Bees are fussy creatures - By Connal Eardley

Bees are fussy creatures. They mostly only emerge from their cozy little homes when they need food for their offspring or for themselves, and when the weather is good. Therefore, if there are no flowers and it is windy or rainy, they hang out at home. They are cold-blooded animals so they don’t need food to maintain their body temperature. Therefore, bee collecting is weather dependent.

 

Wilgebosch on a good collecting day

Wilgebosch on a poor collecting day

Those bees that feed on flowers of only a few different plant species must synchronize their activity with flower availability. They only emerge when their food plants are available. Therefore, bee collecting also depends on those environmental factors that determine anthesis (the opening of flowers). Mounting evidence shows that, even though bee emergence and anthesis are synchronized, they use different cues. Consequently there is rising concern that climate change may cause some bees and plants to be out of sync with each other.    

Further, bee populations are dynamic. They rise and fall depending on factors like predation, parasitism, and nesting substrate. Therefore, collecting at any given place will differ between seasons and years. Nevertheless, there are usually a few diehards that survive, no matter what. They are often generalists that feed on many different plant species, have few specific nesting material requirements and are highly mobile. This enables them to recolonize areas quickly.

Hence, whatever bees one collects, there are always many more that are hiding away in their nests or that will recolonize from neighboring areas in a year or two.

The BioGaps kilometer square on Taaiboschfontein had few bees to offer, as did most of the surrounding area. The veld was dry and a gentle breeze descended the kloof. However, further afield was Karoo-bee Mecca. An old silted-up farm dam awash with flowers and bees – both in diversity and abundance, including some unexpected bees. Bees don’t fit nicely into boxes and successful collecting requires discovering bee-friendly sites. Because bees are highly mobile animals these sites sample a much larger area than immediately apparent.  

 

Butterfly team wraps up

By Hanna and Dave

The Karoo BioGaps butterfly survey team has been very busy during our second field season. We have made 38 site visits bringing our total to 44 sites visited at least once. We have obtained over 500 species occurrence records and collected over 240 DNA samples. Our team has reduced slightly to 7 expert surveyors covering the whole BioGaps region and they have managed despite the huge distances they have to cover.

The lack of rain in the western part of the survey region, which is critical to many of our butterflies emerging, has reduced our yield of records and samples. Fortunately good rains in the eastern and central parts have compensated for this, and some sites have been very productive (24 species recorded on one site!).

The farmers have continued to be very helpful, and we are amazed when we visit your farms to see how you are surviving, despite the many challenges being thrown at you by Mother Nature. So thank you to all of you:

Brandvlei              Christo Stadler

Kouwenburg         Charl & Amanda du Toit

Doornberg             Peet van Heerden

Dosaka                  Sinclair Collett

Uitspanfontein      EP & Rene Hoon

Fonteinplaas          Gerritt Immelman

Excelsior               Roland Kroon

Muggefontein        Kobus Marais

Rietkuil                 Christie Mocké

Tulpleegte             Jackson Mjoli

Sewefontein          Gun De Bruin

Kromrivier            James Fitzhenry

Kleinwaterval        Adriaan Nortje

Karoo BioGaps butterfly survey team

By Hanna du Toit

The Karoo BioGaps butterfly survey team is gearing up for our second field season. During the first season from September 2016 to March 2017 we visited 34 sites; obtained 370 species occurrence records and collected 140 DNA samples. This year we are focusing on sites we haven't visited yet and those from which we got a low yield in the last season. We have 8 expert surveyors to cover the whole BioGaps region and this is quite a challenge because the distances to cover are vast. We only know when we get to a site whether it has had rain, which is critical to our butterflies emerging. This coming season we will only visit a site after we have good evidence that it has had rain.

The cooperation we have received from the farmers has been amazing and in many cases they have been able to provide wonderful accommodation. It has been a privilege to visit your farms and see how you are true custodians of the earth. We will be visiting many of you again and look forward to renewing our acquaintance. Despite some fairly difficult farm roads so far we have only got stuck once, and were very grateful to see a farmer arriving with some well designed towing equipment to pull us out. Thanks a million for that!

Some pictures taken in the field trip.

African Monarch - Danaus chryssippus

Common diadem - Hypolimnas misippus

Karoo landscape

Stuck in the mud

BioGaps Transcribe winners for Dec-Jan

The BioGaps top transcribers for the period December to January have been selected:

 
Well done and a big thank you to volunteer Diana Crane who transcribed 83 specimen label images!

