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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

South African consumers' beliefs about the link between food and health / Linda Margaret Reid

Reid, Linda Margaret January 2004 (has links)
Motivation: Diet and nutrition are important factors in the promotion and maintenance of good health throughout the entire life course. Their role as determinants of chronic noncommunicable diseases is well established. Alterations in diet, both positive and negative have strong effects on health throughout life. Consumers' awareness of a diet-disease relationship may stimulate interest in learning more about nutrition thus acquiring necessary knowledge for dietary improvement and disease prevention. Objectives: • To investigate South African metropolitan consumers beliefs and attitudes about the link between food and health. • To explore the demographic characteristics and beliefs of South African consumers regarding the link between food and health; and to investigate whether differences exist in this belief between gender, race, age group and Living Standard Measures (LSM). Methodology: One thousand nine hundred and ninety seven South African adults (≥16 years), representing the four major race groups of South Africa, were selected by stratified random sampling from metropolitan areas in South Africa. The sample was weighted based on the South African 2000 National census data, to be representative of the adult metropolitan population based on gender, age and race distribution. Trained field workers administered the questionnaire by conducting face-to-face interviews with South African consumers. The questionnaire was designed by a multidisciplinary team and contained a number of statements on eating habits, food and health. Results: There were no practically significant differences in consumers' responses in terms of gender or age. Practically significant differences were found between different race and LSM groups for some variables. A small practically significant difference was observed among the races in statement 1, and between LSM 2 to 3 and LSM 7 to 10; and between LSM 4 to 6 and LSM 7 to 10 in statement 1 and statement 6. In statement 2, a small practically significant difference was observed between Whites and Coloureds. Statement 4 indicated a small practically significant difference between Blacks and Indians. A medium practically significant difference was found between LSM 2 to 3 and LSM 7 to 10 for statement 4. A small practically significant difference was evident between Whites and Blacks; and between Blacks and Coloureds in statement 6. A medium practically significant difference was found between Blacks and lndians in statement 6. The overall response of South African consumers towards the belief that food has an effect on health, that food can influence health and the development of some diseases, and that healthy food is only for people that have a disease, was very positive. However 56% of South African consumers do not want to have to think about disease when choosing food. Conclusion: Results from this study reveal that South African consumers have some understanding of the dietdisease relationship and believe that there is some link between food and health. This belief however differs between age, gender, race and LSM group. However, more research with regards what influences people's eating behaviour, attitudes towards healthy food and beliefs about the dietdisease relationship needs to be done in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Sc.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005
2

South African consumers' beliefs about the link between food and health / Linda Margaret Reid

Reid, Linda Margaret January 2004 (has links)
Motivation: Diet and nutrition are important factors in the promotion and maintenance of good health throughout the entire life course. Their role as determinants of chronic noncommunicable diseases is well established. Alterations in diet, both positive and negative have strong effects on health throughout life. Consumers' awareness of a diet-disease relationship may stimulate interest in learning more about nutrition thus acquiring necessary knowledge for dietary improvement and disease prevention. Objectives: • To investigate South African metropolitan consumers beliefs and attitudes about the link between food and health. • To explore the demographic characteristics and beliefs of South African consumers regarding the link between food and health; and to investigate whether differences exist in this belief between gender, race, age group and Living Standard Measures (LSM). Methodology: One thousand nine hundred and ninety seven South African adults (≥16 years), representing the four major race groups of South Africa, were selected by stratified random sampling from metropolitan areas in South Africa. The sample was weighted based on the South African 2000 National census data, to be representative of the adult metropolitan population based on gender, age and race distribution. Trained field workers administered the questionnaire by conducting face-to-face interviews with South African consumers. The questionnaire was designed by a multidisciplinary team and contained a number of statements on eating habits, food and health. Results: There were no practically significant differences in consumers' responses in terms of gender or age. Practically significant differences were found between different race and LSM groups for some variables. A small practically significant difference was observed among the races in statement 1, and between LSM 2 to 3 and LSM 7 to 10; and between LSM 4 to 6 and LSM 7 to 10 in statement 1 and statement 6. In statement 2, a small practically significant difference was observed between Whites and Coloureds. Statement 4 indicated a small practically significant difference between Blacks and Indians. A medium practically significant difference was found between LSM 2 to 3 and LSM 7 to 10 for statement 4. A small practically significant difference was evident between Whites and Blacks; and between Blacks and Coloureds in statement 6. A medium practically significant difference was found between Blacks and lndians in statement 6. The overall response of South African consumers towards the belief that food has an effect on health, that food can influence health and the development of some diseases, and that healthy food is only for people that have a disease, was very positive. However 56% of South African consumers do not want to have to think about disease when choosing food. Conclusion: Results from this study reveal that South African consumers have some understanding of the dietdisease relationship and believe that there is some link between food and health. This belief however differs between age, gender, race and LSM group. However, more research with regards what influences people's eating behaviour, attitudes towards healthy food and beliefs about the dietdisease relationship needs to be done in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Sc.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005
3

