Restriction endonucleases are a group of enzymes that cleave DNA at or around specific sequences, which are typically palindromic. A fosmid library was constructed from a metagenome isolated from soil from the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape and was functionally screened for restriction endonucleases. Next-generation (NGS) Illumina sequencing technology was used to identify putative endonucleases. The sequence data generated was assembled and analysed using CLC Bio Genomics Workbench and bioinformatics tools (NCBI BLAST, REBASE and MG-RAST). Using these tools, genes encoding restriction-modification systems and endonuclease homologues were discovered. Three genes were identified and were recombinantly produced in Rosetta™ (DE3) pLysS and purified with IMAC using Ni-TED resin and subsequently characterised. These three genes were selected based on the identity percentage when compared to sequences on the NCBI database. Production of Endo8 was scaled up using 2 l fermenter and the purification done using ÄKTA Avant 150 FPLC using a HiScale 50 column packed with Ni-TED resin and the total amount of protein achieved was 58.82 mg.g-1. The productivity achieved at 17 hours (8 h harvest) was 2-fold greater than at 12 hours. Endonuclease activity of endo8 and endo52 was tested, both exhibited strong non-specific activity at 37 °C with an incubation period of 30 min. This work demonstrates that environmental soil samples are a valuable source for discovery of novel enzymes and also the utility of functional metagenomics to discover and purify these enzymes. These endonucleases may contribute to the next generation of reagent enzymes for molecular biology research. / Chemistry / M. Sc. (Life Sciences)

This study examines the impact mountain gorillas has on the sustainable and developmental life of the Volcanoes National Park (VNP) in Rwanda. The study is equally based on the on psychosocial perspectives as it concerns the behavior of the population. It emphases on how ecotourism works and how it affects the mountain gorillas on the nature reserve. The study also investigates the impact of ecotourism with regards to the locals, society and the country using research that has been previously carried out.   The study's findings show that the revenue-sharing system from mountain gorilla tourism activities has changed local communities view on ecotourism both positively and negatively through opportunities and weaknesses in sustainable development. In addition, the study shows the government's ongoing commitment to improving and maintaining the eco-tourism sector by diversifying its activities. It shows that the government of Rwanda has included conferences, ceremonies, and tours in its ecotourism efforts that further provides variation for visitors so that tourism develops throughout the country. / Denna studie undersöker bergsgorillornas påverkan utifrån ett hållbarhets- och utvecklingsperspektiv i Volcanoes National Park (VNP) i Rwanda. Studien utgår från ett psykosociolaperspektiv, hur ekoturismen fungerar och påverkar bergsgorillorna i VNP. Studien undersöker även med hjälp av tidigare forskning; vilka konsekvenser som tillkommer med ekoturism med avseende på lokalbefolkning, samhället och landet. Studiens resultat visar att intäktsdelningsystemet från bergsgorillaturismen har förändrat lokala samhällen både positivt och negativt genom möjligheter och svagheter i hållbarutveckling. Studien visar regeringens ständiga åtaganden att förbättra och upprätthålla ekoturismsektorn genom att diversifiera verksamheten. Rwanda har inkluderat konferenser, ceremonier och turer i sin ekoturism som ytterligare ger variation för besökarna så att turismen utvecklas i hela landet.

This study explores the potential role of an environmental education approach towards the conservation of the Swartkops Estuary and Swartkops Nature Reserve. More specifically it examines the opinions, feelings and perceptions of a sample of twenty seven people, who have a vested interest, in the possible conservation of the area. These stakeholders were comprised of people representing all the various groups and communities that use either or both the estuary and reserve. Opinions were examined by means of a qualitative data analysis from semi-structured interviews. The conservation opinions of respondents were obtained on both general topics and more detailed areas. Due to the small sample and exploratory nature of the project, these results should be viewed as tentative. Proposals are made for increasing the impact of Environmental Education programmes in this and similar environments, and recommendations are put forward to help facilitate related studies in the future.

