Publications by authors named "Gerhard du Preez"
Highly diverse exoenzymes mediate the energy flow from substrates to the multitrophic microbiota within the soil decomposer micro-food web. Here, we used a "soil enzyme profile analysis" approach to establish a series of enzyme profile indices; those indices were hypothesized to reflect micro-food web features. We systematically evaluated the shifts in enzyme profile indices in relation to the micro-food web features in the restoration of an abandoned cropland to a natural area.
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- Two populations of a previously unidentified species were found in compost from gardens in Potchefstroom, South Africa, marking the first report of this species in the country.
- The specimens were analyzed using morphological, morphometric, and molecular techniques, revealing notable measurements and structural characteristics, including a specific reproductive system and genital features in males.
- Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relationship between the South African populations and an Iranian population of the same species based on genetic sequencing data.
Nematodes in South Africa have mainly been studied for their diversity and agricultural importance. However, the ecological status of nematodes and the effect of seasonal variation in local grasslands remain unknown. For this reason, a nematode study was conducted in the Telperion Nature Reserve and represented the first ecological study in a natural grassland area in South Africa.
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- A new species of centipede, called C. (Cryptops) legagus, has been found in caves in northwestern Botswana.
- Genetic analysis using various rRNA genes and cytochrome oxidase supports its classification in the subgenus Cryptops and links it to similar species in the southern temperate regions of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
- The C. (Cryptops) legagus species does not show significant adaptations typically seen in cave-dwelling organisms.
n. sp. is described and illustrated based on its morphological, morphometric, and molecular characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluence of Mining Pollution on Metal Bioaccumulation and Biomarker Responses in Cave Dwelling Fish, Clarias gariepinus.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol
July 2016
Cave ecosystems remain largely unstudied and risk being severely degraded as a result of anthropogenic activities. The Wonderfontein Cave, situated in the extensive gold mining region of the Witwatersrand Basin, is one such system that hosts a population of Clarias gariepinus, which is exposed to the influx of polluted mine water from the Wonderfontein Spruit River. The aim of this study was to investigate the bioaccumulation of metals, as well as relevant biomarkers, in C.
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