The spatial and temporal patterns in the ichthyofaunal community composition and structure in Taylor’s salt marsh and adjacent eelgrass beds (Zostera capensis) in the Kariega Estuary, was investigated every two months between May 2006 and March 2007. Total ichthyofaunal abundances and biomass in the salt marsh ranged between 0.55 and 21.7 ind.10m-2 and between 0.03 and 1.9 g.wwt.10m⁻², respectively. There were no significant spatial patterns in the values evident (P > 0.05 in all cases) although seasonal trends were marked, with highest values consistently recorded during the warmer summer months. Investigations into the community structure showed that the ichthyofaunal community within salt marsh was composed almost exclusively of juveniles of estuarine dependant (category II) species, mainly juvenile Mugilidae (<20mm SL) that comprised up to 83% of all fish sampled. Hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling did not identify any distinct spatial patterns in the ichthyofaunal community within the salt marsh. The absence of any spatial patterns in the community structure could be related to the absence of any significant spatial patterns in the physico-chemical (temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen concentrations) and biological (water column and microphytobenthic algal concentrations) variables within the salt marsh (P > 0.05 in all cases). Temporal shifts in the ichthyofaunal community structure within the salt marsh were, however, evident largely reflecting the breeding cycles of individual species within the sub-region. Within the adjacent eelgrass beds, total ichthyofaunal abundances and biomass ranged between 8.4 and 49.4 ind.10m⁻² and between 2.9 and 94.5 g.wwt.10m⁻², respectively. Once again there were no distinct spatial patterns in the abundance and biomass values evident although seasonal patterns were marked. In contrast to the salt marsh, within the in the eelgrass community, there were a large number of adult individuals recorded. Again category II species, the estuarine dependent species, were numerically and gravimetrically dominant. The dominance of category II species reflects the marine dominance of Kariega Estuary. The remaining estuarine utilisation categories did not contribute significantly to abundance or standing stock totals. Hierarchical cluster analysis showed that the salt marsh and eelgrass beds represented two distinct habitats within the Kariega Estuary. Within the salt marsh, the family Mugilidae were numerically dominant contributing 83% of the total catch. Within the eelgrass beds, the sparid, Rhabdosargus holubi and representatives of the family Gobidae contributed 36.3% and 33.9% respectively to the total catch. Estuaries with a wide range of microhabitats have been demonstrated to support a more diverse ichthyofaunal community. Shallow water habitats in general are important areas for juvenile fish within estuaries. Taylor’s salt marsh provides an alternative shallow water habitat, occupied by a distinct ichthyofaunal community composition, with increased food availability and decreased predation pressure, for a wide range of fish species.

1. In studying the effects of micro-climates on the distribution of larval ticks in the Eastern Cape Province four species were considered, namely, Boophilus decoloratus (Koch), Rhipicephalus evertsi (Neu), Amblyomma hebraeum (Koch) and Ixodes pilosus (Koch). 2. Three types of investigation were made:- i) autumn and spring surveys of the distribution of larval clusters, which were assumed to be close to positions in which egg-masses had been laid. - (Four species); ii) observations on the survival and development of eggs and engorged female ticks in microclimatically distinct field plots. - (Four species); iii) observations on the behaviour of the larvae and of the engorged female ticks. - (B. decoloratus). 3. The survey and plot data suggest that in autumn larval clusters of I. pilosus were to be found only in well-shaded situations because more exposed places were micro-climatically unfavourable to the survival of earlier stages. 4. The surveys show that in spring 1957 larval clusters of I. pilosus were to be found in unshaded, as well as in shaded, situations. 5. The survey and plot data indicate that the winter of 1957 was not favourable to the development of larvae of B. decoloratus, and that in spring new larval clusters may be expected to appear first in the warmest situations and later in the generally cooler places. 6. The plot data show that during hot and dry periods exposed situations were unfavourable to tho engorged females and eggs of all four species considered, but that during such periods these stages could sometimes survive in well-shaded places. 7. The survey and plot data show that in autumn and in spring larval clusters of B. decoloratus and R. evertsi may be present in unshaded situations. 8. The plot investigations provide little information about the distribution of larval clusters of A. hebraeum, but the survey data suggest that it is not remarkably different from that of B. decaloratus and R. evertsi. 9. There is a discrepancy in the survey and plot data: the surveys show that larval clusters of R. evertsi, and B. decoloratus were rare or absent from well-shaded situations, whereas tho plot data suggest such situations were micro-climatically favourable to larval developmcnt during the months preceding Autumn. 10. The observations on the behaviour of larvae and engorged females of B. decoloratus provide information which suggests that the behaviour of those stages may account for the rarity of larval clusters in well-shaded places. 11. The relative density of larval clusters of B. decoloratus is evidently also affected by factors other than micro-climate . The dropping- off behaviour of engorged female ticks appears to be possibly important in this.

