The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety nets: a review of evidence from South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007061
- Description: We review and synthesize recent South African work that examines the role and importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the daily lives of rural people in South Africa. The most commonly used such products are wild spinaches, fuelwood, wooden utensils edible fruits, grass hand-brushes, and twig hand-brushes, used by 85% or more of households. More than half the households investigated also make use of edible insects, wood for construction, bushmeat, wild honey and reeds for weaving. Individual households may exploit dozens of animal and plant species. The range in annual, direct-use values is large, from less than R1000 per household per year to over R12 000. The value to rural households is manifest through a daily net function which represents a cost saving to the families involved and to the state, as well as through an emergency net, which serves as an insurance in times of misfortune, such as drought, disease, and unexpected economic hardship. The emergency net function has hardly been quantified in South Africa and internationally. Ad hoc trade in NTFPs is a common emergency net, which in some instances evolves into a permanent way of life. Financial returns from trade are variable, depending on resource type and hours worked, but are typically low. Despite the small cash incomes from trade, they provide an important contribution that complement the diverse livelihood strategies within a household, especially for the poorer sectors of rural society. Moreover, there are non-financial benefits of NTFP trade that are commonly overlooked.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007061
- Description: We review and synthesize recent South African work that examines the role and importance of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the daily lives of rural people in South Africa. The most commonly used such products are wild spinaches, fuelwood, wooden utensils edible fruits, grass hand-brushes, and twig hand-brushes, used by 85% or more of households. More than half the households investigated also make use of edible insects, wood for construction, bushmeat, wild honey and reeds for weaving. Individual households may exploit dozens of animal and plant species. The range in annual, direct-use values is large, from less than R1000 per household per year to over R12 000. The value to rural households is manifest through a daily net function which represents a cost saving to the families involved and to the state, as well as through an emergency net, which serves as an insurance in times of misfortune, such as drought, disease, and unexpected economic hardship. The emergency net function has hardly been quantified in South Africa and internationally. Ad hoc trade in NTFPs is a common emergency net, which in some instances evolves into a permanent way of life. Financial returns from trade are variable, depending on resource type and hours worked, but are typically low. Despite the small cash incomes from trade, they provide an important contribution that complement the diverse livelihood strategies within a household, especially for the poorer sectors of rural society. Moreover, there are non-financial benefits of NTFP trade that are commonly overlooked.
- Full Text:
The use of and trade in indigenous edible fruits in the Bushbuckridge savanna region, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Dzerefos, C M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Mathabela, F R
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Dzerefos, C M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Mathabela, F R
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182396 , vital:43826 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2000.9991616"
- Description: The use, processing, cultivation and trading of indigenous edible fruits was recorded across a rainfall gradient in the Mpumalanga lowveld. Three transects, each consisting of one village in a relatively high rainfall zone, one village in a low rainfall zone, and one intermediate, were sampled by means of 20 households per village. Nearly all households made use of indigenous edible fruits to some extent, with households in the wettest region using the greatest diversity of fruits. The duration of availability of selected species was increased through drying, storing and processing the raw fruits for later consumption. Such activities were more common in the drier regions relative to the wetter villages. Just less than half the respondents maintained indigenous fruit trees within their homestead or arable fields, whereas more than 65% grew exotic commercial fruit species. Many respondents traded in edible fruits, but very few obtained a significant income in this way. Nonetheless, even casual trading provided vital supplementary income for low‐income households.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Dzerefos, C M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Mathabela, F R
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182396 , vital:43826 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2000.9991616"
- Description: The use, processing, cultivation and trading of indigenous edible fruits was recorded across a rainfall gradient in the Mpumalanga lowveld. Three transects, each consisting of one village in a relatively high rainfall zone, one village in a low rainfall zone, and one intermediate, were sampled by means of 20 households per village. Nearly all households made use of indigenous edible fruits to some extent, with households in the wettest region using the greatest diversity of fruits. The duration of availability of selected species was increased through drying, storing and processing the raw fruits for later consumption. Such activities were more common in the drier regions relative to the wetter villages. Just less than half the respondents maintained indigenous fruit trees within their homestead or arable fields, whereas more than 65% grew exotic commercial fruit species. Many respondents traded in edible fruits, but very few obtained a significant income in this way. Nonetheless, even casual trading provided vital supplementary income for low‐income households.
- Full Text:
The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: The contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Cousins, Ben
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Cousins, Ben
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181651 , vital:43755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350120097441"
- Description: Shackleton, C.M., Shackleton, S.E. and Cousins, B., 2001. The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 18(5), pp.581-604.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Cousins, Ben
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181651 , vital:43755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03768350120097441"
- Description: Shackleton, C.M., Shackleton, S.E. and Cousins, B., 2001. The role of land-based strategies in rural livelihoods: the contribution of arable production, animal husbandry and natural resource harvesting in communal areas in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 18(5), pp.581-604.