Hersiening van omgewingsverwante wetgewing ter verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel / Inge Snyman

Snyman, Inge January 2015 (has links)
Die ontwikkeling van wetgewing vir die progressiewe verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel, word as ʼn nasionale en internasionale doelwit bestempel. Artikel 27(2) van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 plaas ʼn mandaat op die Suid-Afrikaanse regering om redelike wetgewende en ander maatreëls te tref ten einde, binne sy beskikbare middele, die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel toenemend te verwesenlik. Die Verenigde Nasies se Food and Agricultural Organization stel ʼn drievlakstrategie vir die implementering van die reg op voedsel op nasionale wetgewende vlak voor, naamlik deur: grondwetlike erkenning, die implementering van ʼn voedselraamwerkwet en die hersiening van relevante sektorale wetgewing. Hierdie studie fokus op die laaste vlak van wetgewende voorsiening, naamlik die hersiening van sektorale wetgewing wat ʼn invloed het, of moontlik kan hê, op die verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel. Die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel beskik oor multidimensionele, interdissiplinêre en kruissektorale eienskappe wat gevolglik verskeie sektore by die verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel betrek. Die Food and Agricultural Organization is van mening dat die beoogde doelwit is om alle sektorale wetgewing wat moontlik ʼn invloed op die beskikbaarheid, stabiliteit, toeganklikheid en toereikendheid van voedsel kan uitoefen het, te identifiseer en te hersien aan die hand van ʼn voorgestelde hersieningsproses. Hierdie voorgestelde hersiening is gevolglik omvangryk en uiteenlopend en daarom word daar vir die doel van hierdie studie slegs op die hersiening van relevante omgewingsverwante wetgewing gefokus. Die Food and Agricultural Organization maak egter nie aanbevelings ten opsigte van die spesifieke aspekte wat in omgewingsverwante wetgewing vervat moet wees ten einde by te dra tot die toenemende verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel nie (met ander woorde die aspekte waaraan omgewingsverwante wetgewing geëvalueer kan word). Daarom bevat hierdie studie saamgestelde hersieningsriglyne wat gebruik kan word by die hersiening van omgewingsverwante wetgewing. Die geselekteerde Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing wat aan die Food and Agricultural Organization se hersieningsproses, asook die saamgestelde hersieningsriglyne in hierdie studie, onderwerp word, is: die Wet op Nasionale Omgewingsbestuur 107 van 1998; die Wet op die Bewaring van Landbouhulpbronne 43 van 1983 en die National Climate Change Response White Paper van 2011. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
4

Using existing dietary data for evaluating the construct validity of a nutrient profiling model / Susara JohannaLee

