Links between valley confinement, landforms and vegetation distribution in a semi-arid valley floor environment, Baviaanskloof, South Africa
- Authors: Smith-Adao, Lindie B
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/953 , vital:20006
- Description: Although a large body of international literature has advanced our understanding of river systems, a considerable amount of gaps exit in the knowledge of dryland systems. River systems reflect complex interactions between biophysical processes and patterns. Understanding how processes generate observed patterns and, in turn, how patterns influence processes is crucial to understanding river structure and function. It requires an interdisciplinary approach in both research and resulting applications. The aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between valley confinement, fluvial style, valley floor morphology and vegetation in the semi-arid environment of the Baviaanskloof river catchment, South Africa. This interdisciplinary investigation used a mixed method approach that involved desktop analyses and field surveys to understand dynamics at multiple scales, from the whole catchment to local (site, reach and quadrat or sample plot) scales. The desktop analyses included historical rainfall patterns and climate extremes, aerial photograph time-series and remote sensing greenness indices, and the field surveys focussed on cross-valley landform profiles, groundwater depth levels, sediment size distribution and soil chemistry, and vegetation distribution patterns. Based on the integrative assessment of these techniques a framework was developed of the links between valley confinement, surface-groundwater interaction, hydrogeomorphic processes and landforms, vegetation and human activities. Study findings highlighted the fact that very strong links exist between these factors. In this semi-arid area water availability (groundwater and streamflow conditions) was the primary control on valley floor vegetation composition and patterning. One group of species was associated with the wetted channel reaches at confined and semi-confined valley settings, while the other was associated with dry bed channel reaches at unconfined valley settings. The analyses also indicated that the environmental variables which best explained the variation in vegetation at the differing geomorphic landforms were related to landform position (elevation and distance), sediment size (fine and coarse sand) and available phosphorus (i.e. human impacts). The different plants, in turn, also affected landforms through their influence on sediment erosion, transport and deposition. Specially, they build, maintained or modified geomorphic landforms at confined, semi-confined and unconfined valley settings across the valley floor. Valley confinement was a primary control influencing hydrogeomorphic processes and their associated landforms. Alluvial fans and terraces acted as critical additional controls at especially the unconfined valley setting. Implications for restoration efforts in the catchment included strategies that took cognisance of: active revegetation on floodplain surfaces related to former agricultural fields; channel switching associated with the highly dynamic and unpredictable nature of geomorphic features; unstable multi-thread braided channels in the unconfined valley setting; and the selection of representative monitoring sites.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Smith-Adao, Lindie B
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/953 , vital:20006
- Description: Although a large body of international literature has advanced our understanding of river systems, a considerable amount of gaps exit in the knowledge of dryland systems. River systems reflect complex interactions between biophysical processes and patterns. Understanding how processes generate observed patterns and, in turn, how patterns influence processes is crucial to understanding river structure and function. It requires an interdisciplinary approach in both research and resulting applications. The aim of this thesis was to examine the relationship between valley confinement, fluvial style, valley floor morphology and vegetation in the semi-arid environment of the Baviaanskloof river catchment, South Africa. This interdisciplinary investigation used a mixed method approach that involved desktop analyses and field surveys to understand dynamics at multiple scales, from the whole catchment to local (site, reach and quadrat or sample plot) scales. The desktop analyses included historical rainfall patterns and climate extremes, aerial photograph time-series and remote sensing greenness indices, and the field surveys focussed on cross-valley landform profiles, groundwater depth levels, sediment size distribution and soil chemistry, and vegetation distribution patterns. Based on the integrative assessment of these techniques a framework was developed of the links between valley confinement, surface-groundwater interaction, hydrogeomorphic processes and landforms, vegetation and human activities. Study findings highlighted the fact that very strong links exist between these factors. In this semi-arid area water availability (groundwater and streamflow conditions) was the primary control on valley floor vegetation composition and patterning. One group of species was associated with the wetted channel reaches at confined and semi-confined valley settings, while the other was associated with dry bed channel reaches at unconfined valley settings. The analyses also indicated that the environmental variables which best explained the variation in vegetation at the differing geomorphic landforms were related to landform position (elevation and distance), sediment size (fine and coarse sand) and available phosphorus (i.e. human impacts). The different plants, in turn, also affected landforms through their influence on sediment erosion, transport and deposition. Specially, they build, maintained or modified geomorphic landforms at confined, semi-confined and unconfined valley settings across the valley floor. Valley confinement was a primary control influencing hydrogeomorphic processes and their associated landforms. Alluvial fans and terraces acted as critical additional controls at especially the unconfined valley setting. Implications for restoration efforts in the catchment included strategies that took cognisance of: active revegetation on floodplain surfaces related to former agricultural fields; channel switching associated with the highly dynamic and unpredictable nature of geomorphic features; unstable multi-thread braided channels in the unconfined valley setting; and the selection of representative monitoring sites.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Local development : a response to economic challenges in Noordhoek Valley, Cape Town
- Authors: Gibb, Matthew William
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Deindustrialization -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Economic aspects Community development -- South Africa -- Western Cape Community development, Urban -- South Africa -- Western Cape Economic development -- South Africa -- Western Cape Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Labor supply -- South Africa -- Western Cape Local government -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:4869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007848
- Description: De-industrialisation and rising unemployment amongst the world's developed countries' manual labourers as well as continued economic stagnation in developing countries has resulted in many localities experiencing mounting economic hardships and uncertain futures. As a direct result, the time has come that localities are being called upon to take charge of their own futures using local resources for local solutions. Local development has appeared in various guises in different countries. Many agents in the developed North favour pro-business interventions that emphasise enterprise development, responsible local government, and investment in skills training. Stakeholders in developing nations however tend to favour bottom-up approaches focusing on participation in self-reliant activities, providing basic needs, and facilitating micro-enterprises. In addition to the actual nature of applied interventions, qualities such as commitment, innovation, co-operation, social capital and entrepreneurship are equally essential for over-all success. South Africa has recently devolved more autonomy to its localities to enable them to conduct local development as a way of coping with local socio-economic difficulties and is applying both pro-growth and pro-poor approaches. The Noordhoek Valley in the City of Cape Town is a locality where a community driven project seeks to promote both economic growth and poverty alleviation. The establishment of a skills training institution has equipped local residents with the skills to find jobs and become entrepreneurs. To date, over 1000 residents have received training and have earned over R5 million for the community. Although locality-based development is relatively new in South Africa, the activities and results achieved in the Noordhoek Valley indicate that with the appropriate approach and mentality local development and skills development are indeed possible.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Gibb, Matthew William
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Deindustrialization -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Economic aspects Community development -- South Africa -- Western Cape Community development, Urban -- South Africa -- Western Cape Economic development -- South Africa -- Western Cape Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Labor supply -- South Africa -- Western Cape Local government -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:4869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007848
- Description: De-industrialisation and rising unemployment amongst the world's developed countries' manual labourers as well as continued economic stagnation in developing countries has resulted in many localities experiencing mounting economic hardships and uncertain futures. As a direct result, the time has come that localities are being called upon to take charge of their own futures using local resources for local solutions. Local development has appeared in various guises in different countries. Many agents in the developed North favour pro-business interventions that emphasise enterprise development, responsible local government, and investment in skills training. Stakeholders in developing nations however tend to favour bottom-up approaches focusing on participation in self-reliant activities, providing basic needs, and facilitating micro-enterprises. In addition to the actual nature of applied interventions, qualities such as commitment, innovation, co-operation, social capital and entrepreneurship are equally essential for over-all success. South Africa has recently devolved more autonomy to its localities to enable them to conduct local development as a way of coping with local socio-economic difficulties and is applying both pro-growth and pro-poor approaches. The Noordhoek Valley in the City of Cape Town is a locality where a community driven project seeks to promote both economic growth and poverty alleviation. The establishment of a skills training institution has equipped local residents with the skills to find jobs and become entrepreneurs. To date, over 1000 residents have received training and have earned over R5 million for the community. Although locality-based development is relatively new in South Africa, the activities and results achieved in the Noordhoek Valley indicate that with the appropriate approach and mentality local development and skills development are indeed possible.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Mapping and prediction of archaeological sites of habitation by modern humans using GIS and expert mapping on the south coast of South Africa
- Authors: Kleyn, Philippa May
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Geographic information systems -- South Africa , Archaeological sites , Kitchen-middens -- South Africa , Prehistoric peoples -- South Africa , Prehistoric peoples -- Dwellings -- South Africa , Geological mapping -- South Africa , Coastal archaeology -- South Africa , Archaeological significance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4890 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018662
- Description: South Africa contains many archaeological resources including shell middens from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA). These shell middens give researchers insight into the behaviour of modern humans where the first fossil evidence appears in Africa around 200 000 years ago (Klein, 2008). Research into shell middens is therefore vital to understand the origin of human kind. This study investigates whether Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a useful tool for predicting locations of unknown shell midden sites using the characteristics of known areas of modern human habitation. This was done using suitability analysis and expert mapping techniques. Ground truthing of the results of the desktop analysis revealed that GIS is not a useful tool for predicting sites of modern habitation as the characteristics that determine human habitation are too variable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Kleyn, Philippa May
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Geographic information systems -- South Africa , Archaeological sites , Kitchen-middens -- South Africa , Prehistoric peoples -- South Africa , Prehistoric peoples -- Dwellings -- South Africa , Geological mapping -- South Africa , Coastal archaeology -- South Africa , Archaeological significance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4890 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018662
- Description: South Africa contains many archaeological resources including shell middens from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA). These shell middens give researchers insight into the behaviour of modern humans where the first fossil evidence appears in Africa around 200 000 years ago (Klein, 2008). Research into shell middens is therefore vital to understand the origin of human kind. This study investigates whether Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a useful tool for predicting locations of unknown shell midden sites using the characteristics of known areas of modern human habitation. This was done using suitability analysis and expert mapping techniques. Ground truthing of the results of the desktop analysis revealed that GIS is not a useful tool for predicting sites of modern habitation as the characteristics that determine human habitation are too variable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Mdantsane : city, satellite or suburb?
