Using a social-ecological systems approach to investigate hillslope seep wetlands ecosystem structure and functionality in the Tsitsa River catchment, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Libala, Notiswa
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Wetland management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wetland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wetland conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Slopes (Physical geography) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation management -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Land degradation -- Control -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Grazing -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Ecosystem management -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Wetland plants -- Effect of grazing on
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/115936 , vital:34270
- Description: Wetlands are critical ecosystems that can provide services of great social, economic and environmental value to the society. Yet, in South Africa, hillslope seep wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems due to human-induced activities and are disappearing rapidly. Further, despite the potential vulnerability of hillslope seep wetland to disturbances, and their criticality in relation to all year round provision of forage for livestock grazing, they are among the most poorly studied wetland systems. Using a social-ecological system framing, and drawing on a range of ecological and social sciences methods, this study shed light on ways in which an integrative approach can contribute to sustainable utilisation of hillslope seep wetlands in the Tsitsa River catchment in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study specific objectives were to i) evaluate the performance of Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI), WET-Health and Floristic Assessment Quotient for Wetlands Index (FQAWet) indices for assessing hillslope seep wetlands ecological health ii) develop a trait-based approach for assessing the potential resilience and vulnerability of hillslope seep wetland plant species to disturbances, iii) assess the role of hillslope seep wetlands in the local communities in relation to livestock, and explore understanding of local people about the value of hillslope seep wetlands, iv) demonstrate collaborative insights emerging from an integrative social-ecological system research process to inform sustainable management of hillslope seep wetlands. A total of 11 hillslope seep wetlands were visually classified based on the level of erosion. Plant species composition within the wetlands was determined along a 100 m line transects across the hillslope wetland sites. 5 quadrats of 0.2m2 were also placed along transect for vegetation collection and cover. The plant species collected were used to calculate (FQAI) and FQAWet scores to evaluate the condition of hillslope seep wetlands. The degree of human disturbances was assessed using the Anthropogenic Activity Index (AAI), an index for qualitatively assessing the degree of human disturbance based on visual inspection of a wetland site. Factors represented in the AAI, include: (i) surrounding land use intensity; (ii) soil disturbance; (iii) hydrological alteration; (iv) habitat alteration within wetland; (v) vegetation community quality. The vegetation samples were collected in summer 2016 and winter 2017. All assessed indices were regressed against AAI to evaluate their performances. All assessed indices FQAI, FQAWet and WET-Health showed that hillslope seep wetland were impacted by human activities. FQAIall and WET-Health showed the strongest response to AAI in winter, while FQAIdom and FAQWet showed a weak response to AAI in all seasons. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that FQAIall and WET-Health are potentially better tools for assessing the biological conditions of hillslope seep wetland in South Africa. A novel trait-based approach was developed using seven plant traits and 27 trait attributes. Based on the developed approach, plant species were grouped into three potentially vulnerable groups in relation to grazing pressure. It was then predicted that species belonging to the highly vulnerable group would be less dominant at the highly disturbed sites, as well as in the winter season when grazing pressure is at its highest. The result corresponds largely with the seasonal predictions; however this was not the case for sites. The approach developed in this study worked and it was useful for predicting the potential responses of plant species in hillslope seep wetlands to grazing pressure. The success of the approach seasonally could be attributed to the careful selection of the traits, reflecting the mechanistic relationship between the grazing mode of stress on vegetation and trait-mediated biotic response. However, this still need to be refined using accurate vegetation cover methods that might have had impact on the lack of correspondence within sites. The results of the present study revealed that communities largely perceive hillslope seep wetlands as important ecosystems for their livelihoods. They recognise that the importance stems from services provided by the wetlands, particularly for livestock grazing during the dry season. Although hillslope seep wetlands are viewed as important ecosystems for livelihoods, the communities also perceive these wetlands as highly eroded ecosystems. Community members indicate willingness to strengthen local natural resource governance systems, which could lead to better management of hillslope seep wetlands. A range of protective strategies for hillslope seep were suggested by community members, including fencing, active herding and rotational grazing. The study suggests that active involvement of local communities is critical to the successful management of natural resources. The study highlights the need to consider the role of local people as influential components within social-ecological systems in order to promote effective management and conservation interventions of hillslope seep wetlands. Overall, the study highlights the criticality of an integrative social-ecological system approach for holistic management of hillslope seep wetlands within the studied catchment.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Libala, Notiswa
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Wetland management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wetland ecology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wetland conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Slopes (Physical geography) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Vegetation management -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Land degradation -- Control -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Grazing -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Ecosystem management -- South Africa -- Tsitsa River Catchment , Wetland plants -- Effect of grazing on
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/115936 , vital:34270
- Description: Wetlands are critical ecosystems that can provide services of great social, economic and environmental value to the society. Yet, in South Africa, hillslope seep wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems due to human-induced activities and are disappearing rapidly. Further, despite the potential vulnerability of hillslope seep wetland to disturbances, and their criticality in relation to all year round provision of forage for livestock grazing, they are among the most poorly studied wetland systems. Using a social-ecological system framing, and drawing on a range of ecological and social sciences methods, this study shed light on ways in which an integrative approach can contribute to sustainable utilisation of hillslope seep wetlands in the Tsitsa River catchment in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The study specific objectives were to i) evaluate the performance of Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI), WET-Health and Floristic Assessment Quotient for Wetlands Index (FQAWet) indices for assessing hillslope seep wetlands ecological health ii) develop a trait-based approach for assessing the potential resilience and vulnerability of hillslope seep wetland plant species to disturbances, iii) assess the role of hillslope seep wetlands in the local communities in relation to livestock, and explore understanding of local people about the value of hillslope seep wetlands, iv) demonstrate collaborative insights emerging from an integrative social-ecological system research process to inform sustainable management of hillslope seep wetlands. A total of 11 hillslope seep wetlands were visually classified based on the level of erosion. Plant species composition within the wetlands was determined along a 100 m line transects across the hillslope wetland sites. 5 quadrats of 0.2m2 were also placed along transect for vegetation collection and cover. The plant species collected were used to calculate (FQAI) and FQAWet scores to evaluate the condition of hillslope seep wetlands. The degree of human disturbances was assessed using the Anthropogenic Activity Index (AAI), an index for qualitatively assessing the degree of human disturbance based on visual inspection of a wetland site. Factors represented in the AAI, include: (i) surrounding land use intensity; (ii) soil disturbance; (iii) hydrological alteration; (iv) habitat alteration within wetland; (v) vegetation community quality. The vegetation samples were collected in summer 2016 and winter 2017. All assessed indices were regressed against AAI to evaluate their performances. All assessed indices FQAI, FQAWet and WET-Health showed that hillslope seep wetland were impacted by human activities. FQAIall and WET-Health showed the strongest response to AAI in winter, while FQAIdom and FAQWet showed a weak response to AAI in all seasons. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that FQAIall and WET-Health are potentially better tools for assessing the biological conditions of hillslope seep wetland in South Africa. A novel trait-based approach was developed using seven plant traits and 27 trait attributes. Based on the developed approach, plant species were grouped into three potentially vulnerable groups in relation to grazing pressure. It was then predicted that species belonging to the highly vulnerable group would be less dominant at the highly disturbed sites, as well as in the winter season when grazing pressure is at its highest. The result corresponds largely with the seasonal predictions; however this was not the case for sites. The approach developed in this study worked and it was useful for predicting the potential responses of plant species in hillslope seep wetlands to grazing pressure. The success of the approach seasonally could be attributed to the careful selection of the traits, reflecting the mechanistic relationship between the grazing mode of stress on vegetation and trait-mediated biotic response. However, this still need to be refined using accurate vegetation cover methods that might have had impact on the lack of correspondence within sites. The results of the present study revealed that communities largely perceive hillslope seep wetlands as important ecosystems for their livelihoods. They recognise that the importance stems from services provided by the wetlands, particularly for livestock grazing during the dry season. Although hillslope seep wetlands are viewed as important ecosystems for livelihoods, the communities also perceive these wetlands as highly eroded ecosystems. Community members indicate willingness to strengthen local natural resource governance systems, which could lead to better management of hillslope seep wetlands. A range of protective strategies for hillslope seep were suggested by community members, including fencing, active herding and rotational grazing. The study suggests that active involvement of local communities is critical to the successful management of natural resources. The study highlights the need to consider the role of local people as influential components within social-ecological systems in order to promote effective management and conservation interventions of hillslope seep wetlands. Overall, the study highlights the criticality of an integrative social-ecological system approach for holistic management of hillslope seep wetlands within the studied catchment.
- Full Text:
Using a multi-method approach to understand the movement patterns and the associated environmental correlates of an iconic West African recreational fish
- Authors: Winkler, Alexander Claus
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Carangidae fishing , Carangidae -- Migration , Carangidae -- Namibia , Carangidae -- Angola , Fish tagging , Carangidae -- Benguela Current , Underwater acoustic telemetry , Ocean temperature -- Physiological effect , Fishes -- Effect of temperature on
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76530 , vital:30597
- Description: The leerfish (Lichia amia), is a large, primarily coastal recreational fish species with a distribution extending from Portugal down the west coast of African to southern Mozambique. Owing to its large size (30 kg), strong fighting abilities and habit of taking surface artificial lures, this species has taken on an iconic stature among shore-based recreational anglers. Its reputation has made it an important angling tourism species that makes an important contribution to the economy of developing countries. For example, the species brought US$243 per harvested kilogramme into the local southern Angola economy. Despite its high value, little is known about its movement patterns in the northern Benguela coastal region, a region which includes southern Angola and northern Namibia. While much is known about the migratory patterns of the South African stock of L. amia, recent molecular studies have shown that the northern Benguela stock of L. amia has been isolated from the South African population for at least two million years, a consequence of the development of the cold Lüderitz upwelling cell in southern Namibia. Although the global population of L. amia is considered a single species, prominent biogeographic barriers within its distribution and subtle morphological differences between specimens captured within its tropical versus warm-temperate distribution suggest otherwise. A multi-method approach incorporating passive acoustic telemetry (PAT), recreational catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and conventional tagging (CT) in southern Angola, as well as recreational fisher-ecological knowledge (FEK) from Namibia, was used to investigate the large-scale movement patterns of L. amia within the northern Benguela coastal region. While each method had its own associated limitations, the combination provided a holistic picture of the population's seasonal migratory patterns. Furthermore, PAT successfully identified partial migration with 25% vs 75% of monitored fish exhibiting resident (movements < 100 km) or migratory (movements > 100 km) behaviour, respectively. Further behavioural diversity was observed with ‘resident’, ‘roaming’ and ‘embayment’ contingents identified based on varying levels of affinity to certain habitats. The presence of both resident and migratory individuals within the northernmost study during June and July, combined with available biological information, suggested that area-specific spawning may take place. While PAT, CPUE and CT largely aligned in determining area specific high-area use, results from network analyses and mixed effects models conducted on the PAT data supported the spawning hypothesis, with anomalous behaviour around specific receivers during the spawning season. All fish, regardless of behavioural contingent, displayed similar movement behaviour during the spawning season and this was driven by factors generally associated with reproduction, such as lunar illumination. Interestingly, these drivers were different from those that determined the area specific use of individuals outside of the spawning season. The environmental drivers of longshore migration into the northern study site were identified as a decline in water temperature and shorter day lengths. The results of this study highlight the importance of using a multi-method approach in determining migratory movement behaviour, area specific area use, and stock structure of key fisheries species. The identification of different behavioural contingents highlights the importance of acknowledging individual variation in movement and habitat-use patterns. This is particularly relevant as future climate change and spatiotemporal variation in fishing effort may artificially skew natural selection processes to favour certain behavioural groups. This study also highlighted the importance of scientists forming relationships with resource-users, such as recreational angling lodges in areas where limited research has been conducted. This is particularly relevant within the West African context where little is known about many of the fish species that are being increasingly targeted by tourism angling ventures.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Winkler, Alexander Claus
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Carangidae fishing , Carangidae -- Migration , Carangidae -- Namibia , Carangidae -- Angola , Fish tagging , Carangidae -- Benguela Current , Underwater acoustic telemetry , Ocean temperature -- Physiological effect , Fishes -- Effect of temperature on
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76530 , vital:30597
- Description: The leerfish (Lichia amia), is a large, primarily coastal recreational fish species with a distribution extending from Portugal down the west coast of African to southern Mozambique. Owing to its large size (30 kg), strong fighting abilities and habit of taking surface artificial lures, this species has taken on an iconic stature among shore-based recreational anglers. Its reputation has made it an important angling tourism species that makes an important contribution to the economy of developing countries. For example, the species brought US$243 per harvested kilogramme into the local southern Angola economy. Despite its high value, little is known about its movement patterns in the northern Benguela coastal region, a region which includes southern Angola and northern Namibia. While much is known about the migratory patterns of the South African stock of L. amia, recent molecular studies have shown that the northern Benguela stock of L. amia has been isolated from the South African population for at least two million years, a consequence of the development of the cold Lüderitz upwelling cell in southern Namibia. Although the global population of L. amia is considered a single species, prominent biogeographic barriers within its distribution and subtle morphological differences between specimens captured within its tropical versus warm-temperate distribution suggest otherwise. A multi-method approach incorporating passive acoustic telemetry (PAT), recreational catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and conventional tagging (CT) in southern Angola, as well as recreational fisher-ecological knowledge (FEK) from Namibia, was used to investigate the large-scale movement patterns of L. amia within the northern Benguela coastal region. While each method had its own associated limitations, the combination provided a holistic picture of the population's seasonal migratory patterns. Furthermore, PAT successfully identified partial migration with 25% vs 75% of monitored fish exhibiting resident (movements < 100 km) or migratory (movements > 100 km) behaviour, respectively. Further behavioural diversity was observed with ‘resident’, ‘roaming’ and ‘embayment’ contingents identified based on varying levels of affinity to certain habitats. The presence of both resident and migratory individuals within the northernmost study during June and July, combined with available biological information, suggested that area-specific spawning may take place. While PAT, CPUE and CT largely aligned in determining area specific high-area use, results from network analyses and mixed effects models conducted on the PAT data supported the spawning hypothesis, with anomalous behaviour around specific receivers during the spawning season. All fish, regardless of behavioural contingent, displayed similar movement behaviour during the spawning season and this was driven by factors generally associated with reproduction, such as lunar illumination. Interestingly, these drivers were different from those that determined the area specific use of individuals outside of the spawning season. The environmental drivers of longshore migration into the northern study site were identified as a decline in water temperature and shorter day lengths. The results of this study highlight the importance of using a multi-method approach in determining migratory movement behaviour, area specific area use, and stock structure of key fisheries species. The identification of different behavioural contingents highlights the importance of acknowledging individual variation in movement and habitat-use patterns. This is particularly relevant as future climate change and spatiotemporal variation in fishing effort may artificially skew natural selection processes to favour certain behavioural groups. This study also highlighted the importance of scientists forming relationships with resource-users, such as recreational angling lodges in areas where limited research has been conducted. This is particularly relevant within the West African context where little is known about many of the fish species that are being increasingly targeted by tourism angling ventures.
