Thesis (MA(VA))--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The challenges that have occurred within the South African education context could be ascribed to the country’s political history. This is a history that includes more than three hundred and fifty years of colonialism, which has had a direct influence on the more recent Apartheid regime. Colonial and apartheid history have remained deeply ingrained in the mind-sets of South African citizens, where a sense of strict binary and hierarchal thinking is present. Feeding on the ideologies of the past, it manifests and perpetuates itself specifically within spaces of learning. The purpose of this study is to investigate how 'Othered' identity is described and experienced within spaces of learning at the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University. The study is approached from a qualitative perspective, utilizing an interpretative process of collecting and analyzing data. A case study was conducted and the process involved interviews with four lecturers and eight students at the Visual Arts Department at Stellenbosch University. The investigation of ‘Othering’ within spaces of learning at the Visual Arts Department highlighted themes of ‘Othering’ and social and economic circumstances; ‘Othering’ and feelings of discomfort and pretence; ‘Othering’ and language; and ‘Othering’ and culture. Strategies regarding ‘Othering’ also emerged from the data highlighting two themes, bridging courses and diversity within spaces of learning. My findings include that ‘Othering’ is still prevalent within spaces of learning at the Visual Arts Department. Most lecturers and students seemed to be in agreement that ‘Othering’ should be addressed. It is suggested that promoting and combining processes of critical citizenship and reflective thinking within spaces of learning may encourage a necessary dialogue between lecturers and students. By improving the dialogue between lecturers and students, it may facilitate a relationship founded on mutual trust necessary for personal growth and growth within spaces of learning. It is further suggested that creating spaces of learning that are more diverse could contribute to this and provide enriching learning experiences for both lecturers and students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die uitdagings binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks kan toegeskryf word aan die land se politieke geskiedenis. Dit is ‘n geskiedenis wat bestaan uit meer as driehonderd en vyftig jaar van kolonialisme, wat ‘n direkte invloed op die meer onlangse Apartheid regering gehad het. Koloniale en apartheids geskiedenis is diep gewortel binne die denkwyses van Suid-Afrikaners, waar streng binêre denkwyses en hierargie heers. Na aanleiding van die verskeie ideologieë van die verlede, word hierdie denkwyse spesifiek manifisteer en herhaal binne leerruimtes. Die doel van hierdie studie was om te ondersoek hoe ‘Othered’ identiteit beskryf en ervaar word binne leerruimtes by die Visuele Kunste Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die studie is vanaf ‘n kwalitatiewe hoek benader en maak gebruik van ‘n interpretatiewe proses deur data versameling en analise. ‘n Gevallestudie was as navorsingsmetode gebruik en die proses het bestaan uit onderhoude met vier dosente en ag studente by die Visuele Kunste Departement van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die ondersoek van ‘Othering’ binne leerruimtes by die Visuele Kunste Departement het temas van ‘Othering’ en sosiale en ekonomiese omstandighede, ‘Othering’ en gevoelens van ongemak en voorgee; ‘Othering’ en taal; en ‘Othering’ en kultuur identifiseer. Strategieë ten opsigte van ‘Othering’ is ook vanaf die data identifiseer, waarvan twee temas spruit, naamlik oorbruggings kursusse en diversiteit binne leerruimtes. My bevindings sluit in dat ‘Othering’ nogsteeds binne die leerruimtes van die Visuele Kunste Departement ondervind word. ‘n Groot aantal dosente en studente stem ooreen dat dit baie voordelig sou wees om ‘n kombinasie van kritiese en refleksiewe denk prosesse binne leerruimtes in te sluit, soos ‘n nodige dialoog tussen dosente en studente. Deur die dialoë tussen dosente en studente te verbeter, kan dit ‘n verhouding fasiliteer wat gevestig is op gemeenskaplike vertroue, nodig vir persoonlike groei en groei binne leerruimtes. Dit word verder aangeraai dat leerruimtes wat meer divers is, ‘n bydrae kan maak tot verrykende leer ervarings vir beide dosente en studente.