- Full Text:
The role and value of savanna non-timber forest products to rural households in the Kat River Valley, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Ntshudu, M, Ntzebeza, J
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ntshudu, M , Ntzebeza, J
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182820 , vital:43882 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20023145773"
- Description: The majority of South Africans reside in rural areas characterized by limited infrastructure and employment opportunities. Many, therefore, make extensive use of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) as part of their daily livelihoods. However, until recently, there were relatively few quantitative studies on resources used, amounts and frequencies. This is especially so for the savanna biome in South Africa, even though it is the largest biome. This paper presents data from a quantitative study of resource use and value in three villages situated in the savannas of the poorest province of South Africa. The results demonstrated widespread use of a wide variety of NTFPs. There were no households that did not make use of at least one NTFP from the surrounding woodlands. The five contributing most to the total gross value per household were fuelwood, wild herbs, wild fruits, bushmeat and honey beer. The mean gross annual direct-use value at the three villages ranged from US$211 to US$324 per household, averaged across user and non-user households. The direct-use value to user households was approximately double this. The net value differed between specific NTFPs because of differential labour input. The net value represented between 39 and 86% of the gross value, with a mean of 63%. However, the use of opportunity costs of labour in such areas requires examination.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ntshudu, M , Ntzebeza, J
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182820 , vital:43882 , xlink:href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20023145773"
- Description: The majority of South Africans reside in rural areas characterized by limited infrastructure and employment opportunities. Many, therefore, make extensive use of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) as part of their daily livelihoods. However, until recently, there were relatively few quantitative studies on resources used, amounts and frequencies. This is especially so for the savanna biome in South Africa, even though it is the largest biome. This paper presents data from a quantitative study of resource use and value in three villages situated in the savannas of the poorest province of South Africa. The results demonstrated widespread use of a wide variety of NTFPs. There were no households that did not make use of at least one NTFP from the surrounding woodlands. The five contributing most to the total gross value per household were fuelwood, wild herbs, wild fruits, bushmeat and honey beer. The mean gross annual direct-use value at the three villages ranged from US$211 to US$324 per household, averaged across user and non-user households. The direct-use value to user households was approximately double this. The net value differed between specific NTFPs because of differential labour input. The net value represented between 39 and 86% of the gross value, with a mean of 63%. However, the use of opportunity costs of labour in such areas requires examination.
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Household wealth status and natural resource use in the Kat River valley, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181301 , vital:43717 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.04.011"
- Description: Much work has demonstrated the significant role and value of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the livelihoods of rural people in southern Africa and elsewhere. The findings provide a mean or composite picture, averaged across the sample households within each community. Yet, within any given community, there is significant socio-economic differentiation. It is important to acknowledge such differentiation when considering policy and management interventions to support rural livelihoods and promote sustainable resource use. This paper reports on a study in South Africa, the objective of which was to explore wealth-related differences and similarities in the use and value of NTFPs. Data on NTFP consumption, purchase, and sale were collected from households in three rural villages. Households were divided into three wealth classes and patterns of NTFPs use between the classes examined. There was no difference in the proportions of households in each wealth class using NTFPs, nor the total number of NTFPs used per household. Yet, there was some supporting evidence that poorer households derive greater benefits from NTFPs than do wealthy or intermediate households. One clear difference was that, with increasing wealth, households purchased significantly more NTFPs, and a greater proportion of wealthy households did so. Conversely, a greater proportion of poor households were involved in the sale of one or more NTFPs, and they sold a greater number per household, compared to wealthy and intermediate households. Detailed examination of use and value of four NTFPs (fuelwood, wild fruits, edible herbs, and grass hand brushes) revealed that in all instances, the poorest households used more of the resource per capita than the other wealth classes. This was not the case for comparisons based on the total household as the unit of analysis. Gross annual direct-use value did not differ between the wealth classes for any of the four NTFPs examined, at the household level. But on a per capita basis, a significantly higher gross annual direct-use value was evident within poorer households for fuelwood and edible herbs. The significance of these differences is discussed.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181301 , vital:43717 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.04.011"
- Description: Much work has demonstrated the significant role and value of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the livelihoods of rural people in southern Africa and elsewhere. The findings provide a mean or composite picture, averaged across the sample households within each community. Yet, within any given community, there is significant socio-economic differentiation. It is important to acknowledge such differentiation when considering policy and management interventions to support rural livelihoods and promote sustainable resource use. This paper reports on a study in South Africa, the objective of which was to explore wealth-related differences and similarities in the use and value of NTFPs. Data on NTFP consumption, purchase, and sale were collected from households in three rural villages. Households were divided into three wealth classes and patterns of NTFPs use between the classes examined. There was no difference in the proportions of households in each wealth class using NTFPs, nor the total number of NTFPs used per household. Yet, there was some supporting evidence that poorer households derive greater benefits from NTFPs than do wealthy or intermediate households. One clear difference was that, with increasing wealth, households purchased significantly more NTFPs, and a greater proportion of wealthy households did so. Conversely, a greater proportion of poor households were involved in the sale of one or more NTFPs, and they sold a greater number per household, compared to wealthy and intermediate households. Detailed examination of use and value of four NTFPs (fuelwood, wild fruits, edible herbs, and grass hand brushes) revealed that in all instances, the poorest households used more of the resource per capita than the other wealth classes. This was not the case for comparisons based on the total household as the unit of analysis. Gross annual direct-use value did not differ between the wealth classes for any of the four NTFPs examined, at the household level. But on a per capita basis, a significantly higher gross annual direct-use value was evident within poorer households for fuelwood and edible herbs. The significance of these differences is discussed.
