OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Meadows, Michael E"

Browsing by Author "Meadows, Michael E"

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Open Access
4000 years of environmental and climate change at Eilandvlei : a palynological investigation into the late Holocene palaeoenvironment of the Wilderness Embayment
(2015) Du Plessis, Nadia; Meadows, Michael E
It is a well-known fact that the South African palaeoenvironmental record is fairly limited, mainly because the environmental conditions here do not lend themselves to the preservation of proxy data sources. This being said, new evidence is emerging from the Wilderness Embayment along the Southern Cape coast of South Africa. This area is of particular interest from a palaeoclimate perspective due to its location within the small year round rainfall zone of South Africa, while the presence of both Fynbos and Afrotemperate forest within this region further highlights the importance of studies in the area. This study presents a new high resolution late Holocene pollen and charcoal record from Eilandvlei, extending from c. 3 800 cal yr BP to present. The record is marked by several significant periods -- largely corresponding to the timing of the three events that typify the late Holocene: the Neoglacial, the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age. The record also encompasses the arrival of European colonists in the region ca. 1800 AD, marked by the appearance of Pinus, with subsequent notable fluctuations in other taxa, e.g. Podocarpus and Stoebe-type, possibly the expression of the anthropogenic effect on the landscape. This high resolution record thus highlights significant, albeit short term, fluctuations in climate and vegetation patterns along the Southern coast of South Africa and adds to the inadequate records available for the region thus far.
Open Access
Analysis of land-cover change in the Kogmans River (H3) secondary catchment : impact of land degradation and river management on flood severity
(2005) Rogatschnig, Daniel; Meadows, Michael E
This study aims to understand what role the landscape, and the management thereof, played in the March 2003 floods in the Kogmans River catchment. The Kogmans River (H3) secondary catchment is situated in the Klein (Uttle) Karoo region of the Western Cape, approximately 170km east of the city of Cape Town.
Open Access
The changing face of the Constantia Valley a temporal study of land use change in a heritage landscape
(2012) Gaffney, Benjamin; Anderson, Pippin; Meadows, Michael E
The study of land use change and urban morphology requires a multi-layered approach. Case studies are needed to gain an understanding of the local factors that are driving land use change and forming urban landscapes. This study will provide a temporal perspective on land use change in the Constantia Valley, a high income suburb on the outskirts of Cape Town. It will contextualise the efforts to conserve its heritage and, furthermore, attempt to explain the factors underlying the observed changes in the urban form. This study, through the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and a series of interviews, examines how and why the urban form of the Constantia Valley has changed. Finally, based on the findings the possible future urban form of Constantia will be considered.
Open Access
Characterising the Namaqualand Mudbelt: Chronology, Palynology and Palaeoenvironments
(2009) Gray, Catherine Elizabeth Darnell; Meadows, Michael E; Lee-Thorp, Julia A
This multiproxy study explores the palaeoenvironmental record of two cores, H2 and H7, from the Namaqualand Mudbelt representing an arid and highly variable landscape. As bulk organic radiocarbon ages previously proved problematic, with anomalous reversals, the primary objective was to improve chronology and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions through high resolution 813C, 81SN and pollen analysis, with the aid of principal component analysis. Bulk organic radiocarbon dating of the surface sediment had previously yielded older than expected ages. New 210Pb analysis has established that these surface sediments are modem and radiocarbon ages are now recalibrated to yield an adjusted age of Â±3 470 cal yr BP at the base of the more distal core, H7. Pollen spectra correlate well with stable isotopes and include recent disturbance indicators in the Succulent Karoo, Grassland, Karoo expansion, stock farming, impoundment, saltmarsh degradation and increase in domestic cereal cultivation. The proximal and distal mudbelt sites are, however, isotopically distinct, with 813C, inverse nitrogen and C/N ratios characterising H2 as more terrestrial. The excursion towards C3-rich values at around 6m depth in the proximal mudbelt suggests an increase in marine sources and C3 vegetation, while associated pollen aridity indicators implicate reduced inland flooding. This is contrasted against more humid conditions at 420 cm. Stronger upwelling occurred in near-surface distal mudbelt sediment and an influx of the Buffels River sediment flooded the region at Â±3470 yr BP, indicating cooler, less arid conditions. 813C studies reveal the Lower Xobies palaeoflood deposit to be less C4-rich than expected, possibly due to sediment source, and is strikingly isotopically similar to the distal mudbelt. The palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the pollen assemblage, isotopes and chronology presents an improved understanding of the region represented in the mudbelt sediments. This corresponds well with established records of the last Â±3 500 years and human induced land use change within the Orange River Catchment. Results also highlight the dynamics of the Orange River, which, combined with a highly variable climate, suggest that caution should be exercised to avoid over-interpreting the level at which environmental changes can meaningfully be reconstructed in arid landscapes, particularly those which are subject to sporadic and catastrophic flooding events.