Small town economic decline has been experienced in many countries across the globe and can be explained through Geographical Economics, particularly the New Economic Geography, which suggests that agglomeration occurs as a natural outcome of high transportation and transactional costs. Yet despite the economic rationale behind their decline it is not an economic inevitability and there is evidence of towns in the United States, New Zealand and Canada that have reversed their economic fortunes. [n South Africa approximately 5 million people live in the 500 small towns and many more live in their rural hinterlands where povelty levels are extremely high within a national context. Within this context the thesis examines the current economic status and potential growth prospects of small towns in the Eastern Cape Midlands in South Africa in order to identify critical growth dri vers within small town economies. Five small towns were selected for the study via means of a purposive sample and were subjected to two regional modelling techniques, namely Shift-Share Analysis and Economic Base Theory to determine their current economic trends and past growth patterns, while a Social Accounting Matrix was utilised to identify important sectoral linkages, potential avenues for growth and evident leakages within small town economies. The sampled towns experienced negative economic growth trends between 1996 and 200 I, the primary loss in employment being accounted for by regional economic changes as opposed to national or industrial trends. The decline was more severely felt in primary/industrial sectors of the economy; evidence was found that manufacturing activities declined in all of the centres, despite the industry growing nationally. The Social Accounting Matrix highlighted strong links between the agricultural and services sectors within the national economy. Thus, considering that agriculture was identified as the primary economic driver within the region and the services sector the largest employer in all of the towns it is evident that the economic potential of the towns is to a certain extent linked to the success of agriculture in their hinterlands. Seven growth drivers, namely size, local economic development, existing markets, existing industries, infrastructure, municipal leadership and local entrepreneurs and were linked via means of a scoring framework to the sampled towns' economic potential. Whilst the results of actually determining a towns economic potential are not definitive the study does provide useful insights about the impact and potential role played by these drivers. Linked to this scoring framework and to Cook's (1971) hierarchy of places in the Eastern Cape Midlands four categories of towns were identified in the commercial falming areas and recommendations were made about appropriate developmental interventions at a municipal level, such as the need to retain local entrepreneurs and to invest in social amenities. Considering the evident need for development in rural areas the study provides critical insights into how to prioritise development strategies within small rural towns in commercial farming areas. In addition it would enable municipalities to critically reflect on their municipal Local Economic Development strategies and the relevance within the context of small towns. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

[Portion of abstract]: Sediment dynamics are influenced by transformed landscape connectivity in catchments worldwide. The upper Thina catchment, an important high rainfall resource in the northern Eastern Cape, South Africa, is an example of where ongoing subsistence farming on communal land has led to overgrazing and trampling that has initiated large erosive features (e.g. gullies) and river incision. The formation of gullies led to increased hillslope-channel connectivity and the resultant river incision decreased the channel-valley fill connectivity. These two changes in connectivity led to increased sediment export from the catchment that has various down-stream ecological and socio-economic impacts. This study investigates how the change in hillslope-channel and channel-valley fill connectivity has altered the sediment dynamics in the Vuvu catchment, a headwater tributary of the Thina River. A combination of methods were used to assess the changes in hillslope-channel and channel-valley fill connectivity. High resolution aerial images were used to map source features, such as fields, gullies, sheet erosion, landslides, roads and livestock tracks. Topographic and geological characteristics of the source features were extracted using a Geographic Information System. Furthermore, hillslope-channel pathways, such as the natural drainage network, continuous gullies, discontinuous gullies, roads and livestock tracks were mapped and analysed in terms of topographic and geological characteristics. Historic aerial images were assessed to calculate the date the larger gullies began forming. Recent aerial photos and cross sectional surveys of the valley fill were combined to map the various sediment sinks. Particle size and organic content were analysed for flood bench