- Authors: Gordon, Timothy John
- Date: 1978
- Subjects: Political geography , Black people -- Relocation -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Ciskei (South Africa) -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4873 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012070 , Political geography , Black people -- Relocation -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Ciskei (South Africa) -- Politics and government
- Description: The final step envisaged by present South African Government policy in respect of the black peoples of South Africa is the granting of political independence to the ten homelands which have been set aside for occupation by the various ethnic groups recognized by the. Government. This step represents the culmination of ideas that have developed regarding the separation of races since early in South Africa's history, and decisions that have been taken to implement them. Particularly since the first attempts to formulate black policy after Union in 1910, there have been protagonists of a segregationist policy, and the idea of some sort of self-government for the various races of South Africa has been evident 1n the country for many years. This idea was given greater stature in the policies of the national government after 1948, and in 1959 full political independence for the various black nations in South Africa became a political goal of the governing party. As this policy has progressed during the present decade, a number of new political areas have come into existence at various levels of the hierarchy of political areas. Intro. p. 1.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1978
- Authors: Gordon, Timothy John
- Date: 1978
- Subjects: Political geography , Black people -- Relocation -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Ciskei (South Africa) -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4873 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012070 , Political geography , Black people -- Relocation -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Ciskei (South Africa) -- Politics and government
- Description: The final step envisaged by present South African Government policy in respect of the black peoples of South Africa is the granting of political independence to the ten homelands which have been set aside for occupation by the various ethnic groups recognized by the. Government. This step represents the culmination of ideas that have developed regarding the separation of races since early in South Africa's history, and decisions that have been taken to implement them. Particularly since the first attempts to formulate black policy after Union in 1910, there have been protagonists of a segregationist policy, and the idea of some sort of self-government for the various races of South Africa has been evident 1n the country for many years. This idea was given greater stature in the policies of the national government after 1948, and in 1959 full political independence for the various black nations in South Africa became a political goal of the governing party. As this policy has progressed during the present decade, a number of new political areas have come into existence at various levels of the hierarchy of political areas. Intro. p. 1.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1978
Measuring changes in residential segregation in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from 1996-2011
- Authors: Odayar, Luveshni
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/3641 , vital:20532
- Description: Racial segregation and inequality were the prime objectives of the colonial and apartheid spatial planning policies that governed the spatial development of the South African urban landscape. Since South Africa’s democratic transition after 1994, efforts have been made by government to facilitate racial integration and transform the apartheid urban fabric. Research into post-apartheid segregation is crucial to assess the success of governmental actions enacted thus far, while informing future spatial planning strategies. Most studies of these processes have relied solely on dichotomous indices to measure the extent of segregation between two groups. Few have utilized multi-group indices, which are more suited to investigating changes in multi-ethnic cases. Furthermore, the segregation indices used are typically aspatial. This study investigates the extent to which the segregationist legacy prevails in Port Elizabeth, a place widely considered to be the founding city of urban racial segregation. It also aims to investigate the impact of geographical scale on segregation. Theil’s multi-group Entropy Index and Duncan and Duncan’s Dissimilarity Index were derived from racial population data from the 1996, 2001 and 2011 National Censuses, and GIS was used to map changes in racial diversity both at tract level and across a range of geographical scales. To generate a more holistic understanding of the observed trends, statistical tests were performed to relate the observed patterns to socio-economic determinants, and feedback from the relevant government department was obtained. The results from the entropy indices reveal that segregation levels in Port Elizabeth have declined but still remain high: 84.6 % (1996), 79.2 % (2001) to 71.5 % (2011). This is a similar trend to those found in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The integration that did occur was characterized by one-way patterns of movement into former-White areas; this was predominantly confined to the Indian population, and to a lesser extent, the Coloured population. The vast majority of the African population remains confined to their former designated location areas. The White population remains the most segregated group, despite most of the racial integration occurring in former-White areas. Interview results and statistical tests revealed that persisting racial discrepancies in socio-economic factors (income, employment and education) can be considered major drivers influencing the observed trends in racial integration and persisting desegregation, as well as self-segregation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Odayar, Luveshni
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/3641 , vital:20532
- Description: Racial segregation and inequality were the prime objectives of the colonial and apartheid spatial planning policies that governed the spatial development of the South African urban landscape. Since South Africa’s democratic transition after 1994, efforts have been made by government to facilitate racial integration and transform the apartheid urban fabric. Research into post-apartheid segregation is crucial to assess the success of governmental actions enacted thus far, while informing future spatial planning strategies. Most studies of these processes have relied solely on dichotomous indices to measure the extent of segregation between two groups. Few have utilized multi-group indices, which are more suited to investigating changes in multi-ethnic cases. Furthermore, the segregation indices used are typically aspatial. This study investigates the extent to which the segregationist legacy prevails in Port Elizabeth, a place widely considered to be the founding city of urban racial segregation. It also aims to investigate the impact of geographical scale on segregation. Theil’s multi-group Entropy Index and Duncan and Duncan’s Dissimilarity Index were derived from racial population data from the 1996, 2001 and 2011 National Censuses, and GIS was used to map changes in racial diversity both at tract level and across a range of geographical scales. To generate a more holistic understanding of the observed trends, statistical tests were performed to relate the observed patterns to socio-economic determinants, and feedback from the relevant government department was obtained. The results from the entropy indices reveal that segregation levels in Port Elizabeth have declined but still remain high: 84.6 % (1996), 79.2 % (2001) to 71.5 % (2011). This is a similar trend to those found in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The integration that did occur was characterized by one-way patterns of movement into former-White areas; this was predominantly confined to the Indian population, and to a lesser extent, the Coloured population. The vast majority of the African population remains confined to their former designated location areas. The White population remains the most segregated group, despite most of the racial integration occurring in former-White areas. Interview results and statistical tests revealed that persisting racial discrepancies in socio-economic factors (income, employment and education) can be considered major drivers influencing the observed trends in racial integration and persisting desegregation, as well as self-segregation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Morphology, patterns and processes in the Oyster Bay headland bypass dunefield, South Africa
- Authors: McConnachie, Lauren Bernyse
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Sand dune conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sand dune ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Coastal ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sedimentation and deposition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Beach erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Coastal zone management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Shore protection -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4804 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001904
- Description: Studies of the dunefield systems crossing the Cape St. Francis headland in the Eastern Cape have focused on the role that wind plays in sediment transfer in coastal dunefield systems, with limited consideration of the role of water. The aim of this study was to improve understanding of the morphology, processes and patterns within the Oyster Bay HBD system, focussing particularly on surface water and groundwater interactions and the role of surface water in sediment transfer across the dunefield system. An extensive field survey was conducted, to collect related data, complimented by spatial and temporal analysis of the study area using GIS. The key findings from this research were the apparent differences between the western and eastern regions of the dunefield with regard to specific drivers and the respective processes and responses. Wind is the major driver of change up to and across the crest of the dunefield. In the eastern region water (ground water, surface water and the Sand River System) is the primary agent of sediment flux through processes of aggregation and slumping as well as episodic events including debris flows. This study has highlighted a need for further quantitative studies that investigate the movement of sediment through dunefield systems such as this (where water is at or near the land surface). The paradigm that sediment flux is entirely due to wind is almost certainly simplistic, and deeper understanding of these systems is needed , Maiden name: Elkington, Lauren
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: McConnachie, Lauren Bernyse
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Sand dune conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sand dune ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Coastal ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sedimentation and deposition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Beach erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Coastal zone management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Shore protection -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4804 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001904
- Description: Studies of the dunefield systems crossing the Cape St. Francis headland in the Eastern Cape have focused on the role that wind plays in sediment transfer in coastal dunefield systems, with limited consideration of the role of water. The aim of this study was to improve understanding of the morphology, processes and patterns within the Oyster Bay HBD system, focussing particularly on surface water and groundwater interactions and the role of surface water in sediment transfer across the dunefield system. An extensive field survey was conducted, to collect related data, complimented by spatial and temporal analysis of the study area using GIS. The key findings from this research were the apparent differences between the western and eastern regions of the dunefield with regard to specific drivers and the respective processes and responses. Wind is the major driver of change up to and across the crest of the dunefield. In the eastern region water (ground water, surface water and the Sand River System) is the primary agent of sediment flux through processes of aggregation and slumping as well as episodic events including debris flows. This study has highlighted a need for further quantitative studies that investigate the movement of sediment through dunefield systems such as this (where water is at or near the land surface). The paradigm that sediment flux is entirely due to wind is almost certainly simplistic, and deeper understanding of these systems is needed , Maiden name: Elkington, Lauren
