No description available.

The history of the Department of Zoology & Entomology at Rhodes University is traced from its origin with a single staff member, through the era of permanent heads of department to the present day staff. Significant achievements and developments in teaching and research are highlighted, and some anecdotal material is included.

Within the Knysna Estuary Upogebia africana has an extensive distribution from north of Leisure Isle to the Red Bridge, occupying 62% of the available intertidal zone. Six sites were surveyed within the above distributional range. U. africana was found from the high-water level (Spartina zone) to the shallow subtidal zone (to about 1.5 m depth). The density, biomass and population structure of the mud prawns were found to be highly variable within the estuary. Only small animals (carapace length –× = 10.9 mm) were found in the upper estuary at the Red Bridge. Although large animals were present, the Invertebrate Reserve had a low density and biomass of U. africana (– × = 11.7 m–2; 3.9 g.m–2 dry weight). By contrast a relatively inaccessible centre mud bank (Oyster Bank) in the middle reaches of the estuary had much larger populations (–× = 176.5 m–2; 65.3 g.m–2 dry weight). This site is, therefore, a natural mud prawn reserve. Within the intertidal zone, mud prawn density (74–76 m–2) and biomass (26–27 g.m–2 dry weight) was usually greatest in the Spartina and lower Zostera zones. Sex ratios throughout the estuary did not deviate significantly from 1:1.

The activities of people collecting Upogebia africana for bait at six popular collecting sites in the Knysna Estuary were monitored from February 1995 until April 1996. Three groups of bait harvesters were identified on the basis of their source of income: subsistence fishers who rely on bait collecting and fishing for their income; supplementary fishers who catch fish to supplement their income; leisure anglers who draw no income from fishing. Two groups of collectors were identified based on methods of collecting bait and fishing: leisure anglers who collect bait using a prawn pusher or pump and fish using a rod and tackle; non-leisure fishers who collect using tin cans and fish with hand or planted lines. The average harvest of bait per collecting trip by leisure anglers was 59 mud prawns, whereas non-leisure fishers took 101 animals, twice the legal limit. The numbers of bait collectors present per mud bank were found to be highest on public holidays ([horizontal bar over]X = 43.5) and higher during the summer holidays ([horizontal bar over]X = 16.5) than during the spring/summer ([horizontal bar over]X = 8.6) and autumn/winter ([horizontal bar over]X = 4.6) periods. Most collectors spent 11-30 minutes on the mud banks. It was estimated that 1.86 x 10[superscript 6] U. africana or about 740 kg (dry mass) was removed by bait collectors annually from the six bait-collecting sites studied. This represented about 8.5% of the mud prawn stocks at these sites and about 0.9% of the entire estuary stock. 85% of the mud prawns taken as bait was removed by 77% of the bait collectors who were the non-leisure fishers.

The platypleurine cicadas have a wide distribution across Africa and southern Asia. We investigate endothermy as a thermoregulatory strategy in 11 South African species from five genera, with comparisons to the lone ectothermic platypleurine we found, in an attempt to ascertain any influence that habitat and/or body size have on the expression of endothermy in the platypleurine cicadas. Field measurements of body temperature (Tb) show that these animals regulate Tb through endogenous heat production. Heat production in the laboratory elevated Tb to the same range as in animals active in the field. Maximum Tb measured during calling activity when there was no access to solar radiation ranged from 13.2° to 22.3°C above ambient temperature in the five species measured. The mean Tb during activity without access to solar radiation did not differ from the mean Tb during diurnal activity. All platypleurines exhibit a unique behavior for cicadas while warming endogenously, a temperature- dependent telescoping pulsation of the abdomen that probably functions in ventilation. Platypleurines generally call from trunks and branches within the canopy and appear to rely on endothermy even when the sun is available to elevate Tb, in contrast to the facultative endothermy exhibited by New World endothermic species. The two exceptions to this generalization we found within the platypleurines are Platypleura wahlbergi and Albanycada albigera, which were the smallest species studied. The small size of P. wahlbergi appears to have altered their thermoregulatory strategy to one of facultative endothermy, whereby they use the sun when it is available to facilitate increases in Tb. Albanycada albigera is the only ectothermic platypleurine we found. The habitat and host plant association of A. albigera appear to have influenced the choice of ectothermy as a thermoregulatory strategy, as the species possesses the metabolic machinery to elevate to the Tb range observed in the endothermic species. Therefore, size and habitat appear to influence the expression of thermoregulatory strategies in African platypleurine cicadas.