Open Access
Climate change effects on land degradation and agriculture in the Swartland, South Africa
(2005) Barrable, Anne; Hewitson, Bruce; Meadows, Michael E
The Swartland is a region of sparse natural vegetation, consisting of primarily dry-land crop farming. The area is particualarly sensitive to the changing Meditterranean-type climatic conditions and is characterised by undulating terrain and a history of land degradation and soil erosion. This thesis therefore considers how future climate change may impact on soil loss in such a climatically sensitive region of central economic significance for southern Africa.
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Conversations with Others? Physical Geography in South Africa
(2007) Meadows, Michael E
Students of physical geography do not commonly interrogate its nature and method, largely because they take the positivist approach for granted. Nor indeed has there been much consideration of how physical geography under the socio-economic, political and environmental circumstances of South Africa might influence its practice. This paper explores the identity and place of physical geography and compares the South African intellectual landscape with the situation globally. This is achieved through a brief analysis of publication patterns in The South African Geographical Journal in relation to the major international geography periodicals. It is concluded that physical geographers in South Africa, as is the case with their Anglo-American counterparts, have largely abandoned their identity as geographers per se. Instead, physical geographers increasingly present their work to a scientific audience where geographers are proportionally minor players. The hegemony of the international scientific publication industry has encouraged or even enforced the participation of physical geographers. Unlike in human geography, where there is a vibrant 'critical geography', physical geographers in South Africa have apparently failed to develop novel and fundamental theories and methods despite its remarkable, even unique, physical environmental circumstances. Nevertheless, a more integrated physical geography in South Africa has the opportunity to grapple with key environmental and socio-economic problems, including poverty, that have the potential to re-invigorate the discipline.
Open Access
Developing responsible nature-based tourism in the Mount Elgon region of Kenya: integrated approaches
(2016) Kariithi, Jacqueline Nduta; Meadows, Michael E; Spenceley, Anna
Tourism development theory and practical implementation has evolved over time. In an attempt to find approaches that can minimise the negative impacts of tourism, research has been emphasising efforts to reduce the tensions created by the interaction between the tourism industry, tourists, the environment and host communities. Furthermore, the sustainability debate has framed these discussions on meeting the triple bottom line in adherence to the goals of sustainable development. Much of this research draws on constructivist and realist theories that advocate for tourism as a tool for development. Though this study appreciates the various methodologies recommended for sustainable tourism development, such methodologies lack a holistic approach that can concurrently address a destination's economic, environmental and socio-cultural challenges. This research therefore focuses on integrating approaches to the tourism development process and the implications of such an approach for the triple bottom line. The Mount Elgon region of Kenya comprise two protected areas and one national park, and serves as a case study to better understand the application of an integrated approach. The research is informed by conceptual insights into sustainable tourism that underpin planning. Planning is central to outlining methodologies that can foster tourism in underdeveloped regions. The conceptual framework used in this study proposes the application of three approaches, namely ecosystem management, multistakeholder engagement and geospatial analysis of the tourism resource base. Each of these approaches is aligned to a key positive output of tourism development in protected areas. These outputs, as identified in literature, are biodiversity conservation, socio-cultural enhancement and economic growth. They are central to understanding the significance of the three pillars of sustainability. The research utilised a mixed-method approach that included qualitative analysis by means of policy document review, in-depth and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, participant observation and participatory rural appraisals. These different data sources were employed to develop an integrative framework for tourism development in the protected areas within the Mount Elgon region. Content analysis was used to study the open-ended data, all the while considering the economic, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions. The analysis of these three dimensions in relation to the study area revealed many of the challenges that stakeholders in tourism development in the Mount Elgon region face. By exploring these methodological avenues, the research identifies the linkages and overlaps that can be united in an integrative framework. Initial outputs consist of an analysis of the implications of creating integrated approaches and synergising it into an integrative framework for the purpose of developing tourism in protected areas. The findings indicate that integrated approaches can be applied to understand the roles of the primary stakeholders in building or enhancing tourist destinations, local participation, environmental preservation and conservation and market sustainability of tourism enterprise development. The intention is to create a mechanism that will go beyond providing recommendations for Mount Elgon region stakeholders to embrace responsible nature-based tourism, and that allows researchers to adopt this methodology in similar environments and destinations.