cores and terrace samples. The chronology of the flood benches was determined using unsupported Pb-210 and Cs-137 dating, and determined for the terraces using Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating. Quantitative and qualitative sediment tracing approaches, using mineral magnetic properties, were used to trace the origin of suspended sediment (collected during flood events), sediment stored in the flood benches and sediment stored in the terraces. Hydrological monitoring was used to assess the potential to store sediment on flood benches along the valley fill through flood bench inundation frequency. Hydrological and hydraulic modelling extended the measured inundation frequencies to a 73 year period and other cross sections along the valley fill. Furthermore, a future scenario of an increased vegetation cover and reduced hillslope-channel connectivity was assessed in terms of channel-valley fill inundation frequency.

The recognition of the close link between the lifestyles of 'indigenous' and 'local' people and biodiversity is widely acknowledged as crucial, not only for the survival of biological diversity but also for the protection of cultural diversity. Most discussions centre on the argument that cultural diversity can, through a wide variety of uses and practices, sustain and conserve biodiversity, particularly in many developing countries. However, local people's relationship with natural landscapes and the extent to which they value biodiversity has not been fully explored and is in most cases misunderstood, which in fact undermines the bio-cultural diversity link. This misunderstanding exists primarily because the majority of environmental or ecological research conducted so far has been oriented towards economic valuation, in quantifying the estimated value of plants and fauna utilised by local people. As a result, biodiversity is primarily treated as a commodity, with wild harvested plant products being classified as either having subsistence, or commercial and medicinal value. This approach is narrow and conceals the critical, profound noneconomic values of biodiversity among local communities in everyday life. Literature indicates that biodiversity and natural landscapes also include less tangible values such as spiritual, cultural, psychological and social values (e.g., sense of place, place attachment, and psychologically restorative effects) which are crucial to human well-being. This suggests that human-nature interaction is complex, and that the meanings and values that people ascribe to natural landscapes cannot be solely reduced to economic values. Nevertheless, to date, studies investigating these less tangible values have received little attention in South Africa. As a result, we have very little understanding of what local and indigenous communities value or appreciate with regard to natural landscapes, beyond their general economic significance. This study seeks to address this particular limitation by exploring non-economic values of natural landscapes and their significances to local people while illuminating the complexities inherent in human-nature interactions. I argue that the purely economic valuation of natural resources is simplistic and biased, and therefore does not represent the complete meaning and significance that natural resources may hold for local communities and households. Therefore, this study takes an innovative psychological approach to explore in detail the everyday lived experiences of the amaXhosa in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It seeks to investigate the cultural, spiritual, and psychological values that ordinary people attach to natural landscapes in the peri-urban and urban communities of Ndlambe Village l and Grahamstown respectively. This research also aims to study the general perceptions of and meanings ascribed to the natural landscape (referred to by the amaXhosa as ihlathi lesiXhosa). In addition, it carefully integrates the Phenomenological and Transactional approaches to investigate how the amaXhosa engage, interact, and find meaning within the natural landscape. Furthermore, the study explores the impact of such landscape experiences on local people's spiritual and psychological well-being, demonstrating it link to bio-cultural diversity and conservation. The major findings in this study reflect that ihlathi lesiXhosa provides a place for peace and tranquillity to enhance psychological restoration. Moreover, ihlathi contributes towards redefining and strengthening personal and cultural identity; and provides spiritual satisfaction in everyday life. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that i!liathi lesiXhosa plays a profound role in both the personal and social lives of many amaXhosa in the Eastern Cape in that it appears to improve their lives. Therefore, the evidence in this study suggests that, among the amaXhosa, biodiversity and natural landscape management processes should not aim to address and promote ecologicallbiological and economic values in a compartmentalized manner independent of other social, cultural, psychological, and more specifically the spiritual values of these features. An increased understanding of these more intangible values and local people's value system of biodiversity could help towards implementing improved biodiversity conservation and landscape management strategies in South Africa. These insights would not only help us to address the challenges of the previous conservation framework but would also encourage a more inclusive, mutual benefiting process that respects local people's values and needs.