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Positioning non-timber forest products on the development agenda
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Pandey, Ashok K
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Pandey, Ashok K
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180992 , vital:43679 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2013.07.004"
- Description: Non-timber forests products (NTFPs) provide multiple livelihood benefits to local communities and regional and national economies. And yet this knowledge is rarely drawn upon in debates around and design of poverty alleviation or land use policies, strategies and projects. Unless the accumulating wealth of empirical evidence can be translated into policies and approaches at higher levels, and integrated into poverty alleviation programmes, it will have little impact on local and national poverty profiles. In this paper we propose and briefly discuss eight steps to facilitate integration of NTFPs into the development agenda, for the benefit of local communities. These include: (1) proper inventory of NTFP stocks, (2) research on NTFP ecology and sustainable harvest levels, (3) introduction of extension services for NTFPs, (4) inclusion of NTFPs in land management and trade-off decisions, (5) integration of NTFPs into sectoral policies, (6) ensuring NTFP commercialisation is not at the expense of local livelihood needs, (7) promoting security of access and use, and (8) examination of local contextual drivers of unsustainable use. Each is presented along with examples or proposals towards implementation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Pandey, Ashok K
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180992 , vital:43679 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2013.07.004"
- Description: Non-timber forests products (NTFPs) provide multiple livelihood benefits to local communities and regional and national economies. And yet this knowledge is rarely drawn upon in debates around and design of poverty alleviation or land use policies, strategies and projects. Unless the accumulating wealth of empirical evidence can be translated into policies and approaches at higher levels, and integrated into poverty alleviation programmes, it will have little impact on local and national poverty profiles. In this paper we propose and briefly discuss eight steps to facilitate integration of NTFPs into the development agenda, for the benefit of local communities. These include: (1) proper inventory of NTFP stocks, (2) research on NTFP ecology and sustainable harvest levels, (3) introduction of extension services for NTFPs, (4) inclusion of NTFPs in land management and trade-off decisions, (5) integration of NTFPs into sectoral policies, (6) ensuring NTFP commercialisation is not at the expense of local livelihood needs, (7) promoting security of access and use, and (8) examination of local contextual drivers of unsustainable use. Each is presented along with examples or proposals towards implementation.
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The Legacy Effects of Colonial and Apartheid Imprints on Urban Greening in South Africa: Spaces, Species, and Suitability
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Gwedla, Nanamhla
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Gwedla, Nanamhla
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/176296 , vital:42682 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.579813
- Description: Colonialism is a significant legacy across most aspects of urban form, the nature and distribution of public green spaces, and tree species composition in many cities of the Global South. However, the legacy effects of colonialism on urban green infrastructure and the uses thereof have only recently come under scrutiny. Here we collate information from South Africa on urban greening and interpret it through a colonial and apartheid legacy lens in relation to the distribution and types of urban nature found and their resonance with contemporary needs as an African country.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Gwedla, Nanamhla
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/176296 , vital:42682 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.579813
- Description: Colonialism is a significant legacy across most aspects of urban form, the nature and distribution of public green spaces, and tree species composition in many cities of the Global South. However, the legacy effects of colonialism on urban green infrastructure and the uses thereof have only recently come under scrutiny. Here we collate information from South Africa on urban greening and interpret it through a colonial and apartheid legacy lens in relation to the distribution and types of urban nature found and their resonance with contemporary needs as an African country.
- Full Text:
Deactivation of field cultivation in communal areas of South Africa: Patterns, drivers and socio-economic and ecological consequences
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Mograbi, Penelope, Drimie, Scott, Fay, Derick, Hebinck, Paul, Hoffman, Michael T, Maciejewski, Kristine, Twine, Wayne
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Mograbi, Penelope , Drimie, Scott , Fay, Derick , Hebinck, Paul , Hoffman, Michael T , Maciejewski, Kristine , Twine, Wayne
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398210 , vital:69384 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.01.009"
- Description: Smallholder production is a significant contributor to rural livelihoods and rural economies in much of the developing world. Yet, there is evidence of increasing disengagement in some regions, including southern Africa. However, there has been little consideration of the rates and the livelihood, ecological and policy implications of such. In this paper we examine previous studies on rates of deactivation of crop fields by smallholders in the communal areas of South Africa, supported by repeat photo images and case study material. Together these various methods show that it is a widespread phenomenon occurring at variable rates. Over short periods deactivation of crop fields can be balanced through some reactivation or intensification of homegardens. But over longer periods there is a net decline in the area of fields cultivated in many areas, with corresponding increases in the area of fallow land which, through time, may undergo changes towards more natural vegetation. We review the drivers of this deactivation of field cropping, and then contemplate the possible socio-economic and ecological implications at local and national scales. We show that there are numerous and profound implications that require greater understanding and policy responses.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Mograbi, Penelope , Drimie, Scott , Fay, Derick , Hebinck, Paul , Hoffman, Michael T , Maciejewski, Kristine , Twine, Wayne
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398210 , vital:69384 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.01.009"
- Description: Smallholder production is a significant contributor to rural livelihoods and rural economies in much of the developing world. Yet, there is evidence of increasing disengagement in some regions, including southern Africa. However, there has been little consideration of the rates and the livelihood, ecological and policy implications of such. In this paper we examine previous studies on rates of deactivation of crop fields by smallholders in the communal areas of South Africa, supported by repeat photo images and case study material. Together these various methods show that it is a widespread phenomenon occurring at variable rates. Over short periods deactivation of crop fields can be balanced through some reactivation or intensification of homegardens. But over longer periods there is a net decline in the area of fields cultivated in many areas, with corresponding increases in the area of fallow land which, through time, may undergo changes towards more natural vegetation. We review the drivers of this deactivation of field cropping, and then contemplate the possible socio-economic and ecological implications at local and national scales. We show that there are numerous and profound implications that require greater understanding and policy responses.