The purpose of this study was observing the Mealy Parrot (Amazona farinose virenticeps) in the open air nature, also the study found out their eating and nesting habits. Description of behavior in their natural environment and a description of the habitat in the study area. Monitoring, which took place at the census was made 3 weeks in September 2015. Other investigations in which observation was focused on finding nesting cavities and bird watching in the stream and this was performed three weeks in February 2016. Observation was carried out in Costa Rica on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea in the nature reserve Gandoca Manzanillo. Part of the observations was the liner census of Mealy Parrots with the use of the Passau methods to chart a path along the road leading from the village of Manzanillo to Puerto Vijejo. Length of the strip to the census was fixed at 2.1km about the width of 250m. At the counting was found out how Mealy Parrots was fed and what type of food. Also there was observe at what time Mealy Parrots swoop for food, and what trees were occupying them and in which part of tree crowns they were sitting in. Other research showed their behavior in the presence of other birds and other animals and how they were behaving in danger of predators. In another part of observing, that took place in February 2016 was searched two nests in tree hollows (Manilkara zapota) and (Pterocarpus officinalis). Only in one of the nesting cavity was found one egg, which was measured.

Der geschichtliche Prozess der Bodenbesetzung und – nutzung auf der Grundlage von Entwaldung und ungeordneter Bodenbewirtschaftung verursachte Konflikte zwischen der Zielsetzung der Umweltsanierung und der sozialwirtschaftlichen Reproduktion der auf Flächen mit hohen Umwelteinschränkungen siedelnden Landwirte. Diese Dichotomie zeigt sich derzeit in der Anwendung des Umweltrechts, insbesondere im neuen brasilianischen Waldschutzgesetz, das 1965 durch das Bundesgesetz Nr. 4.771 erlassen wurde, wenn es sich um Naturschutzgebiete (APPs) handelt, also um Landstriche entlang der Gewässer, die entsprechend geschützt und deren natürliche Vegetationsbedingungen erhalten werden müssen. Ausgehend von Elementen der Flussgeomorphologie gründet sich die von der vorliegenden Untersuchung verfolgte Diskussion auf die Hinterfragung der geometrischen Maβnahmen der Naturschutzbestimmungen durch die Vorlage einer Methodik zur Bestimmung dieser Flächen. Um zum Ergebnis zu gelangen, wird eine geschichtliche Rückbesinnung auf den Bodenbesetzungsprozess in Nordwest Rio Grande do Sul, zu der die Proben der Untersuchung gehören, sowie eine theoretische Interpretation des weltweiten Naturschutzes vorgenommen und werden die Naturschutzgebiete für Brasilien auf drei Untersuchungsebenen diskutiert: der gegebene gesetzliche Rahmen, die Verwendung dieser Flächen und der Zustand, in dem diese sich im Nordwesten von Rio Grande do Sul befinden. Die soziale Funktion des landwirtschaftlichen Betriebs wird als wichtiger Punkt dieser Diskussion betrachtet, denn von ihr ausgehend geschieht der ganze Prozess der Verantwortungsüberweisung für den Schutz oder Nichtschutz von Naturschutzgebieten. In diesem Sinne untersuchen wir auch, wie IBAMA, FEPAM und Staatsanwaltschaft sich positionieren und angesichts der gesetzten Thematik handeln. Für die vorgeschlagene Methodik bestimmten wir drei Bereiche des Flusses Santo Cristo zu Pilotflächen, für die wir die Längsdeiche und Auen als Parameter für die Bestimmungen der Naturschutzgebiete definierten. Ebenso beurteilten wir die Bodenstruktur der Region, um eine der Art der lokalen Betriebshöfe unmittelbar verbundene Deutung zu ermöglichen. Von diesen Vorzeichen ausgehend wurde eine kritische Lesart des Verhaltens dieser Flächen möglich, indem ihre derzeitige Verwendung derjenigen der gesetzlichen Anforderungen entgegengestellt wurde. Aus der vorliegenden Untersuchung ergeben sich als wesentliche Schlüsse: Eine vertiefte Untersuchung über die Naturschutzgebiete ist dringend und erforderlich, um einen neuen Gesetzesvorschlag zu erarbeiten, der effektive Fachparameter zur Bestimmung der Naturschutzgebiete festlegt und der gleichzeitig die Entwicklung von Untersuchungen anstrebt, die darauf zielen, alternative nachhaltige Nutzungsalternativen für diese Flächen