear and may have large implications for the manner in which populations should be managed. Being dioecious, spatial dynamics and the loss of key individuals can have huge impacts on their long-term reproductive success. This study would include monitoring of cycads and their pollinators in order to determine, amongst other things, the sex ratio of wild plants and the distance between these individuals. Possible study species include Encephalartos laevifolius, E. heenanii, E. middleburgensis, E. cupidus ).

Fragmentation of a threatened plant species' range – how small is too small?

Scope

MSc, Honours

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Timm Hoffman (Institute for Plant Conservation, Cape Town)

Prof Steve Johnson (University of KwaZulu-Natal)

Dr Anton Pauw (Stellenbosch University)

Dr Coert Geldenhuys (ForestWood)

Dr Suzanne Vetter (Rhodes University)

An investigation into the effects of fragmentation on a selected threatened species e.g. Xiphothecas or Pollhilias . What are the minimum viable area requirements of selected threatened species? This information can be used for setting conservation targets to help ensure the persistence of threatened species in a fragmented landscape.

The impacts of fire and its management on threatened species in the grassland or fynbos biome

Scope

PhD, MSc, Honours, Diploma

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof William Bond (University of Cape Town)

Prof Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

Dr Suzanne Vetter (Rhodes University)

Domitilla Raimondo (SANBI, Cape Town)

Annelise Vlok (Western Cape Nature Conservation Board)

An investigation into the impacts of fire frequency and/or intensity on the persistence of threatened plant populations and species in one of South Africa's fire-prone biomes. How should fire in these systems be managed to ensure threatened species survival? The scope of this study could be site, population or species specific for a smaller project, or could be at a landscape scale for a MSc or PhD. A possible study site is near Elandsberg (Western Cape) where Protea mucronifolia is highly threatened by lack of fire.

The impacts of alien grasses on survival of threatened species in the Cape Floristic Region

Scope

MSc, Honours, Diploma

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof William Bond (University of Cape Town)

Prof David Richardson (Stellenbosch University)

Dr Charles Musil (SANBI, Cape Town )

Domitilla Raimondo (SANBI, Cape Town)

Alien grasses have been identified as one of the major threats to plants in the lowlands of the Cape Floral Region and many of the threatened species left on fragments in agricultural landscapes are threatened by grass invasion. How alien grasses are impacting various life histories of different threatened species is unknown. This project will involve field work and laboratory experiments to determine how alien grasses impact germination and growth of selected threatened species.

Impacts of climate change on threatened species

Scope

MSc, Honours, Diploma

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr Guy Midgley (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr Barend Erasmus (Wits University)

Dr Mathieu Rouget (SANBI, Cape Town)

Prof William Bond (University of Cape Town)

Wendy Foden (SANBI, Pretoria)

How will climate change impact South Africa's threatened species/ a subgroup/ a single species? Which areas will be suitable for them in the future? Are they likely to maintain pollination and/or dispersal mutualisms? Which species will be most affected, and how should we manage for them?

The development of a protocol for prospective sampling of rare and threatened species using niche-based spatial models

Scope

MSc

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr Guy Midgley (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr Wilfried Thuiller (SANBI, Cape Town)

Monitoring rare and threatened species is a vital issue in conservation planning and is therefore one of the primary objectives of the TSP. The surveying of known populations is of limited use if it is not complemented by a prospective sampling survey to ensure that populations in under-surveyed areas are also located. Designing such a survey is extremely challenging since many threatened species have low prevalence in the landscape. We propose utilising predictions from niche-based spatial models to predict suitable areas (where models show a high probability of occurrence), based on a number of ecological variables. Field surveys will then be conducted to determine the accuracy of the models and population and life history details will be recorded in order to fine-tune it. This research will help to increase the samp ling efficiency for selected species as well as improving our understanding of rarity in plant species. The student will gain skills in fieldwork, laboratory and statistical analyses as well as in species range modelling (* more details available on request).