Lee, Susara Johanna January 2013 (has links)
AIM: Nutrient profiling can be defined as ‘the science of categorising foods according to their nutritional composition’ and can be used as a valuable tool in food labelling legislation. Validation is an absolute essential step in the implementation of a nutrient profiling model (NPM), it is important to verify whether or not the NPM has a good solid scientific basis and if it is at all suitable for South Africa. This mini-dissertation investigated the construct validity of a NPM for South Africa. OBJECTIVES: 1) To test construct validity for the nutrient profiling model by examining the relationship between the way the NPM categorises foods and the healthiness of diets in South Africa. 2) To assess if the quality of a diet will improve if ‘unhealthy’ foods are replaced by ‘healthy’ foods as defined by the NPM. STUDY DESIGN: Nested in the South African leg of the international PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology) study at baseline. METHOD: The PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology) baseline study conducted in the North-West province in 2005, was identified as a suitable dataset of food intake. For the first objective the proportion of respondent’s diets consisting of healthy or unhealthy food, as classified by the NPM, was calculated. The respondents were divided into four groups based on their dietary quality as characterised by the Diet Quality Index (DQI), the lower the DQI-score the better the diet quality. The proportion of healthy or unhealthy foods were compared to the DQI-scores using one-way ANOVA’s, p-values were calculated using the Tukey post-hoc test. For the second objective the diet quality of four different diets consisting of either YES foods (according to NPM), NO foods, a combination of YES and NO were calculated and compared. RESULTS: The model displayed good construct validity by showing a statistically significant positive relationship between the proportion of ‘healthy’ (p<0.0001) and ‘unhealthy’ (p<0.0001) foods, as classified by the NPM, and participants’ DQI-scores. The second objective was also confirmed and a diet consisting of ‘healthy’ foods or a diet where ‘unhealthy’ foods were substituted by ‘healthy’ foods, had a better DQI than diets consisting only of ‘unhealthy’ foods CONCLUSION: Construct validity was confirmed by proving that the better the diet quality of the respondents the bigger their proportion of foods categorised as ‘healthy’ by the NPM and vice versa. / MSc (Dietetics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014
5

Hersiening van omgewingsverwante wetgewing ter verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel / Inge Snyman

Snyman, Inge January 2015 (has links)
Die ontwikkeling van wetgewing vir die progressiewe verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel, word as ʼn nasionale en internasionale doelwit bestempel. Artikel 27(2) van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 plaas ʼn mandaat op die Suid-Afrikaanse regering om redelike wetgewende en ander maatreëls te tref ten einde, binne sy beskikbare middele, die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel toenemend te verwesenlik. Die Verenigde Nasies se Food and Agricultural Organization stel ʼn drievlakstrategie vir die implementering van die reg op voedsel op nasionale wetgewende vlak voor, naamlik deur: grondwetlike erkenning, die implementering van ʼn voedselraamwerkwet en die hersiening van relevante sektorale wetgewing. Hierdie studie fokus op die laaste vlak van wetgewende voorsiening, naamlik die hersiening van sektorale wetgewing wat ʼn invloed het, of moontlik kan hê, op die verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel. Die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel beskik oor multidimensionele, interdissiplinêre en kruissektorale eienskappe wat gevolglik verskeie sektore by die verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel betrek. Die Food and Agricultural Organization is van mening dat die beoogde doelwit is om alle sektorale wetgewing wat moontlik ʼn invloed op die beskikbaarheid, stabiliteit, toeganklikheid en toereikendheid van voedsel kan uitoefen het, te identifiseer en te hersien aan die hand van ʼn voorgestelde hersieningsproses. Hierdie voorgestelde hersiening is gevolglik omvangryk en uiteenlopend en daarom word daar vir die doel van hierdie studie slegs op die hersiening van relevante omgewingsverwante wetgewing gefokus. Die Food and Agricultural Organization maak egter nie aanbevelings ten opsigte van die spesifieke aspekte wat in omgewingsverwante wetgewing vervat moet wees ten einde by te dra tot die toenemende verwesenliking van die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel nie (met ander woorde die aspekte waaraan omgewingsverwante wetgewing geëvalueer kan word). Daarom bevat hierdie studie saamgestelde hersieningsriglyne wat gebruik kan word by die hersiening van omgewingsverwante wetgewing. Die geselekteerde Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing wat aan die Food and Agricultural Organization se hersieningsproses, asook die saamgestelde hersieningsriglyne in hierdie studie, onderwerp word, is: die Wet op Nasionale Omgewingsbestuur 107 van 1998; die Wet op die Bewaring van Landbouhulpbronne 43 van 1983 en die National Climate Change Response White Paper van 2011. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
6

Using existing dietary data for evaluating the construct validity of a nutrient profiling model / Susara JohannaLee