vorzulegen; Beurteilung der Schutz- und Erhaltungskonzeptionen in der Absicht, dass letztere eine breite Palette von Vorteilen für die kleinen landwirtschaftlichen Betriebshöfe in dem Maβe mit sich bringen, wie die Bodenschutzmaβnahmen zum Ausgleich der Natur beitragen und in der Erzeugung dieser Betriebshöfe einen reellen Gewinn erbringen. Schlieβlich legen wir eine Reihe von Studien vor, die in der Absicht einer Vertiefung der von uns erforschten thematischen Diskussion verfolgt werden können. / O processo histórico de uso e ocupação da terra, baseado no desflorestamento e no manejo desordenado do solo, tem gerado conflitos entre os objetivos de recuperação ambiental e de reprodução socioeconômica dos agricultores assentados sobre áreas de elevadas restrições ambientais. Esta dicotomia reflete-se na atualidade através da aplicação mais efetiva da legislação ambiental, principalmente, do Código Florestal brasileiro, instituído pela Lei Federal n. 4.771 de 1965, que trata das Áreas de Preservação Permanente, APPs, que são as faixas marginais aos corpos hídricos que devem ser devidamente preservadas e mantidas com vegetação nativa. A discussão apresentada pelo presente estudo está pautada no questionamento das medidas geométricas contidas na definição das APPs nesse instrumento legal, buscando apresentar uma metodologia para a definição destas áreas a partir de elementos da geomorfologia fluvial, além daqueles relacionados com a cobertura vegetal de entorno. Para chegar aos resultados desse estudo se apresenta uma retomada histórica do processo de ocupação da Região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, na qual se inserem as áreas amostrais, faz-se uma leitura teórica sobre conservação da natureza em nível mundial e discute-se as APPs em três níveis de análise para o Brasil: a) o arcabouço jurídico que está posto; b) o uso destas áreas e c) o estado da arte em que elas se apresentam no noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. A discussão da função social da propriedade rural é vista como ponto importante desta discussão, por ser a partir dela que se dá todo o processo de responsabilização pela preservação ou não das APPs. Neste sentido, buscamos também compreender como o Ibama, a Fepam e o Ministério Público Estadual se posicionam e desenvolvem as suas atividades frente à temática colocada. Definimos como áreas piloto para a aplicação da metodologia proposta, três setores do Rio Santo Cristo, para os quais definimos os diques marginais e as planícies de inundação como parâmetros para a definição das APPs. Da mesma forma, avaliamos a estrutura fundiária da região para possibilitar uma leitura diretamente relacionada com o tipo de propriedade existente no local. A partir destas definições foi possível estabelecer uma leitura crítica das características dessas propriedades, comparando o seu uso atual com as exigências legais. Ficam como principais conclusões do presente estudo: a) que é urgente e necessário um estudo mais aprofundado sobre a questão das APPs para que seja possível apresentar uma proposta de alteração da legislação que busque parâmetros técnicos efetivos para a definição das APPs; b) que se busque igualmente o desenvolvimento de estudos que objetivem apresentar alternativas de uso sustentado para estas áreas; c) que se avaliem os conceitos de preservação e conservação com o intuito de compreender que o último traz uma grande gama de benefícios para as pequenas propriedades rurais, na medida em que as práticas conservacionistas auxiliam no equilíbrio da natureza e trazem um ganho real na produção destas propriedades. Por fim, apresentamos um conjunto de estudos que podem ser realizados com o intuito de aprofundar as discussões da temática por nós pesquisada. / The historic land grab and land usage process based on deforestation and disorderly land management caused conflicts between environmental cleanup and socioeconomic reproduction of the farmers settled on areas that underlie strict environment restrictions. This dichotomy at present gets evident in the application of the environmental legislation, particularly the new Brazilian Forest Code entitled by the federal Law No. 4.771 of 1965, when it involves permanent nature reserve (APPs), that is, marginal stripes along water corps that must be preserved with the