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Urbanisation reshapes gendered engagement in land-based livelihood activities in mid-sized African towns:
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Drescher, Axel W, Schlesinger, Johannes
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Drescher, Axel W , Schlesinger, Johannes
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/176346 , vital:42686 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.104946
- Description: Most sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing accelerating rates of urban migration, which bring with it many opportunities and challenges for migrating households, urban planners, governments and local and national economies. At the household level urbanisation may drive changes in the allocation of household labour and consequently social and economic relations. Yet how these are manifest in land-based livelihood strategies of arable cropping, livestock husbandry and the collection of wild products in urban settings has rarely been considered. Here we examine the changing participation rates in land-based livelihood activities by male- and female-headed households along the rural–urban continua of six sub-Saharan African secondary towns. To capture the gendered changes in land-based livelihood strategies along the urban–rural continuum, 1156 randomly selected households were sampled along transects radiating out from the urban through the periurban to rural surrounds. Participation in different land-based livelihood strategies was recorded by means of a questionnaire.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Drescher, Axel W , Schlesinger, Johannes
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/176346 , vital:42686 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.104946
- Description: Most sub-Saharan African countries are experiencing accelerating rates of urban migration, which bring with it many opportunities and challenges for migrating households, urban planners, governments and local and national economies. At the household level urbanisation may drive changes in the allocation of household labour and consequently social and economic relations. Yet how these are manifest in land-based livelihood strategies of arable cropping, livestock husbandry and the collection of wild products in urban settings has rarely been considered. Here we examine the changing participation rates in land-based livelihood activities by male- and female-headed households along the rural–urban continua of six sub-Saharan African secondary towns. To capture the gendered changes in land-based livelihood strategies along the urban–rural continuum, 1156 randomly selected households were sampled along transects radiating out from the urban through the periurban to rural surrounds. Participation in different land-based livelihood strategies was recorded by means of a questionnaire.
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Urban nature and biocultural realities:
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Cocks, Michelle L
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175709 , vital:42617 , ISBN 9781000215182
- Description: There is no longer any doubt that an important component of and contributor to human wellbeing is the natural environment in which people live, work and relax (Summers et al. 2012). Whilst initial ideas of human wellbeing, early in the second half of the 20th century, focussed on objective measures that could be quantified and contribute to humans’ basic needs, they have evolved a great deal since, despite the lack of consensus on a precise definition of human wellbeing (Summers et al. 2012). Over the last five decades the conceptions of human wellbeing have become more complex and inclusive of the more subjective and less tangible components of human existence, including the natural environment (King et al. 2014).
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175709 , vital:42617 , ISBN 9781000215182
- Description: There is no longer any doubt that an important component of and contributor to human wellbeing is the natural environment in which people live, work and relax (Summers et al. 2012). Whilst initial ideas of human wellbeing, early in the second half of the 20th century, focussed on objective measures that could be quantified and contribute to humans’ basic needs, they have evolved a great deal since, despite the lack of consensus on a precise definition of human wellbeing (Summers et al. 2012). Over the last five decades the conceptions of human wellbeing have become more complex and inclusive of the more subjective and less tangible components of human existence, including the natural environment (King et al. 2014).
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Above ground woody community attributes, biomass and carbon stocks along a rainfall gradient in the savannas of the central lowveld, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Scholes, Robert J
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Scholes, Robert J
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6658 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007079
- Description: Enumeration of carbon stocks at benchmark sites is a necessary activity in assessing the potential carbon sequestration and possible generation of credits through restoration of intensively impacted sites. However, there is a lack of empirical studies throughout much of the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. We report an estimation of species specific and site biomass and carbon stocks, and general vegetation structural attributes from three protected areas along a rainfall gradient in the central lowveld, South Africa. Estimates of biomass and carbon stocks were effected through destructive sampling to establish locally derived allometric equations. There was a gradient of increasing woody density, height of the canopy, number of species, density of regenerative stems and a greater proportion of stems in small size classes from the arid locality to the mesic locality, with the semi-arid locality being intermediate. The proportion of spinescent species decreased with increasing rainfall. The mesic locality was significantly more woody than either the arid or semi-arid sites, having double the biomass, four times the density and 40% higher basal area. Above ground carbon pools were also higher; carbon stocks were approximately 9 t/ha for the arid and semi-arid sites and 18 t/ha for the mesic site.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Scholes, Robert J
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6658 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007079
- Description: Enumeration of carbon stocks at benchmark sites is a necessary activity in assessing the potential carbon sequestration and possible generation of credits through restoration of intensively impacted sites. However, there is a lack of empirical studies throughout much of the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. We report an estimation of species specific and site biomass and carbon stocks, and general vegetation structural attributes from three protected areas along a rainfall gradient in the central lowveld, South Africa. Estimates of biomass and carbon stocks were effected through destructive sampling to establish locally derived allometric equations. There was a gradient of increasing woody density, height of the canopy, number of species, density of regenerative stems and a greater proportion of stems in small size classes from the arid locality to the mesic locality, with the semi-arid locality being intermediate. The proportion of spinescent species decreased with increasing rainfall. The mesic locality was significantly more woody than either the arid or semi-arid sites, having double the biomass, four times the density and 40% higher basal area. Above ground carbon pools were also higher; carbon stocks were approximately 9 t/ha for the arid and semi-arid sites and 18 t/ha for the mesic site.