- Full Text:
Use of bioindicators and biomarkers to assess aquatic environmental contamination in selected urban wetlands in Uganda
- Authors: Naigaga, Irene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Indicators (Biology) Biochemical markers Environmental monitoring -- Uganda Water quality biological assessment -- Uganda Water -- Pollution -- Uganda Wetlands -- Monitoring -- Uganda Wetland management -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Uganda Aquatic resources conservation -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Management -- Uganda Fishes -- Histopathaology -- Uganda Urban ecology (Biology) -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5198 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002603
- Description: Pollution of aquatic resources in Uganda is on the increase and the trends are expected to increase with increase in population size and urbanisation. Assessment and mitigation of the environmental impacts on water quality and biodiversity have now become necessary. The aim of the study was to integrate invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and fish histopathology as a biomarker in the assessment of water quality deterioration in urban wetlands in Uganda. The integration harnesses the advantages and counteracts the shortcomings of each method and thus builds a more robust diagnostic tool that gives a better view of the impacts to the entire ecosystem. Four endpoints which included, physicochemical variables, benthic macroinvertebrate bioindicators, fish bioindicators and fish histopathology biomarkers were compared between varied effluent-impacted wetlands (Murchison Bay in Kampala, and Kirinya, Masese and Winday Bay in Jinja) and a non-impacted reference wetland (Lwanika in Mayuge). Results from the effluent-impacted sites differed from the less impacted reference site. The two sampling locations at Murchison Bay (inshore and offshore) and one sampling location at Kirinya (inshore), that were highly impacted with urban effluent, showed elevated nutrient levels, low pH, dissolved oxygen and secchi depth readings. This corresponded with low invertebrate taxa and fish species diversity and richness; and severe histopathological responses in liver, gonads and gills of O. niloticus. Sensitive taxa such as ephemeroptera and trichoptera were completely absent while pollution tolerant taxa Chironomus sp, Corbicula and Oligochaeta were present. Also notable was the absence of many native haplochromines and presence of mainly Brycinus sadleri, Oreochromis niloticus and leucostictus. The organs manifested high prevalence of severe inflammatory and regressive changes and higher organ indices that fell within the pathological category. These sites were consistently classified as highly polluted under the four endpoints. The reference site was classified as least polluted while Masese and Winday Bay were moderately polluted. Results suggested that the approach of using invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and the fish histopathology as a biomarker, in relation to water quality physicochemical variables was a useful tool in highlighting the spatial differences in environmental quality.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Naigaga, Irene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Indicators (Biology) Biochemical markers Environmental monitoring -- Uganda Water quality biological assessment -- Uganda Water -- Pollution -- Uganda Wetlands -- Monitoring -- Uganda Wetland management -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Uganda Aquatic resources conservation -- Uganda Aquatic resources -- Management -- Uganda Fishes -- Histopathaology -- Uganda Urban ecology (Biology) -- Uganda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5198 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002603
- Description: Pollution of aquatic resources in Uganda is on the increase and the trends are expected to increase with increase in population size and urbanisation. Assessment and mitigation of the environmental impacts on water quality and biodiversity have now become necessary. The aim of the study was to integrate invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and fish histopathology as a biomarker in the assessment of water quality deterioration in urban wetlands in Uganda. The integration harnesses the advantages and counteracts the shortcomings of each method and thus builds a more robust diagnostic tool that gives a better view of the impacts to the entire ecosystem. Four endpoints which included, physicochemical variables, benthic macroinvertebrate bioindicators, fish bioindicators and fish histopathology biomarkers were compared between varied effluent-impacted wetlands (Murchison Bay in Kampala, and Kirinya, Masese and Winday Bay in Jinja) and a non-impacted reference wetland (Lwanika in Mayuge). Results from the effluent-impacted sites differed from the less impacted reference site. The two sampling locations at Murchison Bay (inshore and offshore) and one sampling location at Kirinya (inshore), that were highly impacted with urban effluent, showed elevated nutrient levels, low pH, dissolved oxygen and secchi depth readings. This corresponded with low invertebrate taxa and fish species diversity and richness; and severe histopathological responses in liver, gonads and gills of O. niloticus. Sensitive taxa such as ephemeroptera and trichoptera were completely absent while pollution tolerant taxa Chironomus sp, Corbicula and Oligochaeta were present. Also notable was the absence of many native haplochromines and presence of mainly Brycinus sadleri, Oreochromis niloticus and leucostictus. The organs manifested high prevalence of severe inflammatory and regressive changes and higher organ indices that fell within the pathological category. These sites were consistently classified as highly polluted under the four endpoints. The reference site was classified as least polluted while Masese and Winday Bay were moderately polluted. Results suggested that the approach of using invertebrate and fish as bioindicators and the fish histopathology as a biomarker, in relation to water quality physicochemical variables was a useful tool in highlighting the spatial differences in environmental quality.
- Full Text:
Urbanisation, foraging and household food security in urban South Africa
- Authors: Garekae, Hesekia
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Food sovereignty -- South Africa , Food security -- South Africa , Urban density -- South Africa , Urban agriculture -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Sustainable urban development -- South Africa , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa , Nutrition surveys -- South Africa -- Potchefstroom , Nutrition surveys -- South Africa -- Thabazimbi , Wild plants, Edible -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167054 , vital:41433
- Description: Over the past several decades, the world’s population has been rapidly urbanising, which has resulted in a marked shift of global population from rural to urban areas. About half of the global population now reside in urban areas and is projected to increase to two-thirds by the year 2050. However, the majority of the future urban population growth is projected to be largely concentrated in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the economic prospects normally synonymous with urbanisation, the current speed and scale of urban transformation comes with formidable challenges to contemporary urban society in these two continents. Urbanisation may presents social, economic, health and environmental challenges in urban areas, not least being a shift of the locus of food insecurity from rural to urban areas, leading to poor dietary diversity among many urban dwellers. Similarly, urbanisation alters key ecosystem services and drives habitat alteration and fragmentation, biodiversity loss, proliferation of non-native species and changes on species diversity and richness. The aforementioned changes can result in a deterioration of living conditions and decline on the quality of life for the urban dwellers. However, on the other hand, urban green infrastructure is posed as vital tool in promoting liveable cities and enhancing livelihood resilience. Against this backdrop, this study portrays wild plants, a component of urban green infrastructure, as a key resource in promoting food security and dietary diversity, thereby promoting livelihood resilience and reduced vulnerability, especially of the urban poor. Framed under the ‘right to the city’ approach, this study examined urban foraging practices and their potential contribution to dietary diversity and how they are shaped by and respond to urbanisation in two medium-sized South African towns. The study was conducted in the towns of Potchefstroom and Thabazimbi, South Africa. An explanatory sequential mixed method design was employed for data collection. Multi-stage sampling was employed in selecting the study participants. Firstly, the study towns were stratified into four socio-economic zones: informal, reconstruction and development programme, township and affluent. These zones resemble high density (informal, reconstruction and development programme), medium density (township) and low density (affluent) areas. Then, a total of 374 households were randomly sampled across the socio-economic zones for the main survey (Chapter 3 and 5). A subset of this sample, i.e. 72 participants was considered for dietary recalls, alongside with a random sample of 65 non-foragers (Chapter 4). An inventory of plant species available in a given foraging space was conducted from a total of 136 plots spread across different urban spaces (Chapter 2). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 81 participants (sub population of the main survey) for elucidating data on urban dynamics (Chapter 6). Lastly, complementary in-depth interviews with 46 participants were conducted. The findings showed that different urban spaces were constituted by diverse vegetation, with 262 distinct plant species encountered across the spaces. The majority (60.7%) were indigenous to South Africa. Species composition and diversity varied with space type, being significantly high in protected areas as compared to the other space types. About half (53%) of the identified plant species had at least one documented use, with medicine, food and firewood being modal, in order of frequency. Species composition and diversity differed between forageable and non-forageable species, being significantly high for forageable species. Urban foraging was widespread, about 68% of the respondents reported foraging. Foraging provided food, fuel energy, medicine, and cultural affirmation, among others. Despite the high prevalence rate of foraging, the study did not find any meaningful contribution of wild foods to overall diets. Nonetheless, wild foods demonstrated a substantial contribution in diversifying diets within particular food groups consumed such as vegetables, thus emerging essential in mitigating monotonous urban diets, particularly of the urban poor. Besides, the prevalence of foraging differed significantly between and within towns, being high for Thabazimbi (54.7%) and residents in the outskirts of town (86.2%) than Potchefstroom (45.3%) and residents in the inner part of town (33.3%). Participation in foraging was primarily a function of childhood (91.8%) exposure and experience with foraging, positive perceptions (79%) towards practice, resident in the outskirts of town (86.2%) and low household income (49.2%). The findings indicated that foraging was driven by multifaceted motivations, with culture (91.8%), health (88.7%), livelihoods needs (75.0%) and leisure (73.8%) being the most common. Vacant spaces (54.7%), riparian areas (30%), and domestic gardens (17.9%) were the most preferred foraging spaces, albeit with differences within towns. Similarly, the mean frequency of access varied with foraging spaces, being slightly high for vacant spaces than riparian areas and domestic gardens. The majority of the respondents were unaware of both formal and informal regulations managing urban landscapes, with those acknowledging some awareness falling short of articulating on the specificities of the regulations. Besides, the findings showed that foraging practice was threatened by urban transformation. Foragers perceived that the practice has changed over time, in terms of spaces, participants and regulations. There was a decreasing trend on the number and size of foraging spaces as well as shifting demographic trends of foragers. Moreover, urban transformation brought about a new set of regulations used for managing certain spaces within the urban landscape. However, some regulations prohibited or restricted access and rights to certain spaces for foraging. Hence, this prompted foragers to devise adaptation strategies to cope with the said changing dynamics. Exploring new foraging sites within and outside forager’s neighbourhoods and negotiating access entry were the most frequently mentioned adaptation strategies. This study contributes to the emerging body of knowledge on urban foraging, which has being seldom understood in the Global South.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Garekae, Hesekia
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Food sovereignty -- South Africa , Food security -- South Africa , Urban density -- South Africa , Urban agriculture -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Sustainable urban development -- South Africa , Urban ecology (Sociology) -- South Africa , Nutrition surveys -- South Africa -- Potchefstroom , Nutrition surveys -- South Africa -- Thabazimbi , Wild plants, Edible -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167054 , vital:41433
- Description: Over the past several decades, the world’s population has been rapidly urbanising, which has resulted in a marked shift of global population from rural to urban areas. About half of the global population now reside in urban areas and is projected to increase to two-thirds by the year 2050. However, the majority of the future urban population growth is projected to be largely concentrated in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the economic prospects normally synonymous with urbanisation, the current speed and scale of urban transformation comes with formidable challenges to contemporary urban society in these two continents. Urbanisation may presents social, economic, health and environmental challenges in urban areas, not least being a shift of the locus of food insecurity from rural to urban areas, leading to poor dietary diversity among many urban dwellers. Similarly, urbanisation alters key ecosystem services and drives habitat alteration and fragmentation, biodiversity loss, proliferation of non-native species and changes on species diversity and richness. The aforementioned changes can result in a deterioration of living conditions and decline on the quality of life for the urban dwellers. However, on the other hand, urban green infrastructure is posed as vital tool in promoting liveable cities and enhancing livelihood resilience. Against this backdrop, this study portrays wild plants, a component of urban green infrastructure, as a key resource in promoting food security and dietary diversity, thereby promoting livelihood resilience and reduced vulnerability, especially of the urban poor. Framed under the ‘right to the city’ approach, this study examined urban foraging practices and their potential contribution to dietary diversity and how they are shaped by and respond to urbanisation in two medium-sized South African towns. The study was conducted in the towns of Potchefstroom and Thabazimbi, South Africa. An explanatory sequential mixed method design was employed for data collection. Multi-stage sampling was employed in selecting the study participants. Firstly, the study towns were stratified into four socio-economic zones: informal, reconstruction and development programme, township and affluent. These zones resemble high density (informal, reconstruction and development programme), medium density (township) and low density (affluent) areas. Then, a total of 374 households were randomly sampled across the socio-economic zones for the main survey (Chapter 3 and 5). A subset of this sample, i.e. 72 participants was considered for dietary recalls, alongside with a random sample of 65 non-foragers (Chapter 4). An inventory of plant species available in a given foraging space was conducted from a total of 136 plots spread across different urban spaces (Chapter 2). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 81 participants (sub population of the main survey) for elucidating data on urban dynamics (Chapter 6). Lastly, complementary in-depth interviews with 46 participants were conducted. The findings showed that different urban spaces were constituted by diverse vegetation, with 262 distinct plant species encountered across the spaces. The majority (60.7%) were indigenous to South Africa. Species composition and diversity varied with space type, being significantly high in protected areas as compared to the other space types. About half (53%) of the identified plant species had at least one documented use, with medicine, food and firewood being modal, in order of frequency. Species composition and diversity differed between forageable and non-forageable species, being significantly high for forageable species. Urban foraging was widespread, about 68% of the respondents reported foraging. Foraging provided food, fuel energy, medicine, and cultural affirmation, among others. Despite the high prevalence rate of foraging, the study did not find any meaningful contribution of wild foods to overall diets. Nonetheless, wild foods demonstrated a substantial contribution in diversifying diets within particular food groups consumed such as vegetables, thus emerging essential in mitigating monotonous urban diets, particularly of the urban poor. Besides, the prevalence of foraging differed significantly between and within towns, being high for Thabazimbi (54.7%) and residents in the outskirts of town (86.2%) than Potchefstroom (45.3%) and residents in the inner part of town (33.3%). Participation in foraging was primarily a function of childhood (91.8%) exposure and experience with foraging, positive perceptions (79%) towards practice, resident in the outskirts of town (86.2%) and low household income (49.2%). The findings indicated that foraging was driven by multifaceted motivations, with culture (91.8%), health (88.7%), livelihoods needs (75.0%) and leisure (73.8%) being the most common. Vacant spaces (54.7%), riparian areas (30%), and domestic gardens (17.9%) were the most preferred foraging spaces, albeit with differences within towns. Similarly, the mean frequency of access varied with foraging spaces, being slightly high for vacant spaces than riparian areas and domestic gardens. The majority of the respondents were unaware of both formal and informal regulations managing urban landscapes, with those acknowledging some awareness falling short of articulating on the specificities of the regulations. Besides, the findings showed that foraging practice was threatened by urban transformation. Foragers perceived that the practice has changed over time, in terms of spaces, participants and regulations. There was a decreasing trend on the number and size of foraging spaces as well as shifting demographic trends of foragers. Moreover, urban transformation brought about a new set of regulations used for managing certain spaces within the urban landscape. However, some regulations prohibited or restricted access and rights to certain spaces for foraging. Hence, this prompted foragers to devise adaptation strategies to cope with the said changing dynamics. Exploring new foraging sites within and outside forager’s neighbourhoods and negotiating access entry were the most frequently mentioned adaptation strategies. This study contributes to the emerging body of knowledge on urban foraging, which has being seldom understood in the Global South.
