Thèses : « Lowveld »

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Wilder, Benson Michael. "Making new spaces: 'Communities,' chaos and conservation in Zimbabwe's southeast lowveld." Diss., Connect to online resource, 2006. http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:1443926.

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Wolmer, William Lewis. "Lowveld landscapes : conservation, development and the wilderness vision in south-eastern Zimbabwe." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.366073.

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Landscapes, as well as being physical spaces, are imagined and invested with meaning. The way they are thought about influences what is done to them. Conservation and development programmes in Zimbabwe's south-east 'lowveld' have been rooted in a particular conceptualisation of landscape - as wilderness. This derives from the experiences and priorities of colonial settlers and has had two facets. On the one hand the landscape came to be constituted as one of adventure, mystique and danger - a fearful place that 'pioneers' sought to tame into a productive landscape through cattle ranching or irrigation. On the other hand it has been viewed as a pristine natural landscape that must be preserved, rehabilitated or consciously manufactured. In both these manifestations African people were written out of the landscape. Their uses, perceptions and experiences of this landscape have been ignored in policies deriving from this 'wilderness vision'. Dryland agriculture in the low veld has been regularly dismissed as inappropriate, rather than a key livelihood strategy. Irrigation developments have been biased towards large-scale initiatives in the commercial sector. Livestock management strategies, other than those recommended for commercial ranching, have been discouraged. Wildlife utilisation schemes have delivered minimal returns to communities and imposed coercive regulations on resource use, deepening antagonism over land; but conservation initiatives such as a transfrontier national park are going ahead - bolstered by economic imperatives, global environmental agendas and donor priorities. Land reform has failed to take account of the way the landscape is bound up with identity through its embodiment of ancestral spirits and function as a repository of social memories. The turbulent dynamics around the ongoing farm invasions in Zimbabwe may open space for previously silenced constructions of landscape to influence policy. An awareness of the flexible and multiple nature of livelihood strategies and further debate on the restitution of ancestral lands would go a long way towards improving livelihoods in the lowveld.

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Gray, Jean Mary. "Understanding the farming community sequence from the Mateke Hills, South-East Lowveld, Zimbabwe." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/4173.

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Schnurr, Matthew A. "Lowveld cotton : a political ecology of agricultural failure in Natal and Zululand, 1844-1948." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/784.

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This dissertation is a study of agricultural failure. It follows the efforts of settlers, then scientists, to impose cotton as a commodity crop in the eastern region of South Africa, known today as KwaZulu-Natal. Touted as a commodity crop capable of remaking land and life in this region in the 1850s, the 1860s, at the turn of the century, and again in the 1930s, cotton never achieved more than marginal status in the agricultural economy. Its story is one of historical amnesia: although faith in the region’s cotton prospects dipped following each spectacular failure, it was routinely resurrected once previous failures had been accounted for, or memories of them had faded. Two crucial issues are at the centre of this episodic history. First, I explore the enthusiasms that underpinned successive efforts to introduce cotton, the logistics of planned expansion, and the reasons for the repeated collapse of cotton-growing schemes. My primary argument is that cotton failed because colonists lacked the technology to overcome natural constraints to production, in the form of temperature, rainfall, soils and insect pests. Settlers and scientists could not remake the land, the climate, or the cotton plant to meet their needs or realize their dreams. They attempted to overcome obstacles to production through settlement schemes, new agricultural inputs, and breeding technologies, but were unable to conquer the ecological incompatibilities between theoretical ambition and practical cultivation. This dissertation stresses the limits of colonial agriculture when confronted with unsuitable growing conditions. Second, I aim to unravel the side effects of the repeated failures of cotton production in Natal and Zululand. I turn the question of agricultural failure on its head to ask what was achieved through these repeated attempts to develop cotton as a commodity crop. I concentrate on the outcomes of these difficult and disappointing efforts at cotton cultivation – increased settler presence, stronger delineation between settler and African space, expanded state control into rural areas – and argue that, despite repeated failure, cotton facilitated important structural changes to the region’s agricultural, political and economic landscape.

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Gess, David Wolfgang. "Hunting and power : class, race and privilege in the Eastern Cape and the Transvaal Lowveld, c. 1880-1905." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86262.

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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examines the identity of hunters, sportsmen and their associated communities in two diverse regions of southern Africa during the last two decades of the nineteenth and the first decade of the twentieth centuries. It argues that this was a critical period during which new patterns of hunting and local tradition were created. In the eastern Cape districts of Albany, Fort Beaufort and Bathurst kudu and buffalo were hunted pursuant to permits granted in terms of the Game Act, 1886. An analysis of the identity of those to whom these permits were granted or refused provides insights into power, connection and influence amongst the English-speaking colonial elite of the region who sought to control the right to hunt “royal game”. It also reveals their interaction with civil servants who exercised the power to grant or withhold the privilege. Kudu were transferred from public to private ownership, through a process of “privatization” and “commodification” on enclosed private land, and there preserved for sporting purposes by the local rural gentry. The survival – and even growth – in numbers of kudu in the region was achieved in these private spaces. Buffalo, on the other hand, were hunted into local extinction notwithstanding their protection as “royal game”. In the north-eastern Transvaal Lowveld wild animals in public ownership were hunted by a wide variety of hunters with competing interests. The identity of the “lost” Lowveld hunters, previously hidden from history, including an important but overlooked component of elite recreational hunters from the eastern Cape, is explored as a window into the history of hunting in the region prior to the establishment of game reserves. Both the identity and networks of these hunters and sportsmen are considered in the context of enduring concerns about race, class, gender and the exercise of power. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die identiteit van die jagters, sportmanne en die gepaardgaande gemeenskappe in twee verskillende streke van Suider-Afrika gedurende die laaste twee dekades van die negentiende en die eerste dekade van die twintigste eeu. Dit voer aan dat hierdie 'n kritieke tydperk was waartydens nuwe patrone van jag en plaaslike tradisie geskep is. In die Oos-Kaapse distrikte van Albany, Fort Beaufort en Bathurst is die jag op koedoes en buffels toegelaat op grond van permitte toegestaan in terme van die Wild Wet, 1886. Die ontleding van die identiteit van diegene aan wie hierdie permitte toegestaan of geweier was, bied insae oor die uitoefening van mag, verhoudings en invloed onder die Engelssprekende koloniale elite van die streek, wat probeer het om beheer uit te oefen oor die jag van die “koninklike wild”. Dit openbaar ook hul interaksie met staatsamptenare wat hulle magte gebruik het om permitte uit te ruik of te weerhou. Eienaarskap van koedoes was oorgedra vanaf openbare na privaat besit, deur 'n proses van "privatisering " en "kommodifikasie" op geslote private grond, met die verstandhouding dat dit vir sport – doeleindes deur die plaaslike landelike burger gebruik kon word. Die oorlewing – en selfs groei – in die getal koedoes in die streek is behaal in die private besit. Buffels, aan die ander kant, is tot plaaslike uitwissing gejag ondanks hul beskerming as "koninklike wild". In die Noord-Oos Transvaalse Laeveld is wilde diere in openbare besit gejag deur 'n wye verskeidenheid van jagters met mededingende belange. Die identiteit van die "verlore" Laeveld jagters, voorheen verborge in die geskiedenis, wat 'n belangrike maar oor die hoof verwaarloosde komponent van elite rekreasionele jagters van die Oos-Kaap insluit, word ondersoek as 'n venster op die geskiedenis van jag in die streek voor die totstandkoming van wildreservate. Beide die identiteit en netwerke van hierdie jagters en sportmanne word beskou in die konteks van blywende belangstelling met ras, klas, geslag en die uitoefening van mag.

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Petersen, Leif Michael. "Granivores as ecosystem regulators of woody plant increasers in semi-arid Savannas of the Lowveld, South Africa." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2006. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_8725_1210750329.

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In recent years, a global trend of increasing woody vegetation densities in semi-arid savanna habitats has been recorded, commonly described in South Africa as 'bush encroachment'. The shrubs and trees that do this (Increasers) have wrought significant economic and ecological impacts upon carrying capacities of large areas of savannas. This occurs, as suitable grazing areas are incrementally engulfed in shrubs and trees establishing new equilibria, from open savannas (essentially grasslands with scattered trees) into closed woodlands (treelands with scattered grasses). This thesis demonstrated a link between grass biomass, small mammal abundance and diversity, and their potential increaser seed/seedling predatory activities in the semi-arid Lowveld Savannas of South Africa.

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Thondhlana, T. P. "Metalworkers and smelting precincts : technological reconstructions of second millennium copper production around Phalaborwa, Northern Lowveld of South Africa." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2013. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1380278/.