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Morphology, patterns and processes in the Oyster Bay headland bypass dunefield, South Africa
- Authors: Elkington, Lauren
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:20984 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5879
- Description: Studies of the dunefield systems crossing the Cape St. Francis headland in the Eastern Cape have focused on the role that wind plays in sediment transfer in coastal dunefield systems, with limited consideration of the role of water. The aim of this study was to improve understanding of the morphology, processes and patterns within the Oyster Bay HBD system, focussing particularly on surface water and groundwater interactions and the role of surface water in sediment transfer across the dunefield system. An extensive field survey was conducted, to collect related data, complimented by spatial and temporal analysis of the study area using GIS. The key findings from this research were the apparent differences between the western and eastern regions of the dunefield with regard to specific drivers and the respective processes and responses. Wind is the major driver of change up to and across the crest of the dunefield. In the eastern region water (ground water, surface water and the Sand River System) is the primary agent of sediment flux through processes of aggregation and slumping as well as episodic events including debris flows. This study has highlighted a need for further quantitative studies that investigate the movement of sediment through dunefield systems such as this (where water is at or near the land surface). The paradigm that sediment flux is entirely due to wind is almost certainly simplistic, and deeper understanding of these systems is needed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Elkington, Lauren
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:20984 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5879
- Description: Studies of the dunefield systems crossing the Cape St. Francis headland in the Eastern Cape have focused on the role that wind plays in sediment transfer in coastal dunefield systems, with limited consideration of the role of water. The aim of this study was to improve understanding of the morphology, processes and patterns within the Oyster Bay HBD system, focussing particularly on surface water and groundwater interactions and the role of surface water in sediment transfer across the dunefield system. An extensive field survey was conducted, to collect related data, complimented by spatial and temporal analysis of the study area using GIS. The key findings from this research were the apparent differences between the western and eastern regions of the dunefield with regard to specific drivers and the respective processes and responses. Wind is the major driver of change up to and across the crest of the dunefield. In the eastern region water (ground water, surface water and the Sand River System) is the primary agent of sediment flux through processes of aggregation and slumping as well as episodic events including debris flows. This study has highlighted a need for further quantitative studies that investigate the movement of sediment through dunefield systems such as this (where water is at or near the land surface). The paradigm that sediment flux is entirely due to wind is almost certainly simplistic, and deeper understanding of these systems is needed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
On active layer processes and landforms in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
- Authors: Scott, David Alan
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Landforms -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Permafrost -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Permafrost -- Thermal properties -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Climatic changes -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Cryosphere , Drone aircraft -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , 3-D modeling
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4893 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019757
- Description: Permafrost is a variable in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, and the role it plays in the cryosphere is not well understood. There is much still to be learnt about the thermal state, physical properties, thickness and age of permafrost in Western Dronning Maud Land (WDML). Active layer dynamics and observed change over time have the potential to improve our knowledge of climate change. Understanding the effects of a warming climate on permafrost can also be of benefit to infrastructure, especially in areas with a large amount of frozen ground such as Scandinavia, Canada and Russia. Active layer and permafrost dynamics of WDML, Antarctica, are presented and discussed using data from six study sites, namely the Robertskollen, Vesleskarvet, Flarjuven, Grunehogna, Slettjfell nunataks and the Troll research station in the Jutulsessen area. Ground and ambient air temperature, as well as ground moisture data were collected for each site. An inventory of active layer and permafrost landforms was compiled, as were the frequency of cycles over the zero-degree isotherm, and the depth of the active layer. Furthermore, 3D models, geo-referenced maps and Digital Elevation Models were created of study areas with the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Polygonal features are the most common landscape feature and are common to most of the study sites. Robertskollen has the deepest active layer at over 66cm and Slettfjell the shallowest at 9cm. A maximum recorded air temperature of 8.76°C (10/11/2014) occurred at Troll with the second highest maximum of 6.77°C (22/12/2010) recorded at Vesleskarvet. Robertskollen has the highest observable biological growth and a maximum recorded ground temperature of 22.84°C (10/01/2014). Troll and Valterkulten, registered the second and third highest ground temperatures respectively. The high ground Temperature observed for Robertskollen may be ascribed to it being the lowest altitude site. The highest number of cycles over the zero-degree isotherm was observed at Troll (11.01%), followed by Robertskollen (10.99%). For relatively warm areas, such as Robertskollen it is recommended that two metre borehole loggers are installed in order to capture a detailed understanding of the active layer. The UAV proved to be a beneficial tool for capturing aerial photographs for post fieldwork analysis and 3D modelling.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Scott, David Alan
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Landforms -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Permafrost -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Permafrost -- Thermal properties -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Climatic changes -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Cryosphere , Drone aircraft -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , 3-D modeling
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4893 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019757
- Description: Permafrost is a variable in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, and the role it plays in the cryosphere is not well understood. There is much still to be learnt about the thermal state, physical properties, thickness and age of permafrost in Western Dronning Maud Land (WDML). Active layer dynamics and observed change over time have the potential to improve our knowledge of climate change. Understanding the effects of a warming climate on permafrost can also be of benefit to infrastructure, especially in areas with a large amount of frozen ground such as Scandinavia, Canada and Russia. Active layer and permafrost dynamics of WDML, Antarctica, are presented and discussed using data from six study sites, namely the Robertskollen, Vesleskarvet, Flarjuven, Grunehogna, Slettjfell nunataks and the Troll research station in the Jutulsessen area. Ground and ambient air temperature, as well as ground moisture data were collected for each site. An inventory of active layer and permafrost landforms was compiled, as were the frequency of cycles over the zero-degree isotherm, and the depth of the active layer. Furthermore, 3D models, geo-referenced maps and Digital Elevation Models were created of study areas with the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Polygonal features are the most common landscape feature and are common to most of the study sites. Robertskollen has the deepest active layer at over 66cm and Slettfjell the shallowest at 9cm. A maximum recorded air temperature of 8.76°C (10/11/2014) occurred at Troll with the second highest maximum of 6.77°C (22/12/2010) recorded at Vesleskarvet. Robertskollen has the highest observable biological growth and a maximum recorded ground temperature of 22.84°C (10/01/2014). Troll and Valterkulten, registered the second and third highest ground temperatures respectively. The high ground Temperature observed for Robertskollen may be ascribed to it being the lowest altitude site. The highest number of cycles over the zero-degree isotherm was observed at Troll (11.01%), followed by Robertskollen (10.99%). For relatively warm areas, such as Robertskollen it is recommended that two metre borehole loggers are installed in order to capture a detailed understanding of the active layer. The UAV proved to be a beneficial tool for capturing aerial photographs for post fieldwork analysis and 3D modelling.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
On high-altitude and high- latitude frost environments
- Authors: Hansen, Christel Dorothee
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Frost -- Drakensberg Mountains , Frost -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Frost -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Climatic geomorphology -- Southern Hemisphere , Permafrost -- Southern Hemisphere , Periglacial processes -- Southern Hemisphere , Frost environments -- Southern Hemisphere
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62383 , vital:28169
- Description: Frost environments occur throughout the world, with associated processes occurring across climatic zones. Climatic geomorphology proposes that climatic zones, largely derived from annual average air temperature and precipitation values, have specific landforms and processes active within that zone. This study offers unique insights into the frost environments of three locations in the Southern Hemisphere, namely the Eastern Cape Drakensberg of South Africa, sub-Antarctic Marion Island, and Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica. The Drakensberg ranges from temperate to alpine, Marion Island is hyper-maritime, and Dronning Maud Land a polar desert. Drivers and forcings on the ground frost regime are identified, as are future climatic scenarios. Altitude and latitude were identified as the most important locational drivers, while air temperature showed highest correlation with freezing events. The initiation of a freeze event correlated strongly with maximum ground temperatures. Vegetation cover was found to ameliorate frost cycles, thereby increasing ground temperatures. Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica is characterised by annual frost (permafrost), with limited seasonal thaw in summer. Thawing cycles reflected the depth of the active layer, which ranged from just under 60 cm for Robertskollen (at lowest altitude) to less than 15 cm on Slettfjell (at greatest altitude). Marion Island had the most active frost environment, exhibiting both seasonal frost, and ubiquitous shallow diurnal frost cycles. The Drakensberg were largely frost-free, with limited seasonal frost and few diurnal freeze- thaw events. Diurnal frost processes were found to be azonal, and present at all three study locations. Evidence of landforms derived from diurnal frost processes were evident in each zone. Equifinality/convergence of form was present to a degree. The presence of patterned ground, which was not wholly derived from frost processes, suggests a measure of equifinality. Furthermore, openwork block deposits, of which not all are either blockstreams nor blockfields, are not necessarily the result of frost processes. The periglacial environment is poorly defined and methods to delineate this environment, as well as other climatic zones, should include additional parameters. Delineating zones on annual (and limited) monthly averages based on predominantly temperature, is not sufficient. While concepts of climatic geomorphology may be applied in a general sense, this framework is not suited to working at smaller scales. Specifically, periglacial environments should be delineated using ground moisture, as well as air temperature. Furthermore, vegetation and snow cover are important, as are soil textural properties.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Hansen, Christel Dorothee
