cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4647076
title: Distribution, abundance and size distribution of the alien invasive pulmonate, Theba pisana, in the West Coast National Park, South Africa: Is there cause for concern?

description: The distribution, abundance and size distribution of the invasive land snail, Theba pisana, in the West Coast National Park (WCNP), South Africa was investigated. The Park was divided into 1 km2 grids within each of which five 1 m2 quadrat counts, taken at 50 m intervals, of both dead and alive snails were recorded and mapped. Of a total of 106 grids (535 quadrat samples), 19 % and 46 % of the study area contained live and dead snails respectively. However, densities were generally low and only 18% of grids contained more than zero but less than 10 live snails m-2. The average density of live snails within the park (4.04 m-2 ± 24.91) was significantly lower than both the density of dead snails (8.77 m-2 ± 21.25) and the density in more disturbed habitats outside the park (57 m-2 ± 96.25). As alien species do well in disturbed habitats, the near pristine environment of the park could have limited their distribution. Also, while most snails (dead or alive) were found along roads, densities decreased dramatically with distance from the road. Even though recent summer temperatures of the WCNP are consistent with the norm for the region, the average rainfall is considerably less than normal, which could also have contributed to the present restricted distribution of T. pisana within the Park. In early autumn, the field population consisted of two size classes, large snails of about 14 mm and small snails of 6 mm diameter. By the end of winter, most snails were much smaller (2-7 mm) with very few snails exceeding 10 mm. During spring, the snails grew rapidly and a larger cohort (11 mm) replaced the smaller one. Thus, T. pisana in the WCNP probably has an annual lifecycle. The Western Cape is characterised by a Mediterranean climate and thus T. pisana is well adapted for this region. Based on its present and past distribution, its invasion into the WCNP should not be taken lightly and more studies concerning the threat to the fynbos biome, is necessary to conserve the rich biodiversity of the region. (** See published paper at https://ir.sun.ac.za/cib/handle/123456789/718)
description: The aim of this study is to map the distribution of T. pisana in the West Coast National Park (WCNP), which is especially dedicated to the conservation of fynbos, as well as to determine the abundance and size distribution of the snail within the park. This study, together with results from a sister project on the feeding biology of T. pisana, can be used to provide a preliminary assessment of the extent of the invasion and possible impacts of the snail within the WCNP.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4668772
title: TVB Storage folder for Postgres

description: TVB Storage folder generated by TVB 1.5.8 intended to be used for testing the Postgres migration to TVB 2.0
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4647048
title: A review of five vertebrate invaders in South Africa

description: Invasive alien species are listed as one of three major threats to global biodiversity. They can be detrimental through affecting the function and structure of ecosystems and degrading human health. Five vertebrate species naturalized in South Africa are discussed here with reference to environmental damage and control. This project consists of three components: (1) a review of five vertebrate invaders in South Africa, namely the European starling, House crow, Indian myna, Grey squirrel and Himalayan tahr; (2) a literature database on these species for use in future studies; and (3) motivations for the categorization of these species as required by the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (No. 10 of 2004) of South Africa. A total of 2881 references were found for these five vertebrate species, including primary literature, grey literature and books. In South Africa, no studies were found regarding the impacts of these species on the indigenous biota. All five vertebrate invaders discussed here potentially pose a threat to the ecosystems in which they occur and are proposed as category 1 species i.e. species in need of effective control. In conclusion, the distribution ranges of these animals in South Africa need to be monitored and future research should aim to determine the impact of these species. Furthermore, it is important to remember that for eradication programmes to be successful, widespread public support is important.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4647047
title: A review of five vertebrate invaders in South Africa

description: Invasive alien species are listed as one of three major threats to global biodiversity. They can be detrimental through affecting the function and structure of ecosystems and degrading human health. Five vertebrate species naturalized in South Africa are discussed here with reference to environmental damage and control. This project consists of three components: (1) a review of five vertebrate invaders in South Africa, namely the European starling, House crow, Indian myna, Grey squirrel and Himalayan tahr; (2) a literature database on these species for use in future studies; and (3) motivations for the categorization of these species as required by the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (No. 10 of 2004) of South Africa. A total of 2881 references were found for these five vertebrate species, including primary literature, grey literature and books. In South Africa, no studies were found regarding the impacts of these species on the indigenous biota. All five vertebrate invaders discussed here potentially pose a threat to the ecosystems in which they occur and are proposed as category 1 species i.e. species in need of effective control. In conclusion, the distribution ranges of these animals in South Africa need to be monitored and future research should aim to determine the impact of these species. Furthermore, it is important to remember that for eradication programmes to be successful, widespread public support is important.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4646802
title: The influence of adjacent land-use on road verges in the Swartland Region, South Africa