- Full Text:
Urban agriculture: advocacy and practice: a discursive study with particular reference to three Eastern Cape centres
- Authors: Webb, Nigel Leigh
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Urban agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land use, Urban -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2095 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002658
- Description: The purpose of this thesis is to explain the continued advocacy of 'urban agriculture' (UA) in the literature in the face of the seemingly modest role played by cultivation in practice. The analytical framework adopted isrthat of discourse, the theoretical underpinnings of which are derived from the early works of Foucault, and applications such as those of Escobar (1989; 1991) and Ferguson (1990). Using a discursive orientation involves two main tasks - an explanation of how 'UA' has gained some prominence and the man~er in which its currency is able to be maintained. The investigation included an in-depth analysis of the literature and empirical research in th!"e~Eastern Cape centres. The function of the empirical findings is to expose the discourse, as well as to extend the empirical base relating to 'urban agricultural' research in general. The thesis suggests that the growth in interest in 'UA' is a result of a Foucaultian "gap" opening in the discourse. Changes in the conceptualisation of development, the rise-in prominence of the urban poor and emerging ecodevelopment views, among others, have given proponents of "UA' greater room for manoeuvre. However, most case studies promote 'UA' despite providing little evidence of its role in household welfare. The way the discourse maintains its' currency is in the manner in which the objects of 'UA' are constituted. Firstly, the people are characterised as poor, largely divorced from their rural origins, and mainly female. Each of these assertions is questioned on the basis of the literature itself and the empirical findings. Secondly, in the practice of cultivation, emphasis is placed on the inputs used, and the crops that are produced. The treatment of both the inputs and the crops by the literature is cursory. Investigations show that land availability, garden size and irrigation water are e~pecially problematic and vegetable consumption remains low. Four types of alleged benefit associated with 'UA' are analysed - environmental and ecological, psychological and social, financial, and nutritional. In each case commonly held assumptions are undermined by closer investigation. Thus, the thesis contends that the role played by cultivation is a modest one. Most of the claims made on behalf of 'UA' are more congruent with development discourse than actual cultivation practice.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Webb, Nigel Leigh
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Urban agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Land use, Urban -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2095 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002658
- Description: The purpose of this thesis is to explain the continued advocacy of 'urban agriculture' (UA) in the literature in the face of the seemingly modest role played by cultivation in practice. The analytical framework adopted isrthat of discourse, the theoretical underpinnings of which are derived from the early works of Foucault, and applications such as those of Escobar (1989; 1991) and Ferguson (1990). Using a discursive orientation involves two main tasks - an explanation of how 'UA' has gained some prominence and the man~er in which its currency is able to be maintained. The investigation included an in-depth analysis of the literature and empirical research in th!"e~Eastern Cape centres. The function of the empirical findings is to expose the discourse, as well as to extend the empirical base relating to 'urban agricultural' research in general. The thesis suggests that the growth in interest in 'UA' is a result of a Foucaultian "gap" opening in the discourse. Changes in the conceptualisation of development, the rise-in prominence of the urban poor and emerging ecodevelopment views, among others, have given proponents of "UA' greater room for manoeuvre. However, most case studies promote 'UA' despite providing little evidence of its role in household welfare. The way the discourse maintains its' currency is in the manner in which the objects of 'UA' are constituted. Firstly, the people are characterised as poor, largely divorced from their rural origins, and mainly female. Each of these assertions is questioned on the basis of the literature itself and the empirical findings. Secondly, in the practice of cultivation, emphasis is placed on the inputs used, and the crops that are produced. The treatment of both the inputs and the crops by the literature is cursory. Investigations show that land availability, garden size and irrigation water are e~pecially problematic and vegetable consumption remains low. Four types of alleged benefit associated with 'UA' are analysed - environmental and ecological, psychological and social, financial, and nutritional. In each case commonly held assumptions are undermined by closer investigation. Thus, the thesis contends that the role played by cultivation is a modest one. Most of the claims made on behalf of 'UA' are more congruent with development discourse than actual cultivation practice.
- Full Text:
Uphicotho lweencwadi zabantwana ezikhethiweyo eziguqulelwe esiXhoseni
- Authors: Madolo, Yolisa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Children's literature, South African , Xhosa fiction -- Juvenile literature , Xhosa language -- Juvenile literature , Translating and interpreting in literature , Xhosa literature , Xhosa language -- Translating
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/150515 , vital:38981
- Description: Appraisal of African languages’ children’s literature and its translation seems to be developing at a slow pace. This literary genre seems to be the last on the literary critics’ list. As a result, children’s literature translators seem to do as they please, with no fear that there is someone to critique the work. Translation for children is more than just literary translation, because it is meant for a special audience, whose language skills are still developing. The translator, therefore, needs to be someone dedicated in target language development. This translation needs a translator with a deep knowledge of both the source and target languages and their cultures. This will result in a translation that is readable and acceptable in the target language. The aim of this study was to critically analyse 20 selected isiXhosa translated stories, looking at how they have been translated in order to sound original in the target language. A sample of five stories were taken and analysed looking at their macrostructure. The findings of the analysis were that the isiXhosa stories resembled the English ones. Even the equivalence of the translated versions showed that the translation transferred the message in the source texts. However there were challenges as indicated. The study was done using Skopos theory, which advocates for the translator to always keep their audience in mind. It suggests that the translator should always strive for a translation that is acceptable to the target language. Various strategies can be used by the translator to fulfil this. Some of the strategies found to have been used in the translations are adaptation through omission, addition, addition of target culture specific terms, and changing sentence mode. Generally, the source language message seems to have been successfully transferred to the target language. However, errors in some stories were a cause for concern, as they could deter the target reader’s interest in the stories. Such errors are spelling mistakes, word division errors, incorrect concord use, etc. These errors are a matter of concern in literature, more especially children’s literature where children are still developing their reading skills.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Madolo, Yolisa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Children's literature, South African , Xhosa fiction -- Juvenile literature , Xhosa language -- Juvenile literature , Translating and interpreting in literature , Xhosa literature , Xhosa language -- Translating
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/150515 , vital:38981
- Description: Appraisal of African languages’ children’s literature and its translation seems to be developing at a slow pace. This literary genre seems to be the last on the literary critics’ list. As a result, children’s literature translators seem to do as they please, with no fear that there is someone to critique the work. Translation for children is more than just literary translation, because it is meant for a special audience, whose language skills are still developing. The translator, therefore, needs to be someone dedicated in target language development. This translation needs a translator with a deep knowledge of both the source and target languages and their cultures. This will result in a translation that is readable and acceptable in the target language. The aim of this study was to critically analyse 20 selected isiXhosa translated stories, looking at how they have been translated in order to sound original in the target language. A sample of five stories were taken and analysed looking at their macrostructure. The findings of the analysis were that the isiXhosa stories resembled the English ones. Even the equivalence of the translated versions showed that the translation transferred the message in the source texts. However there were challenges as indicated. The study was done using Skopos theory, which advocates for the translator to always keep their audience in mind. It suggests that the translator should always strive for a translation that is acceptable to the target language. Various strategies can be used by the translator to fulfil this. Some of the strategies found to have been used in the translations are adaptation through omission, addition, addition of target culture specific terms, and changing sentence mode. Generally, the source language message seems to have been successfully transferred to the target language. However, errors in some stories were a cause for concern, as they could deter the target reader’s interest in the stories. Such errors are spelling mistakes, word division errors, incorrect concord use, etc. These errors are a matter of concern in literature, more especially children’s literature where children are still developing their reading skills.
- Full Text:
Uphando-nzulu lweempendulo ezibhaliweyo zabafundi bamabakala aphezulu emfundo kuncwadi lwesiXhosa
- Authors: Mavela, Xolani Sikhomo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Discourse analysis , Anthropological linguistics , Academic writing Study and teaching , Academic writing Evaluation , Linguistics Research
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63176 , vital:28370
- Description: Kwiziphumo zakutsha nje ezivezwe kwiigridi zocazululo zohlolo loncwadi kwinqanaba lemfundo ephakamileyo (FET), kufumaniseke ukuba abafundi beli nqanaba abaqhubi kakuhle tu kwaphela xa becelwa ukuba babhale iimpendulo zabo kwanezo zimandundu nezikhwencayo kwiitekisi zoncwadi. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, eyona njongo iphambili yolu phando kukuzama ukuyila nokuvelisa isixhobo esinokusetyenziswa ekwaziseni nasekuxhobiseni abafundi besiXhosa abakwinqanaba leFET, ngezakhono zokubhala eziphuhlileyo nezikumgangatho wobhalo lwamaziko emfundo enomsila. Kule meko, ingcali yophando kwezobhalo lolwimi uMartin (2009) uhlomla ngelithi ubhalo olujolise ekunikeni iimpendulo, lubonwa njengohlobo lokubhala oluneengcambu ezimiliselwe ekufundisweni nasekungeneleleni ngokugqibeleleyo ngezakhono zokubhala, bhalo olu lunokuthi emva kwethuba elithile, luphelele kwincochoyi yokushicilelwa, lube ngamaxwebhu ahlelwe ngokusesikweni. Iindlela okanye izixhobo zokubhala eziyilwe ngeenjongo zokunikeza iimpendulo, nezithathwe kuphando lukaFeez noJoyce (1998), zizo eziza kusetyenziswa njengenxalenye yoqeqesho nakumaphulo ongenelelo oluza kuxhasa abafundi besiXhosa benqanaba leFET, nanjengoko ezi zixhobo zibonakala zinegalelo elincomekayo kwindlela ekubhalwa ngayo iimpendulo zeetekisi zoncwadi, ngokuthi zigxile kwezi njongo zilandelayo: (i) Ukunika abafundi ulwazi lokuzuza ulwazi olunzulu nolugqibeleleyo ngokuphathelele kwiinjongo zetekisi. (ii) Ukunika inkcazelo ecacileyo ngokubaluleka kwesakhiwo setekisi kwanokubunjwa kwayo. (iii) Ukuxhobisa abafundi ukuze bakwazi ukuchonga ulwimi oluxabisayo, iimpawu zobume bamagama negrama, kuquka nemiba ephambili yamasiko kwiitekisi zoncwadi. Ngenxa yezi njongo, kufikelelwa kuqikelelo oluthi, kuya kuthi ngokusetyenziswa kwesixhobo sikaFeez noJoyce seZakhono zokuBhala, sixhobo eso sayame kwiinqobo zeNgcingane yokuXabisa okufundwayo nedandalaziswa nguMartin noWhite (2006; 2005 no-2003) nayo le ngcingane eluncedo ekufundisweni kokubhala, abafundi abaninzi boncwadi lwesiXhosa kukholeleka ukuba bakukwazi ukuphuhlisa izakhono zokubhala iitekisi ezinika iimpendulo ezihlahlela imiba ephambili yoncwadi abalufundisiweyo. Olu phando lukwahlabela mgama lubonisa nokuba nezinye izixhobo zoyilo lweetekisi zikaGrabe noKaplan (1996), zinakho ukusetyenziswa ngaxesha linye neenqobo zeNgcingane yokuXabisa okufundwayo, kuquka nemiba yeZakhono zokuBhala, ukuze kwandiswe oku kuphuhliswa kwezakhono zokubhala kubafundi besiXhosa, kungaphelelanga kumabanga aphezulu, koko kufikelelwe nakumabanga asezantsi, nanjengoko kuveziwe kwiziphumo, kwizishwankathelo nakwisiphelo solu phando.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mavela, Xolani Sikhomo
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Discourse analysis , Anthropological linguistics , Academic writing Study and teaching , Academic writing Evaluation , Linguistics Research
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63176 , vital:28370
- Description: Kwiziphumo zakutsha nje ezivezwe kwiigridi zocazululo zohlolo loncwadi kwinqanaba lemfundo ephakamileyo (FET), kufumaniseke ukuba abafundi beli nqanaba abaqhubi kakuhle tu kwaphela xa becelwa ukuba babhale iimpendulo zabo kwanezo zimandundu nezikhwencayo kwiitekisi zoncwadi. Ngenxa yesi sizathu, eyona njongo iphambili yolu phando kukuzama ukuyila nokuvelisa isixhobo esinokusetyenziswa ekwaziseni nasekuxhobiseni abafundi besiXhosa abakwinqanaba leFET, ngezakhono zokubhala eziphuhlileyo nezikumgangatho wobhalo lwamaziko emfundo enomsila. Kule meko, ingcali yophando kwezobhalo lolwimi uMartin (2009) uhlomla ngelithi ubhalo olujolise ekunikeni iimpendulo, lubonwa njengohlobo lokubhala oluneengcambu ezimiliselwe ekufundisweni nasekungeneleleni ngokugqibeleleyo ngezakhono zokubhala, bhalo olu lunokuthi emva kwethuba elithile, luphelele kwincochoyi yokushicilelwa, lube ngamaxwebhu ahlelwe ngokusesikweni. Iindlela okanye izixhobo zokubhala eziyilwe ngeenjongo zokunikeza iimpendulo, nezithathwe kuphando lukaFeez noJoyce (1998), zizo eziza kusetyenziswa njengenxalenye yoqeqesho nakumaphulo ongenelelo oluza kuxhasa abafundi besiXhosa benqanaba leFET, nanjengoko ezi zixhobo zibonakala zinegalelo elincomekayo kwindlela ekubhalwa ngayo iimpendulo zeetekisi zoncwadi, ngokuthi zigxile kwezi njongo zilandelayo: (i) Ukunika abafundi ulwazi lokuzuza ulwazi olunzulu nolugqibeleleyo ngokuphathelele kwiinjongo zetekisi. (ii) Ukunika inkcazelo ecacileyo ngokubaluleka kwesakhiwo setekisi kwanokubunjwa kwayo. (iii) Ukuxhobisa abafundi ukuze bakwazi ukuchonga ulwimi oluxabisayo, iimpawu zobume bamagama negrama, kuquka nemiba ephambili yamasiko kwiitekisi zoncwadi. Ngenxa yezi njongo, kufikelelwa kuqikelelo oluthi, kuya kuthi ngokusetyenziswa kwesixhobo sikaFeez noJoyce seZakhono zokuBhala, sixhobo eso sayame kwiinqobo zeNgcingane yokuXabisa okufundwayo nedandalaziswa nguMartin noWhite (2006; 2005 no-2003) nayo le ngcingane eluncedo ekufundisweni kokubhala, abafundi abaninzi boncwadi lwesiXhosa kukholeleka ukuba bakukwazi ukuphuhlisa izakhono zokubhala iitekisi ezinika iimpendulo ezihlahlela imiba ephambili yoncwadi abalufundisiweyo. Olu phando lukwahlabela mgama lubonisa nokuba nezinye izixhobo zoyilo lweetekisi zikaGrabe noKaplan (1996), zinakho ukusetyenziswa ngaxesha linye neenqobo zeNgcingane yokuXabisa okufundwayo, kuquka nemiba yeZakhono zokuBhala, ukuze kwandiswe oku kuphuhliswa kwezakhono zokubhala kubafundi besiXhosa, kungaphelelanga kumabanga aphezulu, koko kufikelelwe nakumabanga asezantsi, nanjengoko kuveziwe kwiziphumo, kwizishwankathelo nakwisiphelo solu phando.
