Elephant impacts on plant diversity and structure in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve
- Authors: Halvey, Andrew Lloyd
- Date: 2024-04
- Subjects: Elephants -- Nutrition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Elephants -- Habitat -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Shamwari Game Reserve (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63777 , vital:73597
- Description: Many African landscapes rely on processes such as fire, tree-fall and drought in addition to herbivores to initiate change across the landscape. In the Eastern Cape, elephant have a significant impact on the community structure and diversity of the vegetation they live in. This is most likely the case for the Albany Valley Thicket and azonal riparian vegetation of Shamwari Private Game Reserve, where browsing animals, particularly megaherbivores like the black rhinoceros and elephant, are the main cause of defoliation. The presence of large herbivores creates challenges when it comes to long-term sustainability and biodiversity of the vegetation in Shamwari. Vegetation monitoring provides essential information for effective management of megaherbivores not only in Shamwari but in many other similar reserves. The aim of this study was to design a monitoring plan for the Albany Valley Thicket and riparian vegetation in Shamwari using available vegetation metrics. The vegetation was measured in permanent plots (90 m line intercept analysis per plot) in the Albany Valley Thicket and riparian vegetation of Shamwari. Plot selection was based on thicket structural integrity using NDVI score as a proxy. In all plots, thicket structure was assessed using canopy heights measured every 50 cm along the line. Detrended correspondence analysis of the species abundance data suggested three distinct structural and compositional vegetation states for thicket and riparian vegetation: dense, intermediate and open. Significant relationships between NDVI and vegetation structural metrics across the condition states indicated that NDVI could be used as a proxy for vegetation condition. Vegetation compositional metrics, however, were not always correlated to NDVI and determining species diversity for the vegetation presents additional information useful for monitoring. The monitoring recommended for the reserve is to evaluate vegetation structural integrity annually in summer using NDVI. Areas of change could then be measured for diversity as well as for change in the abundance of selected plant indicator species. This information should be used to initiate management actions if unwanted change has occurred. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-04
Leadership skills required by construction project managers to deliver projects successfully
- Authors: Welfolo, Thembani
- Date: 2023-04
- Subjects: Leadership , Construction project
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , Thesis
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/64071 , vital:73650
- Description: The study aimed to affirm the appropriate leadership skills required of a project manager for a successful construction project. The study investigated the most prominent leadership skills among the City of Cape Town project managers, the most prominent project success factors, and the relationship between the prominent leadership skills and project success factors. Lastly, it determined the strategy to be used to enhance the leadership skills of the City of Cape Town construction project managers. The research was established upon the problem statement from which the sub-questions and hypotheses were derived. The research followed the explanatory sequential mixed method whereby primary data was first collected through a quantitative method and followed by a qualitative method. A pragmatism paradigm philosophy was used for its flexibility to combine both quantitative and qualitative research. The deductive and inductive approaches were used because they suited both qualitative and quantitative data. The research survey determined that communication is the most prominent leadership skill among the City of Cape Town project managers. Concerning the project success factor, quality was identified to be the most prominent project success factor among the City of Cape Town construction projects. The Pearson correlation analysis was subsequently undertaken to determine whether there is a relationship between leadership skills and project success factors. The results illustrated a strong and positive relationship between leadership skills and project success, indicating leadership skills lead to project success. The qualitative research portion of the study investigated what strategy can be implemented to enhance the leadership skills of City of Cape Town project managers. The findings confirmed that training and support-structure strategies are appropriate to improve a construction project manager’s leadership skills and that training does not guarantee good leadership performance; however, applying the training, monitoring, and mentoring leads to good leadership performance. The study also revealed that a support structure involves utilising consultants who are leadership experts. Recruiting professional officers for all departments within the City who would work in conjunction with project managers and senior managers is another form of a support structure to be used. Lastly, setting up one-on-one support sessions with project managers can also be useful. Every construction project manager needs to have leadership skills, and it is therefore recommended that the City choose a suitable strategy; however, combining the above strategies is also possible. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Engineering, School of the Built Environment and Technology, 2023
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- Date Issued: 2023-04