description: Natural biodiversity is under threat from habitat destruction and fragmentation, partially caused by roads. Road verges provide potential avenues for invasion of alien species, while at the same time offering connectivity of the landscape on a large scale. This study aims to assess the ecological health of road verges in the Swartland area, South Africa and make recommendations on mitigating the threat of aliens while at the same time maximising biodiversity conservation. Road verges adjacent to non-agricultural areas showed lower species richness, while species abundance differed significantly (Mann-Whitney U-tests, p &lt; 0.05) to most other land-uses. When comparing crop types, road verges adjacent to wheat fields differed significantly to all other crops types (Mann-Whitney U-tests, p &lt; 0.05), with the lowest number of species encountered per transect. Jaccard Similarity Indices showed that samples differed in species composition, relative to adjacent land-use. It is recommended that road verges should be adaptively managed to promote recruitment of natural species and suppress the establishment of exotics. Where possible, road verges should be made as wide as possible to promote their use as refugia by various fauna. Finally, more extensive research efforts should be poured into road verges in order to fully realise their potential.
DOI: 10.25934/00002130.0
title: Available IPD datapackage for study 'A Clinical Outcomes Study to Compare the Effect of Fluticasone Furoate/Vilanterol Inhalation Powder 100/25mcg With Placebo on Survival in Subjects With Moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and a History of or at Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease'

description: Vivli is an independent, non-profit organization that has developed a global data-sharing and analytics platform to serve all elements of the international research community. Our mission is to promote, coordinate, and facilitate scientific sharing and reuse of clinical research data through the creation and implementation of a sustainable global data-sharing enterprise. The Vivli platform includes an independent data repository, in-depth search engine and a cloud-based, secure analytics platform.
DOI: 10.25934/00002130.1
title: IPD datapackage for study 'A Clinical Outcomes Study to Compare the Effect of Fluticasone Furoate/Vilanterol Inhalation Powder 100/25mcg With Placebo on Survival in Subjects With Moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and a History of or at Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease' and research request: 'A novel statistical approach to detect the efficacy of drugs that have heterogeneous treatment effects'

description: Vivli is an independent, non-profit organization that has developed a global data-sharing and analytics platform to serve all elements of the international research community. Our mission is to promote, coordinate, and facilitate scientific sharing and reuse of clinical research data through the creation and implementation of a sustainable global data-sharing enterprise. The Vivli platform includes an independent data repository, in-depth search engine and a cloud-based, secure analytics platform.
DOI: 10.25934/00005940
title: A novel statistical approach to detect the efficacy of drugs that have heterogeneous treatment effects

description: Vivli is an independent, non-profit organization that has developed a global data-sharing and analytics platform to serve all elements of the international research community. Our mission is to promote, coordinate, and facilitate scientific sharing and reuse of clinical research data through the creation and implementation of a sustainable global data-sharing enterprise. The Vivli platform includes an independent data repository, in-depth search engine and a cloud-based, secure analytics platform.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4646775
title: Acacia implexa in South Africa: an emerging invader and potential candidate

description: Invasive alien plant species have major impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in most<br> parts of the world. Early detection and rapid response is a crucial part of management programmes.<br> Eradication of invasive species at the early stage of invasion is a very cost-effective intervention, but<br> not all species can be eradicated. This paper reports on a study of Acacia implexa, the screw-pod<br> wattle from Australia, an emerging invader, to determine whether it is a suitable candidate for<br> eradication in South Africa.<br> The species was introduced to South Africa in around 1986. Its current range comprises three<br> populations: in Stellenbosch, Tokai and Wolseley. The populations sizes ranges between 100 and<br> 200ha, with the Tokai population covering the largest area but comprising the fewest plants. The<br> density of the plants ranges from very high to very low, with Stellenbosch (Papegaaiberg) having the<br> highest density. The plants reproduce vegetatively (through suckering and resprouting) and sexually<br> (via seeds). A very high occurrence of suckering was present and few seedlings were observed.<br> Spread is mainly along rivers. Current treatments by area managers are unsuccessful for controlling<br> the species.<br> I consider that eradication of this species is feasible. The eradication plan should place strong<br> emphasis on the effective use of herbicides, communication and cooperation between different<br> managerial organizations, and prioritization of treatment efforts.
description: Hons. thesis assessing the potential for eradicating Acacia implexa from South Africa
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4643938
title: Diversity and density of ground-dwelling spiders in Dwesa Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