- Full Text:
Understanding the role of social capital in enhancing community resilience to natural disasters: a case study of Muzarabani District, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Kasimba, Rosemary
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social capital (Sociology) -- Zimbabwe , Natural disasters -- Zimbabwe -- Social aspects , Resilience (Personality trait) -- Zimbabwe , Food security -- Climatic factors -- Zimbabwe , Social sciences -- Network analysis , Cooperativeness -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60292 , vital:27763
- Description: The central focus of the study was to seek an understanding of the role that Social Capital plays in enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of the community to floods and droughts in Muzarabani District of Northern Zimbabwe. The study was conducted in two of the wards in Muzarabani District namely Chadereka and Kapembere. In addition, the study sought to understand the coping and adaptation strategies employed by the most vulnerable groups such as the elderly, child heads, women and single heads of households. The specific objectives of the study were: to understand the effects of floods and droughts on residents’ livelihoods and food security, examine residents’ perceptions on droughts andfloods and to document community-based strategies utilised by women, child-headed families and the elderly to improve their livelihood and food security in the face of floods and droughts, explore different types of Social Capital that exist in the study area especially with regard to household resilience to disasters, comprehend the basis of residents’ resilience to floods and droughts and the extent to which vulnerable groups rely on Social Capital when coping with these disasters and to examine the repercussions of residents’ strategies on the community’s institutional structures. The study was informed by Social Capital theory and the social network analysis. Social Capital plays a pivotal role in enhancing the resilience of the community to floods and droughts. Different types of Social Capital that exist and help people to deal with floods and droughts include linking, bonding, and bridging and victim Social Capital. Inhabitants within and outside villages support each other. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the government are also working hand in hand with community members to reduce the negative impacts of floods and droughts. Volunteerism, generalised reciprocity and mutual understanding are also at the centre of interventions. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches to achieve its objectives. Questionnaires, focus groups discussions, observations, transect walks, key informant interviews and some participatory methods were used to collect data. SPSS, content and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. The study found that floods and droughts negatively impact on human security, causing acute food shortages, intensifying poverty, spread of water related diseases, increasing divorce rates, children dropping out of school, reduced livestock and crop production, family disintegration, chaos in religion, exacerbating local unemployment as well as negatively affecting the wellbeing of community members. On a positive note, floods in Chadereka cause the deposition of alluvial soils that are good for crop production. However, in Kapembere, volunteerism is not very common; inhabitants are not yet trained about the concept. Community members have also formed cooperatives where they would give each other money or grain. In Chadereka, women have formed a mother-support-group to assist children with food in schools. Strategies being employed by the most vulnerable groups include casual labour, joining cooperatives, migration, taking children from school, hiring out cattle, selling of assets, riverine farming, growing drought-resistant crops, making use of indigenous knowledge systems, skipping meals and exploiting natural resources among others. Some women have resorted to prostitution to increase their resilience to floods and drought impacts such as poverty and acute food shortages. The elderly also hire out their cattle. They also rely on support from the government and NGOs. There are a number of challenges faced by residents in dealing with floods and droughts. Community social relationships, migration, casual labour and the sale of assets are the basis of the people’s resilience against the impacts of floods and droughts. The study identified the following issues which all stakeholders involved could take note of: the government should not always be suspicious of disaster-risk reduction strategies implemented by NGOs as this scares away some of them that are willing to offer untied or unconditional assistance; timely and impartial distribution of agricultural inputs to inhabitants would be extremely useful. Moreover, the government needs to provide resources that support local organisations (formed by the local people) to assist the most vulnerable people in communities. Community leaders, together with the government and NGOs, are encouraged to hold awareness campaign programmes that dispel tribal and ethnic stereotypes, to promote local Social Capital among members of the community. Further investigations in the following areas are critical: A more comprehensive assessment of the determinants of resilience to droughts and floods in Zimbabwe is necessary.A study on the challenges faced by the disabled people and women in polygamous marriages and how they are adapting to floods and droughts, needs to be conducted and a critical investigation on the Zimbabwean government’s strengths and weaknesses in enhancing the resilience of the community to floods and droughts is necessary among others.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kasimba, Rosemary
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Social capital (Sociology) -- Zimbabwe , Natural disasters -- Zimbabwe -- Social aspects , Resilience (Personality trait) -- Zimbabwe , Food security -- Climatic factors -- Zimbabwe , Social sciences -- Network analysis , Cooperativeness -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60292 , vital:27763
- Description: The central focus of the study was to seek an understanding of the role that Social Capital plays in enhancing the resilience and adaptive capacity of the community to floods and droughts in Muzarabani District of Northern Zimbabwe. The study was conducted in two of the wards in Muzarabani District namely Chadereka and Kapembere. In addition, the study sought to understand the coping and adaptation strategies employed by the most vulnerable groups such as the elderly, child heads, women and single heads of households. The specific objectives of the study were: to understand the effects of floods and droughts on residents’ livelihoods and food security, examine residents’ perceptions on droughts andfloods and to document community-based strategies utilised by women, child-headed families and the elderly to improve their livelihood and food security in the face of floods and droughts, explore different types of Social Capital that exist in the study area especially with regard to household resilience to disasters, comprehend the basis of residents’ resilience to floods and droughts and the extent to which vulnerable groups rely on Social Capital when coping with these disasters and to examine the repercussions of residents’ strategies on the community’s institutional structures. The study was informed by Social Capital theory and the social network analysis. Social Capital plays a pivotal role in enhancing the resilience of the community to floods and droughts. Different types of Social Capital that exist and help people to deal with floods and droughts include linking, bonding, and bridging and victim Social Capital. Inhabitants within and outside villages support each other. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the government are also working hand in hand with community members to reduce the negative impacts of floods and droughts. Volunteerism, generalised reciprocity and mutual understanding are also at the centre of interventions. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches to achieve its objectives. Questionnaires, focus groups discussions, observations, transect walks, key informant interviews and some participatory methods were used to collect data. SPSS, content and thematic analysis were used to analyse data. The study found that floods and droughts negatively impact on human security, causing acute food shortages, intensifying poverty, spread of water related diseases, increasing divorce rates, children dropping out of school, reduced livestock and crop production, family disintegration, chaos in religion, exacerbating local unemployment as well as negatively affecting the wellbeing of community members. On a positive note, floods in Chadereka cause the deposition of alluvial soils that are good for crop production. However, in Kapembere, volunteerism is not very common; inhabitants are not yet trained about the concept. Community members have also formed cooperatives where they would give each other money or grain. In Chadereka, women have formed a mother-support-group to assist children with food in schools. Strategies being employed by the most vulnerable groups include casual labour, joining cooperatives, migration, taking children from school, hiring out cattle, selling of assets, riverine farming, growing drought-resistant crops, making use of indigenous knowledge systems, skipping meals and exploiting natural resources among others. Some women have resorted to prostitution to increase their resilience to floods and drought impacts such as poverty and acute food shortages. The elderly also hire out their cattle. They also rely on support from the government and NGOs. There are a number of challenges faced by residents in dealing with floods and droughts. Community social relationships, migration, casual labour and the sale of assets are the basis of the people’s resilience against the impacts of floods and droughts. The study identified the following issues which all stakeholders involved could take note of: the government should not always be suspicious of disaster-risk reduction strategies implemented by NGOs as this scares away some of them that are willing to offer untied or unconditional assistance; timely and impartial distribution of agricultural inputs to inhabitants would be extremely useful. Moreover, the government needs to provide resources that support local organisations (formed by the local people) to assist the most vulnerable people in communities. Community leaders, together with the government and NGOs, are encouraged to hold awareness campaign programmes that dispel tribal and ethnic stereotypes, to promote local Social Capital among members of the community. Further investigations in the following areas are critical: A more comprehensive assessment of the determinants of resilience to droughts and floods in Zimbabwe is necessary.A study on the challenges faced by the disabled people and women in polygamous marriages and how they are adapting to floods and droughts, needs to be conducted and a critical investigation on the Zimbabwean government’s strengths and weaknesses in enhancing the resilience of the community to floods and droughts is necessary among others.
- Full Text:
Understanding the reading practices of Fort Hare students
- Authors: O’Shea, Cathy
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6886 , vital:21197
- Description: Universities world-wide are battling to offer access to far greater numbers than ever before. The University of Fort Hare, specifically, is also part of a troubled South African education system and is located in a disadvantaged, rural area. The main aim of this study was to understand Fort Hare students’ reading practices, as reported by the students themselves. This thesis used a framework of New Literacy Studies, which views student learning as a process of mastering discipline-specific, socially constructed norms and values, and sees the adopting of a literacy as including the adoption of an identity. Since discourse, in the NLS tradition, has been found to be a mediating mechanism in the social construction of identity, a critical discourse analysis was adopted to begin understanding aspects of Fort Hare students’ reading practices and the links between these and their identities. Critical realism is the ontological underpinning of this thesis. This means that the study aimed to identify the tendencies of certain mechanisms - in this case, Discourses - to affect students’ reading practices, by analysing interview transcripts of focus group discussions held with 30 students. Frameworks and tools provided by Fairclough and Gee were applied to interview data analysis. The ‘We blacks’ Discourse was one of one of the prominent Discourses that interviewees drew on when talking about their reading practices. It was closely allied to the ‘Resistance to reading’ Discourse, as participants explained that they tended to disregard books and did not enjoy reading for leisure. The ‘We blacks’ Discourse in this way homogenised class and other differences between black students, and indicated the ways in which their experiences were outside of academic Discourses. This Discourse served as a constraining mechanism for some, and indicated that those who used it tended not to identify with the academy. There was an evident link between the ‘We blacks’ Discourse, the ‘Resistance to reading’ Discourse and the ‘Better than us’ Discourse, in which students who enjoyed reading were called names for supposedly being conceited. Two opposing discourses (with a small ‘d’) emerged when students talked about literacy sponsors like parents and lecturers. Some used the ‘Our parents don’t chase us’ discourse to depict family members who were not encouraging, overlapping with the ‘We blacks’ Discourse. The contrasting ‘Go read anything’ discourse described more encouraging teachers and relatives. This discourse was also used to describe educators who had forced them to read, with several interviewees describing corporal punishment as being a necessary part of school-based literacy practices. It also became clear that Fort Hare’s institutional identity played a role in some interviewees’ self-identities, as the ‘Resistance to reading’ Discourse was linked to the ‘Why bother?’ Discourse. The latter seemed part of a defensive positionality that arose partly because some students see Fort Hare as a university with relatively low academic standards. However, the implication is that lecturers and others can work towards changing Discourses and so endeavour to enable reading practices. Educators could also take steps to address resistant attitudes and encourage reading.
- Full Text:
- Authors: O’Shea, Cathy
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6886 , vital:21197
- Description: Universities world-wide are battling to offer access to far greater numbers than ever before. The University of Fort Hare, specifically, is also part of a troubled South African education system and is located in a disadvantaged, rural area. The main aim of this study was to understand Fort Hare students’ reading practices, as reported by the students themselves. This thesis used a framework of New Literacy Studies, which views student learning as a process of mastering discipline-specific, socially constructed norms and values, and sees the adopting of a literacy as including the adoption of an identity. Since discourse, in the NLS tradition, has been found to be a mediating mechanism in the social construction of identity, a critical discourse analysis was adopted to begin understanding aspects of Fort Hare students’ reading practices and the links between these and their identities. Critical realism is the ontological underpinning of this thesis. This means that the study aimed to identify the tendencies of certain mechanisms - in this case, Discourses - to affect students’ reading practices, by analysing interview transcripts of focus group discussions held with 30 students. Frameworks and tools provided by Fairclough and Gee were applied to interview data analysis. The ‘We blacks’ Discourse was one of one of the prominent Discourses that interviewees drew on when talking about their reading practices. It was closely allied to the ‘Resistance to reading’ Discourse, as participants explained that they tended to disregard books and did not enjoy reading for leisure. The ‘We blacks’ Discourse in this way homogenised class and other differences between black students, and indicated the ways in which their experiences were outside of academic Discourses. This Discourse served as a constraining mechanism for some, and indicated that those who used it tended not to identify with the academy. There was an evident link between the ‘We blacks’ Discourse, the ‘Resistance to reading’ Discourse and the ‘Better than us’ Discourse, in which students who enjoyed reading were called names for supposedly being conceited. Two opposing discourses (with a small ‘d’) emerged when students talked about literacy sponsors like parents and lecturers. Some used the ‘Our parents don’t chase us’ discourse to depict family members who were not encouraging, overlapping with the ‘We blacks’ Discourse. The contrasting ‘Go read anything’ discourse described more encouraging teachers and relatives. This discourse was also used to describe educators who had forced them to read, with several interviewees describing corporal punishment as being a necessary part of school-based literacy practices. It also became clear that Fort Hare’s institutional identity played a role in some interviewees’ self-identities, as the ‘Resistance to reading’ Discourse was linked to the ‘Why bother?’ Discourse. The latter seemed part of a defensive positionality that arose partly because some students see Fort Hare as a university with relatively low academic standards. However, the implication is that lecturers and others can work towards changing Discourses and so endeavour to enable reading practices. Educators could also take steps to address resistant attitudes and encourage reading.
