David A. Read results 36
· Newest (Page 1/2, per page 25)
Author: David A. Read ×Clear All Filters
Search Results
Diversity and distribution of turnip yellows virus infecting Brassica napus L. (canola) in the Western Cape, South AfricaNARA Subscribed
Turnip yellows virus (TuYV), (genus: Polerovirus ), poses a significant threat to brassicaceous crops, particularly Brassica napus L. (canola). In Australia and the United Kingdom, TuYV has caused substantial grain yield reductions of up to 50%. This study documents the first extensive survey of TuYV on canola in South Africa, specifically in the Swartland and Overberg regions of the Western Cape. Using RNAseq-derived metaviro...
A Comparison of Diving Behavior of Goose‐Beaked and Dense‐Beaked Whales From Tagging Studies in Multiple Ocean BasinsNARA Subscribed
Studies of cetacean diving behavior in multiple locations in different ocean basins allow for an assessment of variability within and among populations. We examine foraging dive behaviors of goose‐beaked whales ( Ziphius cavirostris ) and dense‐beaked whales ( Mesoplodon densirostris ) using data from 132 tagged whales in seven locations in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. Acoustic recording tags are...
Site‐Specific Nutrient Data Reveal the Importance of Soils in Driving the Mycorrhizal Make‐Up of Woody Vegetation WorldwideNARA Subscribed
Aim Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) and ectomycorrhizas (ECM) have different impacts on nutrient cycling, carbon storage, community dynamics and enhancement of photosynthesis by rising CO 2 . Recent global analyses have concluded that patterns of AM/ECM dominance in forests worldwide are shaped by climate, with soil nutrients contributing negligible additional explanatory power. However, their reliance on nutrient data from GIS su...
Genomic characterization of novel viruses associated with Olea europaea L. in South AfricaNARA Subscribed
South Africa has a small but growing olive industry. Until now, no virological research has been carried out on this crop locally. Seventeen samples were collected from various olive cultivars from a single producer in the Stellenbosch growing area of South Africa. RNAseq was performed on total RNA, and the compositions of the metaviromes were determined. Olive leaf yellowing-associated virus was detected for the first time in...
Characterization of macadamia ringspot-associated virus, a novel Orthotospovirus associated with Macadamia integrifolia in South AfricaNARA Subscribed
South Africa is the largest producer of macadamias in the world, producing an estimated 61,288 tons nut-in-shell in 2022. In order to ensure the sustainability of the industry, it is important that research focuses on the control and eradication of economically important pests and diseases. Macadamia trees in the Mpumalanga Lowveld of South Africa have for some time shown severe chlorosis, which coincides with a significant dr...
Introducing Elinor for monitoring the governance and management of area‐based conservationNARA Subscribed
Monitoring the governance and management effectiveness of area‐based conservation has long been recognized as an important foundation for achieving national and global biodiversity goals and enabling adaptive management. However, there are still many barriers that prevent conservation actors, including those affected by governance and management systems from implementing conservation activities and programs and from gathering...
A surplus no more? Variation in krill availability impacts reproductive rates of Antarctic baleen whalesNARA Subscribed
The krill surplus hypothesis of unlimited prey resources available for Antarctic predators due to commercial whaling in the 20th century has remained largely untested since the 1970s. Rapid warming of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) over the past 50 years has resulted in decreased seasonal ice cover and a reduction of krill. The latter is being exacerbated by a commercial krill fishery in the region. Despite this, humpba...
Six baleen whale species are found in the temperate western North Atlantic Ocean, with limited information existing on the distribution and movement patterns for most. There is mounting evidence of distributional shifts in many species, including marine mammals, likely because of climate‐driven changes in ocean temperature and circulation. Previous acoustic studies examined the occurrence of minke ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata...
In contrast to the situation in plants inhabiting most of the world’s ecosystems, mycorrhizal fungi are usually absent from roots of the only two native vascular plant species of maritime Antarctica, Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis . Instead, a range of ascomycete fungi, termed dark septate endophytes (DSEs), frequently colonise the roots of these plant species. We demonstrate that colonisation of Antarctic va...
Scavenging in the Anthropocene: Human impact drives vertebrate scavenger species richness at a global scaleNARA Subscribed
Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across the Earth is one of the most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining the species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer in tropical areas; however, despite decades of research, a general consensus has not yet emerged. In addition, global biodiversity patterns are being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim...
The Australian National Rabbit Database: 50 yr of population monitoring of an invasive speciesNARA Subscribed
With ongoing introductions into Australia since the 1700s, the European rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) has become one of the most widely distributed and abundant vertebrate pests, adversely impacting Australia's biodiversity and agroeconomy. To understand the population and range dynamics of the species and its impacts better, occurrence and abundance data have been collected by researchers and citizens from sites covering a...