description: Biodiversity is the source of essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all; despite this there are still some major gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity. One such gap is that of the diversity of spiders in many areas. Knowledge of spider communities is important for a number of reasons i.e. terrestrial arthropod communities are likely to be shaped by spiders as they are at the top of invertebrate trophic levels and can be employed as useful indicators of environmental health. Studies show that spider diversity and density are related to habitat structure. We therefore report on the diversity and density of ground-dwelling spiders in the former Transkei region. Three habitat types were identified and pitfall trapping was employed as a sampling method. A total of 180 individuals from 11 families were collected with family Ctenidae being the most abundant. Alpha, beta & gamma diversities and Simpson’s and Shannon-wiener indices were employed for the different habitats and variation in diversity when comparing different habitats was observed. Results show that habitat selection does affect both diversity and density; with the grassland habitat with highest diversity and riverine habitat with highest density of ground-dwelling spiders.
description: To report on the diversity and density of spiders in the former Transkei region and relates diversity to habitat structure.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4643937
title: Diversity and density of ground-dwelling spiders in Dwesa Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape, South Africa

description: Biodiversity is the source of essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all; despite this there are still some major gaps in our knowledge of biodiversity. One such gap is that of the diversity of spiders in many areas. Knowledge of spider communities is important for a number of reasons i.e. terrestrial arthropod communities are likely to be shaped by spiders as they are at the top of invertebrate trophic levels and can be employed as useful indicators of environmental health. Studies show that spider diversity and density are related to habitat structure. We therefore report on the diversity and density of ground-dwelling spiders in the former Transkei region. Three habitat types were identified and pitfall trapping was employed as a sampling method. A total of 180 individuals from 11 families were collected with family Ctenidae being the most abundant. Alpha, beta & gamma diversities and Simpson’s and Shannon-wiener indices were employed for the different habitats and variation in diversity when comparing different habitats was observed. Results show that habitat selection does affect both diversity and density; with the grassland habitat with highest diversity and riverine habitat with highest density of ground-dwelling spiders.
description: To report on the diversity and density of spiders in the former Transkei region and relates diversity to habitat structure.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4638970
title: The effects of a burrowing, small carnivore guild on the ant (Family Formicidae) assemblages in the Great Fish River Reserve, South Africa: species diversity and abundance

description: Terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity is renowned to be a useful biological indicator of change in the status quo of our natural environment. In other words, they have grown to be a useful biological instrument of determining the stability and the proper functioning of a natural ecosystem. This means that in their abundance and diversity, they denote the integrity of the bionetwork. Natural and unnatural disturbances may lead to habitat degradation, resulting in a substantial loss in biodiversity. This drastic loss may dismantle the proper functioning of world ecosystems, and hinder the output rates of its services, which may be threatening to human existence. Data collection for this study took place at the Great Fish River Reserve located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, between Grahamstown and Alice (33º11’S 28º38’E). The purpose of the study was to determine what impact small carnivores have on the abundance and species richness of ants on termite mounds (which had to have a length ≥5m). Many small carnivores make use of these termiteria as places of refuge and they also feed on the insects in and around these mounds. Pitfall trapping system was used to census ant species diversity and abundance at three different habitats that were randomly selected according to traces of activity (scats, fresh burrowing, etc) observed, and six sites were selected for each habitat type. The traps were placed in a 3X4 grid pattern. The plastic jars, containing propylene glycol, were left out for 5 days and the ants were preserved in 70% ethanol on collection. Of the three “habitats”, one was situated out in the grassland, as a control, to make comparisons. A total amount of 2135 ants, belonging to 28 species were collected from all 18 sites. For analysis, diversity indices (Shannon-Weiner, Simpson’s and Pielou’s evenness indices) and species richness were calculated. Species rank abundance curves will be represented for each site (an accumulation of species in the traps at each site, per “habitat”, will be calculated to show the total number of species recorded for this sampling method). Multivariate statistical analyses (hierarchical clustering, Multi-dimensional scaling ordination, analysis of similarity and similarity percentages) were employed to test and observe if there is any difference in species abundance and diversity within the site and the relationship between the sites in their respective habitats. Many predictions can be made on why the Active mound (control) habitat had the highest number of individuals and the most species. It is acceptable to conclude that the association of small, burrowing carnivores is not necessarily disadvantageous and the implications that this may have on invertebrate conservation and the management of the reserve as a whole may be a rewarding endeavour to explore.
description: To determine what impact small carnivores have on the abundance and species richness of ants on termite mounds.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4638969
title: The effects of a burrowing, small carnivore guild on the ant (Family Formicidae) assemblages in the Great Fish River Reserve, South Africa: species diversity and abundance