associated original vegetation. The discussion herewith stated is based on the closer examination of the geometrical measures of the definition of the permanent nature reserves trying to present a method for the definition of theses areas out of the elements of the fluvial geomorphology. To reach the result, we make recourse to the historical land grab process in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul, to which belong the areas herein studied. We make a theoretical interpretation of nature conservation at international level and discuss nature reserves at three study levels for Brazil: the given legal framework; the usage of these areas; and their conditions in northwest Rio Grande do Sul. The discussion of the social function of the farms is seen as an important aspect of this discussion because thereof happens the responsibleness for the conservation or not conservation of the preservation areas. We also study the positioning of Ibama, Fepam and prosecution in this question. We determinate three segments of the Santo Cristo river as pilot areas for the application of the proposed methodology, wherefore we defined natural levee and floodplains as patterns for the definition of nature preservation areas. We did also evaluate region’s estate to allow an understanding directly related to the kind of local property. These definitions allowed us establishing a critical understanding based on the behaviour of these areas comparing their current usage to the legal demands. The most important conclusions of this study are: 1) a deeper study of nature preservation areas urges and is necessary to allow the presentation of a new legal proposal that looks for effective technical patterns for the definition of nature reservation areas; 2) that one also tries to develop studies that try to show alternatives of sustainable usage of these areas; 3) that preservation and conservation concepts get evaluated with the intend to understand that this brings a wide scope of benefits to the small farms thus far as the conservation practices help to stabilize nature and to carry a real gain in the production of these farms. Finally we present a scope of studies that can be done with the aim of deepening the discussions of the question here studied.

Der geschichtliche Prozess der Bodenbesetzung und – nutzung auf der Grundlage von Entwaldung und ungeordneter Bodenbewirtschaftung verursachte Konflikte zwischen der Zielsetzung der Umweltsanierung und der sozialwirtschaftlichen Reproduktion der auf Flächen mit hohen Umwelteinschränkungen siedelnden Landwirte. Diese Dichotomie zeigt sich derzeit in der Anwendung des Umweltrechts, insbesondere im neuen brasilianischen Waldschutzgesetz, das 1965 durch das Bundesgesetz Nr. 4.771 erlassen wurde, wenn es sich um Naturschutzgebiete (APPs) handelt, also um Landstriche entlang der Gewässer, die entsprechend geschützt und deren natürliche Vegetationsbedingungen erhalten werden müssen. Ausgehend von Elementen der Flussgeomorphologie gründet sich die von der vorliegenden Untersuchung verfolgte Diskussion auf die Hinterfragung der geometrischen Maβnahmen der Naturschutzbestimmungen durch die Vorlage einer Methodik zur Bestimmung dieser Flächen. Um zum Ergebnis zu gelangen, wird eine geschichtliche Rückbesinnung auf den Bodenbesetzungsprozess in Nordwest Rio Grande do Sul, zu der die Proben der Untersuchung gehören, sowie eine theoretische Interpretation des weltweiten Naturschutzes vorgenommen und werden die Naturschutzgebiete für Brasilien auf drei Untersuchungsebenen diskutiert: der gegebene gesetzliche Rahmen, die Verwendung dieser Flächen und der Zustand, in dem diese sich im Nordwesten von Rio Grande do Sul befinden. Die soziale Funktion des landwirtschaftlichen Betriebs wird als wichtiger Punkt dieser Diskussion betrachtet, denn von ihr ausgehend geschieht der ganze Prozess der Verantwortungsüberweisung für den Schutz oder Nichtschutz von Naturschutzgebieten. In diesem Sinne untersuchen wir auch, wie IBAMA, FEPAM und Staatsanwaltschaft sich positionieren und angesichts der gesetzten Thematik handeln. Für die vorgeschlagene Methodik bestimmten wir drei Bereiche des Flusses Santo Cristo zu Pilotflächen, für die wir die Längsdeiche und Auen als Parameter für die Bestimmungen der Naturschutzgebiete definierten. Ebenso beurteilten wir