Lee, Susara Johanna January 2013 (has links)
AIM: Nutrient profiling can be defined as ‘the science of categorising foods according to their nutritional composition’ and can be used as a valuable tool in food labelling legislation. Validation is an absolute essential step in the implementation of a nutrient profiling model (NPM), it is important to verify whether or not the NPM has a good solid scientific basis and if it is at all suitable for South Africa. This mini-dissertation investigated the construct validity of a NPM for South Africa. OBJECTIVES: 1) To test construct validity for the nutrient profiling model by examining the relationship between the way the NPM categorises foods and the healthiness of diets in South Africa. 2) To assess if the quality of a diet will improve if ‘unhealthy’ foods are replaced by ‘healthy’ foods as defined by the NPM. STUDY DESIGN: Nested in the South African leg of the international PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology) study at baseline. METHOD: The PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology) baseline study conducted in the North-West province in 2005, was identified as a suitable dataset of food intake. For the first objective the proportion of respondent’s diets consisting of healthy or unhealthy food, as classified by the NPM, was calculated. The respondents were divided into four groups based on their dietary quality as characterised by the Diet Quality Index (DQI), the lower the DQI-score the better the diet quality. The proportion of healthy or unhealthy foods were compared to the DQI-scores using one-way ANOVA’s, p-values were calculated using the Tukey post-hoc test. For the second objective the diet quality of four different diets consisting of either YES foods (according to NPM), NO foods, a combination of YES and NO were calculated and compared. RESULTS: The model displayed good construct validity by showing a statistically significant positive relationship between the proportion of ‘healthy’ (p<0.0001) and ‘unhealthy’ (p<0.0001) foods, as classified by the NPM, and participants’ DQI-scores. The second objective was also confirmed and a diet consisting of ‘healthy’ foods or a diet where ‘unhealthy’ foods were substituted by ‘healthy’ foods, had a better DQI than diets consisting only of ‘unhealthy’ foods CONCLUSION: Construct validity was confirmed by proving that the better the diet quality of the respondents the bigger their proportion of foods categorised as ‘healthy’ by the NPM and vice versa. / MSc (Dietetics), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014
7

Mynbou versus voedselsekerheid : 'n konflik van regte in die Kalahari-distrik / Lynné Loubser

Loubser, Lynné January 2015 (has links)
Mynbou is belangrik vir die ekonomie van ʼn land en word daarom aangemoedig. Mynbou is in wese onvolhoubaar vanuit ʼn omgewingsbewaring perspektief. Artikel 24 van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 bepaal dat die staat die omgewing moet beskerm vir huidige en toekomstige geslagte, maar dat regverdige ontwikkeling toegelaat moet word. Landbou is net so belangrik vir ʼn land se ekonomie as vir sy mense. Artikel 27(b) van die Grondwet maak voorsiening vir ʼn reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel en water. Landbou kan, net soos mynbou, ʼn impak op die omgewing hê. Dit gebeur egter dat mynbou in konflik met landbou kom, in die sin dat grond gesteriliseer word sodat dit nie meer vir landboudoeleindes gebruik kan word nie en gevolglik ook nie meer tot voedselsekerheid kan bydra nie. Die Nasionale Waterwet 36 van 1998 bepaal dat dit van kardinale belang is dat Suid-Afrika se waterhulpbronne beskerm, gebruik, ontwikkel, bewaar, bestuur en beheer word. Dit geld vir beide mynbou en landbou. In die Kalahari-distrik ontstaan daar konflik tussen die boere en myne (hoofsaaklik Sishen- en Khumani-ysterertsmyne) rakende watergebruik. Groot hoeveelhede water word uit die grond gepomp vir mynbou-aktiwiteite en om in die mynwerkers se daaglikse behoeftes te voorsien. Mynbou mag moontlik ʼn impak op voedselsekerheid hê, aangesien weiding verswak en die kameeldoringbome, wat voedsel aan diere in hierdie omgewing verskaf, moontlik kan doodgaan en ekosisteme vernietig word weens die watertekort. Dit is dus nodig om vas te stel hoe die reg moontlike konflik tussen die regte van myne en boere sal aanspreek en oplos. Deur die verloop van die studie word verskeie onderliggende en funderende temas aangespreek, onder andere: (a) Artikel 24 van die Grondwet, die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel en water; (b) mynbou en landbou se watergebruik, hoe konflik rakende water gereguleer word en die toepassing daarvan op die Kalahari. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
8

Mynbou versus voedselsekerheid : 'n konflik van regte in die Kalahari-distrik / Lynné Loubser