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Is there no urban forestry in the developing world?
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181060 , vital:43695 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.5897/SRE11.1117"
- Description: Urban forestry and greening offer a multitude of benefits to the inhabitants of towns and cities. However, the nature and magnitude of these frequently depend upon the context. Yet, at first glance, the developing world context around urban forestry debates seems to be poorly represented in the international peer-reviewed literature. This is examined in this paper, followed by a brief outline of ten key research areas for urban forestry in the developing world. A survey of the peer-reviewed literature confirms that almost 80% of articles come from the developed world context. This correlates with the greater availability of research finance and personnel from developed regions. However, there are urban forestry questions and issues that require examination in the developing world because they cannot simply be transferred from knowledge gleaned from and tested in a developed world context. Ten of these are briefly outlined as a catalyst towards greater attention to urban forestry in the developing world and their contributions to global debates and models.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181060 , vital:43695 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.5897/SRE11.1117"
- Description: Urban forestry and greening offer a multitude of benefits to the inhabitants of towns and cities. However, the nature and magnitude of these frequently depend upon the context. Yet, at first glance, the developing world context around urban forestry debates seems to be poorly represented in the international peer-reviewed literature. This is examined in this paper, followed by a brief outline of ten key research areas for urban forestry in the developing world. A survey of the peer-reviewed literature confirms that almost 80% of articles come from the developed world context. This correlates with the greater availability of research finance and personnel from developed regions. However, there are urban forestry questions and issues that require examination in the developing world because they cannot simply be transferred from knowledge gleaned from and tested in a developed world context. Ten of these are briefly outlined as a catalyst towards greater attention to urban forestry in the developing world and their contributions to global debates and models.
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Perceptions and use of public green space is influenced by its relative abundance in two small towns in South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Blair, Andrew
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Blair, Andrew
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181026 , vital:43688 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.01.011"
- Description: The challenges in planning and maintaining urban public green spaces in poor towns of the developing world differ markedly from those of the developed world. This paper reports on residents’ perceptions, use and willingness to get involved in urban public green space (PGS) issues in two poor towns in South Africa which differed markedly in the amount of PGS. The disparities in PGS between the two towns were also replicated in different suburbs within the two towns. We hypothesised that levels of dissatisfaction would be highest in those suburbs and the town with the least PGS. The results indicated that the distance from residents’ homesteads to the nearest PGS was similar across towns and suburbs. Most residents felt that having accessible PGS was important, and the majority agreed that there was insufficient PGS in their respective town and suburb, and that the local municipality did not do enough in providing PGS or maintaining what there was. The level of dissatisfaction with the amount and condition of PGS was generally highest in the suburbs and town with the least PGS. Many felt that the municipality had insufficient commitment and funds to adequately maintain PGS, and consequently the willingness of residents to get involved through either a commitment of time or funds was high. The more affluent town and suburbs were willing to pay more than the poorer ones, and the poorer ones were willing to provide more time than the more affluent ones.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Blair, Andrew
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181026 , vital:43688 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.01.011"
- Description: The challenges in planning and maintaining urban public green spaces in poor towns of the developing world differ markedly from those of the developed world. This paper reports on residents’ perceptions, use and willingness to get involved in urban public green space (PGS) issues in two poor towns in South Africa which differed markedly in the amount of PGS. The disparities in PGS between the two towns were also replicated in different suburbs within the two towns. We hypothesised that levels of dissatisfaction would be highest in those suburbs and the town with the least PGS. The results indicated that the distance from residents’ homesteads to the nearest PGS was similar across towns and suburbs. Most residents felt that having accessible PGS was important, and the majority agreed that there was insufficient PGS in their respective town and suburb, and that the local municipality did not do enough in providing PGS or maintaining what there was. The level of dissatisfaction with the amount and condition of PGS was generally highest in the suburbs and town with the least PGS. Many felt that the municipality had insufficient commitment and funds to adequately maintain PGS, and consequently the willingness of residents to get involved through either a commitment of time or funds was high. The more affluent town and suburbs were willing to pay more than the poorer ones, and the poorer ones were willing to provide more time than the more affluent ones.
