Even though snails and slugs (gastropods) are some well-known agricultural pests, environmental systems are more vulnerable to alien gastropod impacts. A recent study by C·I·B Hons student, David Kesner and C·I·B Core Team Member, Dr Sabrina Kumschick, at Stellenbosch University on this topic was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
A recent study by C·I·B masters student, Kerushka Pillay, at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, revealed that home range, habitat use and movement of urban feral cats, Felis catus, were generally centred around supplemental resources such as food, in the town of Pietermaritzburg, also referred to as the “City of Choice”.
Invasive alien plants (IAPs) and their management are perceived both negatively and positively by urban residents, but these perceptions are shaped by individuals’ socio-demographic characteristics.
Invader plants may not be equally successful in varied invaded ranges due to the time that passed since they were first introduced and environmental factors. These were the results from a collaborative study by a team of plant invasion ecologists from India and South Africa. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Tropical Ecology.
Most Porcelain crabs are tropical, so Prof George Branch was surprised to find a species he has never seen before under boulders in the cold waters of Saldanha Bay, a site he has sampled regularly over several decades.