- Full Text:
Understanding the learning that occurs through up-skilling opportunities and practices in the marine sector of South Africa
- Authors: Bell, Caroline Margaret
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa , Human capital -- South Africa , Marine sciences -- Employees -- South Africa -- Training of , Biodiversity Human Capital Development Strategy (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93966 , vital:30977
- Description: South Africa is characterised by cultural and biological diversity which constitute a unique context in which to conduct educational research, such as this doctoral study looking at human capital development in the marine biodiversity context. The drive for transformation in the country is also a major factor to consider when researching any sector of the economy, in this case, the biodiversity sector. The biodiversity sector includes organisations involved in biodiversity conservation, research and management. Previous research in the sector has found a clear need for well-thought out workplace skills plans within conservation and research organisations. The national Biodiversity Human Capital Development Strategy that was produced in 2010 by the South African National Biodiversity Institute outlines how all the organisations involved in the biodiversity sector of South Africa need to participate in strengthening the sector through a range of human capital development strategies. This includes extending the existing human capacity of managers and scientists who are already in the workplace, i.e. up-skilling. In particular, ‘scarce’ skills, as identified by the national Environmental Sector Skills Plan need further attention and development. The scarce skills relevant to this study are: protected area managers; ecosystem managers and post-graduate researchers, hence the focus on managers and scientists in this research. The marine sector falls within the biodiversity sector and it faces multiple conservation challenges which are complex and it is therefore essential to have skilled and capable managers and scientists in place. By investigating the up-skilling opportunities and practices available to these marine professionals, the goal is to understand if and how learning takes place in the marine sector of South Africa. The main research question of this study is: How do up-skilling opportunities and practices enable learning in, through and for the workplace, by marine professionals? In addition, three sub-questions provide finer details and introduce the central concepts of the research: I. What up-skilling opportunities and professional practices exist in or for, marine research and conservation organisations and how are they constituted and enacted via practice-based sayings, doings and relatings? II. How do the individuals learn and exercise their agency within the socio-material realities of the marine scientific and management context, through making use of up-skilling opportunities that are both formal (e.g. course based) and informal? III. How do generative mechanisms shape the constitution and enactment of up-skilling opportunities and practices, and the learning and agency of marine professionals (scientists and managers)? The theoretical work of this study consisted of, first, considering sensitising concepts which included: defining skill and knowledge; considering what an up-skilling opportunity might look like; workplace learning (both formal and informal learning); professional practices, lifelong learning or adult education, and agency in the workplace. Critical realism was then employed as the meta-theory that underlabours this research, while the substantive theories used for analysis purposes were socio-materialism and practice theory. Of course, critical realism is a socio-material theory itself, and Bhaskar’s four-planar social being or Social Cube was used to interpret and synthesise the findings in the data chapters. The methodological framework of this study explores the implications of critical realism for research design and analysis and includes a contextual profiling phase, semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents and peer-reviewed papers, as well as observations. There are nine case studies that form the focus of this research and in total 18 research participants were involved. Data analysis included abduction and retroduction as the primary modes of inference and the main analytical tool was the framework of practice architectures where I took the ‘sayings’, ‘doings’ and ‘relatings’ as themes. Further themes were developed from the other relevant theories used in this study; hence socio-materialism, learning, agency, and formal and informal opportunities, were also used as themes when coding the data. Issues around validity, ethics and reflexivity are key elements of the research design and were carefully considered throughout the research process. The principal data chapters are structured in such a way that each sub-question is considered and ultimately the findings are presented in the form of generative mechanisms which included: the politics of social transformation and knowledge as a driving force of up-skilling; the influence of individual disposition and passion or will; the importance of the socio-material realities and realistic expectations; and how relationality is critical for the marine sector. Agency was a cross-cutting theme in all the discussions around learning, practices and the role of the material, and was highly influential on the mechanisms that have been described in this study. The experiences, events and mechanisms that were uncovered in this research provide insight into the forms of learning as these relate to up-skilling that occur in the marine sector, as well as the complex relationships between formal and informal learning. The professional practices that occur in the everyday working lives of the marine professionals were shown to be an integral part of the learning process, while formal, certified opportunities are important for strengthening the field and building conservation competence in the country. By uncovering the deeper structures and mechanisms that have power and causal efficacy when it comes to up-skilling opportunities, learning and professional practices, this study has contributed to the field of environmental education as it shows how up-skilling processes operate in complex formations that involve formal and informal learning processes in workplaces. The study also offers a more nuanced view of the relational objects in this field, such as up-skilling and workplace learning, via the inclusion of a socio-material analysis. Through a theoretical and methodological framework that focused on the material using the tools of practice theory and Bhaskar’s depth ontology and four-planar social being (to synthesise and interpret the findings from a critical realist perspective), this research highlights the unique context of up-skilling opportunities and practices in the marine sector and reveals the crucial role of agency in workplace practices. This leads to a better understanding of the up-skilling opportunities and practices of marine professionals in South Africa, which ultimately contributes towards improved human capital development in the biodiversity and environmental sectors. Through offering more complex insights into the forms of learning and up-skilling, as well as a distinct methodological contribution, this research has broader relevance for workplace learning research.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Bell, Caroline Margaret
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Biodiversity conservation -- South Africa , Human capital -- South Africa , Marine sciences -- Employees -- South Africa -- Training of , Biodiversity Human Capital Development Strategy (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93966 , vital:30977
- Description: South Africa is characterised by cultural and biological diversity which constitute a unique context in which to conduct educational research, such as this doctoral study looking at human capital development in the marine biodiversity context. The drive for transformation in the country is also a major factor to consider when researching any sector of the economy, in this case, the biodiversity sector. The biodiversity sector includes organisations involved in biodiversity conservation, research and management. Previous research in the sector has found a clear need for well-thought out workplace skills plans within conservation and research organisations. The national Biodiversity Human Capital Development Strategy that was produced in 2010 by the South African National Biodiversity Institute outlines how all the organisations involved in the biodiversity sector of South Africa need to participate in strengthening the sector through a range of human capital development strategies. This includes extending the existing human capacity of managers and scientists who are already in the workplace, i.e. up-skilling. In particular, ‘scarce’ skills, as identified by the national Environmental Sector Skills Plan need further attention and development. The scarce skills relevant to this study are: protected area managers; ecosystem managers and post-graduate researchers, hence the focus on managers and scientists in this research. The marine sector falls within the biodiversity sector and it faces multiple conservation challenges which are complex and it is therefore essential to have skilled and capable managers and scientists in place. By investigating the up-skilling opportunities and practices available to these marine professionals, the goal is to understand if and how learning takes place in the marine sector of South Africa. The main research question of this study is: How do up-skilling opportunities and practices enable learning in, through and for the workplace, by marine professionals? In addition, three sub-questions provide finer details and introduce the central concepts of the research: I. What up-skilling opportunities and professional practices exist in or for, marine research and conservation organisations and how are they constituted and enacted via practice-based sayings, doings and relatings? II. How do the individuals learn and exercise their agency within the socio-material realities of the marine scientific and management context, through making use of up-skilling opportunities that are both formal (e.g. course based) and informal? III. How do generative mechanisms shape the constitution and enactment of up-skilling opportunities and practices, and the learning and agency of marine professionals (scientists and managers)? The theoretical work of this study consisted of, first, considering sensitising concepts which included: defining skill and knowledge; considering what an up-skilling opportunity might look like; workplace learning (both formal and informal learning); professional practices, lifelong learning or adult education, and agency in the workplace. Critical realism was then employed as the meta-theory that underlabours this research, while the substantive theories used for analysis purposes were socio-materialism and practice theory. Of course, critical realism is a socio-material theory itself, and Bhaskar’s four-planar social being or Social Cube was used to interpret and synthesise the findings in the data chapters. The methodological framework of this study explores the implications of critical realism for research design and analysis and includes a contextual profiling phase, semi-structured interviews, analysis of documents and peer-reviewed papers, as well as observations. There are nine case studies that form the focus of this research and in total 18 research participants were involved. Data analysis included abduction and retroduction as the primary modes of inference and the main analytical tool was the framework of practice architectures where I took the ‘sayings’, ‘doings’ and ‘relatings’ as themes. Further themes were developed from the other relevant theories used in this study; hence socio-materialism, learning, agency, and formal and informal opportunities, were also used as themes when coding the data. Issues around validity, ethics and reflexivity are key elements of the research design and were carefully considered throughout the research process. The principal data chapters are structured in such a way that each sub-question is considered and ultimately the findings are presented in the form of generative mechanisms which included: the politics of social transformation and knowledge as a driving force of up-skilling; the influence of individual disposition and passion or will; the importance of the socio-material realities and realistic expectations; and how relationality is critical for the marine sector. Agency was a cross-cutting theme in all the discussions around learning, practices and the role of the material, and was highly influential on the mechanisms that have been described in this study. The experiences, events and mechanisms that were uncovered in this research provide insight into the forms of learning as these relate to up-skilling that occur in the marine sector, as well as the complex relationships between formal and informal learning. The professional practices that occur in the everyday working lives of the marine professionals were shown to be an integral part of the learning process, while formal, certified opportunities are important for strengthening the field and building conservation competence in the country. By uncovering the deeper structures and mechanisms that have power and causal efficacy when it comes to up-skilling opportunities, learning and professional practices, this study has contributed to the field of environmental education as it shows how up-skilling processes operate in complex formations that involve formal and informal learning processes in workplaces. The study also offers a more nuanced view of the relational objects in this field, such as up-skilling and workplace learning, via the inclusion of a socio-material analysis. Through a theoretical and methodological framework that focused on the material using the tools of practice theory and Bhaskar’s depth ontology and four-planar social being (to synthesise and interpret the findings from a critical realist perspective), this research highlights the unique context of up-skilling opportunities and practices in the marine sector and reveals the crucial role of agency in workplace practices. This leads to a better understanding of the up-skilling opportunities and practices of marine professionals in South Africa, which ultimately contributes towards improved human capital development in the biodiversity and environmental sectors. Through offering more complex insights into the forms of learning and up-skilling, as well as a distinct methodological contribution, this research has broader relevance for workplace learning research.
- Full Text:
Understanding the image in art therapy: a phenomenological-hermeneutic investigation
- Authors: Douglas, Blanche Daw
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Art therapy Art -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2966 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002475
- Description: Part One of the research seeks to establish a context wherein certain assumptions pertaining to the interpretative dimensions of understanding the image in art therapy can be considered and reviewed. Notions about the image, meaning and reality are discussed both in terms of how they relate to current art therapy practice, and how they may be alternatively thought about, both from the perspective of ancient Hellenic Greek thought, and more contemporary thought, particularly that of phenomenological and philosophical-hermeneutics. Part Two of the research investigates the phenomenon of understanding the image in an art therapy situation, with a view to reconsidering certain of the assumptions raised in the first part of the thesis (phrased in the form of research questions). It did this utilizing a qualitative method, by exposing four respondents (patients), and two therapists to an art therapy situation in which images were created out of clay. The respondents (patients) and therapists articulated their understanding of the image production procedure, and the meaning of the images created. The way understanding occurred in the empirical part of the research was explained and illustrated by means of the hermeneutic circle, which was operational on a number of different levels. The results of the research suggest that the meaning of the image in art therapy is a creative synthesis, which emerges from within a dialectics of exchange. This exchange involves a number of meaning-generating contexts, of which the patient’s experience, and the therapist’s knowledge, form only a part. The outcome of this exchange is the derived meaning of the image, which represents a ‘fictional’ world that gives the patient and therapist a way of understanding the patient’s situation. The process of the research, which investigates the way understanding of the image in art therapy occurs, is at the same time, an application of the principles of understanding
- Full Text:
- Authors: Douglas, Blanche Daw
- Date: 1999
- Subjects: Art therapy Art -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2966 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002475
- Description: Part One of the research seeks to establish a context wherein certain assumptions pertaining to the interpretative dimensions of understanding the image in art therapy can be considered and reviewed. Notions about the image, meaning and reality are discussed both in terms of how they relate to current art therapy practice, and how they may be alternatively thought about, both from the perspective of ancient Hellenic Greek thought, and more contemporary thought, particularly that of phenomenological and philosophical-hermeneutics. Part Two of the research investigates the phenomenon of understanding the image in an art therapy situation, with a view to reconsidering certain of the assumptions raised in the first part of the thesis (phrased in the form of research questions). It did this utilizing a qualitative method, by exposing four respondents (patients), and two therapists to an art therapy situation in which images were created out of clay. The respondents (patients) and therapists articulated their understanding of the image production procedure, and the meaning of the images created. The way understanding occurred in the empirical part of the research was explained and illustrated by means of the hermeneutic circle, which was operational on a number of different levels. The results of the research suggest that the meaning of the image in art therapy is a creative synthesis, which emerges from within a dialectics of exchange. This exchange involves a number of meaning-generating contexts, of which the patient’s experience, and the therapist’s knowledge, form only a part. The outcome of this exchange is the derived meaning of the image, which represents a ‘fictional’ world that gives the patient and therapist a way of understanding the patient’s situation. The process of the research, which investigates the way understanding of the image in art therapy occurs, is at the same time, an application of the principles of understanding
- Full Text:
Understanding the harm of rape
- Authors: Kelland, Lindsay-Ann
- Date: 2013-04-19
- Subjects: Rape -- Social aspects--Research -- South Africa Rape -- Psychological aspects -- Research -- South Africa Rape trauma syndrome -- Research -- South Africa Rape victims -- South Africa Patriarchy -- South Africa Sexual dominance and submission -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2700 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001582
- Description: The aims of this thesis are twofold: to provide an account of the lived experience of the harm of male-on-female rape in patriarchal societies and, on the basis of this account, to generate suggestions that could be of use in the recovery process for survivors of this type of rape. In order to reach these aims my thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, I propose a phenomenologically based account of women’s situation as a group under patriarchy, according to which women as a group are subjugated to the hegemonic rule of patriarchal ideology. I argue, further, that the meaning, place and pervasiveness of sexual objectification in the lives of women under patriarchy typically results in women’s alienation from their bodies and creates an atmosphere of threat under which women qua women are especially vulnerable to rape. In the second part, I explore the lived experience of the harm of rape; focusing, first, on the reflexive process whereby a survivor attempts to understand how she has been harmed and, second, on providing explanations based on shared features in the lives of women for two phenomena reported to be experienced by rape victims in the aftermath of the trauma, which I call ‘shattering’ and ‘fragmentation'. My discussion of the lived experience of the harm of rape is meant to supplement existing accounts in the contemporary literature that, I argue, are limited to a thirdperson, objective point of view and so fail to provide a link between the harms they describe and the victim’s actual experience of these harms. Finally, I defend two suggestions for the building up of the survivor’s agency and personhood in the aftermath of rape—the deliberate therapeutic use of feminist consciousness-raising and the use of narrative understanding. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kelland, Lindsay-Ann
- Date: 2013-04-19
- Subjects: Rape -- Social aspects--Research -- South Africa Rape -- Psychological aspects -- Research -- South Africa Rape trauma syndrome -- Research -- South Africa Rape victims -- South Africa Patriarchy -- South Africa Sexual dominance and submission -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2700 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001582
- Description: The aims of this thesis are twofold: to provide an account of the lived experience of the harm of male-on-female rape in patriarchal societies and, on the basis of this account, to generate suggestions that could be of use in the recovery process for survivors of this type of rape. In order to reach these aims my thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, I propose a phenomenologically based account of women’s situation as a group under patriarchy, according to which women as a group are subjugated to the hegemonic rule of patriarchal ideology. I argue, further, that the meaning, place and pervasiveness of sexual objectification in the lives of women under patriarchy typically results in women’s alienation from their bodies and creates an atmosphere of threat under which women qua women are especially vulnerable to rape. In the second part, I explore the lived experience of the harm of rape; focusing, first, on the reflexive process whereby a survivor attempts to understand how she has been harmed and, second, on providing explanations based on shared features in the lives of women for two phenomena reported to be experienced by rape victims in the aftermath of the trauma, which I call ‘shattering’ and ‘fragmentation'. My discussion of the lived experience of the harm of rape is meant to supplement existing accounts in the contemporary literature that, I argue, are limited to a thirdperson, objective point of view and so fail to provide a link between the harms they describe and the victim’s actual experience of these harms. Finally, I defend two suggestions for the building up of the survivor’s agency and personhood in the aftermath of rape—the deliberate therapeutic use of feminist consciousness-raising and the use of narrative understanding. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
Understanding defiant identities: an ethnography of gays and lesbians in Harare, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Muparamoto, Nelson
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Gays -- Zimbabwe , Gays -- Abuse of -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Social aspects -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Religious aspects -- Zimbabwe , Homophobia -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67720 , vital:29133
- Description: Over the years, western and local media have mediated a narrative of a thoroughly homophobic Zimbabwe, not the least emanating from the former president Robert Mugabe’s ongoing homocritical utterances which recurrently generated global news stories. The country does indeed have a protracted history characterised by various forms of attacks on Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, its membership, and the general lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. A dominant discourse has framed homosexual identities as on or beyond the border of what is acceptable, giving the clear message that they should not be tolerated. However, the narrative needs a more nuanced analysis than what has been popularised. That homophobia has played a significant role in Zimbabwe is of great import, but it is not and cannot be all there is to say about LGBT lives in the country. And, while scholarship on Zimbabwean homosexualities has engaged with debates about its indigeneity, morality and acceptability, it has as of yet not significantly explored the lived realities of non-heterosexual individuals from their own point of view. This thesis aims to begin doing exactly that, addressing the experiences of same-sex loving and attracted individuals in Harare. Drawing on ethnographic sociology, the thesis focuses on understanding how gay and lesbian identities are constructed, negotiated and experienced within an environment that is in many ways overtly homophobic, where, for example, the risk for social exclusion is considerable. It explores what characterises and shapes gay and lesbian identities in Harare in an attempt to interrogate how they reinforce, modify and challenge dominant social categories and relate to globally circulating queer identity categories. The thesis demonstrates that the construction of identities among same sex loving people in Harare variously draws on both locally and globally circulating ideas and insights. The thesis reveals that beyond the considerable attacks on homosexual identities in Zimbabwe, the intersection of local and international discourses on gay and lesbian identities produces identities that are to varying degrees emergent, fluid and perhaps fragmented. Despite attempts to expunge non-heterosexuals from Zimbabwean citizenry by drawing borders on the basis of sexual orientation, same sex loving individuals in Harare have defiantly expressed, negotiated and managed their sexual identities. The thesis describes and analyses things like dating patterns, decision making in same sex relations as well as family and religious experiences. Invoking Goffman’s concept of self-presentation enables one to understand how participants expressed themselves in the midst of like-minded or homo-tolerant individuals and how they deployed themselves in ‘spaces’ considered homocritical or where resentment was likely to be provoked by them openly expressing their sexual orientation. Crucially, same-sex loving and attracted individuals are agentic individuals who have variously stretched the traditional meanings associated with gender and sexuality in a context characterised by heteronormativity. This thesis usefully deploys Giddens’ (1991, 1992) theorisation of late modernity as characterised by conditions allowing a profusion of competing and sometimes contradictory identity discourses which offers the opportunity for self-reflexivity and identity negotiation. This helps us to understand the defiant identities. Whereas western circulating identity politics tout ‘coming out of the closet’, for most of the participants overt indiscriminate disclosure was to be avoided with participants therein deploying strategies that would help them to remain closeted to some family members as well as in religious circles. The consequences of ‘outing’ or disclosure are ostensibly not straightforward but complex, thus requiring a nuanced analysis that goes beyond the binary categories framed as either negative or positive. The thesis shows that experiences of same sex loving people in their families are complex rather than simply situated on the polar ends of either rejection or acceptance. Whilst dominant discourse has depicted religion as fuelling homophobia as it depicts a Christian identity and queer identities as incompatible, the thesis also explores how some participants challenge the borders drawn in religious circles and maintain a relatively active religious life but not always without conflict.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Muparamoto, Nelson
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Gays -- Zimbabwe , Gays -- Abuse of -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Political aspects -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Social aspects -- Zimbabwe , Homosexuality -- Religious aspects -- Zimbabwe , Homophobia -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67720 , vital:29133
- Description: Over the years, western and local media have mediated a narrative of a thoroughly homophobic Zimbabwe, not the least emanating from the former president Robert Mugabe’s ongoing homocritical utterances which recurrently generated global news stories. The country does indeed have a protracted history characterised by various forms of attacks on Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, its membership, and the general lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. A dominant discourse has framed homosexual identities as on or beyond the border of what is acceptable, giving the clear message that they should not be tolerated. However, the narrative needs a more nuanced analysis than what has been popularised. That homophobia has played a significant role in Zimbabwe is of great import, but it is not and cannot be all there is to say about LGBT lives in the country. And, while scholarship on Zimbabwean homosexualities has engaged with debates about its indigeneity, morality and acceptability, it has as of yet not significantly explored the lived realities of non-heterosexual individuals from their own point of view. This thesis aims to begin doing exactly that, addressing the experiences of same-sex loving and attracted individuals in Harare. Drawing on ethnographic sociology, the thesis focuses on understanding how gay and lesbian identities are constructed, negotiated and experienced within an environment that is in many ways overtly homophobic, where, for example, the risk for social exclusion is considerable. It explores what characterises and shapes gay and lesbian identities in Harare in an attempt to interrogate how they reinforce, modify and challenge dominant social categories and relate to globally circulating queer identity categories. The thesis demonstrates that the construction of identities among same sex loving people in Harare variously draws on both locally and globally circulating ideas and insights. The thesis reveals that beyond the considerable attacks on homosexual identities in Zimbabwe, the intersection of local and international discourses on gay and lesbian identities produces identities that are to varying degrees emergent, fluid and perhaps fragmented. Despite attempts to expunge non-heterosexuals from Zimbabwean citizenry by drawing borders on the basis of sexual orientation, same sex loving individuals in Harare have defiantly expressed, negotiated and managed their sexual identities. The thesis describes and analyses things like dating patterns, decision making in same sex relations as well as family and religious experiences. Invoking Goffman’s concept of self-presentation enables one to understand how participants expressed themselves in the midst of like-minded or homo-tolerant individuals and how they deployed themselves in ‘spaces’ considered homocritical or where resentment was likely to be provoked by them openly expressing their sexual orientation. Crucially, same-sex loving and attracted individuals are agentic individuals who have variously stretched the traditional meanings associated with gender and sexuality in a context characterised by heteronormativity. This thesis usefully deploys Giddens’ (1991, 1992) theorisation of late modernity as characterised by conditions allowing a profusion of competing and sometimes contradictory identity discourses which offers the opportunity for self-reflexivity and identity negotiation. This helps us to understand the defiant identities. Whereas western circulating identity politics tout ‘coming out of the closet’, for most of the participants overt indiscriminate disclosure was to be avoided with participants therein deploying strategies that would help them to remain closeted to some family members as well as in religious circles. The consequences of ‘outing’ or disclosure are ostensibly not straightforward but complex, thus requiring a nuanced analysis that goes beyond the binary categories framed as either negative or positive. The thesis shows that experiences of same sex loving people in their families are complex rather than simply situated on the polar ends of either rejection or acceptance. Whilst dominant discourse has depicted religion as fuelling homophobia as it depicts a Christian identity and queer identities as incompatible, the thesis also explores how some participants challenge the borders drawn in religious circles and maintain a relatively active religious life but not always without conflict.