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Reflecting on the next generation of models for community-based natural resources management
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Willis, T V, Brown, K, Polunin, N
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Willis, T V , Brown, K , Polunin, N
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6659 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007083
- Description: Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has been a pervasive paradigm in conservation circles for three decades. Despite many potentially attractive attributes it has been extensively critiqued from both ecological and sociological perspectives with respect to theory and practice (for example Leach et al. 1999; Berkes 2004; Fabricius et al. 2004; Blaikie 2006). Nonetheless, many successful examples exist, although an equal number have seemingly not met expectations. Is this because of poor implementation or rather a generally flawed model? If the criteria and conditions for success are so onerous that relatively few projects or situations are likely to qualify, what then is the value of the model? The questions thus become: how and what can we learn from the past theory and practice to develop a new generation of flexible, locally responsive and implementable CBNRM models, and what are likely to be the attributes of such models?
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Willis, T V , Brown, K , Polunin, N
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6659 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007083
- Description: Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has been a pervasive paradigm in conservation circles for three decades. Despite many potentially attractive attributes it has been extensively critiqued from both ecological and sociological perspectives with respect to theory and practice (for example Leach et al. 1999; Berkes 2004; Fabricius et al. 2004; Blaikie 2006). Nonetheless, many successful examples exist, although an equal number have seemingly not met expectations. Is this because of poor implementation or rather a generally flawed model? If the criteria and conditions for success are so onerous that relatively few projects or situations are likely to qualify, what then is the value of the model? The questions thus become: how and what can we learn from the past theory and practice to develop a new generation of flexible, locally responsive and implementable CBNRM models, and what are likely to be the attributes of such models?
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Beyond just research: Experiences from Southern Africa in developing social learning partnerships for resource conservation initiatives
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Cundill, Georgina, Knight, Andrew T
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Cundill, Georgina , Knight, Andrew T
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181157 , vital:43703 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00559.x"
- Description: There is a well-acknowledged communication or knowledge gap between scientists and decision-makers. Many scientists who take on the challenge of narrowing this gap operate on the understanding that their role is to communicate their findings in a one-way flow of information: from science to decision-makers. However, to be effective scientists must engage in an ongoing social learning process with decision-makers, and regard themselves as facilitators, and also as one among many stakeholders who have valid and important ecological knowledge. The developing world poses some particular challenges in this regard, specifically in terms of the large number of local level subsistence resources users who are important de facto decision-makers. We examine four natural resource management case studies from South Africa that differ in spatial scale and complexity, ranging from a single village to a whole biome. We distil seven lessons to help guide development of social learning processes and organizations in similar situations relating to natural resource planning and management. The lessons pertain to: maintaining ‘key individuals’ within social learning processes; the role of researchers; the formulation of research questions that social learning processes require adaptive long-term funding and capacity support; that local resource users are key decision-makers in developing countries; some perspectives on knowledge; and the need to measure research success.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Cundill, Georgina , Knight, Andrew T
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181157 , vital:43703 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00559.x"
- Description: There is a well-acknowledged communication or knowledge gap between scientists and decision-makers. Many scientists who take on the challenge of narrowing this gap operate on the understanding that their role is to communicate their findings in a one-way flow of information: from science to decision-makers. However, to be effective scientists must engage in an ongoing social learning process with decision-makers, and regard themselves as facilitators, and also as one among many stakeholders who have valid and important ecological knowledge. The developing world poses some particular challenges in this regard, specifically in terms of the large number of local level subsistence resources users who are important de facto decision-makers. We examine four natural resource management case studies from South Africa that differ in spatial scale and complexity, ranging from a single village to a whole biome. We distil seven lessons to help guide development of social learning processes and organizations in similar situations relating to natural resource planning and management. The lessons pertain to: maintaining ‘key individuals’ within social learning processes; the role of researchers; the formulation of research questions that social learning processes require adaptive long-term funding and capacity support; that local resource users are key decision-makers in developing countries; some perspectives on knowledge; and the need to measure research success.
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Production of and trade in African indigenous vegetables in the urban and peri-urban areas of Durban, South Africa
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Paumgartner, Fiona, Mthembu, Thami, Ernst, Lisa, Pasquini, Margaret W, Pichop, Germain
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Paumgartner, Fiona , Mthembu, Thami , Ernst, Lisa , Pasquini, Margaret W , Pichop, Germain
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181134 , vital:43701 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2010.498937"
- Description: This paper reports on the farming and trade of lesser known crops, here termed African indigenous vegetables (AIVs), in the Durban metropole. Most households grow AIVs, and collect them from the wild, primarily for home consumption. Modal income from sale was approximately R30 per month per farmer, most of whom were middle-aged to elderly females, with limited education, who had been cultivating AIVs here for many years. The main constraints to greater sales were deemed to be low market demand and adverse climate. The commonest AIVs grown were pumpkin leaves, taro and amaranth. Although most farmers sold very little, there is a thriving retail trade in AIVs. Generally, retailers were females, but younger and more educated than the farmers. The majority viewed retailing as a full-time occupation. Modal income for retailers was R450 per month, but included non-AIV produce. Most of the traders thought there was insufficient market demand for AIVs.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Paumgartner, Fiona , Mthembu, Thami , Ernst, Lisa , Pasquini, Margaret W , Pichop, Germain
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181134 , vital:43701 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2010.498937"
- Description: This paper reports on the farming and trade of lesser known crops, here termed African indigenous vegetables (AIVs), in the Durban metropole. Most households grow AIVs, and collect them from the wild, primarily for home consumption. Modal income from sale was approximately R30 per month per farmer, most of whom were middle-aged to elderly females, with limited education, who had been cultivating AIVs here for many years. The main constraints to greater sales were deemed to be low market demand and adverse climate. The commonest AIVs grown were pumpkin leaves, taro and amaranth. Although most farmers sold very little, there is a thriving retail trade in AIVs. Generally, retailers were females, but younger and more educated than the farmers. The majority viewed retailing as a full-time occupation. Modal income for retailers was R450 per month, but included non-AIV produce. Most of the traders thought there was insufficient market demand for AIVs.