Open Access
Dunes and dune movement in the Walvis Bay area of Namibia, and implications for future land-use planning and development
(1996) Soboil, Jeremy Hirsch; Meadows, Michael E
Dunes are an integral part of the Walvis Bay environment. Their dynamics significantly influence the functioning of the coastal system and have major implications for both the ecological and socio-economic environments. In light of residential, commercial and industrial requirements for the Walvis Bay area, dune encroachment needs to be seriously considered in the future planning of land-use and resource utilisation. The overall objective of this report, therefore, is to provide a better understanding of the dominant role dunes and sand drift play in the study area and in so doing promote the more judicious future planning and management of the region. In order to achieve this aim, several specific objectives were addressed, these being: to identify and clarify all dune types occurring in the study area, and discuss the geomorphological and ecological characteristics of each; to provide an analysis of the long-term stability of dunes in the Walvis Bay area by means of aerial photograph interpretation; to highlight all factors that contribute to dune encroachment and to assess the ramifications of this movement upon the ecological and socio-economic environments; * to emphasise elements that need to be considered with any future planning of land-use and development; * to review dune management practices in the Walvis Bay area and provide recommendations for the more effective management of the system in the future.
Open Access
The ecology and management of the Kaapsehoop cycad (Encephalartos laevifolius Stapf and Burtt Davy)
(1990) Zunckel, Kevan; Meadows, Michael E
The Kaapsehoop Cycad (Encephalartos laevifolius Stapf and Burtt Davy) has the international, national, and provincial status of "endangered" by virtue of a number of factors which threaten it with extinction. It occurs in only three disjunct populations in southern Africa, of which two are very small and have only adult plants. This situation suggested the need for specific action to ensure the conservation of the plant within its natural habitat. This study was initiated in an attempt to respond to this call for action. The aims of the study were set at gaining an understanding of the ecology of the cycad, establishing the exact nature and extent of the factors threatening it with extinction, and presenting management guidelines as to how the plant and its habitat may be managed to ensure their conservation. Chapter One includes a background to the botanical significance of cycads in general, the reasons for the endangered status of E. laevifolius and a list of aims and objectives. The latter are briefly; to develop. an understanding of the ecology of this cycad, determine the nature and extent of the threats which have placed it in the ''endangered" category, and establish means of managing the plants and their habitat so as to mitigate these threats . The methodology followed to achieve the latter is presented in Chapter Two. The results achieved from work carried out by the author are presented In Chapter Three, and they are then discussed in Chapter Four, together with those obtained from other researchers and experts in the field of cycad ecology and management. From this it becomes apparent that the major factor threatening the plants continued existence in nature, is its illegal removal by unscrupulous collectors. The use of fire as a management tool may cause the loss of sexually propagated off-spring if not based on ecological principals. This would be tragic as the percentage of fertile seed being produced at present is extremely low. Besides the latter two abiotic threats, there are two biotic threats which are also .cause for concern. They are the rotting of the female cones and seed by a pathogenic infection, and the destruction of newly growing tissue by the caterpillars of the Leopard Moth. The insights gained from the study are drawn together as conclusions in Chapter Five. Where these indicate specific management measures or directions for further research, recommendations are made. It must be emphasized that although this study has been used for the enhancement of the author's academic qualification, it is vitally important that the recommendations made be seriously reviewed by those responsible for the conservation of this cycad. If this study is simply put on the shelf after it has achieved its academic goal, the possibility of E. laevifolius becoming extinct is very real.