Text in Afrikaans, abstract in Afrikaans and English / Lineere plantegroeipatrone bestaande uit afwisselende grasryke mikrotrog- en boomryke- kruinbane wat parallel met die helling georienteer is, kom voor op die voetbang van die Baviaansberg, in die Warmbadgebied, Noordelike Provinsie. Die hoofdoelwitte van die studie was om uit 'n landskapekologiese benadering die verskynsel te probeer verklaar, om die vertikale en horisontale variasie van eienskappe te kwantifiseer en om die impak van die mens daarop te benadruk. Die differensiasie in die Tukulu- en Etoshagrondvorms in onderskeidelik mikrotroe en -kruine is die gevolg van grondprosesse soos illuviasie van klei, loging en ferrolise.Granulometriese analise dui daarop dat die moedermateriaal van gronde van een bron afkomstig is. Kolluviasie en afsetting van moedermateriaal op die voethang was waarskynlik die beginpunt van landskapontwikkeling waar verdeelde oppervlakvloei van water oenskynlik die mikrostrukture geinisieer het. Na aanleiding hiervan het die ontwikkeling van grondverskille en waterregimeverskille tot plantegroeiverskille gelei. Faktore wat die patroon geaksentueer het is termietaktiwiteite, brand en beweiding. / A linear vegetation pattern consists of alternating grassland micro troughs and woody micro crests lanes which were orientated parallel to the slope occurred on the foot slope of the Baviaansberg, in the Warmbaths area, Northern Province. From a landscape ecological approach the principal aims of the study was to explain the phenomenon, to quantify the vertical and horizontal variation of features and to accent the impact of man on it. The differentiation in Tukulu and Etosha forms in micro troughs and micro crests respectively were the effect of several soil processes. Granulometric analyses showed that the parent material of soil was derived from one source. Colluviation and deposit of parent material was probably the starting-point of landscape development where the divided surface flow of water apparently initiated the micro structures. As a result of this the development of soil and water regime differences lead to vegetation differences. / Geography / M. Sc. (Geografie)

Department of Ecology and Water Resources / MENVM

MSc (Zoology)) / Department of Zoology

MSc (Botany) / Department of Botany / Invasive alien plants (IAPs) are non-native species that have spread beyond the introduction site; become abundant to an extent that they serve as agents of change that also threaten native biological diversity (Garcia-Berthou, 2007). IAPs have medicinal applications for the treatment of various aliments in humans (Jäger et al., 1996). In this study, an ethnomedicinal survey was conducted on medicinal uses of invasive alien plant species in order to identify and investigate the various disease treatment methods employed by Bapedi traditional health practitioners within Capricorn District. Six traditional health practitioners were randomly selected, via the snowball method from each of the five local municipalities namely: Aganang, Blouberg, Lepelle-Nkupi, Molomole and Polokwane. The whole survey included 30 traditional health practitioners. A semi structured questionnaire was administered to document information about the medicinal uses of IAPs from participants. The collected data from the questionnaire was captured in Microsoft Excel 2010 and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study recorded 22 IAPs belonging to 14 plant families. Records or data collected show invasive alien plants species to have been used for treatment of different alignments amongst Bapedi traditional health practitioners. Plant families with the most recorded species include: Solanaceae and Myrtaceae with 18.2% for both of them. The plant parts most frequently used in descending order were as follows: roots vii (40%), followed by the leaves (39%), fruits (7%), thorns (6%), bark (4%), seeds (2%) and lastly stems (2%). Decoction was recorded as the most dominant method used during medicinal preparations (n = 176) and flu was recorded as the most treated ailment amongst traditional health practitioners (n = 29). Apart from clearing IAPs as part of management strategy by South African government, there are other alternative innovative ways that can be employed to ensure that the number of IAPs introduced does not exceed beyond measure.This could be achieved by encouraging local people to use them as either medicinal sources or by incorporating them into any other local ethnobotanical use. The new innovative ways (such as traditional health practitioners utilizing the IAPs instead of endangered plants or indigenous plants species) can bring in some form of relief to the already declining indigenous species populations. Research scholars from different research institutes and higher education research centres can regard IAPs used medicinally as source of new pharmaceutical leads to create new medications. With such attention turned to alien invasive species, their survival as well as their spread will be kept on check at the same time creating a control measure to their spread with little effort. Further laboratory-based studies are needed to determine efficiency and safety of the IAPs used by traditional health practitioners in this study. / NRF

Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis focuses on the effects of vegetation resting on biodiversity and community dynamics at Rocherpan Nature Reserve (320 36'S, 180 18'E) in the semi-arid coastal strip of the Succulent Karoo known as Strandveld. As a whole, the Succulent Karoo has an extraordinary high level of phyto diversity with high levels of endemism. This is particularly true for succulent shrubs belonging to the groups Mesembryanthemaceae, Crassulaceae and Asteraceae. The thesis begins with an investigation into effects that vegetation resting has on plant diversity. The aim was to determine if resting affected biodiversity levels and if so, which plant groups are affected and why. Through a numerical approach, it was determined that with resting overall species richness remained the same. However, different plant life forms responded to resting differently. With increased resting, abundance of succulent shrubs decreased, while richness of annuals increased. The second aspect under investigation was to determine how resting the vegetation affected community dynamics. The aim was to understand how vegetation structure and interspecific associations changed with resting and to apply these findings to known community models. Through an autocorrelation approach, it was found that horizontal patterning of long-lived woody species, that formed distinctive vegetation clumps, did not change with resting, while differences were found in woody matrix species and succulent species. These changes in structure were investigated further through a study on the demography of specific species. Demography of woody species associated with vegetation clumps did not change with vegetation resting, while significant changes were observed for woody matrix species and succulent species. In longer rested vegetation, woody matrix species showed a greater range in size class distribution (i.e. had both very large and smaller plants) with the tendency towards larger plant sizes. Succulents on the other hand, had a smaller range in size class distribution with a tendency towards larger plants. For all species investigated there were low seedlings counts. It was concluded that succulent shrub populations were 'mature' and continued resting could result in local extinction of some species due to the lack of regeneration. The overall lack of seedlings was attributed to a saturated establishment environment. Implications for conservation management were discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis fokus op die gevolge van plantegroeirus op biodiversiteit en gemeenskapsdinamika by die Roeherpan Natuurreservaat (320 36'S, 180 18"0) in die halfdor kusstrook van die Sukkulente Karoo, bekend as die Sandveld. In die geheel gesien het die Sukkulente Karoo 'n buitengewone hoë vlak plantdiversiteit met hoë vlakke endemie. Dit is veral waar vir sukkulente struike wat tot die groepe Mesembryanthemaceae, Crassulaceae en Asteraceae behoort. Hierdie tesis ondersoek eerstens die gevolge wat plantegroeirus op plantdiversiteit het. Die doel was om te bepaal of rus die biodiversiteitsvlakke beïnvloed het en indien wel, watter plantgroepe en waarom. Deur middel van 'n numeriese benadering is bepaal dat die algehele diversiteit, numeries gesproke, met plantegroeirus dieselfde gebly het. Verskillende plantlewensvorme het egter verskillend gereageer. Met toenemende rus het die diversiteit van sukkulente struike afgeneem, terwyl die diversiteit van jaarplante verhoog het. Die tweede aspek wat ondersoek is, was om te bepaal hoe die plantegroeirus die dinamika van die omgewingsgemeenskap beïnvloed het. Die doel was om te verstaan hoe die struktuur van die plantegroei en die interspesifieke assosiasies verander het met rus en om dan hierdie bevindinge toe te pas op bekende gemeenskapsmodelle. Deur middel van 'n outokorrelasiebenadering is gevind dat die horisontale patrone van meerjarige houtagtige spesies wat in duidelik-uitkenbare plantegroeigroeperings voorkom, nie met rus verander het nie. Veranderinge is egter wel in die houtagtige matriksspesies en die sukkulente spesies waargeneem. Hierdie veranderinge in struktuur is verder ondersoek deur 'n studie te maak van die demografie van spesifieke spesies. Daar is gevind dat die demografie van houtagtige spesies geassosieer met plantegroeigroeperings nie met plantegroeirus verander het nie, maar beduidende veranderinge is waargeneem in die geval van houtagtige matriksspesies en sukkulente spesies. By plantegroei wat langer gerus het, het die houtagtige matriksspesies 'n wyer verspreiding in klasgroottes vertoon (d.i. daar was baie groot plante én kleiner plante) met 'n gemiddelde afname in plantgrootte. Sukkulente, aan die ander kant, het 'n kleiner verspreiding in klasgroottes vertoon met 'n neiging tot groter plante. Vir al die spesies wat ondersoek is, was daar lae saailingtellings. As gevolg van die "volwassenheid" van die populasies van sukkulente struike, sou voortdurende rus, weens die gebrek aan regenerasie, kon lei tot die plaaslike uitwissing van sommige spesies. Die algemene gebrek aan saailinge is toegeskryf aan die versadigde vestigingsomgewing. Die implikasies VIr natuurbewaringsbestuur word bespreek. v

