The growth and recovery of mangroves at three South African study sites
- Authors: Mbense, Sinegugu
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mangrove forests -- South Africa Mangrove ecology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/11931 , vital:27008
- Description: Mangroves in South Africa are prone to anthropogenic pressures such as browsing and trampling by livestock and by natural disturbances such as drought and floods. These mangroves exist at one of the most southerly limits in the world providing a unique opportunity to study recovery and resilience to change. This study used long term data at three South African study sites located in the subtropical (St Lucia Estuary) and warm temperate regions (Nxaxo and Kobonqaba estuaries) to compare mangrove growth rate, population structure and responses to disturbance. The first objective was investigated at St Lucia Estuary where site specific or microhabitat differences were measured to assess the influence of these on mangrove growth and population structure. It was suggested that site - specific variability would ensure mangrove survival and analysis showed that seedlings were present at different sites in different years. There was always some recruitment but often little survival to the next size class. Over time seedling numbers were quite variable and self – thinning of adults was evident. The second objective was to identify the environmental factors influencing population density and growth. Results showed that sediment moisture and salinity influenced seedling and adult density due to fluctuations in estuary water level. Mangrove growth rates for Avicennia marina in terms of height was faster (40 – 75 cm yr-1 ) at Site 1 where conditions were waterlogged and moderately saline and slower (5 – 25 cm yr1 ) in dry and hypersaline conditions at Site 4. Overall mangroves at St Lucia have shown persistence through drought and fluctuations in environmental conditions however resilience may be hindered at sites that are subjected to partially flooding and prolonged waterlogging. The second site was Nxaxo Estuary in the Eastern Cape where cattle exclusion plots (nonbrowsed) and control plots (browsed) were used to assess the recovery of A. marina trees from cattle browsing. Trees in the browsed plots showed no vertical growth while trees in the non-browsed plots grew significantly faster (5.4 ± 0.5 cm yr-1). When cattle were prevented from entering the mangrove area, the trees recovered fairly quickly and within 3 years growth was similar in both the non – browsed (17.9 ± 3.2 cm yr -1) and browsed plots (18 ± 1.6 cm yr -1). Lastly, mangrove recovery was investigated at Kobonqaba Estuary where long-term closure of the mouth to the sea resulted in high water levels, inundation of pneumatophores and die-back of the majority of the mangroves. This study measured the recovery of the mangroves by assessing changes in vegetation cover and sediment characteristics along transects. High initial porewater nutrient concentrations promoted salt marsh growth and plants increased average cover from 0% in 2011 to 18.9% (2013) and 50% in 2015. The total number of A. marina individuals increased from only seven to 27 individuals over four years. Salt marsh competition and facilitation will likely influence mangrove recovery in the future. Overall it was concluded that when a short term pressure (cattle browsing) is alleviated, mangrove forests even at warm temperate sites are able to recovery rapidly by increasing growth and seedling establishment. However, mangroves in the subtropical sites show more resilience and recovery potential to long term pressures such as fluctuating environmental conditions because of faster growth rates.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Integrated quality-management systems in selected schools : King William's Town Education District
- Authors: Mgijima, Khayakazi
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: School improvement programs -- South Africa -- King William's Town , Performance contracts in education -- South Africa -- King William's Town , Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- King William's Town
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
- Identifier: vital:8295 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018892
- Description: The Integrated Quality Management System is a national policy that was introduced in 2003 by the Department of Education – with the aim of improving the performance of educators in teaching and learning. The policy integrates three programmes, namely: Developmental Appraisal, Performance Management and Whole-School Evaluation, which ought to complement one another, and run concurrently. The introduction and implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System is based on the premise that the quality of education in South African Schools would improve if the processes of the policy were used to evaluate and reward educators, and to institute corrective measures where necessary. The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System for improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools. The study focused on schools in the King William’s Town Education District. Qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used to elicit the perceptions of educators, Senior Management Teams and District coordinators, with regard to the implementation process of the policy in the local schools. The findings indicate that the Department of Education needs to improve the processes of educating the educators in the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management system – in order to increase the possibility of achieving the objectives of the policy.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Socio-economic, cultural and policy issues impacting on community forestry development : a case study of Hlabisa district in Kwazulu-Natal
- Authors: Masuku, Sipho Sikhumbuzo
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Forests and forestry -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forests and forestry -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forests and forestry -- Social aspect -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forests and forestry -- Cultural aspect -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10743 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/818 , Forests and forestry -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forests and forestry -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forests and forestry -- Social aspect -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Forests and forestry -- Cultural aspect -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal
- Description: South Africa is not well-endowed with indigenous forests and those that remain are known to be degraded and declining at an alarming rate. This constitutes a direct threat to the quality of life of the resource-poor rural households which are directly dependent on the resources indigenous forests offer, as well as to ecological integrity. It is also recognised that the declining tree resources, particularly the indigenous tree species of high value, are increasingly threatened by a number of growing subsistence demands. This emphasises the need to establish, cultivate and conserve high-value tree species. Community forestry is recognised as a viable option for optimising land productivity; reducing pressure on indigenous forests and woodlands; ensuring a sustainable supply of desired tree products and services; and improving the quality of life of the resource-poor rural households. The primary purpose of Community Forestry Development (CFD) in the Hlabisa District is the provision of an information service and of technical support to enhance the livelihoods of rural communities by means of tree-related resources. Community forestry mainly focuses on tree resources that form an integral part of or contribute to rural people’s livelihoods. This includes small-scale growers (woodlots), woodlands and indigenous forests. Community forestry can be defined as tree growing and managed by the people for the people. Community forestry encompasses a wide range of activities which include farm forestry, agroforestry, village planting, woodlots, woodland management and indigenous-forest management by rural people, as well as tree planting in urban and peri-urban areas. Natural forests in South Africa account for less than 1 percent of the total land area. It has been suggested that these natural forests will no longer be able to meet the demand for forest products by 2020. The KwaZulu Department of Agriculture and Forestry embarked on community forestry in 1976 (but only on an ad hoc basis) as a possible solution to this dilemma. Later, the two South African pulp and paper giants, SAPPI and Mondi, started the Project Grow and Khulanathi Schemes respectively. One of the objectives of out-grower schemes was to encourage rural communities to plant trees on their own lands for the economic, social and environmental benefits trees offer. For example, timber could be sold to forestry companies. Financial assistance was offered to these communities to encourage implementation of such schemes. This exercise was aimed at bringing economic activity, capacity- building and community empowerment to the rural areas. The growers would benefit from the financial assistance and the readily available market provided by the company, while the company would be able to satisfy its demand for timber.
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- Date Issued: 2005