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has serious effects on society. It has been described as the biggest threat to the development of South Africa, with severe economic, social and human impact. In the Lady Frere District in the Eastern Cape Province, like in many other areas that are greatly affected by the epidemic in this country, young people are considered by the local Department of Health to be a particularly vulnerable group due to various predisposing biological, social, cultural, and economical factors. Despite the efforts that have been made to educate and encourage prevention, especially by the local Masibambane Non-governmental Organisation (MNGO) to inform these communities about the dangers of the epidemic, people's behaviour have been slow to change and the disease continues to spread. This research is conducted against the escalating HIV / AIDS pandemic in the Lady Frere District. The fundamental aim of this project is to examine the intermediary function of the MNGO in HIV/AIDS responses. The study seeks to evaluate the way in which this local NGO operates on the ground in contributing to a community's response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In other words, the thesis tries to indicate how this local NGO, in dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue, interfaces with the community and related stakeholders. It examines how young people in the Lady Frere District perceive HIV/AIDS. A literature review demonstrates that the specific aims and objectives of this project represent a fairly new area of research in South Africa. I propose in the thesis that a simple act of joining and being regularly involved in a community organisation such as the MNGO will have significant impact on individuals' health and well-being. The thesis is crying for a need to restore the notion of "ubuntu" (meaning humanity) which is fundamentally based on social capital to assist these communities to rebuild trust which is essential in people living with HIV/AIDS. Based on my assessment it seems that intermediary NGOs, like the traditional NGOs and the private sector, will have little impact in terms of changing the conditions of the poor and the marginalised people. This is because in practice, like the conventional NGOs, intermediary NGOs serve the interests of donors and national governments or those who give them financial support to continue existing.

Despite decades of gender research and public action by civil society, policy makers continue to neglect the role of women as breadwinners who work at improving the socio-economic conditions in rural areas such as Wooldridge, a traditional rural village in the Amathole district of the Eastern Cape Province. The apartheid system created an environment that continues to perpetuate both poverty and gender inequality in rural areas. Hence, rural women in Wooldridge still experience poverty, despite welfare benefits. They are located in a poverty-stricken area without basic infrastructure and with little or no access to economic assets. They use primitive methods and indigenous knowledge to develop survival strategies. This study argues that unemployed rural women in Wooldridge cannot survive without assistance from government. Indigenous knowledge and agricultural as well as non-agricultural activities are critical to household livelihoods in Wooldridge. These activities are an important route through which these rural women can escape poverty. The primary objective of this research was to obtain a better understanding of how unemployed rural women survive in Wooldridge. Furthermore, the necessary conditions required to sustain livelihood in the rural areas were identified. This was mainly done to help alleviate the plight of rural women in Wooldridge and to improve the quality of life of the rural population. The aim is to generate a policy response to rural women that is economically development-oriented. The study was based on five research objectives. The first objective was to identify the survival strategies of unemployed rural women in Wooldridge; the second to ascertain what can be done to alleviate the plight of rural women in Wooldridge. The third objective was to ascertain what has been v done to address the needs of rural women in the Wooldridge area by actors of development, such as government and non-governmental organisations. The fourth objective was to identify the constraints faced by unemployed rural women in Wooldridge in achieving food security and generating income, with the last objective to make recommendations regarding policies that can enhance rural economic development and assist unemployed rural women to reduce poverty. The main finding in terms of the first