No description available.

Kappia, a new genus from the Fish River Valley in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa is presented. At first described as Raphionacme lobulata Venter and R.L.Verh. [Venter, H.J.T., Verhoeven, R.L. 1988. Raphionacme lobulata (Periplocaceae), a new species from the eastern Cape Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 54, 603–606.] based on a single specimen collected in 1936, recently discovered plants of this species proved it to be a new genus. In habit Kappia resembles Baseonema Schltr. and Rendle, Batesanthus N.E.Br., Mondia Skeels and Stomatostemma N.E.Br. However, as far as floral structure is concerned, Kappia reveals more affinity with Raphionacme Harv. DNA sequence data show Kappia to be distinct from Batesanthus, Mondia and Raphionacme Harv. and weakly supported as a sister to Stomatostemma.

This article analyses the issues associated with providing support mechanisms for strengthening media institutions in Africa. It takes a historical look at the involvement of international actors in the evolution of African media, arguing that ideology plays a key role in the way international support is crafted for Africa's development, including media development.

Arbor Day, or Week, is a well-established greening initiative worldwide, focusing on tree planting and the benefits thereof. Frequently most effort is targeted at institutions such as schools and community groups. Yet there has been limited assessment of the success of Arbor Day, or Week, activities both at the schools, or the wider dissemination in neighbouring communities and suburbs. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of school-based Arbor Week activities on learners’ home-based practices regarding tree planting and urban forestry. Learners from three schools in Grahamstown, South Africa, with good Arbor Week participation, were assessed on their tree planting knowledge. The learners’ parents were also interviewed to determine whether the information obtained by the learners at school was taken home. A control group consisting of people with no children or very young children was also assessed. This study found that Arbor Week activities were, for the most part, successfully taught in the case study schools, and most of the learners stated that their knowledge of trees and their benefits came from their school activities. However, many learners could not remember the activities in which their schools partook the previous year. Whilst most learners were aware of the importance of trees, few had encouraged tree planting at home. However, over one-fifth of adults claimed that their knowledge of the benefits of trees was as a consequence of Arbor Day activities when they were young. Numerous constraints to tree planting were provided by learners and both the adult groups, the two most frequent being limited space and falling leaves making their yards untidy. External organisations should become more actively involved and provide much needed support systems if greening initiatives are to reach the wider community.

The importance of wild edible herbaceous species to resource poor households in most rural economies within savannas has been little studied. This is because most of the herbs grow in impoverished species communities and lands, often referred to as ‘marginal lands’. The aim of this paper is to conceptualize how the economics of wild edible herbs to households can be used to add value to total livelihoods and conservation within traditional communal areas of South Africa. Analysis of the economics of the consumption of wild edible herbs in Thorndale (Bushbuckridge district) of the Limpopo province is presented. The majority of households consumed wild edible herbs, averaging 15.4 kg dried weight per household per year and valued at $167 per household. The herbs were mostly harvested from uncultivated areas of farms, and rangelands. There was little correlation between household characteristics and the dependence on wild herbs for food. The local people noted a decline in the availability of the species, although not much is known about attempts to cultivate them. The only reasons attributed to the decline were nutrient poor soils and insufficient rains. With this background, developing a local strategy to sustain the species through cultivation by households was found to be feasible. A multiple-use system for the herbs, their improvement and value addition towards commercialization and increased household usage may result in wider acceptance and subsequent cultivation. Species diversity will be enhanced whilst conserving the land on which they grow. This multiple use system may include species roles in soil and water conservation.