The influences of landscape structure on the ecological processes of threatened species

Scope

MSc

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr Mathieu Rouget (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr Phil Desmet

It is increasingly recognised that ecological processes are influence d, not only by landscape composition (e.g. types and proportion of different habitats), but also by landscape configuration (e.g. shape, distance and distribution of different habitat types). The field of quantitative landscape ecology was developed to quantify landscape structure, including both composition and configuration, using landscape metrics at landscape, habitat class and habitat patch levels. Landscape metrics are calculated using FRAGSTATS software and have been successfully linked to habitat availability and suitability, population viability, patterns such species presence/absence and abundance as well as processes such as predation and pollination.

Given the good quantity and quality of data available in the Cape Floral Region (e.g. Protea Atlas Data) and/or South Africa in general (e.g. Bird Atlas, Frog Atlas data), potential projects could investigate, for example, the impacts of landscape structure on: (a) the presence/absence and abundance of species, (b) the spread of invasive alien species or (c) on the threat status of plant species. These projects would suit students with some experience in GIS and an interest in macro- and landscape ecological principles in practice.

Can fine-scale locality information on threatened plants from herbaria contribute to plant conservation

Scope

MSc

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

Dr Mathieu Rouget (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr John Donaldson (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr Terry Trinder-Smith (University of Cape Town)

Domitilla Raimondo (SANBI, Cape Town)

Janine Victor (SANBI, Pretoria)

Wendy Foden (SANBI, Pretoria)

Threatened species locality information is often used as a surrogate for scarce biodiversity data and it therefore influences the selection of areas designated for conservation. This project will make use of electronic herbarium data for threatened plants in the Cape Floral Region (CFR) to determine whether there is a correlation between the distributions of threatened plants and threatened ecosystems in the CFR. Important Plant Areas are areas high in endemic and threatened plant species that have the greatest conservation priority. South Africa is committed to the global Convention of Biodiversity that states that “50% of Important Plant Areas are protected”. Important Plant Areas identification has recently been initiated in South Africa and the results of this project will provide vital guidance in this process.

An investigation into the harvesting and trade of a medicinally valuable threatened species

Scope

MSc, Honours, Diploma

Possible supervisors

Prof Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Prof Timm Hoffman (Institute for Plant Conservation, Cape Town)

Dr Coert Geldenhuys (ForestWood)

Dr Suzanne Vetter (Rhodes University)

Domitilla Raimondo (SANBI, Cape Town)

This could involve a market study on a particular species, or group, or on the species traded in a particular region. Important questions include:

"  Where are these species collected?

"  How do the muthi traders obtain these species?

"  What is the relationship between the supply and demand of medicinal plants and how do collectors establish the demand?

"  What is the financial gain for the muthi collectors? What part of the plant is collected?

"  How does this effect individual plant survival and how does harvesting effect population dynamics?

"  Could harvesting techniques be changed to lessen the impact on populations?

A possible Mpumalanga species: Adenium swazicum

Genetic diversity in southern African subpopulations of the Critically Endangered Siphonochilus aethiopicus (Zingiberaceae)

Scope

MSc, Honours, Diploma

Possible supervisors

Prof Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

Dr Gail Reeves (SANBI, Cape Town)

The remaining amount and pattern of genetic diversity in S. aethiopicus subpopulations in southern Africa requires full elucidation. This Critically Endangered species is a highly sought- after ethno-medicinal plant, from which a herbal and possibly pharmaceutical industry is likely to develop in the near future. An earlier study utilising starch gel electrophoresis looked at genetic diversity within a single natural population, as well as a few commercially available clones. A more comprehensive molecular systematics study is required, which may help to answer the following questions, inter alia :

"  What degree of genetic diversity remains in southern Africa, and at provincial levels?

"  Can a genetic survey inform commercial developments?

"  Is the residual genetic base too narrow to recommend agricultural development of a new crop, viz. disease resistance, breeding programme potential?

"  From which subpopulations are marketed plants currently harvested (genetic fingerprinting)?

"  Based on market collections, are there likely to be other subpopulations as yet unknown to conservationists?

"  Are subpopulations near-clonal and dependant on vegetative reproduction for survival?

"  Has Siphonochilu s likely been moved synanthropically in antiquity?

It is proposed that all known naturally occurring populations (± 10) should be properly sampled to reveal intra-and inter-subpopulational diversity. If possible, Swaziland sites should also be included. Further details available on request.