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Frost -- Drakensberg Mountains , Frost -- Prince Edward Islands -- Marion Island , Frost -- Antarctica -- Queen Maud Land , Climatic geomorphology -- Southern Hemisphere , Permafrost -- Southern Hemisphere , Periglacial processes -- Southern Hemisphere , Frost environments -- Southern Hemisphere
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/62383 , vital:28169
- Description: Frost environments occur throughout the world, with associated processes occurring across climatic zones. Climatic geomorphology proposes that climatic zones, largely derived from annual average air temperature and precipitation values, have specific landforms and processes active within that zone. This study offers unique insights into the frost environments of three locations in the Southern Hemisphere, namely the Eastern Cape Drakensberg of South Africa, sub-Antarctic Marion Island, and Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica. The Drakensberg ranges from temperate to alpine, Marion Island is hyper-maritime, and Dronning Maud Land a polar desert. Drivers and forcings on the ground frost regime are identified, as are future climatic scenarios. Altitude and latitude were identified as the most important locational drivers, while air temperature showed highest correlation with freezing events. The initiation of a freeze event correlated strongly with maximum ground temperatures. Vegetation cover was found to ameliorate frost cycles, thereby increasing ground temperatures. Dronning Maud Land of Antarctica is characterised by annual frost (permafrost), with limited seasonal thaw in summer. Thawing cycles reflected the depth of the active layer, which ranged from just under 60 cm for Robertskollen (at lowest altitude) to less than 15 cm on Slettfjell (at greatest altitude). Marion Island had the most active frost environment, exhibiting both seasonal frost, and ubiquitous shallow diurnal frost cycles. The Drakensberg were largely frost-free, with limited seasonal frost and few diurnal freeze- thaw events. Diurnal frost processes were found to be azonal, and present at all three study locations. Evidence of landforms derived from diurnal frost processes were evident in each zone. Equifinality/convergence of form was present to a degree. The presence of patterned ground, which was not wholly derived from frost processes, suggests a measure of equifinality. Furthermore, openwork block deposits, of which not all are either blockstreams nor blockfields, are not necessarily the result of frost processes. The periglacial environment is poorly defined and methods to delineate this environment, as well as other climatic zones, should include additional parameters. Delineating zones on annual (and limited) monthly averages based on predominantly temperature, is not sufficient. While concepts of climatic geomorphology may be applied in a general sense, this framework is not suited to working at smaller scales. Specifically, periglacial environments should be delineated using ground moisture, as well as air temperature. Furthermore, vegetation and snow cover are important, as are soil textural properties.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Periglacial features in the vicinity of Tiffindell Ski Resort, North East Cape Drakensberg, South Africa, and their implications for the development of the resort
- Authors: Kück, Karen Melody
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Tiffindell Ski Resort (South Africa) , Slopes (Physical geography) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Landforms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Climatic geomorphology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Drakensberg Mountains
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4844 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005520 , Tiffindell Ski Resort (South Africa) , Slopes (Physical geography) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Landforms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Climatic geomorphology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Drakensberg Mountains
- Description: This thesis provides a description of the periglacial environment and features in the vicinity of Tiffindell Ski resort, on the slopes of Ben MacDhui (3001.2m.), the highest point of the East Cape Drakensberg, South Africa. Active and inactive periglacial features were located, mapped and described. Of particular interest were periglaciar slope deposits including gelifluction turf-banked lobes and stone lobes, and cryoturbation features including polygons and thufur. Local environmental factors, such as aspect, moisture, topography, soil texture and depth of freezing, appear to act as important controls on the spatial distribution of the periglacial features. Identification and quantification of periglacial processes in the regolith was investigated using temperature and soil moisture sensors coupled to dataloggers. Research was undertaken over a 16 month period from June 1995 to September 1996 so that comparisons between the winter conditions of 1995 and 1996 could be drawn. The Tiffindell area was observed to be characterised in the winter months by 'diurnal freezethaw days', as well as by 'ice days', 1996 experiencing colder temperatures than 1995. With more than 78% of the days from May to September 1996 being 'ice days', and simultaneously experiencing high soil moisture contents, freezing penetration to a depth of greater than 0.2m was observed to occur in the Tiffindell area, causing frost heave and gelifluction. The summer thaw of ice lenses that developed in the cold winter months caused surface movement downslope of gelifluction lobes of up to 39mm over an 18 month period, although movement declined rapidly with depth and was essentially restricted to the uppermost 130mm of the regolith. Other features such as sorted and non-sorted polygons and thufur were identified and found to be active under the present climatic conditions and depth of frost penetration at Tiffindell. Stone lobes were identified on the south and southeast-facing slopes at Tiffindell, but are apparently inactive under present climatic conditions. Their existence suggests the presence of severe seasonal frost in the past. The implications of the air and ground surface temperatures, and of seasonal frost penetration for the development of Tiffindell Ski resort were considered, and suggestions regarding their economic significance are presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Kück, Karen Melody
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Tiffindell Ski Resort (South Africa) , Slopes (Physical geography) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Landforms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Climatic geomorphology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Drakensberg Mountains
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4844 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005520 , Tiffindell Ski Resort (South Africa) , Slopes (Physical geography) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Landforms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Climatic geomorphology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Drakensberg Mountains
- Description: This thesis provides a description of the periglacial environment and features in the vicinity of Tiffindell Ski resort, on the slopes of Ben MacDhui (3001.2m.), the highest point of the East Cape Drakensberg, South Africa. Active and inactive periglacial features were located, mapped and described. Of particular interest were periglaciar slope deposits including gelifluction turf-banked lobes and stone lobes, and cryoturbation features including polygons and thufur. Local environmental factors, such as aspect, moisture, topography, soil texture and depth of freezing, appear to act as important controls on the spatial distribution of the periglacial features. Identification and quantification of periglacial processes in the regolith was investigated using temperature and soil moisture sensors coupled to dataloggers. Research was undertaken over a 16 month period from June 1995 to September 1996 so that comparisons between the winter conditions of 1995 and 1996 could be drawn. The Tiffindell area was observed to be characterised in the winter months by 'diurnal freezethaw days', as well as by 'ice days', 1996 experiencing colder temperatures than 1995. With more than 78% of the days from May to September 1996 being 'ice days', and simultaneously experiencing high soil moisture contents, freezing penetration to a depth of greater than 0.2m was observed to occur in the Tiffindell area, causing frost heave and gelifluction. The summer thaw of ice lenses that developed in the cold winter months caused surface movement downslope of gelifluction lobes of up to 39mm over an 18 month period, although movement declined rapidly with depth and was essentially restricted to the uppermost 130mm of the regolith. Other features such as sorted and non-sorted polygons and thufur were identified and found to be active under the present climatic conditions and depth of frost penetration at Tiffindell. Stone lobes were identified on the south and southeast-facing slopes at Tiffindell, but are apparently inactive under present climatic conditions. Their existence suggests the presence of severe seasonal frost in the past. The implications of the air and ground surface temperatures, and of seasonal frost penetration for the development of Tiffindell Ski resort were considered, and suggestions regarding their economic significance are presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Periglacial landforms of the Ahlmannryggen and Jutulsessen areas of western Dronning Maud land, Antarctica
- Authors: Wilmot, Nicola Frances
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Periglacial processes Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Geomorphology Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Permafrost Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Freezes (Meteorology) Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Thawing Antarctica Queen Maud Land
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61535 , vital:28034
- Description: Periglacial landforms are a common occurrence in Ahlmannryggen and Jutulsessen areas of western Dronning Maud land (WDML). Classification and formation of these landforms were disputed in literature. In Antarctica information on periglacial landforms is limited or confined to a specific landform. Thus a holistic approach was taken when investigating the periglacial landforms found in WDML. An overview of the existing knowledge base on periglacial landforms in WDML was given which was coupled with the analysis of archival data. The landforms found in this area were patterned ground, openwork block deposits (OBD), rock glaciers, terraces, a pronival rampart and lake ice blisters. With patterned ground being the common periglacial landform in WDML, heave monitoring was used where time-lapse videos were used to investigate the formation processes in patterned ground. From consolidating existing knowledge as well as adding new knowledge on the formation of periglacial landforms, it is clear that the landforms in Antarctica should not be compared to other examples, especially examples from the northern hemisphere. Further research in the formation of periglacial landforms is needed and can be further enhanced with more extensive use of the heave monitoring method in future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Wilmot, Nicola Frances
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Periglacial processes Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Geomorphology Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Permafrost Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Freezes (Meteorology) Antarctica Queen Maud Land , Thawing Antarctica Queen Maud Land
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61535 , vital:28034