- Full Text:
Understanding climate variability and livelihoods adaptation in rural Zimbabwe : case of Charewa, Mutoko
- Authors: Bhatasara, Sandra
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Environmental impact analysis -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farmers -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko -- Economic conditions , Food supply -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farms -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Land use, Rural -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Crops and climate -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3403 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018928 , Climatic changes -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Environmental impact analysis -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farmers -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko -- Economic conditions , Food supply -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farms -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Land use, Rural -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Crops and climate -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko
- Description: Rural farmers in Zimbabwe have been grappling with various changes and challenges occurring in the country since the early 1990s. Amongst these, climate variability has emerged as one significant aspect. It has introduced new challenges for these farmers who are already facing various difficulties in maintaining their insecure livelihoods. Yet, current adaptation theories and inquiries have failed to sufficiently account for and analyse the capacity of these farmers to adequately respond to changing climatic conditions. In this respect, a number of studies have been heavily embedded in deterministic concepts that regard rural farmers as passive victims who play only a minor part in decisions and actions that affect their own livelihoods and well-being. Similarly, although some studies have acknowledged farmers’ capacity to adapt and build elements of resilience, they have not adequately shown how farmers interpret changes in climate and the structures, processes and conditions underpinning adaptation. Following that, my study uses a case study of a rural community in a semi-arid region of Mutoko district in eastern Zimbabwe and Margaret Archer’s sociological theory to understand and analyse how farmers problematise climate variability and respond to it. The study utilises a qualitative approach to divulge the subtleties on how rural people interpret processes of change and adapt to such changes. The thesis found that farmers are encountering increasingly unpredictable and unreliable rainfall patterns as well as shifting temperature conditions which are inducing labyrinthian livelihoods conundrums. However, these climatic shifts are not being experienced in a discrete manner hence farmers are also discontented with the obtaining socio-economic circumstances in the country. Simultaneously, whilst farmers in large part conceived changes in rainfall and temperature to be caused by natural shifts in climate, they also ascribed them to cultural and religious facets. Importantly, the thesis reveals considerable resourcefulness by farmers in the face of nascent changes in climate variability. Farmers have therefore constructed versatile coping and adaptive strategies. What is crucial to mention here is that climatic and non-climatic challenges are negotiated concurrently. Therein, farmers are adapting to climate variability and at the same time navigating difficult socio-economic landscapes. All the same, the process of adaptation is ostensibly not straightforward but complex. As it evolves, farmers find themselves facing numerous constraining structures and processes. Nonetheless, farmers in this study are able to circumvent the constraints presented to them and at the same time activate the corresponding enabling structures, processes and conditions.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Bhatasara, Sandra
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Climatic changes -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Environmental impact analysis -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farmers -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko -- Economic conditions , Food supply -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farms -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Land use, Rural -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Crops and climate -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3403 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018928 , Climatic changes -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Sustainable agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Environmental impact analysis -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farmers -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko -- Economic conditions , Food supply -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Farms -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Land use, Rural -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko , Crops and climate -- Zimbabwe -- Mutoko
- Description: Rural farmers in Zimbabwe have been grappling with various changes and challenges occurring in the country since the early 1990s. Amongst these, climate variability has emerged as one significant aspect. It has introduced new challenges for these farmers who are already facing various difficulties in maintaining their insecure livelihoods. Yet, current adaptation theories and inquiries have failed to sufficiently account for and analyse the capacity of these farmers to adequately respond to changing climatic conditions. In this respect, a number of studies have been heavily embedded in deterministic concepts that regard rural farmers as passive victims who play only a minor part in decisions and actions that affect their own livelihoods and well-being. Similarly, although some studies have acknowledged farmers’ capacity to adapt and build elements of resilience, they have not adequately shown how farmers interpret changes in climate and the structures, processes and conditions underpinning adaptation. Following that, my study uses a case study of a rural community in a semi-arid region of Mutoko district in eastern Zimbabwe and Margaret Archer’s sociological theory to understand and analyse how farmers problematise climate variability and respond to it. The study utilises a qualitative approach to divulge the subtleties on how rural people interpret processes of change and adapt to such changes. The thesis found that farmers are encountering increasingly unpredictable and unreliable rainfall patterns as well as shifting temperature conditions which are inducing labyrinthian livelihoods conundrums. However, these climatic shifts are not being experienced in a discrete manner hence farmers are also discontented with the obtaining socio-economic circumstances in the country. Simultaneously, whilst farmers in large part conceived changes in rainfall and temperature to be caused by natural shifts in climate, they also ascribed them to cultural and religious facets. Importantly, the thesis reveals considerable resourcefulness by farmers in the face of nascent changes in climate variability. Farmers have therefore constructed versatile coping and adaptive strategies. What is crucial to mention here is that climatic and non-climatic challenges are negotiated concurrently. Therein, farmers are adapting to climate variability and at the same time navigating difficult socio-economic landscapes. All the same, the process of adaptation is ostensibly not straightforward but complex. As it evolves, farmers find themselves facing numerous constraining structures and processes. Nonetheless, farmers in this study are able to circumvent the constraints presented to them and at the same time activate the corresponding enabling structures, processes and conditions.
- Full Text:
Understanding climate change and rural livelihoods in Zimbabwe: adaptation by communal farmers in Ngundu, Chivi District
- Authors: Nciizah, Elinah
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Zimbabwe , Agriculture -- Climatic factors -- Chivi District (Zimbabwe) , Chivi District (Zimbabwe) -- Rural conditions
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118765 , vital:34666
- Description: Climate change and variability is a global phenomenon which has deeply localised patterns, dynamics and effects. Amongst those people who are particularly vulnerable to climate change effects are small-scale farmers who are dependent in large part on rain-fed agriculture in pursuing their livelihoods. This is true of small-scale farmers in contemporary Zimbabwe and, more specifically, farmers in communal areas. At the same time, at international and national levels, there are attempts currently to minimise the effects of, and to adapt to, climate change. However, adaptation measures also exist at local levels amongst small-scale farmers, such as communal farmers in Zimbabwe. In this context, as its main objective, this thesis examines climate change and small-scale farmer livelihood adaptation to climate change with specific reference to communal farmers in Chivi District in Zimbabwe and, in particular, in Ward 25 which is popularly known as Ngundu. In pursuing this main objective, a number of subsidiary objectives are addressed, including a focus on the established livelihoods of Ngundu farmers, the perceptions and concerns of Ngundu farmers about climate change, the coping and adaptation measures of Ngundu farmers, and the enablements and constraints which affect attempts by Ngundu farmers to adopt such measures. The fieldwork for the thesis involved a diverse array of research methods, such as a questionnaire survey, life-history interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and transect walks. In terms of theoretical framing, the thesis makes use of both middle-level theory (the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework) and macro-theory in the form of the sociological work of Margaret Archer. Combined, these two theories allow for a focus on both structure and agency when seeking to understand livelihood adaptations to climate change by communal farmers in Ngundu. The thesis concludes that there are massive constraints inhibiting adaptation measures by Ngundu farmers, but that this should not distract from the deep, often historically-embedded, concerns of Ngundu farmers about climate change and the multiple ways in which they express agency in and through adaptation and coping activities. It also highlights the need for more specifically sociological investigations of climate change and small-scale farmer adaptation, as well as the need for localised studies which are able to identify and analyse the specificities of adaptation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nciizah, Elinah
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Zimbabwe , Agriculture -- Climatic factors -- Chivi District (Zimbabwe) , Chivi District (Zimbabwe) -- Rural conditions
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118765 , vital:34666
- Description: Climate change and variability is a global phenomenon which has deeply localised patterns, dynamics and effects. Amongst those people who are particularly vulnerable to climate change effects are small-scale farmers who are dependent in large part on rain-fed agriculture in pursuing their livelihoods. This is true of small-scale farmers in contemporary Zimbabwe and, more specifically, farmers in communal areas. At the same time, at international and national levels, there are attempts currently to minimise the effects of, and to adapt to, climate change. However, adaptation measures also exist at local levels amongst small-scale farmers, such as communal farmers in Zimbabwe. In this context, as its main objective, this thesis examines climate change and small-scale farmer livelihood adaptation to climate change with specific reference to communal farmers in Chivi District in Zimbabwe and, in particular, in Ward 25 which is popularly known as Ngundu. In pursuing this main objective, a number of subsidiary objectives are addressed, including a focus on the established livelihoods of Ngundu farmers, the perceptions and concerns of Ngundu farmers about climate change, the coping and adaptation measures of Ngundu farmers, and the enablements and constraints which affect attempts by Ngundu farmers to adopt such measures. The fieldwork for the thesis involved a diverse array of research methods, such as a questionnaire survey, life-history interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and transect walks. In terms of theoretical framing, the thesis makes use of both middle-level theory (the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework) and macro-theory in the form of the sociological work of Margaret Archer. Combined, these two theories allow for a focus on both structure and agency when seeking to understand livelihood adaptations to climate change by communal farmers in Ngundu. The thesis concludes that there are massive constraints inhibiting adaptation measures by Ngundu farmers, but that this should not distract from the deep, often historically-embedded, concerns of Ngundu farmers about climate change and the multiple ways in which they express agency in and through adaptation and coping activities. It also highlights the need for more specifically sociological investigations of climate change and small-scale farmer adaptation, as well as the need for localised studies which are able to identify and analyse the specificities of adaptation.
- Full Text:
Understanding biotic interactions in invaded pond communities in the Sundays River irrigation network, South Africa
- Authors: Mofu, Lubabalo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mozambique tilapia -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Western mosquitofish -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Gobiidae -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Clupeidae -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Reservoirs -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Zooplankton -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Freshwater ecology -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Fishes -- Effect of temperature on -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Stable isotopes , Relative Impact Potential
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167089 , vital:41436
- Description: The Sundays River valley irrigation ponds provide a unique opportunity to investigate biotic interactions within a biological invasions context, as they contain both native and non-native fish species. This study focusses on two native species (Glossogobius callidus and Gilchristella aestuaria) and two non-native species (Oreochromis mossambicus and Gambusia affinis). The ecology of the ponds was driven by physico-chemical variables, mainly temperature, but the interactions between fishes were a complex interplay between temperature, pond community ecology and food web structure. Seasonal changes in temperature and subsequent fluctuations in water levels resulted in changes in zooplankton community. Chlorophyll-a, temperature, G. callidus and G. affinis were the drivers of the seasonal changes in macroinvertebrate composition. Stable isotope analysis identified substantial ontogenetic dietary shifts in all species, corresponding to changes in body size. Stable isotope analysis revealed that the niche space occupied by G. affinis was broad and overlapped with that of the other three focal species. Stable isotope metrics showed that G. affinis and O. mossambicus utilised a wide range of resources compared to G. callidus and G. aestuaria. Stomach content analysis showed that G. callidus, O. mossambicus and G. affinis fed predominantly on benthic resources, while G. aestuaria fed mainly plankton resources. Functional response experiments revealed that G. callidus and G. affinis both displayed Type II functional responses. In single fish trials, G. affinis had significantly higher functional responses than G. callidus. In heterospecific G. callidus-G. affinis combinations the functional response of G. callidus was reduced by the presence of G. affinis, whereas, this combination greatly enhanced G. affinis functional response magnitudes. The functional response of G. callidus, O. mossambicus and G. affinis under two temperature treatments along with fish abundance data was used to determine temporal differences in the ecological impacts of each fish species between seasons. The relative impact potential of O. mossambicus was consistently higher than that of G. callidus and G. affinis. This study demonstrates how seasonal temperature fluctuations affect the relative impact capacities of introduced species. Overall, this thesis showed that high temperature along with life-history traits contributes to the biotic interactions between native and non-native species in novel environments.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mofu, Lubabalo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Mozambique tilapia -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Western mosquitofish -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Gobiidae -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Clupeidae -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Reservoirs -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Zooplankton -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Freshwater ecology -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Biotic communities -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Fishes -- Effect of temperature on -- South Africa -- Sundays River (Eastern Cape) , Stable isotopes , Relative Impact Potential
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/167089 , vital:41436
- Description: The Sundays River valley irrigation ponds provide a unique opportunity to investigate biotic interactions within a biological invasions context, as they contain both native and non-native fish species. This study focusses on two native species (Glossogobius callidus and Gilchristella aestuaria) and two non-native species (Oreochromis mossambicus and Gambusia affinis). The ecology of the ponds was driven by physico-chemical variables, mainly temperature, but the interactions between fishes were a complex interplay between temperature, pond community ecology and food web structure. Seasonal changes in temperature and subsequent fluctuations in water levels resulted in changes in zooplankton community. Chlorophyll-a, temperature, G. callidus and G. affinis were the drivers of the seasonal changes in macroinvertebrate composition. Stable isotope analysis identified substantial ontogenetic dietary shifts in all species, corresponding to changes in body size. Stable isotope analysis revealed that the niche space occupied by G. affinis was broad and overlapped with that of the other three focal species. Stable isotope metrics showed that G. affinis and O. mossambicus utilised a wide range of resources compared to G. callidus and G. aestuaria. Stomach content analysis showed that G. callidus, O. mossambicus and G. affinis fed predominantly on benthic resources, while G. aestuaria fed mainly plankton resources. Functional response experiments revealed that G. callidus and G. affinis both displayed Type II functional responses. In single fish trials, G. affinis had significantly higher functional responses than G. callidus. In heterospecific G. callidus-G. affinis combinations the functional response of G. callidus was reduced by the presence of G. affinis, whereas, this combination greatly enhanced G. affinis functional response magnitudes. The functional response of G. callidus, O. mossambicus and G. affinis under two temperature treatments along with fish abundance data was used to determine temporal differences in the ecological impacts of each fish species between seasons. The relative impact potential of O. mossambicus was consistently higher than that of G. callidus and G. affinis. This study demonstrates how seasonal temperature fluctuations affect the relative impact capacities of introduced species. Overall, this thesis showed that high temperature along with life-history traits contributes to the biotic interactions between native and non-native species in novel environments.
