Response of black wildebeest, a specialised grazer, to grass availability
- Authors: Barnardo, Toshka
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Grasslands -- Research -- South Africa , Grassland ecology -- Research -- South Africa Food habits -- Research -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30876 , vital:31192
- Description: The black wildebeest Connochaetes gnou, a southern African endemic largely confined to the Grassland biome, was used as a model species to assess the response of a specialised grazer to grass availability, as an indicator of habitat quality. The occurrence of animals in low-quality habitats may have detrimental effects on population performance and persistence. Robust techniques are therefore required to assess the response of animals to varying habitat quality, to ensure sustainability of populations and species. Black wildebeest habitat use was assessed in relation to grass availability and visibility, and faecal analysis was used to estimate variation in diet composition and quality, parasite loads, and faecal pellet dimensions, across a grass gradient. Grass consumption, diet quality, and faecal pellet size and weight of black wildebeest increased with increasing grass availability. While black wildebeest consumed up to 55% browse at grass-poor sites, they consistently preferred grasses, potentially resulting in an increased intake of low-quality grasses at grass-poor sites. This, combined with the increased intake of indigestible fibres in browse, may explain the observed trends in diet quality, which in turn may explain variation in faecal pellet size and weight (indicators of body size and weight). Furthermore, black wildebeest population trends within the study area suggest that populations in grass-poor habitats, outside their natural distribution range, may exhibit reduced population performance. These findings suggest that grass availability may be a useful indicator of habitat quality for specialised grazers. The study also provided an opportunity to explore the utility of various diet assessment techniques for estimating herbivore diet composition and quality. Caution should be applied when interpreting and comparing estimates of diet composition and quality that were estimated using different techniques, because different techniques may yield different diet estimates. The study also suggests that black wildebeest may switch to C3 grasses in the winter (as indicated by isotope analysis).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Dismissal for medical incapacity
- Authors: Boy, Anthony Albert
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Capacity and disability -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:11047 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/316 , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Capacity and disability -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: Labour law in South Africa has evolved over the past century at an ever increasing pace. The establishment of a democratic government in 1995 has been the trigger for a large number of labour law statutes being promulgated, particularly with reference to the laws governing the employment relationship and dismissal. From very humble and employer biased dispute resolution application under the common law of contract, labour law in this country has evolved through the various acts culminating in a labour law system which is highly regulated and codified. Dismissal for medical incapacity in this treatise is reviewed with regard to the applicable statutes and the various codes of good practice as the law has evolved and developed from the period covered by the common law through that covered by the 1995 LRA up to and including the current period. Particular attention is paid to both substantive and procedural requirements as well as the remedies applicable under the different legal regimes and the pertinent tribunals and courts. Regard is also given to the duration and causes of incapacity and the effect this may have on the applicable remedy applied by these tribunals. It will become apparant that the medically incapacitated employee occupied a relatively weak and vulnerable position under the common law as opposed to the current position under the 1995 LRA. The influence of the remedies applied by the tribunals under the 1956 LRA are clearly evident in the current regulations and codes under the 1995 LRA which contain specific statutory provisions for employees not to be unfairly dismissed. Distinctions are drawn between permissible and impermissible dismissals, with medical incapacity falling under the former. v Furthermore, a distinction is drawn statutorily between permanent and temporary illhealth/ injury incapacity with detailed guidelines for substantive and procedural fairness requirements to be met by employers. The powers of the specialist tribunals (CCMA, Bargaining Councils and Labour Courts) are regulated by statutory provisions and deal with appropriate remedies (reinstatement and/or compensation) a wardable in appropriate circumstances. Certain specific areas nonetheless still remain problematic for these tribunals and hence questions that require clear direction from the drafters of our law are: 1. How to distinguish misconduct in alcohol and drug abuse cases? 2. What degree of intermittent absenteeism is required before dismissal would be warranted? In certain other areas the tribunals have been fairly consistent and prescriptive in their approach and remedies awarded. Included here would be permanent incapacity, HIV cases and misconduct. It will emerge, however, that under the 1995 LRA the position of employees and the protections afforded them have been greatly increased.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Dismissal for medical incapacity
- Authors: Boy, Anthony Albert
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Capacity and disability -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10242 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016262
- Description: Labour law in South Africa has evolved over the past century at an ever increasing pace. The establishment of a democratic government in 1995 has been the trigger for a large number of labour law statutes being promulgated, particularly with reference to the laws governing the employment relationship and dismissal. From very humble and employer biased dispute resolution application under the common law of contract, labour law in this country has evolved through the various acts culminating in a labour law system which is highly regulated and codified. Dismissal for medical incapacity in this treatise is reviewed with regard to the applicable statutes and the various codes of good practice as the law has evolved and developed from the period covered by the common law through that covered by the 1995 LRA up to and including the current period. Particular attention is paid to both substantive and procedural requirements as well as the remedies applicable under the different legal regimes and the pertinent tribunals and courts. Regard is also given to the duration and causes of incapacity and the effect this may have on the applicable remedy applied by these tribunals. It will become apparant that the medically incapacitated employee occupied a relatively weak and vulnerable position under the common law as opposed to the current position under the 1995 LRA. The influence of the remedies applied by the tribunals under the 1956 LRA are clearly evident in the current regulations and codes under the 1995 LRA which contain specific statutory provisions for employees not to be unfairly dismissed. Distinctions are drawn between permissible and impermissible dismissals, with medical incapacity falling under the former. Furthermore, a distinction is drawn statutorily between permanent and temporary illhealth/injury incapacity with detailed guidelines for substantive and procedural fairness requirements to be met by employers. The powers of the specialist tribunals (CCMA, Bargaining Councils and Labour Courts) are regulated by statutory provisions and deal with appropriate remedies (reinstatement and/or compensation) a wardable in appropriate circumstances. Certain specific areas nonetheless still remain problematic for these tribunals and hence questions that require clear direction from the drafters of our law are: How to distinguish misconduct in alcohol and drug abuse cases? What degree of intermittent absenteeism is required before dismissal would be warranted? In certain other areas the tribunals have been fairly consistent and prescriptive in their approach and remedies awarded. Included here would be permanent incapacity, HIV cases and misconduct. It will emerge, however, that under the 1995 LRA the position of employees and the protections afforded them have been greatly increased.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004