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Growing of trees in home-gardens by rural households in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo Provinces, South Africa:
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Paumgarten, Fiona, Cocks, Michelle L
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Paumgarten, Fiona , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141360 , vital:37965 , DOI: 10.1080/13504500509469647
- Description: Trees provide a wide range of goods and services to rural households which, when incorporated into their livelihood strategies, help reduce their vulnerability to adversity. Governments and policy makers often ignore the contribution made by trees and consequently resources are focussed on cash crops and livestock. Villagers in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo Province, South Africa utilise a range of trees from home-gardens for various purposes, although predominantly for fruit and shade. Trees are either planted or actively retained in households' home-gardens. There were noticeable differences between the villages in the Eastern Cape and those in Limpopo Province, particularly with respect to the overall density of trees per hectare and the number of species per household, both being significantly greater in Limpopo Province. The five most preferred species were listed for each village, revealing a preference for exotic fruit trees in Limpopo Province and a mix of exotic fruit trees and shade trees in the Eastern Cape. Households also retained useful indigenous species, predominantly fruit-bearing species. A range of factors constrain tree growing in home-gardens and households engage in practices to grow and maintain their trees. Not all of these constraints and practices were significantly different between the various localities.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Paumgarten, Fiona , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141360 , vital:37965 , DOI: 10.1080/13504500509469647
- Description: Trees provide a wide range of goods and services to rural households which, when incorporated into their livelihood strategies, help reduce their vulnerability to adversity. Governments and policy makers often ignore the contribution made by trees and consequently resources are focussed on cash crops and livestock. Villagers in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo Province, South Africa utilise a range of trees from home-gardens for various purposes, although predominantly for fruit and shade. Trees are either planted or actively retained in households' home-gardens. There were noticeable differences between the villages in the Eastern Cape and those in Limpopo Province, particularly with respect to the overall density of trees per hectare and the number of species per household, both being significantly greater in Limpopo Province. The five most preferred species were listed for each village, revealing a preference for exotic fruit trees in Limpopo Province and a mix of exotic fruit trees and shade trees in the Eastern Cape. Households also retained useful indigenous species, predominantly fruit-bearing species. A range of factors constrain tree growing in home-gardens and households engage in practices to grow and maintain their trees. Not all of these constraints and practices were significantly different between the various localities.
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Household attributes promote diversity of tree holdings in rural areas, South Africa:
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Paumgarten, Fiona, Cocks, Michelle L
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Paumgarten, Fiona , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141301 , vital:37960 , DOI: 10.1007/s10457-007-9066-5
- Description: Trees within the homestead area provide many functions to rural households. However, within the semi-arid regions of southern Africa, there has been only limited examination of the correlates between the socio-economic attributes of rural households and the density, species richness and types of trees they keep. This paper reports on a multivariate analysis of household attributes in relation to homestead tree holdings from six rural villages in South Africa. In terms of density of trees per household, gender of the household head was the only significant correlate, with female-headed households having significantly fewer trees than their male-headed counterparts. This was especially so for the density of indigenous trees.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Paumgarten, Fiona , Cocks, Michelle L
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141301 , vital:37960 , DOI: 10.1007/s10457-007-9066-5
- Description: Trees within the homestead area provide many functions to rural households. However, within the semi-arid regions of southern Africa, there has been only limited examination of the correlates between the socio-economic attributes of rural households and the density, species richness and types of trees they keep. This paper reports on a multivariate analysis of household attributes in relation to homestead tree holdings from six rural villages in South Africa. In terms of density of trees per household, gender of the household head was the only significant correlate, with female-headed households having significantly fewer trees than their male-headed counterparts. This was especially so for the density of indigenous trees.