Thesis (PhD (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Invasive alien trees (IATs) and agriculture are rapidly altering the capacity of ecosystems to provide a variety of essential services, with decreasing habitat quality having an adverse effect on arthropod biodiversity. Although both agricultural intensification and IATs have an impact on ecosystems, it is unclear which of these two is currently the most severe. Here I compare the influences of vineyards and IATs on arthropod diversity in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) from two perspectives. Firstly, insect diversity from four different vegetation types (native fynbos, IATs, cleared invasive alien trees (CIATs) and vineyards), and their ecotones were assessed. Secondly, soil compaction in the different vegetation types was assessed and compared to determine how soil compaction relates to arthropod species richness and abundance. Surface-active arthropods were used for these evaluations, as they were considered to be the most abundant, yet sensitive groups for these comparative assessments. Pitfall trapping, which has been widely used for such comparative studies, was the method of choice. Additionally, as a result of incidental wildfires at some of the study sites (IATs and fynbos vegetation), it was decided opportunistically to assess recovery of arthropod diversity following the impact of fire. The results categorically indicate that IATs had by far the most significant impact, in comparison with vineyards, in reducing arthropod diversity and changing assemblage composition. Both IATs and vineyards, not surprisingly, supported lower arthropod diversity compared to fynbos, while CIATs supported arthropod species richness comparable to that of fynbos. However, different invertebrate species responded differently to IAT invasion, with some species even adapted to conditions in IAT patches. Environmental factors such as leaf litter and soil compaction were strongly correlated with arthropod species richness. However, other factors, such as soil moisture content, were not correlated with species richness, despite varying significantly between different vegetation types. IATs were found to reduce soil compaction, while vineyards increased soil compaction. The ecotone between adjacent land-use types was important for sustaining high arthropod species richness, particularly for the CIATs/fynbos ecotone, followed by the interface between CIATs/vineyard and vineyard/fynbos. Some species even preferred ecotones. Surface-active invertebrate species richness declined substantially immediately after fire in both IATs and fynbos. Nevertheless, recovery was rapid, with some species recolonizing or re-establishing within three months. Indeed, both species richness and abundance were high following fire. Fire had no significant impact on arthropod assemblage within IATs, despite having a serious impact in the fynbos where a different arthropod assemblage was observed after fire. The recovery of the historic assemblages may be dependent on both the pre-fire composition of the habitat and its adjacent vegetation. Effective co-operation among conservation biologists, farmers, and landowners to actively plan the future of CFR landscape biodiversity is required. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Indringer uitheemse bome (IUB) en landbou bedrywighede is vinnig besig om die kapasiteit van ekosisteme vir die voorsiening van „n verskeidenheid van noodsaaklike dienste, met „n afname in habitatkwaliteit en „n nadelige uitwerking op artropood biodiversiteit, te verander. Alhoewel beide, landbou intensifikasie en IUB‟s, ‟n impak op ekosisteme uitoefen, is dit onduidelik watter van hierdie twee huidig die mees ernstige een is. In hierdie studie vergelyk ek die invloed van wingerde en IUB‟s op artropood diversiteit in die Kaapse Floristiese Streek (KFS) vanuit twee perspektiewe. Eerstens, insekdiversiteit van vier verskillende vegetasietipes (natuurlike fynbos, IUB‟s, verwyderde indringer uitheemse bome (VIUB‟s) en wingerde) en hulle ekotone is bepaal. Tweedens, is grondverdigting in en van die verskillende vegetasietipes ondersoek en vergelyk om te bepaal hoe grondverdigting verband hou met artropood spesies rykheid en volopheid. Oppervlak-aktiewe artropode is vir hierdie bepalings gebruik aangesien hulle beskou word as die mees volopste, maar ook mees sensitiewe groepe vir hierdie vergelykende bepalings. Pitvalvangste, wat alom gebruik word vir sulke vergelykende studies, was die verkose werkswyse. Bykomend, as gevolg van onbeplande veldbrande in sommige studie gebiede (IUB‟s en fynbos plantegroei), is oppertunisties van die geleentheid gebruik gemaak om die herstel van artropood diversiteit na die impak van brand te bepaal. Die resultate toon duidelik aan dat IUB‟s, in vergelyking met wingerde, by verre die mees beduidende impak gehad het deur ‟n verlaging van artropood diversiteit en veranderende groeperingssamestellings. Beide, IUB‟s en wingerde, het, nie onverwags nie, in vergelyking met fynbos, laer artropood diversiteit ondersteun, terwyl VIUB‟s artropood spesies verskeidenheid, vergelykbaar met dié van fynbos, ondersteun het. Verskillende invertebrate spesies het egter verskillend gereageer op IUB indringing, en sommige spesies het selfs by toestande in IUB kolle aangepas. Omgewingsfaktore soos blaarafval en grondverdigting was sterk gekorrelleer met artropood spesies rykheid. Ander faktore, soos grondvoginhoud, was egter nie in ooreenstemming met spesies rykheid nie, ten spyte van ‟n beduidende wisseling tussen verskillende vegetasietipes. IUB‟s het grondverdigting verminder, terwyl by wingerde grondverdigting toegeneem het. Die ekotone tussen aanliggende grondgebruike was belangrik om hoë artropood spesies rykheid, veral by die VIUB‟s/fynbos ekotoon, gevolg deur die kontaksones tussen VIUB‟s/wingerd en wingerd/fynbos, te onderhou. Sommige spesies het selfs ekotone verkies. Oppervlak-aktiewe invertebraat spesies rykheid het onmiddelik na brand in beide, IUB‟s en fynbos, wesenlik afgeneem. Tog was herstel vinnig, met sekere spesies wat binne drie maande teruggekeer of hulle hervestig het. Inderdaad was beide, spesies rykheid en volopheid, hoog na ‟n brand. Brand het geen noemenswaardige invloed op artropood groeperings binne IUB‟s gehad nie, ten spyte van ‟n ernstige impak in fynbos waar ‟n verskillende artropood groepering na ‟n brand waargeneem is. Die herstel van die historiese groeperings van beide, die voor-brand samestelling van die habitat en sy aangrensende plantegroei, mag afhanklik wees. Effektiewe en aktiewe samewerking tussen bewaringsbioloë, boere, en grondeienaars om die toekoms van KFS landskap biodiversiteit te beplan, word benodig.

A dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for the Degree of Master of Science. . / The cyclone Domoina floods of 1984 were responsible for the large scale destruction and devastation of riverine vegetation in the Umfolozi Game Reserve. This event highlighted the need to gain an understanding af the structure and dynamics of riverine vegetation and to use this knowledge to develop a management strategy directed at the future recovery and maintenance of riverine vegetation in the Umfolozi Game Reserve. (Abbreviation abstract) / Andrew Chakane 2018

MSCAGR (Plant Production) / Department of Plant Production / See the attached abstract below

MSCAGR (Animal Science) / See the attached abstract below