- Description: Periglacial landforms are a common occurrence in Ahlmannryggen and Jutulsessen areas of western Dronning Maud land (WDML). Classification and formation of these landforms were disputed in literature. In Antarctica information on periglacial landforms is limited or confined to a specific landform. Thus a holistic approach was taken when investigating the periglacial landforms found in WDML. An overview of the existing knowledge base on periglacial landforms in WDML was given which was coupled with the analysis of archival data. The landforms found in this area were patterned ground, openwork block deposits (OBD), rock glaciers, terraces, a pronival rampart and lake ice blisters. With patterned ground being the common periglacial landform in WDML, heave monitoring was used where time-lapse videos were used to investigate the formation processes in patterned ground. From consolidating existing knowledge as well as adding new knowledge on the formation of periglacial landforms, it is clear that the landforms in Antarctica should not be compared to other examples, especially examples from the northern hemisphere. Further research in the formation of periglacial landforms is needed and can be further enhanced with more extensive use of the heave monitoring method in future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Post-apartheid racial integration in Grahamstown : a time-geographical perspective
- Authors: Irvine, Philippa Margaret
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Race discrimination -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Race relations Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4845 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005521
- Description: This research is situated within the context of the post-apartheid era in South Africa, which includes the dominant ideologies and policies that have shaped the urban landscape of the past and present. It investigates the extent and patterns of integration that exist twenty years after the country’s political transition and it uses Grahamstown, a small education and cultural centre in the Eastern Cape Province, as its case study. The investigation incorporates the traditional geographical focus of residential and educational integration, using conventional means of investigation such as segregation indices, dissimilarity indices, percentages and maps. However, in identifying the broader nature of ‘segregation’ and ‘integration’, the study moves beyond these foci and approaches. It adopts the timegeographical framework to reveal the dynamic use of urban space that reflects the lived space of selected individuals from the community of Grahamstown: the extent and patterns of their behavioural integration or spatial linkages. Together, these approaches reveal that Grahamstown is still a city divided by race and, now, class. Schools and residential areas remain tied to the apartheid divisions of race and the white community exists almost entirely within the bounds of apartheid’s blueprint of urban space. Rhodes University, which is located within Grahamstown, has experienced admirable levels of integration within the student body and within the staff as a whole, but not within the staff’s different levels. In essence, where integration has occurred it has been unidirectional with the black community moving into the spaces and institutions formerly reserved for whites. The limited behavioural integration or spatial linkages are shown to be tied to city structure and, within the white group, to perceptions of ‘otherness’ held by the individuals interviewed. While the study shows limited differences in the time-spatial movements between members of different races who are resident in the former white group area, it highlights the differences between those more permanently resident in the city and the temporary educational migrants or students. The study argues that the slow pace of change is related to the nature of South Africa’s democratic transition and its attending political and economic policies.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Irvine, Philippa Margaret
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Race discrimination -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Race relations Grahamstown (South Africa) -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4845 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005521
- Description: This research is situated within the context of the post-apartheid era in South Africa, which includes the dominant ideologies and policies that have shaped the urban landscape of the past and present. It investigates the extent and patterns of integration that exist twenty years after the country’s political transition and it uses Grahamstown, a small education and cultural centre in the Eastern Cape Province, as its case study. The investigation incorporates the traditional geographical focus of residential and educational integration, using conventional means of investigation such as segregation indices, dissimilarity indices, percentages and maps. However, in identifying the broader nature of ‘segregation’ and ‘integration’, the study moves beyond these foci and approaches. It adopts the timegeographical framework to reveal the dynamic use of urban space that reflects the lived space of selected individuals from the community of Grahamstown: the extent and patterns of their behavioural integration or spatial linkages. Together, these approaches reveal that Grahamstown is still a city divided by race and, now, class. Schools and residential areas remain tied to the apartheid divisions of race and the white community exists almost entirely within the bounds of apartheid’s blueprint of urban space. Rhodes University, which is located within Grahamstown, has experienced admirable levels of integration within the student body and within the staff as a whole, but not within the staff’s different levels. In essence, where integration has occurred it has been unidirectional with the black community moving into the spaces and institutions formerly reserved for whites. The limited behavioural integration or spatial linkages are shown to be tied to city structure and, within the white group, to perceptions of ‘otherness’ held by the individuals interviewed. While the study shows limited differences in the time-spatial movements between members of different races who are resident in the former white group area, it highlights the differences between those more permanently resident in the city and the temporary educational migrants or students. The study argues that the slow pace of change is related to the nature of South Africa’s democratic transition and its attending political and economic policies.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Regional and local economic development strategies in the Eastern Cape and guidelines for future development
- Nel, E L
- Authors: Nel, E L
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Case studies Community development Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4848 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005524
- Description: Local Economic Development (LED) is an applied economic development strategy which seeks to address site-specific needs through locally appropriate solutions. In this thesis, the faith being accorded to the potential of LED in South Africa is critically examined. The study is based on a detailed examination of the experience of regional development and several emerging cases of LED in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. High levels of poverty and unemployment necessitate and justify innovative approaches to address such problems. The thesis examines the potential of LED strategies and identifies applied policy guidelines which can help address the Province's development needs. The theoretical framework of this research is based on a critical examination of international and South African literature dealing with development issues, LED and localities theory. A detailed documentary examination of early LED endeavours and the experience of regional development in the present century was undertaken. Results suggest that LED is not a new concept and that regional development, through its political bias, achieved only limited success. Contemporary examples of LED were identified and examined through detailed site-specific investigations. This was carried out through the use of semistructured interviews supplemented by participatory rural appraisal and questionnaire surveys which served as a means to triangulate the results. The research findings indicate that regional development, as applied in the study area, did not lead to the establishment of a permanent industrial base. In terms of the concept of LED, it is apparent that it has allowed for socio-political empowerment but has only improved economic conditions in the more well-endowed case-studies. In these areas, positive antecedent conditions and the key role played by community supportive nongovernmental organizations is apparent. Despite the limited degree of success which many initiatives attain, the thesis regards LED as a development alternative for areas which are unlikely to draw in external investment. Some of the key contributions of the thesis include the advancement of a refined typology of LED, the development of a research schedule to investigate and assess LED initiatives and the postulation of appropriate development guidelines and theoretical constructs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Nel, E L
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Case studies Community development Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4848 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005524
- Description: Local Economic Development (LED) is an applied economic development strategy which seeks to address site-specific needs through locally appropriate solutions. In this thesis, the faith being accorded to the potential of LED in South Africa is critically examined. The study is based on a detailed examination of the experience of regional development and several emerging cases of LED in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. High levels of poverty and unemployment necessitate and justify innovative approaches to address such problems. The thesis examines the potential of LED strategies and identifies applied policy guidelines which can help address the Province's development needs. The theoretical framework of this research is based on a critical examination of international and South African literature dealing with development issues, LED and localities theory. A detailed documentary examination of early LED endeavours and the experience of regional development in the present century was undertaken. Results suggest that LED is not a new concept and that regional development, through its political bias, achieved only limited success. Contemporary examples of LED were identified and examined through detailed site-specific investigations. This was carried out through the use of semistructured interviews supplemented by participatory rural appraisal and questionnaire surveys which served as a means to triangulate the results. The research findings indicate that regional development, as applied in the study area, did not lead to the establishment of a permanent industrial base. In terms of the concept of LED, it is apparent that it has allowed for socio-political empowerment but has only improved economic conditions in the more well-endowed case-studies. In these areas, positive antecedent conditions and the key role played by community supportive nongovernmental organizations is apparent. Despite the limited degree of success which many initiatives attain, the thesis regards LED as a development alternative for areas which are unlikely to draw in external investment. Some of the key contributions of the thesis include the advancement of a refined typology of LED, the development of a research schedule to investigate and assess LED initiatives and the postulation of appropriate development guidelines and theoretical constructs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Rivers as borders, dividing or uniting? : the effect of topography and implications for catchment management in South Africa
- Authors: Smedley, David Alan