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This thesis examines metal production debris with the aim of reconstructing extractive metal technologies employed around Phalaborwa during the second millennium AD. Mining and metallurgy were previously identified as exclusive pulling factors for Iron Age human settlement in this agropastoral marginal area. Several Iron Age settlements with extensive metal production evidence were previously documented. This thesis places emphasis on extractive copper metallurgy previously neglected for several reasons. The early second millennium AD site of Shankare is used as the main case study. Whilst previously excavated metallurgical assemblages from late second millennium AD sites are re-investigated to explore diachronic changes in smelting technologies. The thesis is inspired by contemporary theoretical developments by the Francophone school of thought known as the ‘Anthropology of Technology’. Standard archaeological fieldwork procedures together with post-fieldwork laboratory studies were employed. Separation of copper from iron production debris visually was impossible but a combination of field observations and archaeometric approaches offered the answer. Archaeological ores, slags, technical ceramics and metal artefacts were subjected to optical microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Copper smelting slags differ significantly from iron smelting slags in their chemistry and microstructure. There are subtle differences in copper slags from different archaeological sites. Earlier copper slags are heterogeneous with notable unreacted minerals fragments. Despite these differences both copper and iron slags are linked to the same ore deposit known as the Palabora Igneous Complex. The metallurgical chaînes opératoires employed in the research area are reconstructed. At Shankare copper production is represented by crushed furnace slags and secondary refining ceramic crucibles. Iron slags are confined to dedicated metallurgical middens whereas copper production debris is present at low density scatters and domestic middens. This spatial configuration confirms recent observations by other archaeologists in Southern Africa. The archaeological and analytical results permit preliminary discussions of sociotechnical systems of Iron Age metal producers in the Northern Lowveld.

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Madubansi, Mainza. "Changes in energy use patterns in the Bushbuckridge Lowveld of the Limpopo Province, South Africa: eleven years on." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007139.

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This research reports on the energy transition that has taken place in the Bushbuckridge district between 1991 and 2002. It is a follow up to a similar study that was done in 1991 investigating a number of aspects of energy use. It uses the 1991 study as a baseline and aims to explore how the passage of time, growth of the local population and changes in incomes and the availability of fuels have affected the patterns of fuel use in the region in the past eleven years. A structured interview approach was used for most aspects of the study. The interview schedule included sections on types, amounts and reasons for use and non-use of 13 different energy sources as well as data on income levels, household size and other economic parameters. Analysis of the consumption patterns of the different fuel types revealed that between the two survey periods, households in the sample settlements went through some pronounced changes in patterns of fuel use, particularly those that had acquired electricity. The introduction of electricity in the region had certainly played a major role in spurring the energy transition. Fuels that were previously used for lighting, powering entertainment appliances and refrigeration had been displaced by electricity. In terms of cooking and other thermal application, however, the vast majority of households in all the sample settlements continued using fuelwood and complemented it to a lesser extent with paraffin and electricity. In both surveys, the use or non-use of available fuels in the region was influenced by several factors. Common reasons for non-use of certain fuel types included expense, lack of appliances, the risk involved in using such fuels and the preference for other fuels. Reasons for use were mainly related to the low cost of the fuel and the fuel’s ability to meet particular end uses. Although incomes in the region had increased between 1991 and 2002, they were still below the poverty line. Activities from which households obtained their income remained the same. Old age pension, migrant wages and the informal sector remained the largest contributors of income to most households. Other indicators of relative wealth and poverty, like ownership of vehicles, bicycles and beds remained the same.

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Ferguson, Angela Joan. "High elephant impact is capable of converting tall mopane woodland to shrubland in the South East Lowveld of Zimbabwe." Bachelor's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12767.

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Includes bibliographical references. African elephants are known to be important agents of structural and compositional changes in several vegetation types in southern Africa. This is of concern for biodiversity conservation and management of wildlife areas in the region. This study assesses how increasing elephant numbers have already altered and are likely to continue to modify the structure and composition of mopane woodlands in the south-eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe. Several features of vegetation structure and composition were quantified and compared across areas under three different elephant densities: low, intermediate and high. We assessed the degree, nature and patterns of damage incurred by woody plants within these woodlands to determine how elephants are both driving and responding to the changes in the vegetation. Increasing elephant densities were associated with increased losses of tall trees and the resultant development of a coppiced shrub layer. As elephant densities increased from low to intermediate levels, so did the level of damage to both shrubs and trees. However, elephants appeared to exhibit a functional response such that the increase in damage to the shrub layer was proportionately higher than to trees, probably because the coppiced shrub layer was a preferable food source. Nevertheless if elephant density increases further to high levels, damage to trees is likely to continue increasing suggesting that tree losses are likely to continue. In particular, the high level of bark damage to emergent trees is predicted to contribute greatly to further tree losses. This study provides evidence to suggest that increasing elephant impact is capable of completely converting tall mopane woodlands to shrublands. This is likely to have indirect effects on the ecosystem functioning and diversity of these areas as well as tourism, and is consequently of concern for local management. Continued monitoring of these woodlands and management of elephant abundance is advisable if a total conversion to shrubland is to be avoided.

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Bowyer-Bower, Tanya A. S. "Land surface response to rainfall in semi-arid systems : determinations from experiments using simulated rainfall in the Lowveld of Swaziland." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.317725.

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Maliba, Bheki George. "Plant and arthropod diversity of maize agro–ecosystems in the Highveld and Lowveld regions of South Africa / Bheki George Maliba." Thesis, North-West University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/7614.

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Surveys of plant and selected insect species was conducted in Highveld and Lowveld agro–ecosystems of four provinces of South Africa, namely North–West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu–Natal and Limpopo. The objectives of the study were to compare insect and plant diversity between localities (grassland and savanna) and treatments (maize field, semi–transformed and untransformed) to test for a general relationship between plant and insect diversity along a maize field–field margin gradient. Plant and insect diversity patterns were studied along the gradient and quantified in terms of richness and diversity indices. Plant and insect species compositional turnover was also measured along the maize field–field margin gradient. Plant diversity increased with increasing distance from maize fields into the margin. The flora in maize fields and of margins differed, but in contrast, insect species assemblages were similar in maize fields and margins. There was no statistical difference in insect diversity between treatments (maize field, semi–transformed and transformed). A relationship was revealed between plant and insect diversity, as plant diversity enhanced insect diversity. Thesis (M.Sc. (Environmental Sciences))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

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Grover, Michael. "Spatio-temporal analysis of dog ecology and rabies epidemiology at a wildlife interface in the Lowveld Region of South Africa." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/53296.

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It is estimated that free-roaming dogs comprise on average 75% of dog populations. Interactions between free-roaming dogs and wildlife occur across the globe but little is known about these interactions in the Lowveld region of South Africa, where wildlife areas are fenced off from surrounding communities. Even with extensive fences dogs are still entering the reserves. The study site, a private reserve in eastern Mpumalanga Province on the western boundary of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, has a high density of human settlements on its boundary. These communities own dogs, many of which are free-roaming. Between January 2009 and March 2014, 170 stray dogs were destroyed inside the reserve and 65.3% of the samples returned a positive result for rabies. Dogs are not limited to the reserve edges and have been documented several kilometres into the reserve. Eleven geographical factors were used in the spatial analysis: (i) camps or lodges in the reserve, (ii) fence line of the reserve, (iii) water points within the reserve, both natural and man-made (excluding rivers but including pans, dams and waterholes which hold water for most of the year), (iv) access roads from gates to camps and lodges, (v) access gates into the reserve, (vi) pickets (field ranger accommodation) and general staff accommodation, (vii) rivers in stream order from 1 to 6, (viii) vulnerable points for erosion along the fence line, and (ix) villages bordering the reserve. GPS locations of dogs shot were used to obtain nearest distance to each factor. Generalized linear models (GLM) were then used to analyse the spatial data of distance of dogs shot to the nearest factor. Dogs were significantly more likely to be shot further away from pickets and closer to minor rivers. There was a significant interaction between these two factors (p < 0.0001). Dogs that were shot further from villages (odds ratio 1.42, 95% confidence intervals 1.18 1.71, p = 0.0002) and closer to water (odds ratio 0.41, 95% confidence intervals 0.21 0.81, p = 0.009) were more likely to test positive for rabies. A univariate GLM, with distance to fence as the only explanatory variable, showed a significant association between this and rabies test result: for every 1 km further away from the fence the odds of a dog testing rabies positive increases by 1.68 (95% confidence intervals 1.20 2.36, p = 0.002). However the fence is likely not to be the influencing factor but rather other factors close to the fence. To remove the effect of the fence an analysis of the subset of dogs found further than 200m into the reserve found a positive association between distance from a village and a positive rabies test result (odds ratio 1.58, 95% confidence intervals 1.18-2.32, p = 0.007). Temporal analysis of the data shows a higher average monthly number of dogs shot during the wet season (Oct-Mar) as well as a higher variance although the cycle is not strictly seasonal. An upgrade of the reserve fence for security reasons coincided with a decrease in number of dogs destroyed in the reserve in 2012-1014. Home range analysis of most susceptible predators was collected from daily sightings data and overlaid with rabies hotspots, which gives management an indication of the need to vaccinate predators with home ranges in close proximity to the fence. The spatial results gives management an indication to increase efforts to destroy free-roaming domestic dogs further into the reserve as the likelihood of a positive rabies result is greater. Ultimately efforts should be focused outside the reserve in the communities to eradicate rabies from the host (domestic dogs) before there is a significant transfer of rabies to wildlife. Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2015. tm2016 Veterinary Tropical Diseases MSc

