First report on carbon storage in warm-temperate mangroves of South Africa
- Authors: Johnson, Jaime Leigh
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Mangrove ecology -- South Africa , Mangrove conservation Mangrove plants Mangrove management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31563 , vital:31581
- Description: Blue carbon is defined as the carbon sequestered and stored by coastal vegetated ecosystems including mangroves, seagrass and salt marsh. Research on blue carbon has rapidly escalated during the past decade following the 2009 United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report, which highlighted the efficiency of these coastal habitats to act as carbon sinks. Mangrove forests in particular have been recognized for their significant role as carbon sinks and therefore have been prioritized in atmospheric carbon mitigation strategies. Despite global research efforts, there is still a notable knowledge gap on carbon storage potential of different mangrove tree species in underrepresented geographic regions. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of blue carbon for a mangrove forest in a warm temperate estuary in South Africa. Carbon storage was quantified for Avicennia marina mangrove stands at the Nxaxo Estuary; using both elemental analysis and loss on ignition (LOI) techniques for sediment carbon pools and only elemental analysis for aboveground biomass (leaf litter, pneumatophores, wood).The environmental characteristics were the same at the five sites sampled and this was related to the estuary being well-mixed and permanently open to the Indian Ocean. Unexpectedly the carbon content was weakly correlated with that measured by elemental analysis. The cause of this is unknown and could potentially be an avenue for further investigation. The carbon content measured from elemental analysis was used in further calculations, as this method is reliable and meets global standards for comparisons. For the aboveground carbon pools, the pneumatophores (2.1 × 10-3 Mg C ha-1) stored significantly more carbon compared to the live trees (3.35 × 10-4 Mg C ha-1) and leaf litter (2.84 × 10-6 Mg C ha-1). The sediment carbon pool (228.05 Mg C ha-1) stored significantly more carbon than the aboveground carbon pools, which is in line with the findings of other studies from different regions. Sediment carbon storage was not related to mangrove tree population structure or sediment characteristics, such as moisture content and particle size. However, sediment carbon storage was highest at Site 2 which was located in a depositional area of the estuary. The total carbon storage is 1140.25 Mg C for the mangrove area of 9.5 the Nxaxo Estuary; this is considerably lower than what has been recorded for other regions. In South Africa, mangroves in warm--temperate regions occur at one of the southernmost limits globally and are restricted to occurring in sheltered estuaries due to the high--energy nature of the coastline. As a result, the growth and productivity of mangroves in these regions can be influenced by estuarine and climatic dynamics. Although total carbon storage was not variable between different sites at this estuary, this might not be the case on a regional scale as variability is expected to occur between estuaries within South Africa. Comparing the data collected from this study and others done globally, it is clear that the capacity for carbon storage by mangroves is variable. Therefore, regional scale blue carbon studies should be undertaken to provide estimates from direct quantification and allometric equation approaches. Carbon storage has been recognized as a valuable ecosystem service; therefore, going forward, accurate estimations of storage potential is essential, particularly for climate change mitigation and emission offset projects.
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- Date Issued: 2019
Organisational learning, training and small medium and micro enterprise (SMME) performance in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Jaxa, Zoleka
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Organizational learning -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Small business -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Small business -- Management Business enterprises -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Performance Business -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:35741
- Description: The growth and performance of an enterprise requires gaining a competitive edge through learning and evolving. Organisational learning is considered as a primary means for attaining the strategic renewal of an enterprise. In order to achieve this, organisations are required to explore and learn new ways while simultaneously using what is already learned. This research aims to assist SMEs in performing better and becoming sustainable by improving their agility within changing economic circumstance through the practical implementation of organisational learning strategies. The study aims to investigate how organisational learning contributes to the business performance success of SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. More specifically, the study investigates what roles individual/group/institutional learning and organisational memory play in the achievement of business performance success of SMEs in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. The empirical results were obtained from 71 SME owners with the aim of determining the extent of organisational learning in Nelson Mandela Bay SMEs. In other words, the study aimed to discover whether individual/group/institutional learning and organisational memory were the strongest determinants of business performance success. The findings of the study indicated that organisational learning in the form of group learning and organisational memory is an important determinant of business performance success. The study revealed that only group learning and organisational learning are significant determinants of business performance success, even though individual and institutional learning are also important. Furthermore, recommendations were made to SME owners to ensure that they practise organisational learning principles and foster mainly group learning and organisational memory in order to improve the business performance success of SMEs significantly in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.
