Very little information is available on domestic fuel consumption in African villages in Southern Africa. And yet, it is a problem that concerns a large number of people, and which is contributing to environmental deterioration. At three villages, in Lesotho, Transkei and KwaZulu, the collection and consumption of wood, dung and paraffin were recorded. The largest quantities of energy are consumed in KwaZulu with the least in the Transkei (only slightly below Lesotho). The total consumption of energy largely depends on the availability of wood. When wood becomes scarce, dung is burnt for heat and cooking. Paraffin is used for light, and for cooking by some women. Wood and dung are burnt at efficiencies of below 3%. The most obvious short term solution, to shortages of energy, is to raise the efficiency with which fuel is burnt. In the long term, alternative energy sources must be developed.

Bibliography: leaves 191-198. / This study is aimed at elucidating and providing some understanding of the underlying causal processes that generate patterns in the salt marsh communities of Langebaan Lagoon. The study area forms part of the West Coast National Park and is the largest tract of saltmarsh in South Africa. An overview of the current literature on salt marsh ecology is discussed and a synopsis of local research of salt marshes is presented. The general nature of the study site is described in historical geological hydrological and ecological context. The zonation of the plant communities is a distinctive feature of the salt marshes at Langebaan. To establish the nature of this zonation and to achieve the stated objectives, transects were established at three sites around the lagoon. Tue vegetation was accurately surveyed using a continuous quadrat system to measure the apparent zonation. Sample sites were allocated to the transects and soil cores were extracted for the testing of a comprehensive range of edaphic factors. The results of these tests are graphically displayed to demonstrate the existence of environmental gradients, and these gradients are then linked to specific species which represent the various zones. In this manner, associations between the species and environment could be ascertained. Tue species and environmental data were subjected to canonical correspondence analysis, a powerful ordination technique in an attempt to unravel and illuminate the complex relationships in the species-environment.

Bibliography: p. 163-167. / De Beers Consolidated Mines, Namaqualand Division (DBNM) anticipate that the financially viable diamond reserves at their mines on the West Coast would be depleted by 2002, resulting in closure of the mine. DBNM commissioned the Environmental Evaluation Unit (EEU) of the University of Cape Town to assess the social and economic impacts of future mine closure and to recommend measures to mitigate the negative impacts. The aim is to assist DBNM management in future planning. Baseline data were compiled in a separate document: NM2005: Impact Assessment: Baseline Information Report. Using that data, this report identifies and assesses the socio-economic impacts of mine closure on DBNM employees, and on the two regions from where most employees originate, Namaqualand and the Herschei/Sterkspruit district of Transkei (Fig 2). Integrated environmental management procedures and social impact assessment methods were followed in the assessment.

Bibliography: leaves 81-82. / The primary aim of this dissertation is to analyze the information gathered in the baseline report, and evaluate the factors influencing land-use in the confluence area. The objectives are to identify the key constraining factors to land-use planning in the confluence area, and to propose appropriate land uses in light of these key constraining factors. These proposals must bear in mind the local and metropolitan significance of the confluence area.

Bibliography: leaves 92-96. / The objective of the present study was to investigate mist interception by Mountain Fynbos under non-rainfall conditions. Quantitative measurements and qualitative observations of plant-drip and stem-flow from selected plant species were recorded at five experimental sites on the Back Table of Table Mountain, Cape Province. Plant-drip and stem-flow catching devices were designed and installed in order to collect the moisture intercepted by plants. The results indicated that mist interception by the vegetation was influenced by wind speed, density of mist and by the morphological characteristics of the plants. Greater interception occurred when dense mist was accompanied by high wind speeds. The interception ability was found to increase with plant size. Interception efficiency depended on the leaf morphology of the plants. Narrow-sclerophylls (e.g. Psoralea pinnata) were found to be more effective in intercepting mist droplets than broad-clerophylls (e.g. Leucadendron salignum). The portioning of intercepted water into plant-drip and stem-flow was largely influenced by the shape of the plant. The mean rate of water yield per plant observed during five periods of rainfree, misty conditions, was 71 ml hr-1 . Rainfall is, therefore, not the sole source of moisture contributing to the water balance. The additional moisture intercepted by vegetation should, therefore, be taken into consideration in studies of water balance and hydrology.

Land Use and Land Cover Changes (LULCC) are occurring rapidly around the globe, particularly in developing island nations, such as Indonesia. Increasing population, the spread of suburbia, and the transition to rubber plantations have resulted in LULCC in Semarang City, Indonesia. We use the lens of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to determine potential policies to address these LULCC; however, these goals can be conflicting in regard to preserving natural landscapes and bettering the lives of the poor. We documented the LULCC in Semarang City using remote sensing, overlay analysis, optimized hot spot analysis, expert validation, and Continuous Change Detection and Classification. We focused on the period between 2006 and 2015. The implications of this study show that these geospatial analyses and big data can be used to characterize the SDGs and the complex interplay of these goals. The results from the analysis are useful in implementing policies and assisting in decision making at multiple spatial scales.

Relative susceptibility to SOâ‚‚ has been determined for a range of South African plants. Young trees, shrubs and herbaceous species were used for experiments in which the phytotoxic effects of SOâ‚‚ were studied at different concentrations and exposure times. The plants were fumigated in an exposure chamber at ambient conditions of temperature, light intensity and relative humidity. Considerable variations in sensitivity were noted for the 63 species investigated, and, among the families well represented in the South African flora, Ericaceae were resistant while Proteaceae were sensitive to SOâ‚‚. The injury symptoms developed have been described and foliar necrosis evaluated in terms of an injury index. The results of this study form the first documented account of the susceptibility of South African plants to SOâ‚‚, and include a pictorial record of acute injury symptoms. A literature survey of current knowledge concerning visible and subtle phytotoxic effects of SOâ‚‚ is also presented.

Gamefarming in Africa has generally failed to exploit the potential biological productivity of indigenous wildlife populations. This study enquired as to the reasons for such failure within the Cape Province. The enquiry focused on management, research and marketing aspects of gamefarming. Personal interviews, a questionnaire and a literature analysis provided the information for the study. A description of the overall gamefarming situation is provided. Those management problems identified here found to be largely dependent on individual farmer's methods and the intensity of game utilisation. The primary uses of game were aesthetic appreciation and sport hunting. Such usages, being of low intensity, were accompanied by low levels of management effort. The lack of a stable economic incentive was found to be the major inhibition against adopting intensive commercial means of game utilisation by cropping, safari hunting and live sale.

Bibliography. / Albedo is an important part of the radiation regime of any surface as it indicates the relative amount of solar radiation retained by the surface. Variations in albedo of the earth's land surface are broad. Bare, moist dark soils reflect as little as 9%, grasslands 26% and sandy deserts 37%. Man alters the natural environment in many ways, one of which is through altering the natural albedos. The primary aim of this project is to determine the actual variation in albedos amongst some South western Cape natural and disturbed veld types. Disturbances such as overgrazing, crop-development and fire are included. Surface readings were taken during January and June in ten veld types and floristic and soil data as well as climatic variables were measured. Disturbed veld types were found to have significantly higher albedos than natural veld types. The net loss of radiation may have significant climatic implications, which are discussed.

Bibliography: p. 241-249. / The research was undertaken to determine first, how well the hunting resources were allocated by a lottery to Zimbabwe citizen hunters in the Charara/Makuti study area. A second investigation determined whether the opportunity costs of this allocation method could be justified in the context of Zimbabwe's current socio-economic development priorities. The Department of National Parks and Wild Life Management (DNPWLM) is the government agency responsible for the management of Zimbabwe's protected areas and wildlife.