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Odipo, Victor [Verfasser], Christiane [Gutachter] Schmullius, Alexander [Gutachter] Brenning, and Christian [Gutachter] Thiel. "Spatio-temporal and structural analysis of vegetation dynamics of Lowveld Savanna in South Africa / Victor Odipo ; Gutachter: Christiane Schmullius, Alexander Brenning, Christian Thiel." Jena : Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1216945276/34.

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Stadler, Jonathan James. "Shared secrets – concealed sufferings : social responses to the AIDS epidemic in Bushbuckridge, South Africa." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/23025.

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From the early 1990s, rates of HIV infection increased dramatically in South Africa and by the early 2000s, AIDS emerged as the main cause of death for adult South Africans. During the first half of the 2000s, the South African government’s response to this crisis was inadequate, marked by denial and delays in implementing prevention and treatment, resulting in thousands of preventable deaths. Yet, apart from the challenges posed by the predominantly urban-based Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), the absence of a social response to this crisis is notable, especially in rural settings. This scenario forms the broad backdrop to this ethnographic study that draws on participant observation and interviews undertaken over a three-year period (2002-2005) in KwaBomba village previously in the Gazankulu Homeland, now located in the Bushbuckridge municipality of the South African lowveld. An ethnographic perspective provides an intimate vantage point from which to view peoples’ experiences of the AIDS epidemic and their responses in context. This perspective draws attention to gaps in public health and biomedical understandings of the epidemic and suggests alternatives to these understandings. In Bushbuckridge, mortality and morbidity due to AIDS became visible in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Households were incapable of dealing with the burden of illness and death while the health services were often unwilling and ill-prepared. HIV prevention campaigns based on individual behaviour change were not well suited to a context in which HIV spread through sexual networks. Despite widespread awareness of the threat of AIDS, the disease was subjected to public censorship and AIDS suffering was concealed. Public discourses of AIDS were hidden within gossip and rumour and articulated as witchcraft suspicions and accusations. Although these discourses appear to deny and suppress the reality of AIDS, I suggest that they are active attempts to deal with the AIDS crisis: gossip and rumour allocate blame and construct a local epidemiology through which the epidemic can be surveilled; interpreting AIDS as witchcraft creates the possibility of avenging untimely death. These discursive forms are critical in informing individual and social responses to the AIDS epidemic. While the absence of public acknowledgement of AIDS as a cause of illness and death suggests denial and fatalism and appears to limit public action, subaltern discourses create shared secrets to manage the AIDS epidemic at the local level. Furthermore, these discourses may constitute a form of resistance against biomedical models of causality. Ethnographic enquiry at the local level offers a nuanced understanding of social responses to the AIDS epidemic. By examining forms of expression that lie outside the domain of public health, the thesis reveals how these constitute significant forms of social action in response to the epidemic. Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. Anthropology and Archaeology unrestricted

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Peel, Michael John Stephen. "Towards a predictive understanding of savanna vegetation dynamics in the eastern Lowveld of South Africa : with implications for effective management." Thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/10157.

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The purpose of this study was to develop and test a predictive understanding of the vegetation dynamics of the Lowveld of South Africa (30°35'E to 30°40'E and 24°00'S to 25°00'S). The study covered about 5000 km2 in Adjacent Private Protected Areas (APPA) adjoining the Kruger National Park (KNP). Data gathering (800 sites; 23 properties) commenced in 1989 and those recorded up to 2004 are reported here. The value, both ecological and economic, of the wildlife and tourism industry dependent on this savanna region is discussed in both historical and current perspectives. A range of land-use objectives and anthropogenic interventions were exposed. The properties ranged in size from 30 to 800 km2 and formed an effective and extensive manipulative experiment for investigating interaction of bush density, animal stocking, use of fire and landscape-scale processes. The first descriptive classification (at 1:250 000) of the area was developed using Inverse Distance Weighted interpolations. This confirms similar landscape/vegetation patterns in the KNP and Mocambique. The current mode of determining stocking density or carrying capacity was interrogated and indices suitable for complex multi-species systems developed. This was done in the context of equilibrial/disequilibrial paradigms. Application of the original indices resulted in drought-related declines in animal biomass of 4000 kg km2 over 20 years due to overestimation of carrying capacity. The model proposed here uses rainfall, animal type, biomass and vegetation parameters to determine stocking density for both coarse (regional) and ranch-specific scales. Principal driving determinants (rainfall, geology, soil type, tree density canopy cover, animal numbers, feeding classes and fire) of vegetation structure and their influence on the herbaceous layer were investigated. Groupings on ecological potential showed 'high' potential areas are less sensitive to animal impact than those classified as 'low' potential. Sustainability, embedded in a forward-looking component viz. Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM) with well-articulated endpoints viz. Thresholds of Potential Concern (TPCs) was used to study fluctuations in animal populations with Connochaetes taurinus (Blue wildebeest) as the case study. The TPC approach provides strong pointers for proactive management aimed at maintaining the system within bands defined by TPCs supporting operationally practical and periodically reviewed objectives. Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

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Joubert-Wallis, Marie. "The contribution of culture to the spread of HIV." Diss., 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/647.

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Cultural factors have been shown to play a role in human decision making and behaviour. The main objective for this research was to identify and evaluate the possible influence of Shangaan cultural beliefs, myths and behaviours, on the spread of HIV within the Mnisi tribe. A qualitative method of investigation was followed; interviews with three participants and observations of the Mnisi culture were used in the construction of the investigation and findings. Through the information obtained two cultures influencing the spread of HIV in the Mnisi tribe were identified, they are (1) The culture of power-rule and fear, and (2) The culture of poverty. Psychology M.Sc. (Psychology)

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Gadd, Michelle. "Factors influencing the impact of elephants on woody vegetation in private protected areas in South Africa's lowveld." Thesis, 1997. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/24905.

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A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of SCience University of the Witwatersrand. Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Science This study of the impact of elephants, Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach), in private reserves ln South Africa's lowveld region aimed to determine the sizes and species of woody plants most often affected by elephants and the proportion and severity of elephant impact on the marula tree Sclerocarya birrea. The study was conducted in three parts: vegetation quadrats in areas where elephants had been foraging, direct observation of the feeding behaviour of hand-raised elephants, and transects to sample S. birrea across the study areas. To distinguish preferences, the frequency of elephant impact on each species was compared with the frequency with which it was encountered by the elephants. In the vegetation quadrats, I found that uprooting and leaf stripping were infrequent in all sizes of stems, Main stem breakage affected stems lese than 30 cm in diameter whereas branch breakage and bark stripping increased with increasing size. Favoured species were Combretum collinum, Acacia gerrardii, Albizia harveyl sclerocarya birrea, Dalbergia metenoxyton, and Pterocarpus rotundifolius. Notable among neglected species were Acacia toriifis, Tettnmelle prunioides, and Terminalia sericea which are favoured food items for elephants elsewhere. Other common species which were not selected by elephants were Acacia exuvielis, Cassine transvaalensis, Ehretia emoene, Euclea netalensis and Securinega virosa. Behavioural observation revealed that hand-raised elephants favoured eating Sclerocarya birrea, Combretum epiculeium, and Acacla nigrescens. The elephants stripped bark from A. nigrescens and S. birrea. Assessment of rnarula trees revealed that elephant impact killed fewer than 2% of stems during the preceding season. Fewer than 24% of trees had current season breakage or bark removal. Main stem breakage Was found in stems smaller than 40 ern in diameter. Ring barking was concentrated on the larger size classes, while the smaller size classes escaped any detectable form of elephant impact. Andrew Chakane 2018

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Barrett, Alan Sean. "Foraging ecology of the vervet monkey (chlorocebus aethiops) in mixed lowveld bushveld and sour lowveld bushveld of the blydeberg conservancy, Northern Province, South Africa." Diss., 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/1229.