die Bodenstruktur der Region, um eine der Art der lokalen Betriebshöfe unmittelbar verbundene Deutung zu ermöglichen. Von diesen Vorzeichen ausgehend wurde eine kritische Lesart des Verhaltens dieser Flächen möglich, indem ihre derzeitige Verwendung derjenigen der gesetzlichen Anforderungen entgegengestellt wurde. Aus der vorliegenden Untersuchung ergeben sich als wesentliche Schlüsse: Eine vertiefte Untersuchung über die Naturschutzgebiete ist dringend und erforderlich, um einen neuen Gesetzesvorschlag zu erarbeiten, der effektive Fachparameter zur Bestimmung der Naturschutzgebiete festlegt und der gleichzeitig die Entwicklung von Untersuchungen anstrebt, die darauf zielen, alternative nachhaltige Nutzungsalternativen für diese Flächen vorzulegen; Beurteilung der Schutz- und Erhaltungskonzeptionen in der Absicht, dass letztere eine breite Palette von Vorteilen für die kleinen landwirtschaftlichen Betriebshöfe in dem Maβe mit sich bringen, wie die Bodenschutzmaβnahmen zum Ausgleich der Natur beitragen und in der Erzeugung dieser Betriebshöfe einen reellen Gewinn erbringen. Schlieβlich legen wir eine Reihe von Studien vor, die in der Absicht einer Vertiefung der von uns erforschten thematischen Diskussion verfolgt werden können. / O processo histórico de uso e ocupação da terra, baseado no desflorestamento e no manejo desordenado do solo, tem gerado conflitos entre os objetivos de recuperação ambiental e de reprodução socioeconômica dos agricultores assentados sobre áreas de elevadas restrições ambientais. Esta dicotomia reflete-se na atualidade através da aplicação mais efetiva da legislação ambiental, principalmente, do Código Florestal brasileiro, instituído pela Lei Federal n. 4.771 de 1965, que trata das Áreas de Preservação Permanente, APPs, que são as faixas marginais aos corpos hídricos que devem ser devidamente preservadas e mantidas com vegetação nativa. A discussão apresentada pelo presente estudo está pautada no questionamento das medidas geométricas contidas na definição das APPs nesse instrumento legal, buscando apresentar uma metodologia para a definição destas áreas a partir de elementos da geomorfologia fluvial, além daqueles relacionados com a cobertura vegetal de entorno. Para chegar aos resultados desse estudo se apresenta uma retomada histórica do processo de ocupação da Região Noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul, na qual se inserem as áreas amostrais, faz-se uma leitura teórica sobre conservação da natureza em nível mundial e discute-se as APPs em três níveis de análise para o Brasil: a) o arcabouço jurídico que está posto; b) o uso destas áreas e c) o estado da arte em que elas se apresentam no noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. A discussão da função social da propriedade rural é vista como ponto importante desta discussão, por ser a partir dela que se dá todo o processo de responsabilização pela preservação ou não das APPs. Neste sentido, buscamos também compreender como o Ibama, a Fepam e o Ministério Público Estadual se posicionam e desenvolvem as suas atividades frente à temática colocada. Definimos como áreas piloto para a aplicação da metodologia proposta, três setores do Rio Santo Cristo, para os quais definimos os diques marginais e as planícies de inundação como parâmetros para a definição das APPs. Da mesma forma, avaliamos a estrutura fundiária da região para possibilitar uma leitura diretamente relacionada com o tipo de propriedade existente no local. A partir destas definições foi possível estabelecer uma leitura crítica das características dessas propriedades, comparando o seu uso atual com as exigências legais. Ficam como principais conclusões do presente estudo: a) que é urgente e necessário um estudo mais aprofundado sobre a questão das APPs para que seja possível apresentar uma proposta de alteração da legislação que busque parâmetros técnicos efetivos para a definição das APPs; b) que se busque igualmente o desenvolvimento de estudos que objetivem apresentar alternativas de uso sustentado para estas áreas; c) que se avaliem os conceitos de preservação e conservação com o intuito de compreender que o último traz uma grande gama de benefícios para as pequenas propriedades rurais, na medida em que as práticas conservacionistas auxiliam no equilíbrio da natureza e trazem um ganho