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Rivers -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- Orange River Watershed , Watershed management -- South Africa , Watershed management -- Orange River Watershed , South Africa -- Boundaries , Water-supply -- Management -- Citizen participation , Water-supply -- Government policy -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4851 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005527 , Rivers -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- Orange River Watershed , Watershed management -- South Africa , Watershed management -- Orange River Watershed , South Africa -- Boundaries , Water-supply -- Management -- Citizen participation , Water-supply -- Government policy -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Description: South Africa's water resources are unequally distributed over space and time to a high degree and our already stressed water resources situation will only be exacerbated by climate change if current predictions are correct. The potential for conflict over increasingly strained water resources in South Africa is thus very real. In order to deal with these complex problems national legislation is demanding that water resource management be decentralized to the local level where active participation can take place in an integrated manner in accordance with the principles of IWRM. However, administrative and political boundaries rarely match those of catchments as, throughout South Africa, rivers have been employed extensively to delineate administrative and political boundaries at a number of spatial scales. The aim of this research is to determine if rivers act as dividing or uniting features in a socio-political landscape and whether topography will influence their role in this context. By considering sections of the Orange-Senqu River, some of which are employed as political or administrative boundaries, this project furthermore aims to consider the implications of this for catchment management in South Africa. South Africa's proposed form of decentralized water management will have to contend with the effects of different topographies on the way in which rivers are perceived and utilized. The ability of a river to act as a dividing or uniting feature is dependent on a number of interrelated factors, the effects of which are either reduced or enhanced by the topography surrounding the river. Factors such as the state of the resource, levels of utilization, local histories and the employment of the river as a political or administrative border are all factors that determine the extent to which a river unites or divides the communities along its banks, and are all influenced by topography. The implications of this for the management of catchments in South Africa are significant. Local water management institutions will have to contend with a mismatch in borders and in many cases bridge social divides that are deeply entrenched along the banks of rivers. Importantly, the need for a context specific approach to catchment management is highlighted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Smedley, David Alan
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Rivers -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- Orange River Watershed , Watershed management -- South Africa , Watershed management -- Orange River Watershed , South Africa -- Boundaries , Water-supply -- Management -- Citizen participation , Water-supply -- Government policy -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4851 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005527 , Rivers -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management -- Orange River Watershed , Watershed management -- South Africa , Watershed management -- Orange River Watershed , South Africa -- Boundaries , Water-supply -- Management -- Citizen participation , Water-supply -- Government policy -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Description: South Africa's water resources are unequally distributed over space and time to a high degree and our already stressed water resources situation will only be exacerbated by climate change if current predictions are correct. The potential for conflict over increasingly strained water resources in South Africa is thus very real. In order to deal with these complex problems national legislation is demanding that water resource management be decentralized to the local level where active participation can take place in an integrated manner in accordance with the principles of IWRM. However, administrative and political boundaries rarely match those of catchments as, throughout South Africa, rivers have been employed extensively to delineate administrative and political boundaries at a number of spatial scales. The aim of this research is to determine if rivers act as dividing or uniting features in a socio-political landscape and whether topography will influence their role in this context. By considering sections of the Orange-Senqu River, some of which are employed as political or administrative boundaries, this project furthermore aims to consider the implications of this for catchment management in South Africa. South Africa's proposed form of decentralized water management will have to contend with the effects of different topographies on the way in which rivers are perceived and utilized. The ability of a river to act as a dividing or uniting feature is dependent on a number of interrelated factors, the effects of which are either reduced or enhanced by the topography surrounding the river. Factors such as the state of the resource, levels of utilization, local histories and the employment of the river as a political or administrative border are all factors that determine the extent to which a river unites or divides the communities along its banks, and are all influenced by topography. The implications of this for the management of catchments in South Africa are significant. Local water management institutions will have to contend with a mismatch in borders and in many cases bridge social divides that are deeply entrenched along the banks of rivers. Importantly, the need for a context specific approach to catchment management is highlighted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Sediment connectivity in the upper Thina Catchment, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Van der Waal, Benjamin Cornelis Wentsel
- Authors: Van der Waal, Benjamin Cornelis Wentsel
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sedimentation and deposition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Watersheds -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Arroyos -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sediment transport -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4892 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019754
- Description: [Portion of abstract]: Sediment dynamics are influenced by transformed landscape connectivity in catchments worldwide. The upper Thina catchment, an important high rainfall resource in the northern Eastern Cape, South Africa, is an example of where ongoing subsistence farming on communal land has led to overgrazing and trampling that has initiated large erosive features (e.g. gullies) and river incision. The formation of gullies led to increased hillslope-channel connectivity and the resultant river incision decreased the channel-valley fill connectivity. These two changes in connectivity led to increased sediment export from the catchment that has various down-stream ecological and socio-economic impacts. This study investigates how the change in hillslope-channel and channel-valley fill connectivity has altered the sediment dynamics in the Vuvu catchment, a headwater tributary of the Thina River. A combination of methods were used to assess the changes in hillslope-channel and channel-valley fill connectivity. High resolution aerial images were used to map source features, such as fields, gullies, sheet erosion, landslides, roads and livestock tracks. Topographic and geological characteristics of the source features were extracted using a Geographic Information System. Furthermore, hillslope-channel pathways, such as the natural drainage network, continuous gullies, discontinuous gullies, roads and livestock tracks were mapped and analysed in terms of topographic and geological characteristics. Historic aerial images were assessed to calculate the date the larger gullies began forming. Recent aerial photos and cross sectional surveys of the valley fill were combined to map the various sediment sinks. Particle size and organic content were analysed for flood bench cores and terrace samples. The chronology of the flood benches was determined using unsupported Pb-210 and Cs-137 dating, and determined for the terraces using Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating. Quantitative and qualitative sediment tracing approaches, using mineral magnetic properties, were used to trace the origin of suspended sediment (collected during flood events), sediment stored in the flood benches and sediment stored in the terraces. Hydrological monitoring was used to assess the potential to store sediment on flood benches along the valley fill through flood bench inundation frequency. Hydrological and hydraulic modelling extended the measured inundation frequencies to a 73 year period and other cross sections along the valley fill. Furthermore, a future scenario of an increased vegetation cover and reduced hillslope-channel connectivity was assessed in terms of channel-valley fill inundation frequency.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Van der Waal, Benjamin Cornelis Wentsel
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sedimentation and deposition -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Watersheds -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Arroyos -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Sediment transport -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Soil conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4892 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019754
- Description: [Portion of abstract]: Sediment dynamics are influenced by transformed landscape connectivity in catchments worldwide. The upper Thina catchment, an important high rainfall resource in the northern Eastern Cape, South Africa, is an example of where ongoing subsistence farming on communal land has led to overgrazing and trampling that has initiated large erosive features (e.g. gullies) and river incision. The formation of gullies led to increased hillslope-channel connectivity and the resultant river incision decreased the channel-valley fill connectivity. These two changes in connectivity led to increased sediment export from the catchment that has various down-stream ecological and socio-economic impacts. This study investigates how the change in hillslope-channel and channel-valley fill connectivity has altered the sediment dynamics in the Vuvu catchment, a headwater tributary of the Thina River. A combination of methods were used to assess the changes in hillslope-channel and channel-valley fill connectivity. High resolution aerial images were used to map source features, such as fields, gullies, sheet erosion, landslides, roads and livestock tracks. Topographic and geological characteristics of the source features were extracted using a Geographic Information System. Furthermore, hillslope-channel pathways, such as the natural drainage network, continuous gullies, discontinuous gullies, roads and livestock tracks were mapped and analysed in terms of topographic and geological characteristics. Historic aerial images were assessed to calculate the date the larger gullies began forming. Recent aerial photos and cross sectional surveys of the valley fill were combined to map the various sediment sinks. Particle size and organic content were analysed for flood bench cores and terrace samples. The chronology of the flood benches was determined using unsupported Pb-210 and Cs-137 dating, and determined for the terraces using Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating. Quantitative and qualitative sediment tracing approaches, using mineral magnetic properties, were used to trace the origin of suspended sediment (collected during flood events), sediment stored in the flood benches and sediment stored in the terraces. Hydrological monitoring was used to assess the potential to store sediment on flood benches along the valley fill through flood bench inundation frequency. Hydrological and hydraulic modelling extended the measured inundation frequencies to a 73 year period and other cross sections along the valley fill. Furthermore, a future scenario of an increased vegetation cover and reduced hillslope-channel connectivity was assessed in terms of channel-valley fill inundation frequency.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Sediment linkages in a small catchment in the Mount Fletcher southern Drakensberg region, South Africa