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Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) are versatile primates of the suborder HAPLORHINI, family CERCOPITHECIDAE, subfamily CERCOPITHECINAE, and genus Chlorocebus (Skinner & Smithers, 1990). They are a widely distributed species that adapt easily to a variety of environments, occurring throughout the Northern and Southern Savanna, from Senegal to Sudan and south to the tip of Southern Africa (Estes, 1992). According to Estes (1992), vervets are opportunistic omnivores. being predominantly vegetarians that live on wild fruits, flowers, leaves, buds, seeds, pods, sap, roots and tubers. Occasionally they will feed on invertebrates (grubs, termites, grasshoppers) and vertebrates (bird and reptile eggs and chicks) (Skinner & Smithers, 1990). Not much ecological research has been done on vervets outside the tropics to date, and it was thus considered necessary to determine how vervets cope with the effects of temperate area seasonality. The aim of this study was to describe the habitat structure of a vervet monkey troop's territory and then to investigate the effects of seasonality on differences in their diet (both overall and with respect to sex differences). activity patterns and habitat utilisation. Agriculture Animal Health and Human Ecology M.Tech. (Nature Conservation)

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Evers, Timothy Michael. "Three iron age industrial sites in the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/17240.

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Chappell, Clive. "The ecology of sodic sites in the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld." Thesis, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22405.

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Submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg as a requirement for the Degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 1992. The effect of sodium on clays dominates the formation and ecology of granitic eatenas in the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld. This study reviews the process involved and explains the soil, vegetation and erosion patterns in this landscape. Weathering parent rock gives rise to sodium in sufficient amounts to promote clay dispersion. Dispersed, mobile, clays respond to seasonal pulses of laterally moving soil water resulting in alternating zones of clay illuviation and clay deposition down hillslopes [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] AC2017

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Lecler, Neil Louis. "Performance of irrigation and water management systems in the lowveld of Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3987.

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In order to assess the performance of water management approaches and irrigation systems used by the sugar industry in the Lowveld of Zimbabwe, a sugarcane yield and irrigation systems simulation model was developed. The model, named ZIMsched 2.0, was used to predict how field derived indices of irrigation systems performance, such as the coefficient of uniformity, CV, impacted on estimated recoverable crystal, ERC, yields and the water balance. This was done across a range of soil conditions, seasonal climates, irrigation system types and existing and refined irrigation scheduling strategies. Results of a verification study of the model showed an index of agreement, 'd', equal to 0.96 and a Pearson's correlation coefficient equal to 0.94, between observed and simulated yields of ERC, relative to a reference treatment. Application of the model showed the actual and also the potential performance of the different irrigation system hardware. Additional applications of the tools and information which were developed as a result of this research included an integrated economic assessment of peak irrigation system design specifications and associated deficit irrigation watering strategies. In an effort to translate theoretical water savings into practical realities a range of novel water management tools was also developed. Most of the drip irrigation systems in the Lowveld were performing below potential due to excessive infield variations in applied water. The performance of furrow irrigation systems was limited by the large variations in water applied to individual furrows, and water applications that were, on average, excessively high relative to soil water holding characteristics. Simulations showed that sub-surface drip irrigation systems have a slight edge on other irrigation systems in terms of potential efficiency. Average water savings for drip irrigation systems ranged from approximately 2.2 to 1.5 Ml/ha relative to floppy irrigation systems, and 3.5 to 2.3 Ml/ha relative to typical furrow irrigation systems, depending on how water applications were scheduled. A major finding was that there was potential for the Lowveld sugar industry to use up to 30% less water per hectare on an annual basis if ZIMsched, a specialist spreadsheet-based irrigation scheduling tool developed during the course of the project, was used to derive more appropriate and system specific water management guidelines. However, simulations showed that with the more precise irrigation scheduling there could be a slight crop yield penalty when the distribution uniformity of applied water was poor. Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

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Botha, J., E. T. F. Witkowski, and Charlie Shackleton. "Market profiles and trade in medicinal plants in the Lowveld, South Africa." 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006817.

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Rising demand for medicinal plants has led to increased pressure on wild plant populations. This, combined with shrinking habitats, means that many species in South Africa are now facing local extinction. In 1997, a study was initiated to determine the extent of trade in medicinal plants in the South African Lowveld (the low lying plains to the east of the Drakensberg escarpment), and to investigate socio-economic factors influencing trade and resource management. Trade was not as extensive in the Lowveld as in major urban markets such as Durban or the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg and surrounding towns), either in terms of the quantity, number or range of species sold, or the numbers of people relying on the trade for an income. In markets assessed in Mpumalanga Province, 176 species were identified (71% of the vernacular names encountered in the market place), representing 69 plant families. In Limpopo, 70 different species were identified (84% of the vernacular names encountered in the market place), representing 40 families. Imports were significant in Mpumalanga (33% of the plants on offer), mainly from Mozambique. A detrended correspondence analysis showed substantial differences between species traded in Mpumalanga and those sold in Limpopo. There was little variation in the species stocked by vendors in Mpumalanga, regardless of the season, the attributes of the seller, or whether business was carried out in urban or rural areas. In contrast, there was considerable variation in the stock inventories of the Limpopo traders. Despite the lower levels of local trade, increased harvesting pressure is being experienced regionally, to meet demand in metropolitan centres such as the Witwatersrand. This study showed considerable local variation and complexities in the harvesting and marketing of medicinal plants, with both a national and an international dimension. This dual spatial scale presents both opportunities and challenges in the management of these plants, which need to be addressed simultaneously, particularly with respect to research requirements and development of predictive models and capacity. Cooperation in conservation strategies and policies is required at regional, national and international levels, while ensuring that management initiatives take into account local market conditions and the socio-economic realities facing both consumers and those who depend on the trade for their livelihoods.

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Madubansi, M., and Charlie Shackleton. "Changes in fuelwood use and selection following electrification in the Bushbuckridge lowveld, South Africa." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006867.

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Fuelwood is the primary energy source for domestic purposes throughout the developing world, in both urban and rural environments. Due to the detrimental impacts of biomass use on human and environmental health, many governments have sought to reduce its use through provision of potentially cleaner energies, of which electricity is the dominant form. Yet there are surprisingly few studies of changes in fuelwood use following the introduction of electricity, especially in rural areas of Africa. This paper reports on a longitudinal study of fuelwood use, using identical approaches, in five rural villages in the Bushbuckridge region of South Africa, spanning the period over which electricity became widely available. Almost a decade after the introduction of electricity, over 90% of households still used fuelwood for thermal purposes, especially cooking, and the mean household consumption rates over the 11-year period had not changed, even with a policy of 6 kWh per month of free electricity. The proportion of households purchasing fuelwood had increased, probably in response to a number of factors, including (i) increased fuelwood scarcity in the local environment as reflected by increased fuelwood collection times, changes in fuelwood species preferences, and ranking of scarcity by local collectors, and (ii) increases in the price of fuelwood well below that of other fuels and the prevailing inflation rate. Overall, there was an increase in the number of species harvested over the 11-year period. The implications of these findings for rural energy provision are discussed.

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Goslar, Anthony. "Ground vegetation biomass detection for fire prediction from remote sensing data in the lowveld region." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/2139.

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Student Number : 0310612G - MSc research report - School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies - Faculty of Science Wildfire prediction and management is an issue of safety and security for many rural communities in South Africa. Wildfire prediction and early warning systems can assist in saving lives, infrastructure and valuable resources in these communities. Timely and accurate data are required for accurate wildfire prediction on both weather conditions and the availability of fuels (vegetation) for wildfires. Wildfires take place in large remote areas in which land use practices and alterations to land cover cannot easily be modelled. Remote sensing offers the opportunity to monitor the extent and changes of land use practices and land cover in these areas. In order for effective fire prediction and management, data on the quantity and state of fuels is required. Traditional methods for detecting vegetation rely on the chlorophyll content and moisture of vegetation for vegetation mapping techniques. Fuels that burn in wildfires are however predominantly dry, and by implication are low in chlorophyll and moisture contents. As a result, these fuels cannot be detected using traditional indices. Other model based methods for determining above ground vegetation biomass using satellite data have been devised. These however require ancillary data, which are unavailable in many rural areas in South Africa. A method is therefore required for the detection and quantification of dry fuels that pose a fire risk. ASTER and MAS (MODIS Airborne Simulator) imagery were obtained for a study area within the Lowveld region of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Two of the ASTER and two of the MAS images were dated towards the end of the dry season (winter) when the quantity of fuel (dry vegetation) is at its highest. The remaining ASTER image was obtained during the middle of the wet season (summer), against which the results could be tested. In situ measurements of above ground biomass were obtained from a large number of collection points within the image footprints. Normalised Difference Vegetation Index and Transformed Vegetation Index vegetation indices were calculated and tested against the above ground biomass for the dry and wet season images. Spectral response signatures of dry vegetation were evaluated to select wavelengths, which may be effective at detecting dry vegetation as opposed to green vegetation. Ratios were calculated using the respective bandwidths of the ASTER and MAS sensors and tested against above ground biomass to detect dry vegetation. The findings of this study are that it is not feasible, using ASTER and MAS remote sensing data, to estimate brown and green vegetation biomass for wildfire prediction purposes using the datasets and research methodology applied in this study. Correlations between traditional vegetation indices and above ground biomass were weak. Visual trends were noted, however no conclusive evidence could be established from this relationship. The dry vegetation ratios indicated a weak correlation between the values. The removal of background noise, in particular soil reflectance, may result in more effective detection of dry vegetation. Time series analysis of the green vegetation indices might prove a more effective predictor of biomass fuel loads. The issues preventing the frequent and quick transmission of the large data sets required are being solved with the improvements in internet connectivity to many remote areas and will probably be a more viable path to solving this problem in the near future.

