Quantifying degraded subtropical thicket structure and composition: a multi-scale approach in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Lunderstedt, Kyra Elizabeth
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Portulacaceae -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Savanna ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Shrubs -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Succulent plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5281 , vital:20804
- Description: The loss in canopy cover from over-browsing severely degrades the ecological integrity of spekboom-dominated thicket in the Eastern Cape. A homogenisation of species across the landscape and high heterogeneity at fine scales has been reported with little evidence of recovery. As an interlinked consequence, the loss in important biological structures and composition impacts greatly on soil resources and therefore function. This thesis provides a baseline of degraded thicket abiotic and biotic structure and composition over both spatial and temporal scales within the Greater Addo Elephant National Park (GAENP), including Darlington, Kabouga and Addo Main and within the Baviaanskloof. The study aimed to find correlates of species composition within sites and assess changes in composition with degradation and recovery times. Across the GAENP, landscape degradation was most evident in post-1960 aerial imagery. The duration since sampled sites have been incorporated into the GAENP did not influence species composition, however the period of degradation and severity, did. Across the landscape, communities were strongly associated with each of the four sites and separated predominantly by rainfall, gravel and altitude. A total of 345 plant species were identified across the landscape and despite degradation, each site was characterised into three to five communities each, barring Baviaanskloof which had no significantly different communities. Across the landscape, matrix composition comprised predominantly of Pentzia incana, Drosanthemum hispidum, Galenia pubescens and Cynodon species. Woody cover within patches included smaller Grewia robusta, Rhigozum obovatum and Vachellia karroo and the larger Pappea capensis and Euclea undulata. The succulent shrub Euphorbia caerulescens in Darlington and succulent tree Aloe ferox in Baviaanskloof occurred abundantly as a consequence of degradation. Species richness was significantly correlated to patch size in all sites, but Kabouga had the greatest richness and probability of a suite of species occurring within a patch. Higher woody and succulent cover in Kabouga was therefore associated with higher soil C, root percentage and bulk density. Other sites were higher in Ca, Na, K and P. The method of degradation scoring was not sufficiently accurate and it is recommended that indicator species within the matrix should be used instead of growth forms. The findings of this thesis are conceptualised within a double-cusped catastrophe model and recommendations for restoration are provided.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Lunderstedt, Kyra Elizabeth
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Portulacaceae -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Savanna ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Shrubs -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Succulent plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5281 , vital:20804
- Description: The loss in canopy cover from over-browsing severely degrades the ecological integrity of spekboom-dominated thicket in the Eastern Cape. A homogenisation of species across the landscape and high heterogeneity at fine scales has been reported with little evidence of recovery. As an interlinked consequence, the loss in important biological structures and composition impacts greatly on soil resources and therefore function. This thesis provides a baseline of degraded thicket abiotic and biotic structure and composition over both spatial and temporal scales within the Greater Addo Elephant National Park (GAENP), including Darlington, Kabouga and Addo Main and within the Baviaanskloof. The study aimed to find correlates of species composition within sites and assess changes in composition with degradation and recovery times. Across the GAENP, landscape degradation was most evident in post-1960 aerial imagery. The duration since sampled sites have been incorporated into the GAENP did not influence species composition, however the period of degradation and severity, did. Across the landscape, communities were strongly associated with each of the four sites and separated predominantly by rainfall, gravel and altitude. A total of 345 plant species were identified across the landscape and despite degradation, each site was characterised into three to five communities each, barring Baviaanskloof which had no significantly different communities. Across the landscape, matrix composition comprised predominantly of Pentzia incana, Drosanthemum hispidum, Galenia pubescens and Cynodon species. Woody cover within patches included smaller Grewia robusta, Rhigozum obovatum and Vachellia karroo and the larger Pappea capensis and Euclea undulata. The succulent shrub Euphorbia caerulescens in Darlington and succulent tree Aloe ferox in Baviaanskloof occurred abundantly as a consequence of degradation. Species richness was significantly correlated to patch size in all sites, but Kabouga had the greatest richness and probability of a suite of species occurring within a patch. Higher woody and succulent cover in Kabouga was therefore associated with higher soil C, root percentage and bulk density. Other sites were higher in Ca, Na, K and P. The method of degradation scoring was not sufficiently accurate and it is recommended that indicator species within the matrix should be used instead of growth forms. The findings of this thesis are conceptualised within a double-cusped catastrophe model and recommendations for restoration are provided.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The development and institutionalisation of knowledge and knowledge-sharing practices relating to the management of healthcare risk waste in a home-based care setting