Diana resides in the UK! She as this to say about her transcribing experiences: "I am a retired doctor in my seventies who went to the UK to do postgraduate research in the 1970s, met and married my husband here and never came back. Before leaving I had purchased a life membership of the Botanical Society and I've enjoyed receiving Veld and Flora ever since - I've kept up my interest in conservation.  The BioGaps project seemed like a way to give something back that I can do from the UK: there is something romantic about seeing the specimens, some of them over a hundred years old and getting to see the process of discovering, collecting, naming and classifying in action is fascinating."

Well done Diana! She very kindly has donated her book prize to one of our SANBI interns, which has been given to Ya'qub Ebrahim who works hard in the background with ensuring Transcribe expeditions are activated and also validating transcribed records.

We also awareded a prize to our top SANBI intern transcriber, Mujaahid Philander, who transcribed 52 records. Well done Mujaahid! 

Mujaahid desribes his transcribing experiences as follows: "I am a scientist who loves the "raw groundwork" that feeds into field work in order to discover new things (research). I live quite an active lifestyle, always running or hiking ultimately spending a lot of time in nature.  I started transcribing 5 months ago and with an interest in history it became quite fun. I enjoy the task of transcribing because it allows me to imagine what the environment or habitat looked like when the specimen was found, with the hints provided from the collectors notes. I remember coming across an interesting specimen where the collector recorded that the seeds of the plants was eaten by Bushmen, which I thought was quite a cool story to share with my friends. Overall I enjoy transcribing there is always a story to be told in a collected specimen and with a bit of an imagination you can have quite a bit of fun!!!"

There will be more prizes given for the top transcribers at the end of March 2018. The winners will be announced shortly after the end of each period. Prizes can include books, National Botanical Garden entries, and Kirstenbosch Summer Concert tickets.

We appreciate all the valuable assistance provided by the Transcribe volunteers and SANBI interns! Anyone anywhere can become involved. To join this fun activity, go toTranscribe: http://transcribe.sanbi.org

BioGaps digitisers are working hard every day imaging hundreds of plant specimens and their labels. We need all the help we can get in transcribing these records and making them digitially available for research and conservation.

The Transcribe platform helps us fill in gaps in biodiversity knowledge for our precious Karoo region. This information will help guide future conservation and development activities (e.g. shale gas exploration) in the Karoo. 

Mammal surveys for BioGaps

By Zoe Woodgate

As we enter 2018 the mammal team has had ample opportunity to reflect on its part SANBI’s Karoo BioGaps project thus far. The two fieldwork leaders for “team mammals”, Nadine Hassan and myself, have been both gathering and analysing data from 25 sites scattered across the karoo over the past year. At the various sites Nadine has been utilising sherman small mammal traps, whilst I’ve been setting up camera traps. Together we hope to create a comprehensive picture of what drives mammal diversity across the karoo.

Whilst we wrapped up much of fieldwork in March 2017, with the final 5 sites to be collected in the upcoming weeks, the experience has left deep impressions upon us. Each farm was drastically different from the next. Since we camped for much of our journey we often privy to majestic vistas. There is something magical about being isolated in the karoo veld, especially after experiencing the cramped city.

Yet the hospitality of the farmers involved in the project cannot be understated. Often we stayed at their personal residences, or were lent a helping hand by an enthusiastic farm manager. One incident stands out above the rest. At a farm nearby Adelaide our 4x4 trailer got stuck in mud after a sudden rainstorm. Unable to delay fieldwork for another day we left it there, vowing to return after completing our planned fieldwork. We arrived at the next farm tired, dirty and miserable. Not only did the trailer contain the various supplies that made living on the road comfortable, it was itself our large tent. We were eternally grateful when the farmer and his lovely wife ushered us indoors to warm beds, coffee and hearty meals.

Happily, all 25 sites have produced beautiful datasets. Nadine in particular has gathered great records of all the small mammal species she encountered. One of her favourite species to encounter was the pygmy mouse (Mus minutoides)- a cute, fluffy little species that never failed to bring a smile to her face. Namaqua Rock Mouse (Micaelamys namaquensis) was one of the more common species, and could be found hiding in the more rockier habitats. Nadine also retrieved samples for further DNA analysis- some of the shrew and mice species are indistinguishable from their morphology.

A tiny pygmy mouse (Mus minutoides) being measured

Young Rock mouse (Micaelamys spp.) enjoying a bite under the sun

The (slow) work of camera trapping is also producing interesting results. As is to be expected, several types of domestic livestock dominated the landscape. Sheep, the most commonly farmed animal in the area, were found at over 17 sites. However, despite the large numbers of livestock present, indigenous species occurred across the range in varying abundances. Springbok, kudu, hares and common duiker all made regular appearances.