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Taylor, Llewellyn Rupert. "The production potential of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, in the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9597.

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Laka, Moruledi Absen. "Developing an interest in tourism among black people in South Africa focussing on the lowveld region." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/8227.

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The long term aim of this research is to develop an interest in tourism Among Black People in South Africa Focussing on the Lowveld Region. The research examined whether; there are adequate Awareness and Marketing campaigns aimed at encouraging Black People to visit Lowveld Tourist attractions such as Kruger National Park and whether Black People have any interest in Nature-Based Tourist Attractions in the Lowveld. Though many South Africans consider the Lowveld Area an ideal holiday destination, the fact that few Black citizens visit the area was looked into as in a country where Black People are in the majority, there should be more Black tourists who visit to the Lowveld Region on an annual basis. The study discovered that the majority of the respondents are aware of the existence of the Tourism authorities in the Lowveld region (the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency), and they feel that this entity can play an active and visible role to get more Black South Africans interested to visit the Lowveld Tourist attractions on a regular basis. The study has further discovered that the majority of the respondents are interested in the Lowveld Region as their preferred holiday destination because it is home to tho world-renowned Kruger National Park. They also prefer to stay in a resort that provides additional attractions such as traditional dancing, sporting and recreational activities as part of their guest offering. This research recommends that the Tourism authorities need to promote more holiday group type bookings and to assist the public to access holiday booking facilities more easily. The study further recommends that Government needs to use tourism as a poverty reduction strategy, particularly the idea of community involvement ill tourism. Community-based tourism development has been determined to be of strategic importance for the continued growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in the Lowveld Region. Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.

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Ajala, Seun Boluwatife. "Perceived effects of climate change on agricultural production in the Lowveld areas of Mpumalanga province, South Africa." Diss., 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/23366.

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The study was on the perceived effects of climate change on agricultural production among smallholder crop farmers in the Lowveld areas of Mpumalanga province, South Africa. A total of 351 farmers were randomly selected and well-structured interviews were scheduled that contained both close-ended and open-ended questions. Data collected was analysed with descriptive statistical tools while logit regression model was used to analyse the relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers and their level of awareness of climate change The findings revealed that majority 33.9% of the respondents were 56 years and above and most (72.1%) of the respondents were male. Likewise, 68.4% were married while their major occupation was farming. It was discovered that most (66.4%) of the farmers were not aware of the changes in climate in the study area. Only 52.7% stated that there was information on climate change. The impacts of climate change on crop production from the view of the farmers included (1) Reduced crop production levels and (2) No production, which have been affecting their livelihood diversely such as increase in socio-economic problems, reduction in income and increase in unemployment. The result of the logit model analysis revealed a significant relationship between the age of the farmers (0.019), land tenure system (0.062), the manager of the farm (0.036) and the farm ownership (0.072) and their level of climate change awareness. The study recommends that government as well as stakeholders’ programmes designed to improve farmers’ awareness of climate change and its impact on production should consider the aforementioned explanatory variables Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology M. Sc. (Agriculture)

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Katembo, Naweji. "Impact of biocontrol agents on Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) in the lowveld region of Mpumalanga, South Africa." Thesis, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/25839.

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A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences. Johannesburg, June 2018. Lantana camara L. (sensu lato) (Verbenaceae) remains one of the worst invasive alien plants in most tropical and subtropical parts of the world, including South Africa. Despite a concerted biological control (biocontrol) effort, with 45 biocontrol agents released against the weed worldwide since the early 1900s to date, L. camara control is far from satisfactory in most areas, including the study area. In 2012, during the initial stage of this work, a plant-ecological survey was conducted in riparian areas along the Sabie River, across an altitudinal gradient, and also in the adjacent forest plantation areas, in the province of Mpumalanga (South Africa). As a follow-up to two separate previous studies in the same area (1996/7 and 2005), aimed at determining the effectiveness of the ‘Working for Water’s (WfW) invasive alien plant (IAP) control programme, this work is another milestone in a long-term monitoring study. However, despite 16 years (1996/7-2012) of integrated IAP-control operations in the area, the WfW programme was only able to successfully remove larger overstorey IAPs, which opened-up the canopy and reduced competition, creating a conducive growing environment for an amalgamation of understorey IAPs, including L. camara, whose spread and densification were still on the rise. Biocontrol is regarded as a better alternative for long-term, sustainable and environmentally friendly IAP control, compared to the conventional mechanical and chemical methods. Most L. camara biocontrol agents introduced into South Africa have not yet had their full impact quantified under field conditions. This work is novel in that, for the first time, it quantifies the combined impact of the ‘old plus new’ suite of L. camara biocontrol agents, on the growth, reproduction and biomass of the weed under field conditions, in an inland area, through an insecticidal exclusion experiment, using carbofuran. Five prominent biocontrol agents occur on L. camara at the study sites, namely the fruit-mining fly, Ophiomyia lantanae (Froggatt) (Diptera: Agromyzidae); the shoot-sucking bug, Teleonemia scrupulosa Stål (Hemiptera: Tingidae); the defoliating moth, Hypena laceratalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); the leaf-mining beetle, Octotoma scabripennis Guèrin-Mèneville (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae); and the fungal leaf-spot pathogen, cf. Passalora sp. (Chupp) U. Braun & Crous var. lantanae. During the course of this study, an additional agent, the flower-galling mite, Aceria lantanae (Cook) (Acari: Trombidiformes: Eriophyidae), was released and successfully established at lower altitudes (~843 m), showing an affinity for the dark-pink L. camara variety over others in the study area, namely light-pink and red-orange. Agent impact was difficult to measure because the activity of carbofuran in exclusion plants (carbofuran-treated L. camara plants) was short-lived; and therefore the impact of biocontrol agents on L. camara, which appeared to be negligible, may have been underestimated. Despite failing to maintain the ‘exclusion’ plants biocontrol agent-free through the application of carbofuran, there were reductions of 28% in the number of side-stems per plant, 31% fewer seeds in the soil seedbank, and 29% lower seed production, in ‘biocontrol’ plants compared to ‘exclusion’ plants. Although these differences were not statistically significant, they suggest that the present suite of biocontrol agents slightly reduces the vegetative and reproductive growth of L. camara. To achieve significant biocontrol of L. camara in inland areas, it seems necessary to introduce additional agents, which are well adapted to inland climatic conditions. The effects of micro-environmental factors, namely altitude and the degree of shading, were also investigated. Some biocontrol agents, such as T. scrupulosa, exhibited feeding phenological plasticity, resulting in it maintaining its presence at different altitudinal levels throughout the seasons. The performance of the suite of biocontrol agents, except A. lantanae, was, also, not limited by plant varietal differences. Additional research on biological and integrated control of L. camara is required. Keywords: Biocontrol; Biological invasion; Carbofuran; Insecticidal exclusion; Invasive alien plants; Lantana camara; Post-release evaluation. LG2018

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Rademan, Louise Katherine. "An ecological assessment of the sustainable utilization of the woody vegetation in the Lowveld Bushveld, Mpumalanga Province." Diss., 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26433.