Loubser, Lynné January 2015 (has links)
Mynbou is belangrik vir die ekonomie van ʼn land en word daarom aangemoedig. Mynbou is in wese onvolhoubaar vanuit ʼn omgewingsbewaring perspektief. Artikel 24 van die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996 bepaal dat die staat die omgewing moet beskerm vir huidige en toekomstige geslagte, maar dat regverdige ontwikkeling toegelaat moet word. Landbou is net so belangrik vir ʼn land se ekonomie as vir sy mense. Artikel 27(b) van die Grondwet maak voorsiening vir ʼn reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel en water. Landbou kan, net soos mynbou, ʼn impak op die omgewing hê. Dit gebeur egter dat mynbou in konflik met landbou kom, in die sin dat grond gesteriliseer word sodat dit nie meer vir landboudoeleindes gebruik kan word nie en gevolglik ook nie meer tot voedselsekerheid kan bydra nie. Die Nasionale Waterwet 36 van 1998 bepaal dat dit van kardinale belang is dat Suid-Afrika se waterhulpbronne beskerm, gebruik, ontwikkel, bewaar, bestuur en beheer word. Dit geld vir beide mynbou en landbou. In die Kalahari-distrik ontstaan daar konflik tussen die boere en myne (hoofsaaklik Sishen- en Khumani-ysterertsmyne) rakende watergebruik. Groot hoeveelhede water word uit die grond gepomp vir mynbou-aktiwiteite en om in die mynwerkers se daaglikse behoeftes te voorsien. Mynbou mag moontlik ʼn impak op voedselsekerheid hê, aangesien weiding verswak en die kameeldoringbome, wat voedsel aan diere in hierdie omgewing verskaf, moontlik kan doodgaan en ekosisteme vernietig word weens die watertekort. Dit is dus nodig om vas te stel hoe die reg moontlike konflik tussen die regte van myne en boere sal aanspreek en oplos. Deur die verloop van die studie word verskeie onderliggende en funderende temas aangespreek, onder andere: (a) Artikel 24 van die Grondwet, die reg op toegang tot voldoende voedsel en water; (b) mynbou en landbou se watergebruik, hoe konflik rakende water gereguleer word en die toepassing daarvan op die Kalahari. / LLM (Environmental Law and Governance), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015
9

Birds of the riparian corridors of Potchefstroom, South Africa / Rindert Wyma

Wyma, Rindert January 2012 (has links)
A riparian ecosystem is the area between the aquatic and terrestrial setting of a stream, and serves as a corridor and habitat for birds. Several riparian ecosystems are located in urban environments, and three main riparian corridors are located in Potchefstroom. They are the Mooi River, Wasgoed Spruit, and Spitskop Spruit, which encompass a wide range of different vegetation types and anthropogenic factors. Therefore, different habitat types for birds occur along the riparian corridors of Potchefstroom. Factors such as food and water availability, nesting sites, competition, predation, learning, presence of other species, and those species that are able to adapt to environmental changes influence the avian diversity and communities along riparian corridors. The hypothesis is that bird variables along the riparian corridors in Potchefstroom are affected by vegetation, anthropogenic, and seasonal influences. To investigate these affects, two secondary objectives were formulated. The first was to characterise riparian avian habitats (CAHs) according to vegetation and anthropogenic factors, and the second was to identify temporal and spatial changes in avian variables. The three streams were divided into 79 consecutive transects, each 300 m long. The study area consisted of: 17 transects along Spitskop Spruit, 12 along Wasgoed Spruit and 50 along the Mooi River. Bird observations were conducted monthly from June 2006 to June 2007. Birds that were observed with a perpendicular distance ≤ 30 meters towards the streams were included in the results. The bird species that were observed were also classified into different nesting and feeding guilds. Environmental data recorded included: vegetation structure (estimated cover percentages and height classes of trees, shrubs, grasses, herbs, sedges, and reeds), anthropogenic structures (estimated cover percentages of roads, footpaths, bridges, electrical pylons, houses, and drainage pipes), and the presence of informal settlers along each transect (the mean number of people and the space they occupy). Vegetation was monitored in summer– (February 2007 until April 2007) and winter months (June 2007 until August 2007). The anthropogenic structures and the presence of informal settlers (anthropogenic factors) were monitored simultaneously with the bird counts. Transect-time profiles were drawn for the four parameters, which differed on spatial and time scales. Multivariate analyses included non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS), cluster analysis, and indicator species analysis. Cluster analyses and NMS bi-plots were used to define characterised avian habitats (CAHs). Two types of CAHs were characterised: Summer CAHs (summer vegetation and anthropogenic factors) and Anthropogenically CAHs (Anthropogenic factors alone). Bird species were then ordinated with the summer and anthropogenically CAHs on NMS successional vector graphs. The successional vectors illustrate the avian community trajectories of the different CAHs. Indicator species analyses were performed to describe associations between the bird species and the summer and anthropogenically CAHs. The summer and anthropogenic CAHs that were characterised had different avian community trajectories and different species were associated with these CAHs. Different levels in avian diversity appeared among these CAHs, and convergence and divergence in communities appeared among these CAHs. Birds also selected their habitats according to feeding and nesting behaviours. Consequently, it can be deduced that environmental factors such as vegetation structures and anthropogenic factors, as well as seasonality, had an effect on the distribution of birds along the riparian corridors of Potchefstroom. / Thesis (Master of Environmental Sciences)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013
10