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- Date Issued: 2019
An Eriksonian psychobiography of Martin Luther King Junior
- Authors: Pietersen, Sheri-Ann
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: African Americans -- Biography , Civil rights workers -- United States -- Biography
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9972 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021037
- Description: The aim of the current study was to conduct a psychobiography of the life of Martin Luther King Junior, who was born in 1929 and died in 1968. He was an American clergyman, husband, father, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. King fought for civil rights for all people. His “I Have a Dream” speech raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established him as one of the greatest orators in the United States of America. His main legacy was to secure access to civil rights for all Americans, thereby empowering people of all racial and religious backgrounds, and promoting equality in the American nation. This is a psychobiographical research study which aimed to explore and describe the life of Martin Luther King junior’s psychological development according to Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Developmental Theory. King was selected through purposive sampling on the basis of interest, value, and uniqueness to the researcher. Alexander’s model of identifying salient themes was used to analyse the data which were then compared to Erikson’s theory through a process of analytical generalisation. Limitations of the current study were identified and certain recommendations for future research in this field are offered.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Teachers' experiences regarding the national curriculum statement implementation in the Mthatha District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Ngibe, Nondwe Cynthia Phelokazi
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: National curriculum statement -- Education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:18436 , http://hdl.handle.net/11260/d1007191
- Description: This is a study that was conducted in order to explore Mthatha teachers’ experiences in relation to the implementation of the New Curriculum Statement (NCS). The new curriculum, having been introduced in 1997, presented some challenges that were encountered by the Junior Secondary School teachers, who were required to implement it. The challenges experienced by teachers included too much paperwork, confusion and stress, widespread learner underperformance in international and local assessments, teacher workload and the administrative burden. Ten schools from the population of schools in the Mthatha District were purposely sampled and data were collected. Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were used to collect data from the participants who were teachers of Mthatha junior secondary schools. Questionnaires were used to collect data from teachers and structured interviews were given to school managers. The data were analyzed manually and by using SPSS Windows version 19.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). It emerged from the study that the workload was excessive as to the paperwork and confusion and stress are there due to continuous changes in the curriculum. Regular workshops conducted by experts need to be arranged timeously. Administrative equipment in schools, such as computers, are sorely needed together with clerical staff that could help with administrative tasks.
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- Date Issued: 2013
A retrospective study of the problems encountered by small business owner-managers in the health sector
- Authors: O'Connell, J
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Health facilities -- South Africa -- Business management , New business enterprises -- South Africa -- Management , Businesspeople -- South Africa Interviews
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9985 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/429 , Health facilities -- South Africa -- Business management , New business enterprises -- South Africa -- Management , Businesspeople -- South Africa Interviews
- Description: It is estimated that the failure rate of small, medium and micro enterprises in South Africa’s (SMME’s) are between 70 percent and 80 percent. As a result, millions of rand are lost on business ventures because of essentially avoidable mistakes and problems. Difficulties encountered by small business owner-managers can be described as environmental, marketing, financial or managerial in nature. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the nature and importance of problems experience by small business owner-managers in the private health sector. The design that was used in this study was qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual in nature. This study fell within the broad framework of qualitative research, as interviews were employed to do the research project (Baker, 1999:247). A purposive sample was used to identify the participants for inclusion. The target population was small business owner-managers operating within the private health sector in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The sample comprised eight business owner-managers in the health sector within the boundaries of the Nelson Mandela Metropole, purposely identified. Before doing the empirical research, a pilot study was conducted with one small business owner-manager that fulfilled the required criteria of the research population. Data was collected by means of naïve sketches and semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed according to the framework provided by Tesch (in Creswell, 1994). Guba’s model (in Krefting, 1991) was employed for data verification. Interviews were conducted in both Afrikaans and English. iii Direct transcriptions from the tape-recorded interviews ensured that all data was gathered and saved for reference when needed during the data analysis as described by Field and Morse (1996:64). The researcher took observational, theoretical, methodological and personal notes as described in Wilson (1989: 433-435). Transcriptions from sketches and interviews served as the database for the study. Only literature pertaining to the research process was consulted prior to the data collection of the primary data, in order to establish an effective research format. The problems experienced by small business owner-managers in the health sector were discussed under four major themes and several sub-themes identified by the researcher and the independent coder. The main themes that emerged from the study were: small business ownermanagers in the health sector lacked business skills and experience; had financial problems regarding their businesses; had difficulty building a customer base; and were uncertain in terms of their businesses’ future. Conclusions were drawn from the findings of the study and limiting factors were identified and acknowledged in the report. Recommendations that could assist practitioners, educators and trainers were suggested.
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- Date Issued: 2006