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This study was done in the communal area surrounding Makoko village and in the adjacent conservation area within the Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The structure of the woody vegetation within the two areas were compared in terms of species diversity, density, size structure distribution and biomass to determine the impact of fuel wood harvesting within the communal area upon the woody vegetation. There was no difference in woody plant species richness between the conservation and communal areas, but there was a difference between the uplands and lowlands. The conservation area uplands had the highest woody plant density and woody plant biomass. There were differences between areas in terms of the woody size class structure. The socio-economic status of Makoko village was determined by interviewing 100 households within the village. The use of fuels including wood, paraffin, candles and electricity was determined. Community and Kruger National Park issues such as advantages and disadvantages of living adjacent to the Kruger National Park were also noted. The demand for fuel wood within Makoko village was 338.9 kg per person per year, but the supply of fuel wood in the communal area was only 54.6 kg per person per year, if harvested sustainably. A conservation area of equal size could provide 270.0 kg of fuel wood per person per year on a sustainable basis. Management recommendations were made towards achieving sustainability in the use of the woody plant resources. Dissertation (MSc (Wildlife Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. Centre for Wildlife Management unrestricted

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Griffiths, Bak. "In-field evaluation of irrigation system performance within the sugarcane industry of the south-east Lowveld in Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/9110.

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The near collapse of the Zimbabwean sugarcane industry in 1991/1992 was concluded to be as a result of critical water shortages. This, combined with the uncertainty in the availability of water and a climate characterised by recurring droughts, strongly motivated the sugarcane industry in the South-East Lowveld to strive for improvements in water management and led to the establishment of the Mobile Irrigation Performance Unit (MIPU) in April 2000. Following an extensive literature review, evaluation methods and performance parameters were determined for the different irrigation systems currently in use in the sugarcane industry within the Lowveld of Zimbabwe, in relation to international standards. The systems in use included furrow, centre pivot, hand-move sprinkler, static sprinkler and sub-surface drip. The study also resulted in the development of some novel evaluation tools, examples being a simple device to measure the inflow to irrigation furrows and a uniquely shaped nozzle, used to determine operating pressures within the sub-surface drip system. Factors that can affect a system's performance were investigated and a comparison of the different irrigation system's performance parameters was shown. The evaluation results obtained by the Lowveld MIPU were also compared to MIPU results obtained internationally and reported in the literature. The MIPU evaluations are considered to be of great benefit to the farmer because an extensive database of irrigation system performance has been collated, against which farmers can benchmark their systems in the future. It is also possible that the repetitive nature of certain management and design variables which may be detrimental to system performance under local conditions, can eventually be rendered obsolete, for example, incorrect assumptions in scheduling of irrigation. The evaluation data can also be used to help facilitate objective decisions regarding the selection of irrigation systems to suit particular environments. The research indicates that the sugarcane industry could derive major benefits in improved irrigation systems performance by ensuring that irrigation system operators have the required calibre of skills and sufficient training. The results reported here should benefit farmers and result in refinements to the crop production system rendering it more cost effective and efficient. Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.

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Walters, Michael John. "Effect of season and type of fire on Colophospermum mopane woodland in the south-eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/10244.

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The majority of the vegetation types occurring on Malilangwe Estate, in the south-eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe, are dominated by Colophospermum mopane (mopane). Over the past 30-50 years the stand density of these mopane vegetation types has increased, and an investigation was undertaken to determine the effect of season of burning and type of fire on mopane woodlands. From this study the following was ascertained: 1) A single predictive equation cannot be used over all seasons to estimate standing crop (fuel load) using the standard disc pasture meter procedure. The calibration equations developed using this procedure accounted for between 39 and 72% of the variation in standing crop, illustrating the high variation in basal cover of the grass sward, as well as the variation between months. Although the revised procedure, developed for areas with low basal cover, accounts for a lot more of the variation in standing crop, this procedure was not used to estimate standing crop over the study period because the calibration equation covered a number of vegetation types, and was not specific to the mopane woodlands. 2) Standing crop tracks effective rainfall (monthly rainfall divided by monthly pan evaporation) closely, with a lag period of less than one month. Standing crop can be estimated using a predictive equation that utilizes effective rainfall from the previous month. There is a positive relationship between peak standing crop and rainfall. A predictive equation was developed to estimate peak standing crop, using annual rainfall. Standing crop declines through the dry season as effective rainfall decreases, and this 'decrease function' allows for the estimation of the standing crop for a particular month, after peak standing crop is reached. 3) Two leaf quantification equations were developed for mopane trees in the south-eastern lowveld of Zimbabwe, one for coppicing and for non-coppicing individuals. These allow for the estimation of leaf dry mass from measured canopy volume. 4) There was no significant difference between the fire intensities attained for the three seasons of burning. Over all seasons, head fires were significantly more intense than back fires. 5) Percentage topkill after late dry season burns was significantly higher than topkill after early dry season burns. There was no significant difference between mid and late dry season burns, and head fires led to significantly more topkill than back fires. Plants < 150 cm experienced significantly more topkill (80 %) than did individuals > 150 cm (44%). 6) Fire per se led to an increase in stand density over all seasons and types of fire, but this change was not significant. Fire did not influence the nett recruitment of new individuals. Height class one (0-50 cm) and three (151-350 cm) were impacted most by fire. This reflects a change in tree structure, with an increase in the amount of leaf material in height class three, and a subsequent decrease in the amount of material in height class one. 7) The effect of season of burning on the change in tree height was significant, whereas the effect of type of fire was not significant. All treatments, except early dry season back fires, led to a reduction in tree height, whereas trees in the no burn areas increased in height. 8) Burning in any season, and implementing either type of fire, led to an increase in the number of stems. Mid dry season burns led to the highest increase in number of stems. However, the more intense the fire the smaller the increase in number of stems. 9) All three seasons of burning (head and back fires) led to a significant decrease in maximum canopy diameter per tree, while the maximum canopy diameter of trees in the no burn areas increased. Mid dry season burns resulted in the greatest decrease in canopy diameter. 10) The effect of burning on the change in leaf dry mass per tree was highly significant. All three seasons of burning led to a decrease in leaf dry mass, while there was no difference between head and back fires. Leaf dry mass in the control areas increased however. High fire intensities led to the greatest decrease in leaf dry mass, late dry season head fires having the greatest decrease. This study suggests that mopane plants face a constraint due to fire and/or browsing, and a tradeoff occurs between canopy volume, canopy diameter, canopy area; and number of stems. Fire leads to an increase in the number of stems through coppicing, while canopy volume and leaf dry mass decreases. This decrease is either (i) a tradeoff in response to increasing stem number, or (ii) a reduction in canopy because additional leaves on the new stems contribute to photosynthesis. The most important response to season of burning is the altered phenophase (phenological stage) of the plant. Early dry season burns cause the trees to be leafless during the early dry season (when unburnt trees are carrying full leaf), and then to be in leaf at the end of the dry season (when unburnt trees are leafless). It would appear that fire disturbance initiates leaf senescence after burning, and then leaf expansion earlier than normal i.e the whole leaf senescence/growth process is brought forward. Trees in late dry season burn areas remain leafless at the start of the rains, while trees in unburnt areas are carrying leaf. Being leafless these trees do not photosynthesize during this time, and it is proposed that the grass sward is advantaged by the reduced competition from the tree component. The consequences of these two changes in phenophase could not be addressed in this study, but are pertinent questions that must be answered if mopane woodland dynamics are to be more fully understood. Management recommendations for (1) the removal of unacceptable moribund grass material, or (2) the reduction of encroachment by woody species on Malilangwe Estate are also given. In an attempt to combat the increase in stand density of mopane it is recommended that high intensity head fires be implemented, when standing crop (fuel load) is sufficient and climatic conditions are conducive to maintaining high intensity fires. These should be carried out at the end of the dry season, before the onset of the rains. Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

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Mbiba, Monicah. "Interactions between social capital, natural capital, and resource use in the central lowveld of Mpumalanga province, South Africa." Thesis, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/25744.