Open Access
The effect of development on seasonal wetlands on the Cape Flats, Western Cape, South Africa
(2004) Govender, Kamal; Meadows, Michael E; Day, Jenny
Seven decades ago, the pre-eminent limnologist, Miss Edith Stephens described the Cape Flats as "a paradise for the aquatic biologist". At that time the area was characterised by numerous temporary or seasonal wetlands that filled and dried in concert with the seasons. Since Miss Stephen's observations, the number of seasonal wetlands on the Cape Flats has dwindled alarmingly and very few remain. This dissertation attempts to account for this and provide guidance for the management of the remaining seasonal wetlands. The dissertation shows how development (characterised by the urban and agricultural land-use) has radically altered the nature of seasonal wetlands and that Typha capensis can be used as an indicator of the ecological value or integrity of these wetlands. Two case studies have been selected to test this premise. The various interrelationships between vegetation, hydrology, nutrients, land-use and ecological value are explored and the proliferation of wetland communities of Typha capensis is shown to be an indicator of negative impacts on seasonal wetlands. The literature review indicates that the proliferation of Typha capensis signifies a decline in habitat diversity and biodiversity (species richness). Typha capensis has been shown to be influenced by streamflow and nutrient input (the plant thrives in shallow areas, permanently inundated with nutrient-rich waters). Therefore, changes to the total area occupied by Typha capensis can be used to illustrate how development has affected the hydrology, habitat diversity, biodiversity and ecological value of seasonal wetlands. The primary source of information was aerial photography, of varying scales, dated from the early 1940s to 2000 and acquired from the Department of Land Affairs: Land Surveys and Mapping. Identifying, mapping and interpreting land-use changes and changes to Typha capensis formed the basis of the research. Water chemistry information, obtained from the Scientific Services Department of the City of Cape Town, and an extensive literature review supplemented the photographic information. Zeekoevlei / Rondevlei wetland and the Khayelitsha wetlands are used as case studies. Together they have been affected by a significant range of impacts generated by different manifestations of development including Wastewater Treatment Works, high-income residential areas, catchment hardening, manipulation of drainage patterns, informal settlement, informal grazing, agricultural runoff and horticultural market gardens. The pattern of land-use change within the selected wetlands' catchments (Lotus River catchment and Kuils River catchment), the impacts of the observed land-use changes, and the impacts to Zeekoevlei / Rondevlei and the Khayelitsha wetlands with respect to seasonality, Typha capensis and ecological value are presented and discussed in detail. In general, urban areas have increased over time to dominate the two catchments. Agricultural areas were consolidated into a few areas while the areas of open space diminished rapidly. Surface and stormwater runoff from "hardened" catchments, irrigation of farmland, and treated effluent from Wastewater Treatment Works all drastically increased, In addition, the concomitant influx of nutrients (nitrates, nitrites and phosphorus) polluted the rivers and wetlands, making them eutrophic and promoting the proliferation of large stands of Typha capensis. The impact of these changes was the loss of seasonality, habitat diversity and biodiversity. Specific recommendations are made for the long term management of Zeekoevlei, Rondevlei and the Khayelitsha wetlands. The proposed management strategy is based on selected management objectives i.e. what is the wetland being managed for? It might not be possible to fully rehabilitate them to a pristine state but management as recreational areas, conservation areas and even educational areas is possible. Key points of the recommended management plans include: * maintaining the winter drawdowns at Zeekoevlei / Rondevlei; * implementation of a dredging and Typha clearing programme; * strategically placed reed beds to purify inflow; * a fire programme for the Khayelitsha wetlands; and * instating an environmental awareness course at the Khayelitsha wetlands. The importance of an Integrated Catchment Management Plan is emphasised. Catchments should be managed as a whole, recognising the relationships between planning, land-use and water resources.