- Full Text:
Understanding and modelling of surface and groundwater interactions
- Authors: Tanner, Jane Louise
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Groundwater -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management , Integrated water development , Hydrogeology , Water resources development -- South Africa , Water -- Analysis , Groundwater -- Management , Watersheds -- South Africa , Hydrologic models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6043 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012994
- Description: The connections between surface water and groundwater systems remain poorly understood in many catchments throughout the world and yet they are fundamental to effectively managing water resources. Managing water resources in an integrated manner is not straightforward, particularly if both resources are being utilised, and especially in those regions that suffer problems of data scarcity. This study explores some of the principle issues associated with understanding and practically modelling surface and groundwater interactions. In South Africa, there remains much controversy over the most appropriate type of integrated model to be used and the way forward in terms of the development of the discipline; part of the disagreement stems from the fact that we cannot validate models adequately. This is largely due to traditional forms of model testing having limited power as it is difficult to differentiate between the uncertainties within different model structures, different sets of alternative parameter values and in the input data used to run the model. While model structural uncertainties are important to consider, the uncertainty from input data error together with parameter estimation error are often more significant to the overall residual error, and essential to consider if we want to achieve reliable predictions for water resource decisions. While new philosophies and theories on modelling and results validation have been developed (Beven, 2002; Gupta et al., 2008), in many cases models are not only still being validated and compared using sparse and uncertain datasets, but also expected to produce reliable predictions based on the flawed data. The approach in this study is focused on fundamental understanding of hydrological systems rather than calibration based modelling and promotes the use of all the available 'hard' and 'soft' data together with thoughtful conceptual examination of the processes occurring in an environment to ensure as far as possible that a model is generating sensible results by simulating the correct processes. The first part of the thesis focuses on characterising the 'typical' interaction environments found in South Africa. It was found that many traditional perceptual models are not necessarily applicable to South African conditions, largely due to the relative importance of unsaturated zone processes and the complexity of the dominantly fractured rock environments. The interaction environments were categorised into four main 'types' of environment. These include karst, primary, fractured rock (secondary), and alluvial environments. Processes critical to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) were defined within each interaction type as a guideline to setting a model up to realistically represent the dominant processes in the respective settings. The second part of the thesis addressed the application and evaluation of the modified Pitman model (Hughes, 2004), which allows for surface and groundwater interaction behaviour at the catchment scale to be simulated. The issue is whether, given the different sources of uncertainty in the modelling process, we can differentiate one conceptual flow path from another in trying to refine the understanding and consequently have more faith in model predictions. Seven example catchments were selected from around South Africa to assess whether reliable integrated assessments can be carried out given the existing data. Specific catchment perceptual models were used to identify the critical processes occurring in each setting and the Pitman model was assessed on whether it could represent them (structural uncertainty). The available knowledge of specific environments or catchments was then examined in an attempt to resolve the parameter uncertainty present within each catchment and ensure the subsequent model setup was correctly representing the process understanding as far as possible. The confidence in the quantitative results inevitably varied with the amount and quality of the data available. While the model was deemed to be robust based on the behavioural results obtained in the majority of the case studies, in many cases a quantitative validation of the outputs was just not possible based on the available data. In these cases, the model was judged on its ability to represent the conceptualisation of the processes occurring in the catchments. While the lack of appropriate data means there will always be considerable uncertainty surrounding model validation, it can be argued that improved process understanding in an environment can be used to validate model outcomes to a degree, by assessing whether a model is getting the right results for the right reasons. Many water resource decisions are still made without adequate account being taken of the uncertainties inherent in assessing the response of hydrological systems. Certainly, with all the possible sources of uncertainty in a data scarce country such as South Africa, pure calibration based modelling is unlikely to produce reliable information for water resource managers as it can produce the right results for the wrong reasons. Thus it becomes essential to incorporate conceptual thinking into the modelling process, so that at the very least we are able to conclude that a model generates estimates that are consistent with, and reflect, our understanding (however limited) of the catchment processes. It is fairly clear that achieving the optimum model of a hydrological system may be fraught with difficulty, if not impossible. This makes it very difficult from a practitioner's point of view to decide which model and uncertainty estimation method to use. According to Beven (2009), this may be a transitional problem and in the future it may become clearer as we learn more about how to estimate the uncertainties associated with hydrological systems. Until then, a better understanding of the fundamental and most critical hydrogeological processes should be used to critically test and improve model predictions as far as possible. A major focus of the study was to identify whether the modified Pitman model could provide a practical tool for water resource managers by reliably determining the available water resource. The incorporation of surface and groundwater interaction routines seems to have resulted in a more robust and realistic model of basin hydrology. The overall conclusion is that the model, although simplified, is capable of representing the catchment scale processes that occur under most South African conditions.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Tanner, Jane Louise
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Groundwater -- South Africa , Water-supply -- Management , Integrated water development , Hydrogeology , Water resources development -- South Africa , Water -- Analysis , Groundwater -- Management , Watersheds -- South Africa , Hydrologic models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6043 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012994
- Description: The connections between surface water and groundwater systems remain poorly understood in many catchments throughout the world and yet they are fundamental to effectively managing water resources. Managing water resources in an integrated manner is not straightforward, particularly if both resources are being utilised, and especially in those regions that suffer problems of data scarcity. This study explores some of the principle issues associated with understanding and practically modelling surface and groundwater interactions. In South Africa, there remains much controversy over the most appropriate type of integrated model to be used and the way forward in terms of the development of the discipline; part of the disagreement stems from the fact that we cannot validate models adequately. This is largely due to traditional forms of model testing having limited power as it is difficult to differentiate between the uncertainties within different model structures, different sets of alternative parameter values and in the input data used to run the model. While model structural uncertainties are important to consider, the uncertainty from input data error together with parameter estimation error are often more significant to the overall residual error, and essential to consider if we want to achieve reliable predictions for water resource decisions. While new philosophies and theories on modelling and results validation have been developed (Beven, 2002; Gupta et al., 2008), in many cases models are not only still being validated and compared using sparse and uncertain datasets, but also expected to produce reliable predictions based on the flawed data. The approach in this study is focused on fundamental understanding of hydrological systems rather than calibration based modelling and promotes the use of all the available 'hard' and 'soft' data together with thoughtful conceptual examination of the processes occurring in an environment to ensure as far as possible that a model is generating sensible results by simulating the correct processes. The first part of the thesis focuses on characterising the 'typical' interaction environments found in South Africa. It was found that many traditional perceptual models are not necessarily applicable to South African conditions, largely due to the relative importance of unsaturated zone processes and the complexity of the dominantly fractured rock environments. The interaction environments were categorised into four main 'types' of environment. These include karst, primary, fractured rock (secondary), and alluvial environments. Processes critical to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) were defined within each interaction type as a guideline to setting a model up to realistically represent the dominant processes in the respective settings. The second part of the thesis addressed the application and evaluation of the modified Pitman model (Hughes, 2004), which allows for surface and groundwater interaction behaviour at the catchment scale to be simulated. The issue is whether, given the different sources of uncertainty in the modelling process, we can differentiate one conceptual flow path from another in trying to refine the understanding and consequently have more faith in model predictions. Seven example catchments were selected from around South Africa to assess whether reliable integrated assessments can be carried out given the existing data. Specific catchment perceptual models were used to identify the critical processes occurring in each setting and the Pitman model was assessed on whether it could represent them (structural uncertainty). The available knowledge of specific environments or catchments was then examined in an attempt to resolve the parameter uncertainty present within each catchment and ensure the subsequent model setup was correctly representing the process understanding as far as possible. The confidence in the quantitative results inevitably varied with the amount and quality of the data available. While the model was deemed to be robust based on the behavioural results obtained in the majority of the case studies, in many cases a quantitative validation of the outputs was just not possible based on the available data. In these cases, the model was judged on its ability to represent the conceptualisation of the processes occurring in the catchments. While the lack of appropriate data means there will always be considerable uncertainty surrounding model validation, it can be argued that improved process understanding in an environment can be used to validate model outcomes to a degree, by assessing whether a model is getting the right results for the right reasons. Many water resource decisions are still made without adequate account being taken of the uncertainties inherent in assessing the response of hydrological systems. Certainly, with all the possible sources of uncertainty in a data scarce country such as South Africa, pure calibration based modelling is unlikely to produce reliable information for water resource managers as it can produce the right results for the wrong reasons. Thus it becomes essential to incorporate conceptual thinking into the modelling process, so that at the very least we are able to conclude that a model generates estimates that are consistent with, and reflect, our understanding (however limited) of the catchment processes. It is fairly clear that achieving the optimum model of a hydrological system may be fraught with difficulty, if not impossible. This makes it very difficult from a practitioner's point of view to decide which model and uncertainty estimation method to use. According to Beven (2009), this may be a transitional problem and in the future it may become clearer as we learn more about how to estimate the uncertainties associated with hydrological systems. Until then, a better understanding of the fundamental and most critical hydrogeological processes should be used to critically test and improve model predictions as far as possible. A major focus of the study was to identify whether the modified Pitman model could provide a practical tool for water resource managers by reliably determining the available water resource. The incorporation of surface and groundwater interaction routines seems to have resulted in a more robust and realistic model of basin hydrology. The overall conclusion is that the model, although simplified, is capable of representing the catchment scale processes that occur under most South African conditions.