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A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. 1 June 2018 Rural livelihoods have been described through livelihood strategies and capitals that contribute, singly or jointly to derive outcomes for human well-being and environmental change. However, the ways in which these capitals, particularly social capital, translate to better household welfare or improved natural resource management, although a subject of widespread discussion, remain poorly understood. This study addresses the above research gap by exploring the relationships between the availability of natural resources in communal woodlands (natural capital), natural resource use patterns at the household level pre- and post-experience of shocks, and how these relate to the level of social capital, at both the community and household levels, in a rural region of South Africa. Natural resource use and household characterization data were obtained from an existing longitudinal dataset collected for 590 households in nine villages of Bushbuckridge Local Municipality in South Africa, from 2010 to 2014. Natural resource availability was estimated from remote-sensed data using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) as a proxy. Social capital data were collected from the household survey, nine focus group discussions, and seven key informant interviews in the study villages. First, empirical models were constructed for the effect of social capital on other household capitals and natural resource use at household level. Second, the study examined the role of natural resources and social capital as safety nets against vulnerability emanating from negative shocks in rural households. Third, in order to improve understanding of social capital as an outcome of natural resource availability, variation of social capital dimensions of reciprocity and membership in societal groups was investigated across a natural resource availability gradient. Lastly, community social capital indices were developed to test the hypothesis that villages with more communal social capital have lower levels of environmental degradation, and thus better natural resource availability. Social capital had differential impacts on the three dimensions of natural resource use. Social capital had a positive association with number of natural resources used, and the intensity of natural resource use per household, but had no relationship with the quantity of natural resources used. As such, social capital does not substitute for natural capital, but rather complements its role in household livelihoods. Household experience of negative shocks was consistently associated with a significant increase in all dimensions of natural resource use. However, social capital did not significantly reduce natural resource use when households experienced shocks. It is evident that negative shocks are associated with an increase in natural resource use, and that the role of social capital is not sufficient to cushion households when they experience negative shocks. Both reciprocity-receive and reciprocity-give were higher in villages with medium EVI compared to those in high EVI. Group memberships decreased from high to low EVI clusters. The study discovered the importance of disaggregating the components of what is collectively referred to social capital in empirical studies because as described, the performance of different variables of what constitute social capital can vary in response to natural resource availability. Generally, villages with lower aggregate social capital index had low resource availability, whereas trust and satisfaction with local governance did not vary across villages or EVI zones. There was no significant relationship between all dimensions of social capital and natural resource availability, after controlling for natural resource use. There was widespread non-compliance and rule breaking in rural communities due to lack of alternatives, regardless of the level of social capital. Fundamentally, this study fails to substantiate the claim, through empirical evidence, that social capital improves natural resource availability, through improvement of natural resource governance. The findings of this study necessitate critical inquiry into the place of social capital in both natural resource management and household well-being, particularly when they experience shocks. In addition, there is need to investigate further why social capital fails to match its posited role as a safety net when households face negative shocks. MT 2018

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Hurst, Zachary Matthew. "Effect of Intensive Agriculture on Small Mammal Communities in and Adjacent to Conservation Areas in Swaziland." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2010-12-8995.

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I examined the effect of sugarcane plantations on small mammal communities at 3 sites in the Lowveld of Swaziland during the dry and wet seasons of 2008. I evaluated changes in species abundance and community parameters in relation to distance to the interface, as well as the relationship between small mammal communities and environmental variables. I used pitfall arrays and Sherman live traps to sample small mammals along 9 traplines at the land-use interface and on a gradient extending 375 m into each land-use. I used point-centered-quarter, range pole, and line-transect sampling to characterize plant community structure. Two generalist small mammal species had increased abundance as distance into the sugarcane increased. Two species with wide geographic ranges appeared to select areas within 75 m of the interface. Four species with restricted habitat tolerances or diets were negatively affected by sugarcane, as was 1 species that selects for low ground cover. Two species may have avoided the interface. For the majority of species in the Lowveld, sugarcane does not provide habitat. Sugarcane monocultures > 375 m in width may form a barrier to movement of small mammal species. Species richness and diversity significantly decreased at the interface of 2 sites, however, 1 site had increased diversity associated with the interface. My analysis indicated a difference in community composition between the 2 land-uses and differences between the farthest interior conservation area (375 m)-interface (0 m) and the farthest interior sugarcane (375 m). There was no difference in community composition between seasons or distances within the conservation area. The farthest interior sugarcane trapline had distinctness from other traplines within the sugarcane, and may be of importance for minimizing the effects of habitat fragmentation in lowveld savanna. The effects of sugarcane did not extend into adjoining natural vegetation. My results indicated grass biomass, litter depth and shrub density played important roles in structuring the communities. Between sites, variation in community structure attributable to the sugarcane interface varied. The site with poorest vegetative cover had the highest relative importance of distance to the interface. One species (Steatomys pratensis) was negatively affected by distance to the interface.

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Shackleton, Charlie, and R. J. Scholes. "Above ground woody community attributes, biomass and carbon stocks along a rainfall gradient in the savannas of the central lowveld, South Africa." 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007079.

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Enumeration of carbon stocks at benchmark sites is a necessary activity in assessing the potential carbon sequestration and possible generation of credits through restoration of intensively impacted sites. However, there is a lack of empirical studies throughout much of the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. We report an estimation of species specific and site biomass and carbon stocks, and general vegetation structural attributes from three protected areas along a rainfall gradient in the central lowveld, South Africa. Estimates of biomass and carbon stocks were effected through destructive sampling to establish locally derived allometric equations. There was a gradient of increasing woody density, height of the canopy, number of species, density of regenerative stems and a greater proportion of stems in small size classes from the arid locality to the mesic locality, with the semi-arid locality being intermediate. The proportion of spinescent species decreased with increasing rainfall. The mesic locality was significantly more woody than either the arid or semi-arid sites, having double the biomass, four times the density and 40% higher basal area. Above ground carbon pools were also higher; carbon stocks were approximately 9 t/ha for the arid and semi-arid sites and 18 t/ha for the mesic site.

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Ndlangamandla, Mhambi Moses. "Contribution of indigenous knowledge use on the livelihood of rural women in the Lowveld region of Swaziland: a case study of handicrafts." Diss., 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18527.

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Poverty alleviation is a key item on the agenda of both government and non-governmental organisations. The use of indigenous knowledge to embark on small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) such as handicraft making has shown that it has a potential to yield the desired outcome in many areas. The research addressed the question: to what degree are handicrafts made in the Lowveld region of Swaziland and to what extent do these handicrafts contribute towards the livelihood of rural households? The data was collected using questionnaires and observations. Findings revealed that the production of handicrafts is the second most important livelihood activity for most respondents. Even though the income received from these activities is small, its significance lies in the timing at which it is received; and on its role in supporting existing livelihood activities. Sustainability of the business is, however, threatened by inaccessibility of resources, lack of organisation and trading challenges There is a need to promote the cultivation of natural resources, continuous training workshops and for women to form cooperatives or groups. Further research is needed that would focus on the following areas: a comparative study done in urban areas which shall also investigate the impact of handicraft on urban poor households; a study which will focus on handicraft marketing and consumption and lastly on the youth and handicraft. Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology M.Sc. (Human Ecology)

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Higgins, Lucy. "Adaptation in the Lowveld : a comparative case study of the live-action to 3D animation filmic adaptation of Duncan MacNeillie's Jock of the Bushveld." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12719.

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Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, Digital animation, 2012 Duncan MacNeillie’s Jock of the Bushveld is the first feature length 3D animated film to be produced almost exclusively in South Africa. This, coupled with the fact that MacNeillie also produced the live-action version of the film in the mid-1980’s, gives rise to a particularly pertinent question: Given our turbulent history, how is a colonial story adapted to fit and suit modern audiences? Additionally, how close does the adaptation need to adhere to it source text? The canon of adaptation studies hold various definitions; the most commonly accepted debate is that around fidelity discourse. Fidelity states that an adapted film needs to be loyal to its source text (in this case the source text is a live-action film) however, this definition becomes problematic when looking at South Africa’s turbulent and hostile socio-economic and political makeup. Textual fidelity becomes impossible, so different definitions need to be explored. Out of a film to film adaptive comparison I have attempted to use the notion of ‘intertextuality’ as a basis, that is, no text is completely free from its source text. Cultural context and popular understanding will always play a role in understanding societal shifts. Racism has been a part of popular consciousness since the advent of colonialism, how is this addressed in a current context, especially in a children’s story that was originally peppered with many taboos. The aim of this research report is to address the socio-political and cultural shifts that have occurred over the last twenty-five years or so. By using the Jock of the Bushveld films as a comparative vehicle I have attempted to debunk and unpack our difficult and convoluted historical identity, whilst using filmic adaptation studies and the theory of anthropomorphism within the animated feature as a foundation.

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Fouche, P. S. O. "Aspects of the ecology and biology of the Lowveld largescale yellowfish (Labeobarbus marequensis, Smith, 1843) in the Luvuvhu River, Limpopo River System, South Africa." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/583.