Open Access
Environmental evaluation of alternative options for the disposal of oily waste following a marine oil spill off the South African coast and development of a decision strategy
(1991) Dehrmann, Alison Ann; Fuggle, Richard Francis; Meadows, Michael E
Oil spill contingency planning for the South African Coast undertaken by the Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Department of Environment Affairs, has revealed that alternative disposal methods for oily waste need to be investigated in order to cope effectively and timeously with a major oil spill. Current techniques dealing with oily waste disposal are reviewed. These include recovery for re-use, stabilisation of oily waste, biodegradative techniques such as landfarming, co-disposal with municipal waste, stimulated biodegradation in ponds and direct burial, as well as burning and incineration. The suitability of these techniques, taking into account legal constraints, availability of facilities, financial considerations and environmental implications are appraised for South African conditions. Recovery for re-use is the optimum disposal option, but the location of refineries in South Africa, the limited facilities available for oil recycling and the inability of the industries to cope with large quantities or contaminated oily waste limit the recovery application. Stabilisation of oily waste for disposal as landfill or for use in civil engineering works requires further investigation with the South African construction industry. Landfarming techniques are suitable for the disposal of large quantities of oily sand or sandy sludge, but careful site selection is required to limit environmental contamination. Co-disposal of oily waste with municipal refuse is only suitable for limited quantities of oily waste and will reduce the life of the landfill site. Direct burial or burning of oily waste are shown to be environmentally unsuitable options, but under certain conditions they may provide the only practical solutions. Facilities for incineration of oily waste are limited in South Africa. The study shows that there is no easy solution to the disposal of large quantities of oily sludge. A combination of disposal methods will need to be used. Treatment of the oily sludge, for example emulsion breaking or separation will reduce the volumes, but costs could be prohibitive. A strategy is developed to provide the decision maker with a framework within which the decision process towards finding the correct solution for the disposal of oily waste following an oil spill off the South African Coast can be undertaken.
Open Access
Factors Underlying Spatiotemporal Variations in Atmospheric PM2.5 Concentrations in Zhejiang Province, China
(2021-07-30) Li, Xuan; Wu, Chaofan; Meadows, Michael E; Zhang, Zhaoyang; Lin, Xingwen; Zhang, Zhenzhen; Chi, Yonggang; Feng, Meili; Li, Enguang; Hu, Yuhong
Fine particulate matter in the lower atmosphere (PM_2.5) continues to be a major public health problem globally. Identifying the key contributors to PM_2.5 pollution is important in monitoring and managing atmospheric quality, for example, in controlling haze. Previous research has been aimed at quantifying the relationship between PM_2.5 values and their underlying factors, but the spatial and temporal dynamics of these factors are not well understood. Based on random forest and Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) algorithms, this study analyses the spatiotemporal variations in selected key factors influencing PM_2.5 in Zhejiang Province, China, for the period 2000–2019. The results indicate that, while factors influencing PM_2.5 varied significantly during the period studied, SHAP values suggest that there is consistency in their relative importance as follows: meteorological factors (e.g., atmospheric pressure) > socioeconomic factors (e.g., gross domestic product, GDP) > topography and land cover factors (e.g., elevation). The contribution of GDP and transportation factors initially increased but has declined in the recent past, indicating that economic and infrastructural development does not necessarily result in increased PM_2.5 concentrations. Vegetation productivity, as indicated by changes in NDVI, is demonstrated to have become more important in improving air quality, and the area of the province over which it constrains PM_2.5 concentrations has increased between 2000 and 2019. Mapping of SHAP values suggests that, although the relative importance of industrial emissions has declined during the period studied, the actual area positively impacted by such emissions has actually increased. Despite developments in government policy, greater efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions are still needed. The study further demonstrates that the combination of random forest and SHAP methods provides a valuable means to identify regional differences in key factors affecting atmospheric PM_2.5 values and offers a reliable reference for pollution control strategies.