research objective is that the survival strategies of unemployed rural women are welfare benefits, the selling of assets, remittances, handicraft production and vegetable gardens. In terms of the second research objective, the main finding is that investment in human capital through the empowerment of women will assist them in improving the quality of life of the Wooldridge community. Empowerment involves skills and training, education and access to basic services, expertise regarding credit, land, the growing of vegetables and income-generating projects. The main finding in terms of the third research objective is that the Peddie Women Support Centre that is located in the city centre of Ngqushwa does not have the capacity to reach out to rural areas. Rural women in Wooldridge have not received responses to their plights from government or from development practitioners. These actors of development play an important role in empowerment. In terms of the fourth research objective, the main finding is that structural constraints hinder the economic activity of rural women in Wooldridge. Government policy that encourages investment in infrastructure using labour-intensive methods will eliminate service backlogs in underserviced areas such as Wooldridge. The main finding in terms of the fifth research objective is to ascertain the impact that new legislation can have to ensure that rural women have the same access and entitlement to land and resources as women from urban areas. Furthermore, service-improvement programmes should be developed and micro-enterprises and agricultural and non-agricultural activities that will generate income and employment should be encouraged in order to reduce poverty in Wooldridge.

Many South African estuaries are currently believed to be generating lower levels of services than they used to in the past due to substantially reduced inflow of river water, among other reasons. The basis by which river water is allocated in South Africa has had to be re-examined. Local authorities are now required to integrate into their development planning sensitivity to the ways estuaries work; the relevant legislation being the Municipal Systems Act No. 32 of 2000. Sound water resource management requires that the benefits and costs of different water allocations be compared and an optimum determined. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) is used in this study to estimate the benefits of changing allocations of river water into estuaries. This study builds on a CVM pilot project done at the Keurbooms Estuary in the Southern Cape in year 2000 (Du Preez, 2002). Further CVM studies were conducted at the Knysna, Groot Brak and Klein Brak estuaries (Dimopolous, 2004). The CVM is a valuation technique based on answers given to carefully formulated questions on what people are willing to pay for specified changes of freshwater inflows into estuaries. The CVM depends on there being a close correspondence between expressed answers given to hypothetical questions and voluntary exchanges in competitive markets that would be entered into if money did actually change hands. The fact that it has proved very difficult to establish this correspondence has led to CVM being subject to criticism. However, many aspects of this criticism have been addressed in the form of methods to reduce biases, and the application of the technique has grown steadily in popularity during the past 25 years. Four estuaries, the Swartkops, Kariega, Mngazi and Mngazana, were surveyed as part of this study in order to determine users’ willingness to pay (WTP) for changes in freshwater inflows. Considerable research time was devoted at the estuaries getting to know how things worked around and in the estuaries. The Swartkops estuary is a permanently open system within the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area. The estuary has the third largest salt marsh in South Africa. Its banks are highly developed with residential and industrial property and it is heavily used for both recreation and subsistence fishing by locals. The Kariega estuary is located near the semi-rural town of Kenton-on-sea, between Port Elizabeth and East London. Although it is permanently open, the Kariega estuary has very low inflows of river water. It is mainly used by retired pensioners living in holiday houses at Kenton-on-sea. The Kariega is not heavily used for recreation and subsistence fishing, except during holidays and the festive season because of its proximity to other estuaries such as the Bushmans and the Kleinemond. The Mngazi and the Mngazana estuaries are located in the Wild Coast area of the Eastern Cape, in the Port St Johns Municipal district. The Mngazi is a temporarily open/closed system which does not have high botanical ratings, although it is heavily used by visitors to the well known Mngazi River Bungalows, a highly rated hotel near the mouth of the Mngazi River. The Mngazana estuary is a permanently open system renowned for its Mangrove forests and excellent fishing spots. Both the Mngazi and Mngazana estuaries are located in rural areas and are heavily used by local village residents for subsistence purposes.