description: Terrestrial invertebrate biodiversity is renowned to be a useful biological indicator of change in the status quo of our natural environment. In other words, they have grown to be a useful biological instrument of determining the stability and the proper functioning of a natural ecosystem. This means that in their abundance and diversity, they denote the integrity of the bionetwork. Natural and unnatural disturbances may lead to habitat degradation, resulting in a substantial loss in biodiversity. This drastic loss may dismantle the proper functioning of world ecosystems, and hinder the output rates of its services, which may be threatening to human existence. Data collection for this study took place at the Great Fish River Reserve located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, between Grahamstown and Alice (33º11’S 28º38’E). The purpose of the study was to determine what impact small carnivores have on the abundance and species richness of ants on termite mounds (which had to have a length ≥5m). Many small carnivores make use of these termiteria as places of refuge and they also feed on the insects in and around these mounds. Pitfall trapping system was used to census ant species diversity and abundance at three different habitats that were randomly selected according to traces of activity (scats, fresh burrowing, etc) observed, and six sites were selected for each habitat type. The traps were placed in a 3X4 grid pattern. The plastic jars, containing propylene glycol, were left out for 5 days and the ants were preserved in 70% ethanol on collection. Of the three “habitats”, one was situated out in the grassland, as a control, to make comparisons. A total amount of 2135 ants, belonging to 28 species were collected from all 18 sites. For analysis, diversity indices (Shannon-Weiner, Simpson’s and Pielou’s evenness indices) and species richness were calculated. Species rank abundance curves will be represented for each site (an accumulation of species in the traps at each site, per “habitat”, will be calculated to show the total number of species recorded for this sampling method). Multivariate statistical analyses (hierarchical clustering, Multi-dimensional scaling ordination, analysis of similarity and similarity percentages) were employed to test and observe if there is any difference in species abundance and diversity within the site and the relationship between the sites in their respective habitats. Many predictions can be made on why the Active mound (control) habitat had the highest number of individuals and the most species. It is acceptable to conclude that the association of small, burrowing carnivores is not necessarily disadvantageous and the implications that this may have on invertebrate conservation and the management of the reserve as a whole may be a rewarding endeavour to explore.
description: To determine what impact small carnivores have on the abundance and species richness of ants on termite mounds.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4636344
title: Melaleuca parvistaminea Hons

description: This project assesses the first invasion of Melaleuca parvistaminea Byrnes (Rough-barked Honey myrtle) anywhere in the world. Initially this serotinous reseeder was identified as Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. (Swamp paperbark), a sister taxon, but examination of morphology and reproductive characters led to revision during this study. While not all areas were searched exhaustively, approximately 13 000 plants were found to be spread over 372 ha (condensed canopy area of ~0.73 ha) at 3 sites between Tulbagh and Wolsley, in the Western Cape. I estimated a further 1334 ha of the Kluitjieskraal plantation and 318 ha of the Kluitjieskraal wetland needs to be surveyed to determine the full extent of the infestation. The population structure indicates considerable spread by seed with at least 63 % of plants being seedling or juvenile. Clearing and fire trigger seed release causing prolific recruitment (up to ~18 000 seedlings/m2) after winter rain. No evidence for a soil stored seed bank was found. Risk assessment shows significant invasive potential, while bioclimatic niche modelling indicates high suitability in the southern Cape region. Plants however only reproduce at 5 years. This water-dispersed species is situated less than 2 km from major river systems, and given its potential to spread, clearing effectiveness thus far and limited distribution I consider eradication a reachable goal that should be desired to maximise time-cost benefits of early eradication. ZAR 1 639 000 is needed for eradication, which can potentially be declared in 2019. I propose listing the species under category 1a in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act and suggest that a detailed assessment of alien Myrtaceae be undertaken in South Africa.
description: Distribution and plant allometric data for BSc Hons