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Direct-use values of non-timber forest products from two areas on the Transkei Wild Coast
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Timmermans, Herman G, Nongwe, N, Hamer, Nicholas G, Palmer, N R
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Timmermans, Herman G , Nongwe, N , Hamer, Nicholas G , Palmer, N R
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181268 , vital:43714 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03031853.2007.9523764"
- Description: It is now widely appreciated internationally that rural communities make extensive use of wild resources, and that this use has significant direct use value. The number of case studies in South Africa that have valued the use of such resources are small, albeit growing. Yet none of them have been from coastal sites, which would include use of marine resources, nor have previous studies included the non-biological resources of sand and clay for building purposes. This paper addresses this gap, through examination of the role and value of wild resources in rural livelihoods of households in the Ntubeni and Cwebe areas of the Transkei Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape. Households used a wide range of resources collected from the surrounding communal lands and the Dwesa Cwebe Nature Reserve. Major differences between the sites were the widespread use of bushmeat, shellfish and building sand at Ntubeni compared with relatively small use of these three resources at Cwebe. These differences resulted in a markedly higher, gross, annual, direct-use value at Ntubeni than at Cwebe. The gross, annual, direct-use value averaged across all resources (excluding medicinal plants) and all households (user and non-users) was over R12 000 at Ntubeni, compared to R4 858 at Cwebe. At Ntubeni over half of the total annual direct-use value was contributed by fish and shellfish, indicating the need for more studies in coastal areas. A similar pattern was not evident at Cwebe, because residents did not have access to a rocky shoreline outside of the marine reserve. Local trade was highly variable, both between resources and between households. Averaging the value of trade across all households (i.e. traders and non-traders), gave a total gross, annual value of R1 660 and R600 at Ntubeni and Cwebe, respectively.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Timmermans, Herman G , Nongwe, N , Hamer, Nicholas G , Palmer, N R
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181268 , vital:43714 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03031853.2007.9523764"
- Description: It is now widely appreciated internationally that rural communities make extensive use of wild resources, and that this use has significant direct use value. The number of case studies in South Africa that have valued the use of such resources are small, albeit growing. Yet none of them have been from coastal sites, which would include use of marine resources, nor have previous studies included the non-biological resources of sand and clay for building purposes. This paper addresses this gap, through examination of the role and value of wild resources in rural livelihoods of households in the Ntubeni and Cwebe areas of the Transkei Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape. Households used a wide range of resources collected from the surrounding communal lands and the Dwesa Cwebe Nature Reserve. Major differences between the sites were the widespread use of bushmeat, shellfish and building sand at Ntubeni compared with relatively small use of these three resources at Cwebe. These differences resulted in a markedly higher, gross, annual, direct-use value at Ntubeni than at Cwebe. The gross, annual, direct-use value averaged across all resources (excluding medicinal plants) and all households (user and non-users) was over R12 000 at Ntubeni, compared to R4 858 at Cwebe. At Ntubeni over half of the total annual direct-use value was contributed by fish and shellfish, indicating the need for more studies in coastal areas. A similar pattern was not evident at Cwebe, because residents did not have access to a rocky shoreline outside of the marine reserve. Local trade was highly variable, both between resources and between households. Averaging the value of trade across all households (i.e. traders and non-traders), gave a total gross, annual value of R1 660 and R600 at Ntubeni and Cwebe, respectively.
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The next decade of environmental science in South Africa: a horizon scan
- Shackleton, Charlie M, Scholes, Robert J, Vogel, Coleen, Wynberg, Rachel, Abrahamse, Tanya, Shackleton, Sheona E, Ellery, William F N, Gambiza, James
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Scholes, Robert J , Vogel, Coleen , Wynberg, Rachel , Abrahamse, Tanya , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ellery, William F N , Gambiza, James
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/157124 , vital:40088 , https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2011.563064
- Description: Environmental systems are in constant flux, with feedbacks and non-linearities catalysed by natural trends and shocks as well as human actions. This poses challenges for sustainable management to promote human well-being. It requires environmental understanding and application that can accommodate such fluxes and pressures, as well as knowledge production systems and institutions that produce graduates with appropriate skills. In this article we consider these challenges in the South African context. Firstly, we summarise six significant environmental realisations from the last decade of environmental science internationally and question what they mean for the teaching of environmental science and research into environmental systems in South Africa in the near future. We then consider these lessons within the context of a horizon scan of near-term pressing environmental issues in South Africa. These include wateruse efficiency, poverty, food security, inequities in land and resource access, urbanisation, agrochemicals and water quality, promoting human well-being and economic adaptability in the face of climate change, and imbuing stronger environmental elements and stewardship into the integrated development planning processes and outcomes. Lastly, we consider the knowledge areas and skills that environmental graduates will require to be able to confront these problems in South Africa and simultaneously contribute to international debates and understandings around the complexity of environmental systems and how to manage them.
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- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Scholes, Robert J , Vogel, Coleen , Wynberg, Rachel , Abrahamse, Tanya , Shackleton, Sheona E , Ellery, William F N , Gambiza, James
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/157124 , vital:40088 , https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2011.563064
- Description: Environmental systems are in constant flux, with feedbacks and non-linearities catalysed by natural trends and shocks as well as human actions. This poses challenges for sustainable management to promote human well-being. It requires environmental understanding and application that can accommodate such fluxes and pressures, as well as knowledge production systems and institutions that produce graduates with appropriate skills. In this article we consider these challenges in the South African context. Firstly, we summarise six significant environmental realisations from the last decade of environmental science internationally and question what they mean for the teaching of environmental science and research into environmental systems in South Africa in the near future. We then consider these lessons within the context of a horizon scan of near-term pressing environmental issues in South Africa. These include wateruse efficiency, poverty, food security, inequities in land and resource access, urbanisation, agrochemicals and water quality, promoting human well-being and economic adaptability in the face of climate change, and imbuing stronger environmental elements and stewardship into the integrated development planning processes and outcomes. Lastly, we consider the knowledge areas and skills that environmental graduates will require to be able to confront these problems in South Africa and simultaneously contribute to international debates and understandings around the complexity of environmental systems and how to manage them.
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