real na produção destas propriedades. Por fim, apresentamos um conjunto de estudos que podem ser realizados com o intuito de aprofundar as discussões da temática por nós pesquisada. / The historic land grab and land usage process based on deforestation and disorderly land management caused conflicts between environmental cleanup and socioeconomic reproduction of the farmers settled on areas that underlie strict environment restrictions. This dichotomy at present gets evident in the application of the environmental legislation, particularly the new Brazilian Forest Code entitled by the federal Law No. 4.771 of 1965, when it involves permanent nature reserve (APPs), that is, marginal stripes along water corps that must be preserved with the associated original vegetation. The discussion herewith stated is based on the closer examination of the geometrical measures of the definition of the permanent nature reserves trying to present a method for the definition of theses areas out of the elements of the fluvial geomorphology. To reach the result, we make recourse to the historical land grab process in the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul, to which belong the areas herein studied. We make a theoretical interpretation of nature conservation at international level and discuss nature reserves at three study levels for Brazil: the given legal framework; the usage of these areas; and their conditions in northwest Rio Grande do Sul. The discussion of the social function of the farms is seen as an important aspect of this discussion because thereof happens the responsibleness for the conservation or not conservation of the preservation areas. We also study the positioning of Ibama, Fepam and prosecution in this question. We determinate three segments of the Santo Cristo river as pilot areas for the application of the proposed methodology, wherefore we defined natural levee and floodplains as patterns for the definition of nature preservation areas. We did also evaluate region’s estate to allow an understanding directly related to the kind of local property. These definitions allowed us establishing a critical understanding based on the behaviour of these areas comparing their current usage to the legal demands. The most important conclusions of this study are: 1) a deeper study of nature preservation areas urges and is necessary to allow the presentation of a new legal proposal that looks for effective technical patterns for the definition of nature reservation areas; 2) that one also tries to develop studies that try to show alternatives of sustainable usage of these areas; 3) that preservation and conservation concepts get evaluated with the intend to understand that this brings a wide scope of benefits to the small farms thus far as the conservation practices help to stabilize nature and to carry a real gain in the production of these farms. Finally we present a scope of studies that can be done with the aim of deepening the discussions of the question here studied.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:29:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseAS.pdf: 1169927 bytes, checksum: 6183f668fbb98ca0b2eab21f04500fb6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002-12-13 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The cocoa production region of southern Bahia harbors the largest fragments of Atlantic Forest in the State of Bahia, possessing a high frequency of endemics and species richness, and being presently considered a priority area for biodiversity conservation. Nevertheless, the process of implementing Conservation Units in the region is not keeping up with the rate of change in local land use. Among the strategies of non-governmental organizations to help in the conservation of the Una Biological Reserve (the largest forest fragment in the cocoa production region) is the creation of Private Nature Reserves. In the present work, the process of implementation of the Ecoparque do Una Private Nature Reserve was assessed. The Ecoparque do Una is a 383 ha area contiguous to the Una Biological Reserve (UBR), and is intended to be a model for sustainable development and natural resource utilization. The analysis of the social and economic relations between the Ecoparque and its neighboring properties