- Authors: Masilela, Mapula Priscilla
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Medical wastes -- Management -- South Africa -- West Rand , Medical wastes -- Government policy -- South Africa -- West Rand , Environmental health -- South Africa -- West Rand , Environmental health -- Administration -- South Africa -- West Rand , Environmental health -- Government policy -- South Africa -- West Rand
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/13142 , vital:21807
- Description: Improperly managed healthcare risk waste is associated with environmental degradation due to its potential to pollute air, land and water; it also poses a public health threat due to risks to community members (adults and children) who may find themselves exposed to waste that has been disposed of improperly. Despite these obvious environmental health risks, there is little information or legislative guidance on how to effectively manage the healthcare risk waste generated by community health workers who move from house to house and do not operate out of a fixed clinic with formal waste management facilities. This poses a challenge for municipal environmental health practitioners who are mandated to ensure compliance and to monitor the management of healthcare risk waste by community home-based care facilities. This educational study looks at how the knowledge held by environmental health practitioners influences knowledge-sharing practices and management of healthcare risk waste by community health workers, and how these knowledge-sharing practices can be developed and institutionalised. The study takes an interventionist approach within the social constructionist tradition. Cultural- Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and expansive learning provide the theoretical and methodological framework to surface systemic tensions and contradictions affecting knowledgesharing and healthcare risk waste management practices. A series of Change Laboratory Workshops using the Developmental Work Research methodology enabled a twenty-seven month expansive learning process with selected municipal employees and community health workers in a small South African city. The study found that employees (such as environmental health practitioners and waste inspectors) working in municipal activity systems knew very little about the forms and functions of community home-based care facilities in their municipality. As such, their knowledge-sharing practices about the management of healthcare risk waste were restricted and generally unsystematic, which in turn contributed to inappropriate and often haphazard healthcare risk waste management practices by community health workers. As an interventionist project, the study concluded that the participatory, expansive learning process it initiated had built knowledge-sharing networks, enabled professional boundary crossing and potentially institutionalised better knowledge-sharing practices relevant to the effective management of healthcare risk waste.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Masilela, Mapula Priscilla
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Medical wastes -- Management -- South Africa -- West Rand , Medical wastes -- Government policy -- South Africa -- West Rand , Environmental health -- South Africa -- West Rand , Environmental health -- Administration -- South Africa -- West Rand , Environmental health -- Government policy -- South Africa -- West Rand
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/13142 , vital:21807
- Description: Improperly managed healthcare risk waste is associated with environmental degradation due to its potential to pollute air, land and water; it also poses a public health threat due to risks to community members (adults and children) who may find themselves exposed to waste that has been disposed of improperly. Despite these obvious environmental health risks, there is little information or legislative guidance on how to effectively manage the healthcare risk waste generated by community health workers who move from house to house and do not operate out of a fixed clinic with formal waste management facilities. This poses a challenge for municipal environmental health practitioners who are mandated to ensure compliance and to monitor the management of healthcare risk waste by community home-based care facilities. This educational study looks at how the knowledge held by environmental health practitioners influences knowledge-sharing practices and management of healthcare risk waste by community health workers, and how these knowledge-sharing practices can be developed and institutionalised. The study takes an interventionist approach within the social constructionist tradition. Cultural- Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and expansive learning provide the theoretical and methodological framework to surface systemic tensions and contradictions affecting knowledgesharing and healthcare risk waste management practices. A series of Change Laboratory Workshops using the Developmental Work Research methodology enabled a twenty-seven month expansive learning process with selected municipal employees and community health workers in a small South African city. The study found that employees (such as environmental health practitioners and waste inspectors) working in municipal activity systems knew very little about the forms and functions of community home-based care facilities in their municipality. As such, their knowledge-sharing practices about the management of healthcare risk waste were restricted and generally unsystematic, which in turn contributed to inappropriate and often haphazard healthcare risk waste management practices by community health workers. As an interventionist project, the study concluded that the participatory, expansive learning process it initiated had built knowledge-sharing networks, enabled professional boundary crossing and potentially institutionalised better knowledge-sharing practices relevant to the effective management of healthcare risk waste.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
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