Birds of the riparian corridors of Potchefstroom, South Africa / Rindert Wyma

Wyma, Rindert January 2012 (has links)
A riparian ecosystem is the area between the aquatic and terrestrial setting of a stream, and serves as a corridor and habitat for birds. Several riparian ecosystems are located in urban environments, and three main riparian corridors are located in Potchefstroom. They are the Mooi River, Wasgoed Spruit, and Spitskop Spruit, which encompass a wide range of different vegetation types and anthropogenic factors. Therefore, different habitat types for birds occur along the riparian corridors of Potchefstroom. Factors such as food and water availability, nesting sites, competition, predation, learning, presence of other species, and those species that are able to adapt to environmental changes influence the avian diversity and communities along riparian corridors. The hypothesis is that bird variables along the riparian corridors in Potchefstroom are affected by vegetation, anthropogenic, and seasonal influences. To investigate these affects, two secondary objectives were formulated. The first was to characterise riparian avian habitats (CAHs) according to vegetation and anthropogenic factors, and the second was to identify temporal and spatial changes in avian variables. The three streams were divided into 79 consecutive transects, each 300 m long. The study area consisted of: 17 transects along Spitskop Spruit, 12 along Wasgoed Spruit and 50 along the Mooi River. Bird observations were conducted monthly from June 2006 to June 2007. Birds that were observed with a perpendicular distance ≤ 30 meters towards the streams were included in the results. The bird species that were observed were also classified into different nesting and feeding guilds. Environmental data recorded included: vegetation structure (estimated cover percentages and height classes of trees, shrubs, grasses, herbs, sedges, and reeds), anthropogenic structures (estimated cover percentages of roads, footpaths, bridges, electrical pylons, houses, and drainage pipes), and the presence of informal settlers along each transect (the mean number of people and the space they occupy). Vegetation was monitored in summer– (February 2007 until April 2007) and winter months (June 2007 until August 2007). The anthropogenic structures and the presence of informal settlers (anthropogenic factors) were monitored simultaneously with the bird counts. Transect-time profiles were drawn for the four parameters, which differed on spatial and time scales. Multivariate analyses included non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS), cluster analysis, and indicator species analysis. Cluster analyses and NMS bi-plots were used to define characterised avian habitats (CAHs). Two types of CAHs were characterised: Summer CAHs (summer vegetation and anthropogenic factors) and Anthropogenically CAHs (Anthropogenic factors alone). Bird species were then ordinated with the summer and anthropogenically CAHs on NMS successional vector graphs. The successional vectors illustrate the avian community trajectories of the different CAHs. Indicator species analyses were performed to describe associations between the bird species and the summer and anthropogenically CAHs. The summer and anthropogenic CAHs that were characterised had different avian community trajectories and different species were associated with these CAHs. Different levels in avian diversity appeared among these CAHs, and convergence and divergence in communities appeared among these CAHs. Birds also selected their habitats according to feeding and nesting behaviours. Consequently, it can be deduced that environmental factors such as vegetation structures and anthropogenic factors, as well as seasonality, had an effect on the distribution of birds along the riparian corridors of Potchefstroom. / Thesis (Master of Environmental Sciences)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

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