indicated that both areas lack economic integration. However, employees at the Ecoparque are all native to the region, a situation that contributes for the Ecoparque to be more easily accepted by the local community. The number of visitors to the area is increasing monthly from 1998 to present, but the public is constituted typically by people coming from other regions. This limits the process of comprehension, by people from the cocoa production region, of the importance of the Ecoparque for conservation of natural resources. The cost of the entry ticket to the Ecoparque was pointed by tourism operators as the greatest barrier for marketing the Ecoparque as a product, restricting the aggregate value of tourism in the region. In spite not being yet an economically sustainable touristic product, because its expenditures are higher than the direct incomes from public visitation, this model of development is in process of becoming sustainable. All the environmental factors considered, the Ecoparque is meeting the requisites of a sustainable enterprise with social responsibility, environmental conservation and economic development. / A região cacaueira do Sul da Bahia abriga hoje os maiores fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica no Estado, com elevado endemismo e grande riqueza de espécies, sendo considerada atualmente como uma das áreas prioritárias para a conservação da biodiversidade. Entretanto a implantação de Unidades de Conservação na região não está acompanhando as mudanças atuais na dinâmica do uso da terra. Uma das estratégias utilizadas por organizações não-governamentais para auxiliar a conservação da Reserva Biológica de Una (maior fragmento florestal da região cacaueira) está sendo a criação de reservas privadas em seu entorno. Este trabalho avaliou a dinâmica da implantação de uma Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural, o Ecoparque de Una, área com 383 ha, contígua à Reserva Biológica de Una e que tem por objetivo servir como modelo de desenvolvimento sustentável para a utilização dos recursos naturais. As relações sociais e econômicas entre a Reserva e as propriedades lindeiras foram analisadas, mostrando que ainda não há integração econômica entre estas; porém, todos os funcionários são nativos da região, o que colabora para a aceitação da Reserva pela comunidade local. A visitação pública na área está aumentando em todos os meses, desde 1998 até o momento, porém, ainda com público caracterizado por visitantes de outras regiões, o que limita o processo de compreensão, pelos habitantes da região cacaueira, da importância da conservação de seus recursos naturais. O valor cobrado para ingressar na área da Reserva foi apontado pelas operadoras de turismo como o grande obstáculo para a comercialização do produto Ecoparque , o que restringe a agregação de valor ao turismo da região. Apesar de ainda não ser um produto turístico economicamente sustentável, pois suas despesas não são cobertas pela receita direta da visitação pública, pode-se afirmar que este modelo de desenvolvimento está caminhando para sua sustentabilidade econômica. Considerando-se todos os fatores ambientais analisados, a Reserva está cumprindo as premissas de uma atividade sustentável, com responsabilidade social, conservação ambiental e desenvolvimento econômico.

I studied the biodiversity of tree species along the nature trail: Kubova Huť (1003 meters above sea level) {--} top of the national natural reservation Boubínský prales (1363 m above sea level), in the different altitudes. I carried out the measuring by the transect method. I divided all the route into 8 imaginary line-levels which were distant about 50 m above sea level one from each other. On each level 6 transects were delimited at right angle to the direction of the trail: 3 on the right side and 3 on the left side of the trail, always with the distance of 10 m between each other. I delimited the square areas of 30 square meters as transects. In each transect I measured identified the kinds of given tree species. I also counted the regeneration of young seedlings in 1 m-neighbourhood of each tree. I counted also rotting wood and regeneration of young seedlings in its neighbourhood. I also took down the number of snags in this area and number of regeneration around these individuals.

