Short communication Chameleons and vineyards in the Western Cape of South Africa: Is automated grape harvesting a threat to the Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum)?
نویسندگان
چکیده
—The use of automated grape harvesters in the Cape Wine Growing region has resulted in controversy regarding their effect on the chameleon Bradypodion pumilum. We investigated densities of B. pumilum during harvesting at a vineyard near Stellenbosch, South Africa. During dedicated surveys, no chameleons were found in vines, while vegetation surrounding the vines contained densities as high as 1.3 chameleons per 100 m of survey. In addition, the force required to remove ripe grapes was investigated and found to be substantially lower than that required to dislodge a chameleon. We conclude that the effect of automated grape harvesting on chameleons is negligible.
منابع مشابه
Chameleons on the move: survival and movement of the Cape dwarf chameleon, Bradypodion pumilum, within a fragmented urban habitat
Reptiles have an amazing diversity of life-history attributes ranging from the shortestto longest-lived of vertebrate species. Estimating survival in wild populations is of key importance when understanding population dynamics and life-history evolution. However, data are lacking for a large and charismatic group of lizards, the chameleons. We conducted a Robust Design (RD) capture–mark–recaptu...
متن کاملFunctional consequences of morphological differentiation between populations of the Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum)
UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, Département d’Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, Cape Town, 7735 South Africa Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535...
متن کاملForaging mode of the chameleon, Bradypodion pumilum : a challenge to the sit-and-wait versus active forager paradigm?
Foraging mode is an important aspect of life history, often associated with traits such as locomotor mode, energy budget, risk of predation and reproductive effort. Because of these life-history associations, classification of foraging mode can be conceptually useful. Lizards figured prominently in the historical development of foraging mode concepts, yet our current understanding is dominated ...
متن کاملTesting game theory models: fighting ability and decision rules in chameleon contests.
Game theory models of animal contests make many non-mutually exclusive predictions, complicating empirical tests. These predictions regard the relationship between contest parameters and fighting ability, for which body size is usually used as a proxy. However, in many systems, body size may be a limited proxy since multiple traits and contextual factors such as experience influence fighting ab...
متن کاملQuantification of Radicals Generated in a Sonicator
The hydroxyl radical (OH•) is a powerful oxidant produced as a consequence of cavitation in water. It can react nonspecifically in breaking down persistent organic pollutants in water into their mineral form. It can also recombine to form hydrogen peroxide which is very useful in water treatment. In this study, terephthalic acid (TA) and potassium iodide dosimetry were used to quantify and inve...
متن کامل