The contamination of heavy metals in the environment is a looming concern worldwide. Egeria densa (Planch) (Submerged aquatic plant) from two ponds: Site A with co-ordinates (32º 48’22.04”S; 26°48’58.79” E) and Site B with co-ordinates (32°48’33.25”S; 26°48’33.25”S) in Alice (Eastern Cape) was evaluated for its ability to absorb heavy metals, phytochemical constituents, antimicrobial activity and ultra-structure using standard analytic procedures. Cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) were measured in water, sediments and plant. The concentrations of these metal elements were determined with use of Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). In sediments, the heavy metals (mg/kg) decreased in the order of their average concentration as follows: Fe (40.320) > Zn (1.259) > Pb (0.564) > Mn (0.186) > Cu (0.037) in Pond 1 whereas in Pond 2 Fe (61.527) > Cd (0.999) > Mn (0.648) > Pb (0.586) > Zn (0.156) > Cu (0.045). The highest concentration of Fe was detected in both sites and Cu being the least. The concentrations of the metals in the plants sample (from Pond 1) were found in order of Mn > Pb > Cu > Fe whereas cadmium and zinc were not detected, while the concentration in Pond 2 decreases in order of Zn > Mn > Pb > Cd > Fe > Cu. In the water samples, concentrations of heavy metals (mg/L) decreased in the order of their average concentrations as follows: Pb (35.36) > Fe (3.07) > Mn (0.238) > Cu (0.104), both cadmium and zinc were below the limit of detection in Pond 1, whereas in Pond 2 the concentrations decreased as follows: Pb (13.033) >Fe (1.69) > Cu (0.270) > Mn (0.248) > Cd (0.004) and Zinc was not detected. Phytochemical analyses of the plant extracts revealed the presence of phenols, flavonoids, proanthocyanidin, flavonols, saponins, alkaloid and tannins in all the extracts (water, acetone and n-hexane). Both acetone and water extracts, showed high concentration of proanthocyanidin, while tannin was the lowest in acetone extract. Antimicrobial evaluation using, Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram negative (Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Serratia marcescens) bacteria showed negative results for all the strain, except Streptococcus pyogenes which was inhibited at MIC of 0.1 mg/ml. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of ultra-structure of Egeria densa, showed that certain bacteria attached to the leaf, However more work has to be done on E. densa to verify the mechanism by which it accumulates heavy metals. The study shows that E. densa has a potential of accumulating heavy metals especial Manganese in plant.

Biomass gasification has attracted the interest of researchers because it produces zero carbon to the atmosphere. This technology does not only produce syngas but also the byproducts which can be used for various application depending on quality.The study conducted at Melani village in Alice in the Eastern Cape of South Africa was aimed at investigating the possible applications of the gasification byproducts instead of being thrown away. Pine wood was employed as the parent feedstock material for the gasifier. Biomass gasification by-products were then collected for further analysis. The studied by-products included tar(condensate), char, soot and resin. These materials were also blended to produce strong materials.The essence of the blending was to generate ideal material that is strong but light at the same time.The elemental analysis of the samples performed by CHNS analyser revealed that carbon element is in large quantities in all samples. The FTIR spectra showed almost similar results for all the studied samples, since the samples are end products of lignocellulosegasification. SEM gave the sticky images of resin as well as porous char structures. Char showed a higher heating value of 35.37MJ/Kg when compared to other by-products samples.