M.Sc. / The grassland biome of South Africa harbours rich ecosystem diversity. Some of the distinctive features of grassland biodiversity in South Africa include globally significant centres of plant endemism, half of the country's endemic mammal species, a third of its endangered butterfly species and 10 of 14 of its globally threatened bird species. Grassland is one of the most inadequately maintained biomes in Southern Africa because 23% is under cultivation, 60% is irreversibly transformed and most of the remaining natural area is used as rangeland for livestock. Only 2% of the grassland biome is currently protected. Grasslands provide essential ecosystem services for economic development, but this biome also supports a large human population whose resource demands have serious environmental implications that threaten the grasslands‘ biodiversity. Urbanisation is possibly one of the major immediate threats to the grassland ecology in South Africa. This is also the case in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS) and adjacent areas. New housing complexes and informal housing are encroaching on the COHWHS. Indigenous fauna and flora are being affected by ecologically insensitive urban development. This poses a major threat to the fauna of this region including the insects that occur in grassland habitats. The insects play a vital role as pollinators in grassland habitats and form an essential food source to a range of predators, including grass owls, shrews, bull frogs, lizards and bats. In order to conserve the insects and therefore the food web of which they form part, it is necessary to understand the diversity of the insects in the grassland in the dolomitic areas. The COHWHS is a world renowned heritage site devoted to the origin of humankind and is characterised by dolomitic caves. These caves are also the home of a large population of bats consisting of several species. The negative impact on the grasslands in the COHWHS and surroundings pose a threat to the survival of these bat populations if the food source they depend on is negatively affected. For this reason it is important to determine which flying nocturnal insect species are available in the grasslands surrounding bat roosts in the COHWHS and surroundings. 3 The choice of location for the primary trap site was made on the basis of its proximity to known bat roosts and the fact that it is situated in a nature reserve that, although the river is polluted, contains an otherwise relatively unspoilt grassland habitat. Sampling took place over a period of 14 months during which fluctuations in the insect population was observed. The fluctuations can be ascribed to seasonal climate changes and the three veld fires that occurred during this period. This fluctuation was most evident in the representatives of the Orders Lepidoptera and Coleoptera sampled.

The fast growing local human population, especially through immigration from countries north of South Africa, is placing the Soutpansberg and Blouberg areas under increasing pressure. The insatiable demand for more arable land within these agriculturally marginal and semi-arid areas is leading to severe degradation of the remaining natural resources. The Soutpansberg–Blouberg region has been recognized as a Centre of Endemism and is regarded as a region of exceptionally high biological diversity. The Soutpansberg Conservancy and the Blouberg Nature Reserve reveal extremely rich diversities of plant communities relative to the sizes of these conservation areas. The Major Vegetation Types and plant communities of the Soutpansberg Centre of Endemism are described in detail with special reference to the Soutpansberg Conservancy and the Blouberg Nature Reserve. Phytosociological data from 466 sample plots were ordinated using a Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DECORANA) and classified using Two–way Indicator Species Analysis(TWINSPAN). The resulting classification was further refined with table–sorting procedures based on the Braun–Blanquet floristic–sociological approach of vegetation classification using MEGATAB. Eight Major Vegetation Types were identified and described as Eragrostis lehmanniana var. lehmanniana–Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra BNR Northern Plains Bushveld, Euclea divinorum–Acacia tortilis BNR Southern Plains Bushveld, Englerophytum magalismontanum–Combretum molle BNR Mountain Bushveld, Adansonia digitata–Acacia nigrescens Soutpansberg Arid Northern Bushveld, Catha edulis–Flueggia virosa Soutpansberg Moist Mountain Thickets, Diplorhynchus condylocarpon–Burkea africana Soutpansberg Leached Sandveld, Rhus rigida var. rigida–Rhus magalismontanum subsp. coddii Soutpansberg Mistbelt Vegetation and Xymalos monospora–Rhus chirendensis Soutpansberg Forest Vegetation. Plant communities of each of the Major Vegetation Types are described. The primary ecological drivers of the event-driven and the classic climax vegetation types are discussed and management recommendations are made for effective conservation of these last remaining pockets of wilderness. The available data supports the recognition of the region as an important Centre of Plant Endemism and Biological Diversity requiring conservation attention. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Plant Science / unrestricted