An investigation of the breeding techniques for cycads in Botanical Gardens

Scope

MSc (experiments can be set up) or Honours (based on an examination of seeds)

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr John Donaldson (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr Chris Willis (SANBI, Pretoria)

Are current cycad breeding programs successful? Evidence suggests that despite adherence to current breeding methods, some hybridization is occurring. Is non-hand (i.e. unintentional) pollination between individuals happening?

An investigation into the cultivation techniques of threatened species

Scope

MSc, Diploma, Honours, 3 rd Year

Possible supervisor(s)

Prof. Dave Mycock (Wits University)

Andrew Hankie (Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens)

Karin Behr (Pretoria Botanical Gardens)

Peter Ngave (Free State Botanical Gardens, Bloemfontein)

(2 options)

"  Cultivation of threatened species for conservation purposes may be necessary for critically endangered species. These collections can be used to reintroduce a species to areas where it has become extinct, or to supplement declining populations. In order for this ex situ conservation of a species to be successful, the correct horticultural techniques must be established. What are the ideal growth conditions, and germination and pollination procedures of one or more endangered species ?

"  An investigation into propagation methods that can be used for the mass cultivation of medicinally useful plants that are threatened by over-harvesting.

What is the economic value of South Africa's threatened species?

Scope

MSc, (PhD)

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr Jane Turpie (University of Cape Town)

Prof Kevin Balkwill (Wits University)

Prof. Ed Witkowski (Wits University)

What is the economic value of South Africa's threatened species (or a subgroup, e.g. cycads, tree aloes)? What are the individual components of value due to tourism, formal trade, informal trade, cultural value, ecosystem services etc.?

A molecular study of cycad genetics

Scope

MSc

Possible supervisors

Dr John Donaldson (SANBI, Cape Town)

Dr Gail Reeves (SANBI, Cape Town)

Prof Tracy Mclellan (Wits University)

(can be divided into 2 subprojects)

"  How much of the cycads' genetic diversity is represented in ex situ collections e.g. botanical gardens and private collections? How do the genetics of wild and captive populations differ? What is the value of ex situ collections to the genetic conservation of the cycad group?

"  DNA fingerprinting of wild populations of cycad species that are popular in the cycad trade. This will assist with law enforcement efforts and provides a full-proof alternative to micro-chipping (some work has been done in this field but follow-up work is necessary).

Delimitation of members of the genera Acrodon and Ruschia

Scope

MSc

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr Heidi Hartmann, Hamburg University, Germany

Dr Priscilla Burgoyne (SANBI, Pretoria)

The genus Acrodon was separated from the much larger and more widespread genus Ruschia. Two of the three species in this group (one is undescribed) appear to be very rare, and do not conform to the groupings used to distinguish the two genera.

Research topics:

1. Delimitation of the genus Acrodon against Ruschia .

2. Delimitation and occurrence of species, especially undescribed and supposedly rare ones.

3. What differences exist between Acrodon parvifolia and Ruschia calcicola ?

4. Some recent collections may suggest that a species sunk under A.bellidiflorus may be a separate entity: A. macrophyllus (was Ruschia macrophylla and has never been named under Acrodon ).

The project will involve the following:

1. Examination of material kept at the Bolus Herbarium (University of Cape Town) under Acrodon and Ruschia calcicola .

2. Definition of characters to be studied e.g. internode construction, tooth construction.

3. Field work: Identify localities from collections at Bolus Herbarium; check type localities; search for more populations in adequate ecological and geographical situations.

Should the medicinally important Drimia (Urginea ) complex have been combined into only 2 taxa?

Scope

Honours, Diploma

Possible supervisor(s)

Dr Trevor Edwards (Mpumalanga)

The recent species combinations of Urginea delagoensis and Urginea lydenburgensis into Drimia delagoensis have implications for the conservation status of this important medicinal plant group. Similarly, Urginea altissima and Urginea epigea have also been combined into Drimia altissima . These latter two taxa are known by different ethnic names and uses which would certainly support the resurrection of their unique identity. Investigations into the ethno-medicinal uses and ethnic nomenclature may reveal useful and distinguishing characters warranting the recognition of individual species status.