Open Access
Historical consideration of environmental dynamics in the identification of dryland degradation in Northern Damaraland
(1997) Jenks, Cheryl; Meadows, Michael E
Dryland degradation is widely viewed as a major environmental issue and in many parts of Namibia is perceived to be significant to severe. In recent years, however, following a worldwide trend, there has been a re-evaluation and questioning of the extent, nature and causes of dryland degradation. Too often it seems pronouncements of degradation are based on limited data and a poor understanding of the context and functioning of dryland ecosystems. The aim of this report, therefore, is to demonstrate why an historical perspective of environmental dynamics is valuable in drylands for the identification of degradation and to evaluate the use of such a perspective using northern Damaraland a case study. In order to achieve this aim, several objectives were addressed, these being: to provide a clear and unambiguous definition of the term 'dryland degradation' or 'land degradation'; to review possible indicators and agents of environmental change and land degradation; to provide a conceptual framework that emphasises the importance of an historical; perspective, and the role of arid rangeland dynamics, in evaluating environmental change; to analyse environmental dynamics in northern Damaraland from an historical perspective, utilising aerial photography and archival data in the form of stock numbers; to highlight inherent problems and the utility of an historical perspective.
Open Access
Holocene environmental change and the vegetation community dynamics of the Kynsna forest : pollen and charcoal analysis of sediments from Groenvlei, Southern Cape, South Africa
(2006) Duncan, C E; Meadows, Michael E
To establish an understanding of the long-term community dynamics of the Knysan forests, and gain a better understanding of the impacts of colonial exploitation of the forests agains a background of environmental change, sediments were extracted from the lake shore of Groenvlei, an endorheic coastal vlei in the Wilderness Lake system on the southern Cape coast, some 10 km from the present-day forest core. These sediments were described, dated by radiocarbon means and subsampled for the analysis of fossil pollen and charcoal particles, environmental proxies used respectively to infer a vegetation and fire history for the region.
Open Access
Holocene environmental change at Groenvlei, Knysna, South Africa : evidence from diatoms
(2008) Kirsten, Kelly; Meadows, Michael E
This study demonstrates that diatom analysis of lake sediment can provide very detailed information on long and short term climate change, hampered only by inconsistent sediment accumulation at Groenvlei. Further work may provide insight to periods which were not covered in this study.
Open Access
Holocene vegetation and palaeoenvironments of the Southern Cederberg mountains of South Africa : palynological evidence from fossil hyrax (Procavia) dung middens
(2006) Seliane, Mamoluoane; Meadows, Michael E
Late Quaternary vegetation and palaeoenvironments are relatively easy to reconstruct in humid regions as polled traps (swamps and peat bogs) there are usually abundant. However arid and semi-arid regions (such as southern Africa) lack fossil pollen because of the scarcity of pollen preserving bodies. This attribute results in difficulties in palynological studies regarding the late Quaternary vegetation and palaeoenvironmental resconstruction in arid and semi-arid regions. But the advent of pollen analysis of fossil faunal dung middens in arid and semi-arid areas has enabled palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and interpretation in places where this could not otherwise have been easy. This project is based on pollen analysis of hyrax (Procavia) dung middens for the reconstruction and interpretation of vegetation history in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, thus filling the void of inadequate palaeoenvironmental records in semi-arid southern Africa.