- Authors: Mzobe, Pearl Nonjabulo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil conservation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil degradation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Food security -- South Africa , Wetland management -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Watersheds -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:4879 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013224
- Description: Soil erosion is a persistent problem that requires continued control efforts as agricultural land loses productivity and communities dependent on the land become increasingly vulnerable to decreased food security. The negative effects of soil erosion in Khamopele River catchment, in the Mount Fletcher southern Drakensberg region of South Africa, are manifest in extensive gullying and wetland loss. Soil erosion has resulted in siltation in a recently constructed dam and the alteration of aquatic habitats. This research was undertaken to identify the sources of eroded sediment in the small upper catchments of the Mzimvubu River catchment to inform broader catchment management strategies. The scale of erosion was quantified using field surveys of gully extent and form. Environmental magnetic tracing techniques were used to determine the sources of eroded sediment in Khamopele River and upper Tina River catchments. The radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was used to determine soil loss over a 55 year period in Khamopele River catchment. The Landscape Connectivity framework was used to describe the sediment source, pathway and sink interactions at sample area level. Results indicated that historical and contemporary land management practices such as uncontrolled grazing, grassland burning and furrows promoted soil erosion in the catchment. Soil erosion was most pronounced in the Taung sample area where there was extensive gullying, tunnelling and subsurface erosion. Environmental magnetic tracing results indicated that there were clear differences in source areas. Despite its prevalence in the area, gully erosion was not shown to be a major source of sediment to downstream sinks. Topsoil and hillslope derived sediment were shown to be mobile in the catchment, suggesting that sheet erosion processes were dominant in the catchment. Radionuclide tracing studies showed that at least 20 cm of soil had been eroded from the Khamopele River catchment surface since 1956. This research has shown that it is possible to distinguish source areas of erosion in the catchment by matching catchment mineral magnetic signatures to those in sink areas. This means that rehabilitation projects can use resources efficiently as the areas needing the most attention can be identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Mzobe, Pearl Nonjabulo
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Soil erosion -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil conservation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Soil degradation -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Food security -- South Africa , Wetland management -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher , Watersheds -- South Africa -- Mount Fletcher
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:4879 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013224
- Description: Soil erosion is a persistent problem that requires continued control efforts as agricultural land loses productivity and communities dependent on the land become increasingly vulnerable to decreased food security. The negative effects of soil erosion in Khamopele River catchment, in the Mount Fletcher southern Drakensberg region of South Africa, are manifest in extensive gullying and wetland loss. Soil erosion has resulted in siltation in a recently constructed dam and the alteration of aquatic habitats. This research was undertaken to identify the sources of eroded sediment in the small upper catchments of the Mzimvubu River catchment to inform broader catchment management strategies. The scale of erosion was quantified using field surveys of gully extent and form. Environmental magnetic tracing techniques were used to determine the sources of eroded sediment in Khamopele River and upper Tina River catchments. The radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was used to determine soil loss over a 55 year period in Khamopele River catchment. The Landscape Connectivity framework was used to describe the sediment source, pathway and sink interactions at sample area level. Results indicated that historical and contemporary land management practices such as uncontrolled grazing, grassland burning and furrows promoted soil erosion in the catchment. Soil erosion was most pronounced in the Taung sample area where there was extensive gullying, tunnelling and subsurface erosion. Environmental magnetic tracing results indicated that there were clear differences in source areas. Despite its prevalence in the area, gully erosion was not shown to be a major source of sediment to downstream sinks. Topsoil and hillslope derived sediment were shown to be mobile in the catchment, suggesting that sheet erosion processes were dominant in the catchment. Radionuclide tracing studies showed that at least 20 cm of soil had been eroded from the Khamopele River catchment surface since 1956. This research has shown that it is possible to distinguish source areas of erosion in the catchment by matching catchment mineral magnetic signatures to those in sink areas. This means that rehabilitation projects can use resources efficiently as the areas needing the most attention can be identified.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Severe convective storm risk in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
- Authors: Pyle, Desmond Mark
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Storms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Natural disasters -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Disasters -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Disaster relief -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management Meteorology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4853 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005529
- Description: This study investigates the temporal, spatial and impact characteristics of severe convective storm hazard and risk in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Using historical data on severe convective storms dating from 1897, patterns of the hazard threat and risk to various geographic populations were investigated. A conceptual framework that emphasises the combined role hazard and vulnerability play in defining risk was used for the study. A methodology for ranking the severity of the storms in the historical dataset, based on recorded damage/impact, was specifically developed for the study. It is intended that this methodology will have a potentially wider application and may be adapted to a range of hazard impact and risk studies in South Africa and internationally. The study was undertaken within the context of the South African Disaster Management Act of 2002. Findings of the study show that severe convective storms can occur throughout the province, but there are clearly demarcated areas of higher frequency and concentration. The impact of storms is particularly severe on impoverished and vulnerable rural populations in the eastern parts of the province, where there is an urgent need for building capacity in disaster risk management. A major outcome of the study is the production of a severe convective storm hazard/risk map of the Eastern Cape, which it is hoped will be of benefit to a number of stakeholders in the province, particularly disaster management, but also the South African Weather Service, agricultural organisations, development/planning authorities, educational authorities and risk insurers. It is hoped that this map and the study in general will assist in guiding the operational responses of the various authorities, especially in terms of those interventions aimed at disaster risk reduction in the Eastern Cape.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Pyle, Desmond Mark
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Storms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Natural disasters -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Disasters -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Disaster relief -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management Meteorology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4853 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005529
- Description: This study investigates the temporal, spatial and impact characteristics of severe convective storm hazard and risk in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Using historical data on severe convective storms dating from 1897, patterns of the hazard threat and risk to various geographic populations were investigated. A conceptual framework that emphasises the combined role hazard and vulnerability play in defining risk was used for the study. A methodology for ranking the severity of the storms in the historical dataset, based on recorded damage/impact, was specifically developed for the study. It is intended that this methodology will have a potentially wider application and may be adapted to a range of hazard impact and risk studies in South Africa and internationally. The study was undertaken within the context of the South African Disaster Management Act of 2002. Findings of the study show that severe convective storms can occur throughout the province, but there are clearly demarcated areas of higher frequency and concentration. The impact of storms is particularly severe on impoverished and vulnerable rural populations in the eastern parts of the province, where there is an urgent need for building capacity in disaster risk management. A major outcome of the study is the production of a severe convective storm hazard/risk map of the Eastern Cape, which it is hoped will be of benefit to a number of stakeholders in the province, particularly disaster management, but also the South African Weather Service, agricultural organisations, development/planning authorities, educational authorities and risk insurers. It is hoped that this map and the study in general will assist in guiding the operational responses of the various authorities, especially in terms of those interventions aimed at disaster risk reduction in the Eastern Cape.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Small town South Africa: the historical geography of selected Eastern Cape towns and current development initiatives within them
- White, Richard Charles Crookes
- Authors: White, Richard Charles Crookes
- Date: 2004 , 2013-06-03
- Subjects: Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Population -- Statistics , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- History , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:4805 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003288 , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Population -- Statistics , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- History , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions
- Description: Small towns can be seen as the fundamental building blocks of tbe urban system. Through time, some of these towns have lost the primary reason for their existence. Some towns that have been declining or stagnating include old mining and industrial towns, such as Indwe in the Eastern Cape or Welkom in the Free State. Some towns have also changed the main focus of tbeir economy, for example, from that of mining to that of tourism, as in the case of Utrecht in Kwa-Zulu Natal (Nel, 2002). In light of the above, this thesis seeks to critically evaluate what has happened in selected small towns in the Eastern Cape. The research investigated a number of towns in the Eastern Cape, looking at the history and influence of colonisation, population dynamics, education levels, employment opportunities, migration and the influence of capitalism on the economic and social structure of the town, as well as tbe evolution of its economy. The research sample consisted of interviews witb local historians, community leaders, development agencies and individuals who were benefiting from tbe various development initiatives/project in the towns. These interviews, in conjunction with the literature identified, were conducted in the selected small towns, assessing whether development was succeeding and, in conclusion, identifying witb reference to the study sites, what was learnt. The research process generated a number of lessons that need to be taken into consideration when attempting social and economic upliftment in small towns. These include: the need for leadership, support from the local population and the need for financial assistance to support and uplift the community. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: White, Richard Charles Crookes