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Thesis (Ph. D. (Zoology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2009. Aspects of the ecology and biology of the Lowveld largescale yellowfish (Labeobarbus marequensis) were studied in the Luvuvhu River over a period of three years. In this study the origin of the species, its phylogenetic relation to the other South African yellowfish species, its distribution and gross morphology are discussed and the lack of knowledge regarding aspects of the species is pointed out. The study area is identified and its geology, hydrology, climate and water quality as well as the historic distribution of the species is discussed. Adapted “truss” techniques were applied to measure and calculate the morphometric features related to feeding and habitat preference of the species. From this data the habitat preferences and requirements were inferred after which it was compared to data obtained during field surveys. The study of the breeding biology and ecology of the species included investigations of gonad and egg structure and development as well as seasonal surveys of selected breeding sites. The diet of the species was established through stomach content analyses and related to the digestive tract morphology. Data obtained from the Xikundu fishway was used to establish the migratory behaviour. Results show that nine distinct stanzas or growth phases, each with its own morphometric characteristics, were identified. The body form, and some morphological aspects, of the species make it suitable to cope with flowing water. Ontogenetic changes in body form and the identified morphological aspects were observed and related to the habitat preferences of the stanzas. A distinct ontogenetic shift in preferred habitat was illustrated. The species was shown to be fractional spawner with two spawning events per annum. A major extended spawning event occurred during spring or early summer and coincided with a temperature increase and in particular with an increase in flow. Breeding occurred at sites with fast flowing water over cobble or boulder beds and it was observed that the presence of nursery areas related to breeding biotopes was extremely important. Although the diet of the species was dominated by plant and algal matter, juvenile stanzas ingested large amounts of animal material. It was found that the spatial movements of the species could be characterised as migrations and that breeding and dispersal migrations occurred.

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Davies, S. J. "The importance of browse in late dry season and early wet season diets of cattle and goats in a communal area of the Eastern Transvaal lowveld." Thesis, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/21651.

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A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 1991. The contribution of browse and grass to the diets of cattle and goats was assessed in relation to the total biomass of woody foliage and grass available in the study area. Livestock made less use of browse during the dry season than was shown by studies conducted in the Sahel and Nylsvley, northern Transvaal. Goats fed more selectively, utilised newly flushed foliage more and fed upon a greater variety of woody plant species than did cattle. Browse contribute nore to goat diets than to cattle diets although goats were less often supplied with browse. For goats, feeding on standing browse, 'supplied browse and leaf litter occupied 34.7 % of observation time before the tree/shrub flush and 8.3 % post-flush; for cattle the contributions were 14.7 % and 5.8 %, respectively. Fruits, flowers and bark were utilised only during the pre-flush period and only by goats. Goats spent significantly more time grazing and more time browsing than did cattle during the post-flush period. Agave sisalana (sisal) contributed to cattle diets during the preflush and post-flush periods, and to goat diets during the pre-flush period. Since relatively little standing woody foliage is accessible to the animals (16.6 % preflush and 30.7 % post-flush of the wet season maximum), lopping of woody foliage by herders substantially increases the amount of food accessible to livestock, and supplied browse was eaten wherever it was encountered. Aerial cover of grass averaged less than 20 %, grass biomass ,less than 120 kgDM.ha·t and biomass concentration of grass less than 553.5 gDM.m"3 for catena toplands, catena bottomlands and drainage line thickets. The low contribution of browse to livestock diets during this study was due to the scarcity of accessible, palatable forage, exacerbated by the late flush 011 woody plants. In addition, local people harvesting live wood for fuel may compete with foraging livestock. To increase the supply of food for livestock further the rollowing practices could be encouraged: storage of woody foliage litter until the late dry season, use of chemicals to increase the nutritional value of poor quality browse and establishment of woodlots of palatable, perhaps leguminous, evergreen woody species for use as livestock fodder. GR2017

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Mugangavari, Beaulah. "Exploring the potential of sustainable utilisation of the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) to improve food security. A case study of the south-east lowveld of Zimbabwe." Diss., 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26198.

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The baobab tree represents a major contribution to rural communities of the south-east lowveld of Zimbabwe. The livelihood base of the study area was largely rain-fed subsistence farming whose production has declined due to frequent droughts. Harvesting of baobab tree products; leaves, fruits and bark fibre, has prospered due to poverty. These products are harvested for food, medicinal use, cash and animal harness. A mixed method approach on collection of data was employed through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, 48-hour dietary recall and Household Food Insecurity Access Prevalence (HFIAP) template. Sixty-eight households from Wengezi and Gudyanga communities participated in this study. All the respondents from the study area indicated they were involved in using baobab products in one way or the other. According to the information collected by the HFIAP template, 76% of the households were moderate to severe food insecure. Baobab bark harvesting was common in the Gudyanga and harvesters were aware of sustainable way of harvesting it. Value-addition on baobab fruit pulp to make ice-lollies and seeds roasted to produce a coffee substitute was practised by youth projects with the help of a non-governmental organisation. Ninety-five percent of the households in the study area were in support of the idea of possible baobab tree commercial cultivation in the community. The support was in anticipation of job opportunities and reduced food insecurity. Agriculture and  Animal Health M. Sc. (Agriculture)

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"Characterisation of the health, habitat use and movement of adult lowveld largescale yellowfish (Labeobarbus marequensis Smith, 1841) and other fishes in the Crocodile River, Kruger National Park." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8598.

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M.Sc. (Aquatic Health) Yellowfish and specifically Labeobarbus marequensis are a charismatic species targeted by anglers throughout South Africa. Their population are limited to the north-western parts of the country including the lower reaches of the Crocodile River that flows through the Kruger National Park (KNP). Despite conservation efforts the Crocodile River in the KNP is still highly impacted. The effect of these impacts on the ecosystem is largely unknown. The main aim of the study was to determine the influence of changing water quantity and quality in the Crocodile River on adult L. marequensis. This was achieved by evaluating altered flows (discharge) on the behaviour of adult L. marequensis in the Crocodile River using biotelemetry over a two year period. The influence of altered water quality was assessed using metal bioaccumulation as an indicator of metal exposure in L. marequensis, Clarias gariepinus and Hydrocynus vittatus in the Crocodile and Sabie Rivers during a high and low flow season. Biotelemetry was used on 16 L. marequensis and 12 H. vittatus to determine the habitat use and movement responses of the species. Fish were tagged with Advanced Telemetry Systems (ATS) and Wireless Wildlife (WW) tags and tracked remotely and manually. Home ranges were determined using Arc GIS ®, Habitat uses were analyzed using Windows Excel (© 2011, Microsoft inc.). Environment variables recorded were scored as primary and secondary and then combined with a weighting variable 2:1 ratio (primary variable: secondary variable). A mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) approach with a random co-efficients model and Akaike’s information criteria (AIC) were used to test for significance. Analyses were conducted using SAS version 9 (SAS institute, Cary, NC)...

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Sacolo, Thabo Thandokuhle. "Residual value and production function approaches to valuation of irrigation water in sugar." Diss., 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/33146.

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The main objective of the study was to estimate non-market value of irrigation water as an input in sugar cane production in the Lowveld of Swaziland. This study used two independent approaches to non-market valuation, the residual value and production function approaches, to calculate the value that sugar cane farmers in the Lowveld region of Swaziland attach to irrigation water. The former estimated the average value of water, while the latter estimated the marginal value. The study also estimated the output elasticity of irrigation water, identified factors determining irrigation water values, and used stochastic frontier analysis to estimate farmers’ technical efficiency (TE) scores, and investigated the relationship hypothesised between irrigation water values and TE. Irrigated sugar cane production was specifically selected for this study on account of its socio-economic importance in Swaziland. Using data obtained from 78 sugar cane farms, the mean estimated value of irrigation water, measured in Emalangeni per metre cubed, was E1.60/m3 using the residual value approach, and E1.51/m3 using the production function approach. A t-test showed that the observed differences between the values estimated from the two independent approaches were not statistically significant, suggesting that either method can be used to value irrigation water employed in sugar cane production in Swaziland. The results from the t-test, in conjunction with the economic theory of duality, also allow us to conclude that the production technology employed by irrigation sugar cane farmers exhibits constant returns to scale. Irrigation water was output inelastic (0.711), lending additional credence to the constant returns technology conclusion. The value calculated for irrigation water was negatively related to irrigation water quantity, suggesting that price can be used as an instrument to directly regulate the quantity of irrigation water the farmer employs. The value calculated for irrigation water was negatively related to quantities of labour, quantity of irrigation water used, fertilizer and chemicals employed, suggesting that price can be used as an instrument to indirectly regulate the quantity of irrigation water the farmer employs. The value imputed for irrigation water was positively related to farm size and total revenue, suggesting that the more resourceendowed farmers can potentially pay higher for irrigation water. It is thus conceivable to design irrigation water pricing policies with equity considerations. TE scores ranged from 0.397 to 0.955, with a mean of 0.840. Farmers with higher TE scores also had higher implicit values for irrigation water, suggesting that irrigation water pricing can be used as a tool for motivating resource use efficiency. The key policy implication derived from this study is that price-based instruments have a potential in the management of scarce irrigation water resources in Swaziland. Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. gm2014 Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development unrestricted

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