Sheep were the most commonly photographed animals on the camera traps

Springbok enjoying a cloudy morning

In the upcoming months not only will we be teasing apart the patterns of species diversity and distribution across the karoo, but also presenting our work at various conferences. Nadine has already attended the Southern African Wildlife Management Association conference in 2017, and her talk was well received. 

Nadine Hassan presenting her work at SAWMA 2017

BioGaps Transcribe prize winner for November

The BioGaps top transcriber for the period October to November has been selected:

 
Well done and a big thank you to Latoya Keebine (once again) who transcribed 65 specimen label images!

As a prize she has selected the book "Identification guide to the southern African grasses. An identification manual with keys, descriptions and distributions".

Latoya has this to say about her transcribing experiences:

My experiences transcribing by Galaletsang Latoya Keebine, Science Education Engagement Intern
 

I began transcribing to expand my knowledge on various plant names and to help ensure that scientists, including future ones, have a digital platform which they can use for referrals and reference materials. Plant taxonomy was one of my majors for my BSc. in Biology and Geography from North-West University.

Thus I was mostly familiar with trees and grasses of the savanna biome. Prior to me transcribing, my ability to identify plants in the field was somewhat limited to those plants in the arid savanna. Transcribing has now given me the ability to identify plants which I previously wouldn’t have known.

My transcribing journey did not start off as an easy one. The first few records which I transcribed, I did completely incorrectly. The hand written labels on the other hand were also not very easy to decipher, so you can imagine my constant looks of confusion each time I across them. For that reason I was steadfast to solely transcribing the typed labels in the beginning. Luckily for me, Dr Silvia Kirkman validated some of my transcribed records, and gave me much needed tips on how to transcribe. These tips ensured that I transcribe with more accuracy and ease, so I also began transcribing the hand written species labels.

I spare a couple of hours to transcribe a week, hence I am surprised that I am once again the top transcriber. It is evident that just a few hours make the biggest difference. I will continue to transcribe to ensure that the digital herbarium does become a success.

Well done Latoya!

There will be more prizes given for the top transcribers at the end of January 2018 and end of March 2018. The winners will be announced shortly after the end of each period. Prizes can include books, National Botanical Garden entries, and Kirstenbosch Summer Concert tickets.

We appreciate all the valuable assistance provided by the Transcribe volunteers! Anyone anywhere can become involved. To join this fun activity, go toTranscribe: http://transcribe.sanbi.org

BioGaps digitisers are working hard every day imaging hundreds of plant specimens and their labels. We need all the help we can get in transcribing these records. There are also many bee and grasshopper specimen labels that require transcribing.

The Transcribe platform helps us fill in gaps in biodiversity knowledge for our precious Karoo region. This information will help guide future conservation and development activities (e.g. shale gas exploration) in the Karoo. 

BioGaps digitiser jets off to New York

One of the BioGaps digitisers, Tebogo Ledwaba, was fortunate to be sent to New York for some BioGaps work. Tebogo started her digitising work at Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (formerly Transvaal Museum) in Pretoria towards the end of 2016, where she assisted with bee and grasshopper imaging (both from Ditsong and the Agricultural Research Centre). Once her work was completed there, in September this year she jetted off to New York for six weeks, to assist with digitising important South African scorpion specimens curated at the American Natural History Museum. She was supervised by scorpion expert Dr Lorenzo Prendini. Here is what she has to say about her exciting trip:

“I am a digitiser with the BioGaps Project, based at the Ditsong museum. During the months of September and October 2017 the project gave me an opportunity to visit and work at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York. I was hosted by the Curator of Arachnida & Myriapoda, Division of Comparative Biology, Dr. Lorenzo Prendini. He went out of his way to make me feel at home and was supportive the entire time.

The purpose of the visit was to digitise the South African scorpion specimens in their collection. In the six weeks spent there, I checked and verified 2 210 data records as well as inventoried 1 389 new records.

This trip was truly an amazing experience for me. I got to experience the big apple live and visited many places. I met and made contacts that will forever be useful in my career. 

Pio Colmenares, Ivan Magalhaes, Lorenzo Prendini, Tebogo Ledwaba,  

Louis Sorkin, Gerardo Contreras and Rodrigo Monjaraz.

I lived in New Jersey, East Orange and traveled for about an hour to the AMNH by the NJ transit. I was able to visit, amongst other places, the New York Time Square, The Madison Square, Brooklyn, Manhattan parks and the art museums. I also discovered that I love Asian food.

I wish to express my gratitude to the BioGaps Project, the AMNH and the relevant staff members who were all very helpful and eager to help in any way they could. My visit would not have been a success and as enjoyable without all the generous support provided by all these people. Special thanks to Barbara Green, the director of Government Grants at AMNH for all the help offered with regard to visa related issues.”