- Date: 2004 , 2013-06-03
- Subjects: Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Population -- Statistics , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- History , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:4805 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003288 , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Growth , Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Population -- Statistics , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- History , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions
- Description: Small towns can be seen as the fundamental building blocks of tbe urban system. Through time, some of these towns have lost the primary reason for their existence. Some towns that have been declining or stagnating include old mining and industrial towns, such as Indwe in the Eastern Cape or Welkom in the Free State. Some towns have also changed the main focus of tbeir economy, for example, from that of mining to that of tourism, as in the case of Utrecht in Kwa-Zulu Natal (Nel, 2002). In light of the above, this thesis seeks to critically evaluate what has happened in selected small towns in the Eastern Cape. The research investigated a number of towns in the Eastern Cape, looking at the history and influence of colonisation, population dynamics, education levels, employment opportunities, migration and the influence of capitalism on the economic and social structure of the town, as well as tbe evolution of its economy. The research sample consisted of interviews witb local historians, community leaders, development agencies and individuals who were benefiting from tbe various development initiatives/project in the towns. These interviews, in conjunction with the literature identified, were conducted in the selected small towns, assessing whether development was succeeding and, in conclusion, identifying witb reference to the study sites, what was learnt. The research process generated a number of lessons that need to be taken into consideration when attempting social and economic upliftment in small towns. These include: the need for leadership, support from the local population and the need for financial assistance to support and uplift the community. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Spatial analysis of the impact of human activities on the marine environment in Algoa Bay, South Africa
- Authors: Maphoto, Tidimalo Mary Anne
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Marine resources conservation Algoa Bay South Africa , Spatial analysis (Statistics) , Human ecology , Nature Effect of human beings on , Marine ecology Algoa Bay South Africa , Integrated coastal zone management Algoa Bay South Africa , Marine spatial planning Algoa Bay South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192086 , vital:45194
- Description: Background: Humans have a long history of using the marine environment in multiple ways and continued use has led to a decline in the ecosystem services provided by marine systems in many places. In addition, human activities have steadily increased with time and advances in technology, further increasing impacts on marine systems. To understand and manage these impacts, we need to assess the spatial distribution and intensity of human activities in the marine environment, and quantify, where possible, their cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems. The spatial consideration of human activities and their associated impacts is important for conservation planning, Integrated Ocean Management and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiatives. The main deliverable of this research study was to develop a cumulative impacts layer of human activities in Algoa Bay, South Africa, to support the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Planning Project. Objective and Relevance: This research analyses the spatial impacts of human activities on the Algoa Bay marine environment (excluding the seashore). Algoa Bay is located on the south coast of South Africa in the Eastern Cape. The research explores stakeholders' perceptions of their knowledge of the human activities that take place in the bay. This research is informed by an expert-based geographical information systems (GIS) approach and cumulative impact assessment in order to map the spatial impacts of the activities as part of marine spatial planning. "Experts" were defined as stakeholders that contributed valuable knowledge of the human activities and their impacts; this definition of expert included "professional" and "non-professional" contributors to knowledge. The spatial aspect of the research is a significant contribution to the field as it will help inform decision-making in the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Planning Project. Design and Methods: A mixed-method approach was used to generate data. A snowball sampling approach was used to identify research participants from key informants. Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys, interviews and a focus group. Secondary data sources consisted of GIS data and reports from scientific organizations. Findings and Conclusion: The research findings indicate that the top three pressures that cause the greatest impact on the Algoa Bay marine environment are fishing, pollution and shipping. The cumulative impact of these activities was highest near harbours in Algoa Bay. The marine ecosystems that were most impacted by pressures were the Agulhas Island and the Agulhas Mixed Shore. The Warm Temperate marine ecosystems had fairly low cumulative impacts. The research findings indicate that there is a complex mix of human activities that impact the marine environment. This research supports the findings of other researchers that reveal that the highest cumulative impact is in areas closer to the coast and harbours owing to high population densities. Value of Study: This study builds onto the existing data by expanding the knowledge base and including more stakeholders to integrate as many human activities as possible and bring a holistic picture of the ocean's uses to inform MSP in Algoa Bay. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Geography, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
- Authors: Maphoto, Tidimalo Mary Anne
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Marine resources conservation Algoa Bay South Africa , Spatial analysis (Statistics) , Human ecology , Nature Effect of human beings on , Marine ecology Algoa Bay South Africa , Integrated coastal zone management Algoa Bay South Africa , Marine spatial planning Algoa Bay South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/192086 , vital:45194
- Description: Background: Humans have a long history of using the marine environment in multiple ways and continued use has led to a decline in the ecosystem services provided by marine systems in many places. In addition, human activities have steadily increased with time and advances in technology, further increasing impacts on marine systems. To understand and manage these impacts, we need to assess the spatial distribution and intensity of human activities in the marine environment, and quantify, where possible, their cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems. The spatial consideration of human activities and their associated impacts is important for conservation planning, Integrated Ocean Management and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiatives. The main deliverable of this research study was to develop a cumulative impacts layer of human activities in Algoa Bay, South Africa, to support the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Planning Project. Objective and Relevance: This research analyses the spatial impacts of human activities on the Algoa Bay marine environment (excluding the seashore). Algoa Bay is located on the south coast of South Africa in the Eastern Cape. The research explores stakeholders' perceptions of their knowledge of the human activities that take place in the bay. This research is informed by an expert-based geographical information systems (GIS) approach and cumulative impact assessment in order to map the spatial impacts of the activities as part of marine spatial planning. "Experts" were defined as stakeholders that contributed valuable knowledge of the human activities and their impacts; this definition of expert included "professional" and "non-professional" contributors to knowledge. The spatial aspect of the research is a significant contribution to the field as it will help inform decision-making in the Algoa Bay Marine Spatial Planning Project. Design and Methods: A mixed-method approach was used to generate data. A snowball sampling approach was used to identify research participants from key informants. Primary data were collected through questionnaire surveys, interviews and a focus group. Secondary data sources consisted of GIS data and reports from scientific organizations. Findings and Conclusion: The research findings indicate that the top three pressures that cause the greatest impact on the Algoa Bay marine environment are fishing, pollution and shipping. The cumulative impact of these activities was highest near harbours in Algoa Bay. The marine ecosystems that were most impacted by pressures were the Agulhas Island and the Agulhas Mixed Shore. The Warm Temperate marine ecosystems had fairly low cumulative impacts. The research findings indicate that there is a complex mix of human activities that impact the marine environment. This research supports the findings of other researchers that reveal that the highest cumulative impact is in areas closer to the coast and harbours owing to high population densities. Value of Study: This study builds onto the existing data by expanding the knowledge base and including more stakeholders to integrate as many human activities as possible and bring a holistic picture of the ocean's uses to inform MSP in Algoa Bay. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Geography, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Spatial autocorrelation and the analysis of patterns resulting from crime occurrence
- Authors: Ward, Gary J
- Date: 1978
- Subjects: Geography -- Statistical methods , Correlation (Statistics) , Spatial analysis (Statistics) , Criminal statistics -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4864 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007244
- Description: From Introduction: In geography during the 1950's there was a definite move away from the study of unique phenomena to the study of generalized phenomena or pattern (Mather and Openshaw, 1974). At the same time interrelationships between phenomena distributed in space and time became the topic of much interest among geographers, as well as members of other disciplines. The changing emphasis initiated acceptance of certain scientific principles (Cole, 1973), and mathematical techniques became the recognized and respected means through which objective analysis of pattern, structure, and interrelationships between a really distributed phenomena could be achieved (Ackerman, 1972; Burton, 1972; Gould, 1973). Geographers, as do members of other disciplines, frequently borrow mathematical techniques developed for problems encountered in the pure sciences and apply these techniques to what are felt to be analogous situations in geography.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1978
- Authors: Ward, Gary J
- Date: 1978
- Subjects: Geography -- Statistical methods , Correlation (Statistics) , Spatial analysis (Statistics) , Criminal statistics -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:4864 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007244
- Description: From Introduction: In geography during the 1950's there was a definite move away from the study of unique phenomena to the study of generalized phenomena or pattern (Mather and Openshaw, 1974). At the same time interrelationships between phenomena distributed in space and time became the topic of much interest among geographers, as well as members of other disciplines. The changing emphasis initiated acceptance of certain scientific principles (Cole, 1973), and mathematical techniques became the recognized and respected means through which objective analysis of pattern, structure, and interrelationships between a really distributed phenomena could be achieved (Ackerman, 1972; Burton, 1972; Gould, 1973). Geographers, as do members of other disciplines, frequently borrow mathematical techniques developed for problems encountered in the pure sciences and apply these techniques to what are felt to be analogous situations in geography.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1978