Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Agriculture occupies 86 percent of land that is being utilised for the needs of a growing
population in the Western Cape. This implies that there has to be certain impacts on the
environment regarding the practices associated with different agricultural activities.
Negative impacts pertain to soil degradation, water quality problems, loss of biodiversity
and vegetation deterioration. It must also be taken into consideration that each land use
within agriculture has a different interaction with the environment. The nature of land
use and environment will therefore determine the most important issues influencing the
extent of impact on the environment. Certain problem areas in the Western Cape have
been identified as the result of conflict between agriculture and the environment.
However, if agriculture is practiced and managed in a sustainable manner, it can be
productive, while at the same time assuring a healthy environment. To achieve such a
situation a protocol has to exist whereby sensitive areas, with regard to potential impact
on the environment by agriculture, can be identified. Considering this, the most
important concept of the study was to develop methodology appropriate for evaluating
and identifying farming areas where current practices threaten the sustainable use of
natural resources. The result is a model that aims to identify the different land uses and
then evaluate each agricultural activity through a holistic approach with regard to impact
on the environment. The Piketberg magisterial district was chosen as study region to put
the methodology into practice. Datasets regarding soil types, climate, water quality,
vegetation and agricultural practices, specific to the study area, were gathered. By using
Geographical Information Systems, the datasets could be manipulated to derive the
necessary information needed for running the model. This produced maps showing areas
of low to high impact on the environment and indicating the specific landuse responsible
for each impact. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Landbou beslaan 86 persent van die grond in die Wes-Kaap wat aangewend word om te
voorsien in die behoeftes van 'n groeiende bevolking. Praktyke verbonde aan die
onderskeie landbouaktiwiteite het egter sekere impakte op die omgewing. Negatiewe
impak hou verband met gronddegradasie, waterkwaliteitprobleme, verlies aan
biodiversiteit en plantegroei agteruitgang. Elke landbougrondgebruik het ook 'n
spesifieke interaksie met die omgewing. Die belangrikste bydraende faktore tot impak op
die omgewing sal dus deur die aard van die grondgebruik en omgewingsensitiwiteit
bepaal word. Sekere probleemareas is reeds in die Wes-Kaap geïdentifiseer weens
negatiewe interaksie tussen landbou en die omgewing. Indien landbou egter volhoubaar
beoefen en bestuur word, kan dit produktief wees en terselfdertyd 'n gesonde omgewing
verseker. Die behoefte het ontstaan om 'n protokol binne landbou te vestig, waardeur
daar gefokus word op die uitwysing van risikoareas met betrekking tot degradasie van
omgewingskwaliteit as gevolg van landbouaktiwiteite. Alles inaggenome, was die
belangrikste doel van die studie om 'n metodiek te ontwikkel vir die evaluering en
identifisering van boerderygebiede waarin die volhoubare benutting van die natuurlike
hulpbronne bedreig word deur huidige produksiepraktyke. Die resultaat was 'n model
wat landboupraktyke deur 'n holistiese benadering ten opsigte van die impak op die
omgewing evalueer. Vir toepassing van die metodologie is die Piketbergse
landdrosdistrik as studiearea geïdentifiseer. Verskeie datastelle, onder andere klimaat,
grondtipes, waterkwaliteit, plantegroei en landboupraktyke, spesifiek aan hierdie area is
verkry. Deur Geografiese Inligtingstelsels is die datastelle gemanipuleer en die
toepaslike inligting afgelei vir gebruik in die model. Die eindresultaat was verskeie
kaarte waarop die potensiële impak van landbou op die omgewing van hoog na laag
geklassifiseer is. Spesifieke landboupraktyke verantwoordelik vir die impak, hetsy hoog
of laag word ook aangedui.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52319 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Opperman, Daleen |
| Contributors | Schloms, B. H. A., Knight, F. H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 83 leaves : illustrations |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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