Open Access
An investigation of the areas of potential wind erosion in the Cape Province, Republic of South Africa
(1988) Hallward, Jennifer R; Meadows, Michael E
Soil erosion is regarded as a serious problem throughout the world. Erosion is caused by both water and wind. Although the two usually occur together, wind erosion has received little attention with the exception of the problems associated with croplands. Wind erosion can, however, also be a serious problem in natural grazing lands. In this research project an attempt is made to determine the areas of potential wind erosion in the Cape Province through the use of two different models. The models used were developed and applied in semi-arid areas and thus were considered to be applicable in South Africa. The models used are: The Wind Erosion Equation developed by Chepil, Woodruff and Siddoway in the United States; and Lynch and Edward's Model for the Analysis of Limited Climatic Data, developed in Australia. There are two aspects to soil erosion by wind - the erodibility of the soil as determined by moisture, grains size, aggregates, plant cover and surface topography; and soil erosivity as determined by wind strength and duration. Methods to control wind erosion are based on decreasing erosivity through the establishment of shelterbelts and by decreasing erodibility through improving plant cover, aggregate stability and moisture retention properties. Efforts at wind erosion measurement are generally ineffective. A number of models have been developed to overcome these difficulties and to allow for prediction of soil loss. Two of these models are applied to conditions in the Cape Province. This area covers a wind range of climatic, soil and agricultural conditions and as such provides an appropriate area for their application. It is, however, concluded that neither of these models can be directly applied to conditions in the Cape Province. The seasonal rainfall distribution and the uneven distribution of the data points contribute to the ineffectiveness of the models. The greatest problem, however, is the importance of management in determining whether or not wind erosion occurs. As a result, although the models illustrate the general climatic trends affecting the susceptibility of an area to wind erosion, the lack of a management factor accounts for the lack of detail.
Open Access
Is commercial livestock farming environmentally viable within the Orange and Fish River catchment area (OFCA) of Southern Namibia?
(2001) Van der Merwe, Schalk; Meadows, Michael E
There are neither historical nor current baseline information relating to the productivity of the OFCA veld and a definite link between the current crisis and the possibly that it is suffering from the effects of having farmed the OFCA veld into a state of durable suboptimal productivity remains to be conclusively established. This current study has been undertaken in order to investigate such a possible link, and to reach a more definite conclusion with regards to the contribution of negative environmental feedback which may have arisen from commercial farming. Specifically, the study investigates the relationship between commercial livestock grazing regimes, possible associated resource degradation (losses in veld productivity and adverse structuring of botanical communities due to livestock grazing effects), and the current productive crisis within the sector.
Open Access
Is there a future for livestock farming in Southern Namibia's communal lands?
(2000) Kuiper, Saskia Marijke; Meadows, Michael E
Bibliography: leaves 26-31.
Open Access
Land degradation in the Cathedral Peak area of the Natal Drakensburg : 1945 to 1992
(1995) Asmal, Osman Ebrahim; Meadows, Michael E
This report describes a study of land degradation in adjacent portions of land comprising a section of the Cathedral Peak State Forest (park and private land) and segments of three wards of the former Kwazulu homeland district of Okhahlamba. The study region is known as the Cathedral Peak Area. The report aims to describe and account for the historical development of land degradation in the Okhahlamba District using the Cathedral Peak Area as a case study. Sequential aerial photographs from 1945, 1964 and 1992 were employed to conduct a temporal comparison of area effected by changes in number of homesteads, area of cultivation, forests, eroded areas or surfaces and gullies and drainage density. The results show that for number of homesteads and cultivated area in the Cathedral Peak Area, there has been an exponential (geometric) and constant (arithmetic) increase respectively during the period under investigation. These increases in anthropogenic activities in the Cathedral Peak Area have resulted in a consequent increase in pressure on environmental resources of the area.