- Full Text:
Understanding a West African recreational fishery as a complex social-ecological system – a case study of the fishery for giant African threadfin Polydactylus quadrifilis (Cuvier, 1829) in the Kwanza Estuary, Angola
- Authors: Butler, Edward C
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cuanza River (Angola) , Fishing -- Angola , Polynemidae , Fishes -- Angola -- Ecology
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146688 , vital:38548
- Description: Despite increasing global recognition of the importance of recreational fisheries, their management largely remains poor. This is because they exhibit unique human-nature relationships and are nested within complex social-ecological systems (SESs). Recreational fisheries in the developing world have large potential for socio-economic development, but are generally underappreciated, in terms of their value and their impact, and are poorly governed. This is particularly concerning as they are highly complex and often compete for resources with dependent artisanal and subsistence fisheries. Developing world recreational fishery SESs are not well understood and present an important research gap for improved governance. The general aim of this thesis was to explore the recreational fishery targeting Polydactylus quadrifilis on the Kwanza Estuary, Angola, and provide context for how managers should approach recreational fisheries in the developing world and in Africa. To do this, the recreational fishery SES was explored using a combination of methodologies including those characteristic of traditional fisheries science, and new methods involving biology, sociology, and economics. The thesis contains an introductory chapter, a chapter describing the background, study area and study species, five data chapters and a discussion chapter. Chapter 3 aimed to investigate the reproductive style of P. quadrifilis. Results identified the species as a protandrous hermaphrodite. Evidence to suggest this included degenerating testicular tissue and the presence of early developing ovarian tissues in transitional individuals. Early-stage oocytes were commonly found in the outer area of male regions and residual late-stage spermatids and spermatozoa were found in the luminal space of ovarian regions, suggesting a process of sex change from the outside inwards. Owing to the species’ reliance on large highly fecund females for reproduction, it is likely that P. quadrifilis will be sensitive to fisheries that target larger individuals, such as trophy recreational fisheries and line fisheries within other sectors. Chapter 4 aimed to investigate alternative methods for adequately describing the growth of P. quadrifilis individuals belonging to either one of two distinct hypothetical life-history pathways: pathway I (‘changers’) – initial maturation as a primary male followed by a sex change to female; pathway II (‘non-changers’) – initial maturation as a male fish with no subsequent sex change, using von Bertalanffy Growth Functions (VBGFs). Other specific objectives included determining the size- and age-at-maturity and size- and age-at-sex-change for P. quadrifilis. Otolith aging revealed rapid growth and early maturation (L50 = 399.2 mm FL, A50 = 1.50 years) and sex change occurred over a wide size (790–1125 mm FL) and age (3–8 years) range. There was strong evidence for partial protandry in P. quadrifilis with several extremely old male fish (up to 22 years) observed in the population. When compared to the conventional model produced for the entire population, there were significant differences in the models for the ‘non-changers’ (LRT, p < 0.01) and their parameters L∞ (full model = 130.8, ‘non-changers’ = 113.3, p < 0.01), k (0.32, 0.44, p < 0.01) and t0 (0.23, 0.43, p = 0.03) in the first approach and the models (LRT, p < 0.01) and their L∞ (‘changers’ = 113.7, p < 0.01) values in the second approach. This suggests that utilising conventional modelling techniques may be inappropriate for the stock assessment and management of P. quadrifilis and, potentially, other sequentially hermaphroditic fishery species. Chapter 5 aimed to assess the sensitivity of P. quadrifilis to recreational C&R within the foreign recreational fishery using a rapid assessment approach. To do this, a number of C&R variables including fight time, air exposure, hook placement, hooking injury, total time of the stress event, river depth and angling method were measured and related to two indicators of fish health and survival – the physiological stress indicators blood glucose and blood lactate concentration and reflex action mortality predictors (RAMPs). Air exposure was identified as a major contributor to motor impairment (Cumulative Link Model: p < 0.01) and fight time was an important contributor to motor impairment via its interaction with air exposure (Cumulative Link Model: p = 0.02). Handling practices appear to be particularly important for larger individuals as fish size was positively correlated with air exposure (Pearson’s r coefficient = 0.41, p < 0.01) and fight times (0.88, p < 0.01). The findings suggest that recreational C&R may result in mortalities directly, via C&R, and indirectly, via predation, and several recommendations were made for best practice. Chapter 6 aimed to assess the direct economic contribution of the recreational fishery for Polydactylus quadrifilis on the Kwanza Estuary. Results indicated that the recreational fishery for contributed significantly to the economy of an area that would otherwise likely receive little external input ($282 054 per four-month fishing season). However, high rates of economic leakage from the study area were identified (58.7%–92.9% of locally spent revenue) and were attributed to the sourcing of lodge supplies, services and staff outside of the local area and the repatriation of profit by foreign business owners. Capacity building within the local community is likely required to develop ‘linkages’ between the local community and the recreational fishery. Greater community involvement in the fishery is suggested to incentivise the protection of recreationally important fishery species and their associated ecosystems. Chapter 7 aimed to investigate the resource user groups involved within the SES. Results illustrated that artisanal and domestic recreational anglers are well-established and are characterised by long histories of participation. The artisanal fishery was highly valued as a source of livelihoods for the local community. Artisanal fishers were eager for involvement in the recreational sector, through the chartering of their vessels, due to the attractiveness of extra earnings. Both recreational and artisanal fishers reported recent decreases in P. quadrifilis catch and anticipated further declines. Domestic recreational anglers appeared to be highly consumptive in their use of the fishery and C&R angling was uncommon. User conflict may be problematic for future management as recreational anglers perceived the artisanal gill-net fishery to be a threat towards P. quadrifilis stocks. In conclusion, the open-access nature of the fishery was identified as the most pertinent threat to its sustainability and likely needs to be addressed. Potential solutions involve offering users the opportunity to purchase access rights (e.g. day permits), thus initiating the concept that users must pay for their use of public resources. Management should aim to protect large female fish due to their increased reproductive value and worth as trophy fish. Thus, C&R angling is likely to be an important interaction between users and the resource. However, angler behaviour will need to be manipulated to promote C&R and minimise C&R-related mortalities. Solutions include angler educational drives and interventions and the implementation of competitive C&R-only angling. Foreign recreational fisheries, although touted as potential ecotourism ventures, will only succeed in improving the lives of local people if they fully integrate the community into the operation of the fishery.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Butler, Edward C
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cuanza River (Angola) , Fishing -- Angola , Polynemidae , Fishes -- Angola -- Ecology
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146688 , vital:38548
- Description: Despite increasing global recognition of the importance of recreational fisheries, their management largely remains poor. This is because they exhibit unique human-nature relationships and are nested within complex social-ecological systems (SESs). Recreational fisheries in the developing world have large potential for socio-economic development, but are generally underappreciated, in terms of their value and their impact, and are poorly governed. This is particularly concerning as they are highly complex and often compete for resources with dependent artisanal and subsistence fisheries. Developing world recreational fishery SESs are not well understood and present an important research gap for improved governance. The general aim of this thesis was to explore the recreational fishery targeting Polydactylus quadrifilis on the Kwanza Estuary, Angola, and provide context for how managers should approach recreational fisheries in the developing world and in Africa. To do this, the recreational fishery SES was explored using a combination of methodologies including those characteristic of traditional fisheries science, and new methods involving biology, sociology, and economics. The thesis contains an introductory chapter, a chapter describing the background, study area and study species, five data chapters and a discussion chapter. Chapter 3 aimed to investigate the reproductive style of P. quadrifilis. Results identified the species as a protandrous hermaphrodite. Evidence to suggest this included degenerating testicular tissue and the presence of early developing ovarian tissues in transitional individuals. Early-stage oocytes were commonly found in the outer area of male regions and residual late-stage spermatids and spermatozoa were found in the luminal space of ovarian regions, suggesting a process of sex change from the outside inwards. Owing to the species’ reliance on large highly fecund females for reproduction, it is likely that P. quadrifilis will be sensitive to fisheries that target larger individuals, such as trophy recreational fisheries and line fisheries within other sectors. Chapter 4 aimed to investigate alternative methods for adequately describing the growth of P. quadrifilis individuals belonging to either one of two distinct hypothetical life-history pathways: pathway I (‘changers’) – initial maturation as a primary male followed by a sex change to female; pathway II (‘non-changers’) – initial maturation as a male fish with no subsequent sex change, using von Bertalanffy Growth Functions (VBGFs). Other specific objectives included determining the size- and age-at-maturity and size- and age-at-sex-change for P. quadrifilis. Otolith aging revealed rapid growth and early maturation (L50 = 399.2 mm FL, A50 = 1.50 years) and sex change occurred over a wide size (790–1125 mm FL) and age (3–8 years) range. There was strong evidence for partial protandry in P. quadrifilis with several extremely old male fish (up to 22 years) observed in the population. When compared to the conventional model produced for the entire population, there were significant differences in the models for the ‘non-changers’ (LRT, p < 0.01) and their parameters L∞ (full model = 130.8, ‘non-changers’ = 113.3, p < 0.01), k (0.32, 0.44, p < 0.01) and t0 (0.23, 0.43, p = 0.03) in the first approach and the models (LRT, p < 0.01) and their L∞ (‘changers’ = 113.7, p < 0.01) values in the second approach. This suggests that utilising conventional modelling techniques may be inappropriate for the stock assessment and management of P. quadrifilis and, potentially, other sequentially hermaphroditic fishery species. Chapter 5 aimed to assess the sensitivity of P. quadrifilis to recreational C&R within the foreign recreational fishery using a rapid assessment approach. To do this, a number of C&R variables including fight time, air exposure, hook placement, hooking injury, total time of the stress event, river depth and angling method were measured and related to two indicators of fish health and survival – the physiological stress indicators blood glucose and blood lactate concentration and reflex action mortality predictors (RAMPs). Air exposure was identified as a major contributor to motor impairment (Cumulative Link Model: p < 0.01) and fight time was an important contributor to motor impairment via its interaction with air exposure (Cumulative Link Model: p = 0.02). Handling practices appear to be particularly important for larger individuals as fish size was positively correlated with air exposure (Pearson’s r coefficient = 0.41, p < 0.01) and fight times (0.88, p < 0.01). The findings suggest that recreational C&R may result in mortalities directly, via C&R, and indirectly, via predation, and several recommendations were made for best practice. Chapter 6 aimed to assess the direct economic contribution of the recreational fishery for Polydactylus quadrifilis on the Kwanza Estuary. Results indicated that the recreational fishery for contributed significantly to the economy of an area that would otherwise likely receive little external input ($282 054 per four-month fishing season). However, high rates of economic leakage from the study area were identified (58.7%–92.9% of locally spent revenue) and were attributed to the sourcing of lodge supplies, services and staff outside of the local area and the repatriation of profit by foreign business owners. Capacity building within the local community is likely required to develop ‘linkages’ between the local community and the recreational fishery. Greater community involvement in the fishery is suggested to incentivise the protection of recreationally important fishery species and their associated ecosystems. Chapter 7 aimed to investigate the resource user groups involved within the SES. Results illustrated that artisanal and domestic recreational anglers are well-established and are characterised by long histories of participation. The artisanal fishery was highly valued as a source of livelihoods for the local community. Artisanal fishers were eager for involvement in the recreational sector, through the chartering of their vessels, due to the attractiveness of extra earnings. Both recreational and artisanal fishers reported recent decreases in P. quadrifilis catch and anticipated further declines. Domestic recreational anglers appeared to be highly consumptive in their use of the fishery and C&R angling was uncommon. User conflict may be problematic for future management as recreational anglers perceived the artisanal gill-net fishery to be a threat towards P. quadrifilis stocks. In conclusion, the open-access nature of the fishery was identified as the most pertinent threat to its sustainability and likely needs to be addressed. Potential solutions involve offering users the opportunity to purchase access rights (e.g. day permits), thus initiating the concept that users must pay for their use of public resources. Management should aim to protect large female fish due to their increased reproductive value and worth as trophy fish. Thus, C&R angling is likely to be an important interaction between users and the resource. However, angler behaviour will need to be manipulated to promote C&R and minimise C&R-related mortalities. Solutions include angler educational drives and interventions and the implementation of competitive C&R-only angling. Foreign recreational fisheries, although touted as potential ecotourism ventures, will only succeed in improving the lives of local people if they fully integrate the community into the operation of the fishery.
- Full Text:
Uncertainties in modelling hydrological responses in gauged and ungauged sub‐basins
- Authors: Tumbo, Madaka Harold
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Hydrologic models , Watersheds -- Tanzania , Water-supply -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Water resources development -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Rain and rainfall -- Mathematical models , Rain gauges -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Great Ruaha River Watershed (Tanzania)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6053 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018568
- Description: The world is undergoing rapid changes and the future is uncertain. The changes are related to modification of the landscape due to human activities, such as large and small scale irrigation, afforestation and changes to the climate system. Understanding and predicting hydrologic change is one of the challenges facing hydrologists today. Part of this understanding can be developed from observed data, however, there often too few observations and those that are available are frequently affected by uncertainties. Hydrological models have become essential tools for understanding historical variations of catchment hydrology and for predicting future possible trends. However, most developing countries are faced with poor spatial distributions of rainfall and evaporation stations that provide the data used to force models, as well as stream flow gauging stations to provide the data for establishing models and for evaluating their success. Hydrological models are faced with a number of challenges which include poor input data (data quality and poorly quantified human activities on observed stream flow data), uncertainties associated with model complexity and structure, the methods used to quantify model parameters, together with the difficulties of understanding hydrological processes at the catchment or subbasin. Within hydrological modelling, there is currently a trend of dealing with equifinality through the evaluation of parameter identifiability and the quantification of uncertainty bands associated with the predictions of the model. Hydrological models should not only focus on reproducing the past behaviour of a basin, but also on evaluating the representativeness of the surface and subsurface model components and their ability to simulate reality for the correct reasons. Part of this modelling process therefore involves quantifying and including all the possible sources of uncertainty. Uncertainty analysis has become the standard approach to most hydrological modelling studies, but has yet to be effectively used in practical water resources assessment. This study applied a hydrological modelling approach for understanding the hydrology of a large Tanzanian drainage basin, the Great Ruaha River that has many areas that are ungauged and where the available data (climate, stream flow and existing water use) are subject to varying degrees of uncertainty. The Great Ruaha River (GRR) is an upstream tributary of the Rufiji River Basin within Tanzania and covers an area of 86 000 km2. The basin is drained by four main tributaries; the Upper Great Ruaha, the Kisigo, the Little Ruaha and the Lukosi. The majority of the runoff is generated from the Chunya escarpment, the Kipengere ranges and the Poroto Mountains. The runoff generated feeds the alluvial and seasonally flooded Usangu plains (including the Ihefu perennial swamp). The majority of the irrigation water use in the basin is located where headwater sub‐basins drain towards the Usangu plains. The overall objective was to establish uncertain but behavioural hydrological models that could be useful for future water resources assessments that are likely to include issues of land use change, changes in patterns of abstraction and water use, as well the possibility of change in future climates.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Tumbo, Madaka Harold
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Hydrologic models , Watersheds -- Tanzania , Water-supply -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Water resources development -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Rain and rainfall -- Mathematical models , Rain gauges -- Tanzania -- Great Ruaha River Watershed , Great Ruaha River Watershed (Tanzania)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:6053 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018568
- Description: The world is undergoing rapid changes and the future is uncertain. The changes are related to modification of the landscape due to human activities, such as large and small scale irrigation, afforestation and changes to the climate system. Understanding and predicting hydrologic change is one of the challenges facing hydrologists today. Part of this understanding can be developed from observed data, however, there often too few observations and those that are available are frequently affected by uncertainties. Hydrological models have become essential tools for understanding historical variations of catchment hydrology and for predicting future possible trends. However, most developing countries are faced with poor spatial distributions of rainfall and evaporation stations that provide the data used to force models, as well as stream flow gauging stations to provide the data for establishing models and for evaluating their success. Hydrological models are faced with a number of challenges which include poor input data (data quality and poorly quantified human activities on observed stream flow data), uncertainties associated with model complexity and structure, the methods used to quantify model parameters, together with the difficulties of understanding hydrological processes at the catchment or subbasin. Within hydrological modelling, there is currently a trend of dealing with equifinality through the evaluation of parameter identifiability and the quantification of uncertainty bands associated with the predictions of the model. Hydrological models should not only focus on reproducing the past behaviour of a basin, but also on evaluating the representativeness of the surface and subsurface model components and their ability to simulate reality for the correct reasons. Part of this modelling process therefore involves quantifying and including all the possible sources of uncertainty. Uncertainty analysis has become the standard approach to most hydrological modelling studies, but has yet to be effectively used in practical water resources assessment. This study applied a hydrological modelling approach for understanding the hydrology of a large Tanzanian drainage basin, the Great Ruaha River that has many areas that are ungauged and where the available data (climate, stream flow and existing water use) are subject to varying degrees of uncertainty. The Great Ruaha River (GRR) is an upstream tributary of the Rufiji River Basin within Tanzania and covers an area of 86 000 km2. The basin is drained by four main tributaries; the Upper Great Ruaha, the Kisigo, the Little Ruaha and the Lukosi. The majority of the runoff is generated from the Chunya escarpment, the Kipengere ranges and the Poroto Mountains. The runoff generated feeds the alluvial and seasonally flooded Usangu plains (including the Ihefu perennial swamp). The majority of the irrigation water use in the basin is located where headwater sub‐basins drain towards the Usangu plains. The overall objective was to establish uncertain but behavioural hydrological models that could be useful for future water resources assessments that are likely to include issues of land use change, changes in patterns of abstraction and water use, as well the possibility of change in future climates.
- Full Text:
Ultraviolet specular reflectance, electronic absorption and the excitation of fluorescence in single crystals of anthracene
- Authors: Wright, W H
- Date: 1966
- Subjects: Anthracene crystals -- Fluorescence , Ultraviolet spectroscopy -- Absorption , Reflectance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5544 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013366
- Description: From introduction: The Fluorescence Excitation Spectrum or anthracene is known to vary considerably with the age and condition or the crystal. This thesis represents an attempt to improve the understanding of these variations. To put the problem on a quantitative basis it was found necessary to know both the ultraviolet reflection and absorption spectra. Reports of the reflection spectrum appear to have been confined to the case of polarised incident light. In addition the reflectivity measurements are always reported for a freshly cleaved surface. For these reasons the reflectivity of anthracene for various conditions of the reflecting surface was measured with unpolarised light. These varying reflectivities were used to further knowledge of the chemical processes at the crystal surface, as well as being used directly in the calculation of fluorescence excitation spectra. Reflection spectra with a- and b- crystallographic axis polarisations were also obtained. Since such spectra are reported in the literature it was possible, by comparison, to conclude that the experimental methods used in this thesis yielded valid results. The polarised measurements were used to obtain optical constants for the crystal. In the interests of readability most of the complicated process of converting the reflectivities to optical constants is dealt with in three appendices to the thesis.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Wright, W H
- Date: 1966
- Subjects: Anthracene crystals -- Fluorescence , Ultraviolet spectroscopy -- Absorption , Reflectance
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5544 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013366
- Description: From introduction: The Fluorescence Excitation Spectrum or anthracene is known to vary considerably with the age and condition or the crystal. This thesis represents an attempt to improve the understanding of these variations. To put the problem on a quantitative basis it was found necessary to know both the ultraviolet reflection and absorption spectra. Reports of the reflection spectrum appear to have been confined to the case of polarised incident light. In addition the reflectivity measurements are always reported for a freshly cleaved surface. For these reasons the reflectivity of anthracene for various conditions of the reflecting surface was measured with unpolarised light. These varying reflectivities were used to further knowledge of the chemical processes at the crystal surface, as well as being used directly in the calculation of fluorescence excitation spectra. Reflection spectra with a- and b- crystallographic axis polarisations were also obtained. Since such spectra are reported in the literature it was possible, by comparison, to conclude that the experimental methods used in this thesis yielded valid results. The polarised measurements were used to obtain optical constants for the crystal. In the interests of readability most of the complicated process of converting the reflectivities to optical constants is dealt with in three appendices to the thesis.
- Full Text: