Urban forestry–A cinderella science in South Africa?
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183092 , vital:43911 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.2989/10295920609505255"
- Description: The benefits of forests (in their broadest sense) and of trees to the natural environment and rural communities are well known throughout the world, including in South Africa (e.g. see chapters in Lawes et al. 2004). The presence of these benefits has also been extrapolated to urban situations, where natural forests and veld might be left in situ, or trees planted in public spaces, or in private gardens. These benefits span the social, aesthetic, health, environmental and economic spheres.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Understanding foraging practices in Lagos metropolis to redesign urban greenspaces in support of human-nature interactions
- Authors: Adeyemi, Opeyemi , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401353 , vital:69728 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127805"
- Description: Enhancing knowledge of urban foraging across different urban landscapes is an urgent matter given that about two-thirds of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050, whilst 50 % of Africa’s population is expected to live in cities by 2030. This study was conducted in Lagos metropolis which is the economic hub of Africa’s most populous country. Data was collected using an in-person, semi-structured questionnaire from 347 persons who were 18 years or older to identify foragers and non-foragers, their sociodemographic profiles, and their foraging practices. Results revealed that about two out of three persons sampled forage to some degree. The collection happened more in domestic gardens (34 %) and streets (27 %) than in other foraging sites (such as unused lands, institutional grounds and lakes and riparian fringes). A total of 35 species were reportedly foraged within the metropolis, mostly for food (71 %) and medicine (26 %). Mango (Mangifera indica), pawpaw (Carica papaya), tropical almond (Terminalia catappa), fish (various species), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) were the most gathered species. The distance travelled to foraging wild species ranged from 5 m to 25 km. The primary motivation for foraging was the acquisition of fresh and natural materials. However, some felt that foraging was a stressful activity. The unavailability of foraging sites and species was the major constraint to foraging in this megacity. Hence, efforts to increase the edible components of public green spaces and to provide free access could potentially allow more people to forage and make current foraging more secure. We suggest that making provisions for foraging in urban planning goals could contribute to the sustainable development of cities in Africa and elsewhere.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Urban street names: An opportunity to examine biocultural relationships?
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182285 , vital:43817 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200891"
- Description: With increasing urbanisation there is concern regarding loss of experience and knowledge of biodiversity amongst urban populations. Yet biodiversity representations are retained in many art and functional forms, including names of places, buildings, institutions and streets. These manifestations offer a window to examine the relationship between humans and their experienced or imagined environment using a biocultural lens. I quantified the current prevalence of urban streets named after animals or plant species, the diversity of species represented, whether they are native or non-native, whether representative of the biome in which the town was situated and the change in prevalence through time. The street names of 48 towns in a one degree wide south-north belt across seven of South African’s biomes were captured and analysed. Of the 4,359 street names, 11.1% were named after plants (218 species) and 5.3% after animals (131 species), although some towns had none and others more than 40%. Approximately half of the plants were native to South Africa, whereas over 80% of the animals were. There was no correspondence between the species composition reflected in street names and the biome in which towns were located. The proportion of streets named after plants or animals has generally increased over the last two hundred years. These results provide insights into the bioculturally defined plants and animals that are valued by past and present urban communities, showing that they are generally from a wider array than can be found or experienced in the local setting.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Agroforestry tree products (AFTPs): Targeting poverty reduction and enhanced livelihoods
- Authors: Leakey, Roger R , Tchoundjeu, Zac , Schreckenberg, Kate , Shackleton, Sheona E , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182136 , vital:43803 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2005.9684741"
- Description: Agroforestry tree domestication emerged as a farmer-driven, market-led process in the early 1990s and became an international initiative. A participatory approach now supplements the more traditional aspects of tree improvement, and is seen as an important strategy towards the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating poverty and hunger, promoting social equity and environmental sustainability. Considerable progress has been made towards the domestication of indigenous fruits and nuts in many villages in Cameroon and Nigeria. Vegetatively-propagated cultivars based on a sound knowledge of ‘ideotypes’ derived from an understanding of the tree-to-tree variation in many commercially important traits are being developed by farmers. These are being integrated into polycultural farming systems, especially the cocoa agroforests. Markets for Agroforestry Tree Products (AFTPs) are crucial for the adoption of agroforestry on a scale to have meaningful economic, social and environmental impacts. Important lessons have been learned in southern Africa from detailed studies of the commercialization of AFTPs. These provide support for the wider acceptance of the role of domesticating indigenous trees in the promotion of enhanced livelihoods for poor farmers in the tropics. Policy guidelines have been developed in support of this sustainable rural development as an alternative strategy to those proposed in many other major development and conservation fora.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Comparison of plant diversity in protected and communal lands in the Bushbuckridge lowveld savanna, South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181885 , vital:43777 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(00)00001-X"
- Description: Patterns of higher plant species richness and beta diversity were assessed using standard Modified-Whittaker plots in relation to land use, slope position and mean annual rainfall across a rainfall gradient in the savanna areas of the Bushbuckridge lowveld, South Africa. In particular, comparison of communal areas with adjacent protected areas was important in showing the impacts of potential changes in land use within an overarching catchment management plan. Although most of the protected areas considered preservation of biodiversity as their primary goal, they were characterised by significantly fewer plant species than the adjacent, highly utilised, communal lands, at both the plot and point scale. Slope position also had a significant effect on plant species richness, with eutrophic bottomlands having c. 30% more species than the dystrophic toplands. This adds weight to the need for greater public awareness for the judicious use and management of the sensitive bottomlands, which fringe the primary drainage lines that are vital for sustained supplies of good quality surface water in this semi-arid environment. The total number of species increased with increasing mean annual rainfall across the rainfall gradient. This suggests that, if the catchment management plan aims to identify additional areas for conservation, the higher rainfall areas should be the first to be assessed. Species turnover was greater along the rainfall gradient than the catenal gradient between toplands and bottomlands.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Multiple benefits and values of trees in urban landscapes in two towns in northern South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Chinyimba, Abby , Hebinck, Paul , Shackleton, Charlie M , Kaoma, Humphrey
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180874 , vital:43658 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.12.004"
- Description: Cities and towns can be conceptualised as complex social-ecological systems or landscapes that are composed of different spatial elements. Trees in urban landscapes provide a variety of tangible and intangible benefits (ecosystem services) that may be valued differently across diverse households and individuals. Here, we consider how the benefits and values of trees to urban residents vary across public and private spaces in three low income neighbourhoods in two medium-sized towns in northern South Africa. We find that the most asset poor residents in informal settlements derive significant benefits from the provisioning services offered by trees in natural green spaces on the ‘urban periphery’; in particular they value supplies of wood for energy, whilst also recognising the importance of regulating services such as shade. Trees in such spaces help these immigrants cope with a lack of infrastructure, services and disposable income after their move to the city. In new, low-cost housing neighbourhoods, the importance of trees in providing shade and shelter in gardens is emphasised due to the hot and dusty nature of these settlements, while residents in older township neighbourhoods make more mention of the aesthetic value of trees in private spaces as well as the fruits they provide. In all neighbourhoods, attitudes towards trees in public spaces were mixed because of their perceived association with crime, although low income households did make extensive use of tree products from natural areas. The relevance of the results for urban planning and greening in low income areas is discussed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
The use and appreciation of botanical gardens as urban green spaces in South Africa
- Authors: Ward, Catherine D , Parker, Caitlin M , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181146 , vital:43702 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2009.11.001"
- Description: There are few formal studies on the contribution of botanical gardens as urban green spaces, particularly within developing countries. Therefore, this paper reports on an assessment of the use and appreciation of botanical gardens as urban green spaces in South Africa. Users and staff were surveyed in six national botanical gardens. The gardens provided numerous benefits in terms of conservation, education and recreation. However, the people using the gardens were not demographically representative of the general population of the surrounding city or town. Generally, most of the visitors were middle- to old-aged, well-educated professionals with medium to high incomes. Most were white and English was their home language. There was an even gender representation. Most visited only a few times per year. The majority of users visited the gardens for recreation and psychological reasons rather than educational ones. However, the staff of each garden placed emphasis on education in the gardens and amongst surrounding schools. Most visitors appreciated the conservation dimensions of botanical gardens, and felt that there was insufficient public green space in their town or city. Understanding how people perceive and use the botanical gardens of South Africa is important to inform future research and strategies regarding the conservation of urban green space within a developing country.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Knowledge, perceptions and willingness to control designated invasive tree species in urban household gardens in South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Ross T
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180445 , vital:43389 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-016-1104-7"
- Description: Many biological invasions result in negative impacts on the environment and human livelihoods, but simultaneously some also provide benefits that are valued differently by various stakeholders. To inform policy and management of invasive species it is important to assess landowners’ and broader society’s knowledge and perceptions of invasive species, something which is lacking in many contexts, especially in urban settings. In this study we interviewed 153 householders living in a medium-sized South African town who had declared invasive alien trees in their gardens. Less than half of the respondents could identify the invasive tree on their property and only one-third knew that it was an invasive alien species. There was a positive association between income and education levels with exposure to media about invasive alien species and respondents’ ability to identify the species and name any other invasive alien tree species. Knowledge levels were unequal across species. Amongst those who knew the tree was an invasive alien species, reasons why they retained it in their gardens included that it would be costly or too much effort to remove, they liked the tree, that it was not causing any harm and that the property was rented and so its removal was not their responsibility. However, the majority of people (83 %) were willing to have it removed from their garden if done for free by appropriate agencies, which is promising for compliance with new regulations on invasive species implemented at the end of 2014 in South Africa. The results also highlight the need for targeted and appropriate education and awareness programs amongst urban householders on invasive alien species, relevant legislation and their obligations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The development visions and attitudes towards urban forestry of officials responsible for greening in South African towns
- Authors: Gwedla, Nanamhla , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180856 , vital:43651 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.07.004"
- Description: The planting and maintenance of trees in public areas of South African towns is the responsibility of local municipalities. Therefore, it is necessary to appreciate the visions and attitudes of municipal officials and decision-makers in charge of such activities for an understanding of the distribution and abundance of trees along streets and in urban green spaces. We hypothesised that the town size and relative wealth and current extent of trees in public places would influence the visions of such officials. We therefore conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with the officials responsible for urban tree planting in 24 towns in the Eastern Cape province, whilst also assessing the abundance of street trees via GIS counts. The density of street trees was variable, ranging from 0.5 to 9.5 trees/ha. There were significantly positive relationships between town size, relative wealth measures and street tree density. Several of the managers did not include environmental issues or trees in vision of the future for their town, although most did. There was no relationship between the managers’ visions for the future and attitudes and current street tree density. Most of the managers experienced several constraints in trying to implement their vision, notably a lack of funds for urban forestry, limited space for tree planting in low-cost housing developments, vandalism, and lack of skilled personnel.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Can local use assist in controlling invasive alien species in tropical forests?: The case of Lantana camara in southern India
- Authors: Kannan, Ramesh , Shackleton, Charlie M , Krishnan, Smitha , Shaanker, Ramanan U
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180423 , vital:43387 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.06.016"
- Description: Many invasive alien species (IAS) are used by local communities for a variety of subsistence and income generating purposes. This frequently poses a conflict of interest for their removal due to forest conservation and biodiversity concerns. However, if local use can simultaneously check or control specific IAS, the conflict can be avoided and both development and forest conservation perspectives accommodated in the short to medium term. We examine this for Lantana camara invasion in southern India through assessment of the demand for and impacts of harvesting on this globally problematic IAS. We interviewed local artisans regarding their knowledge and quantities of Lantana used, along with forest surveys to estimate Lantana densities and size classes in harvested and unharvested sites, and lastly we undertook controlled cutting in moist and dry deciduous forests in both the wet and dry seasons to examine rate of regrowth and mortality. Over the entire study area the abundance of Lantana far outweighed local demand, but at small scales around villages, density and size classes were significantly reduced through harvesting. The controlled cutting experiment showed marked seasonal differences, with the most severe cutting intensity resulting in significant mortality when Lantana plants were cut in the wet season, but with limited effect when cut in the dry season. We conclude that promoting local use of IAS may be a feasible approach in controlling them and thereby limiting their impacts in forests.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The effects of expansive shrubs on plant species richness and soils in semi-arid communal lands, South Africa
- Authors: Sholto-Douglas, Craig , Shackleton, Charlie M , Ruwanza, Sheunesu , Dold, Tony
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398394 , vital:69408 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2745"
- Description: Expansion by expansive species can have severe ecological, social and economic impacts through the reduction of ecosystem goods and services and species richness. However, expansion by expansive species may also offer benefits to ecosystems and humans, through the supply of ecosystem goods and services (such as firewood, fodder and fruits), as well as potentially offering refugia in heavily used landscapes. Here, we examine the effects of four expansive dwarf shrub species (Aspalathus subtingens, Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis, Pteronia incana and Oedera genistifolia) on plant species richness (at the point scale), vegetation cover, soil properties and whether the expansive species offer refugia to other species. Plant species richness, cover and soil properties were recorded in 1-m2 quadrats located within a mosaic of expanded and non-expanded patches for the four expansive shrub species. Plant species richness was significantly higher in the non-expanded areas compared to the expanded ones for all four expansive species. Some of the expansive shrubs provided refugia to certain plant species and limited the frequency of other species. With regard to species composition, there was little separation of expanded and non-expanded samples within sites, indicating that the site factors were stronger determinants of plant species richness and composition than expansion. Therefore, it is more likely that the reduction in species richness in expanded sites is caused by multiple drivers, including vegetation attributes cover, litter cover and soil nutrients (organic C, Zn and P) and soil compaction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society: an emergent community of practice
- Authors: Biggs, Reinette , Reyers, Belinda , Blanchard, Ryan , Clements, Hayley S , Cockburn, Jessica , Cumming, Graeme S , Cundill, Georgina , de Vos, Alta , Dziba, Luthando , Esler, Karen J , Fabricius, Christo , Hamann, Maike , Henriksson, Rebecka , Kotschy, Karen , Lindborg, Regina , Luvuno, Linda , Masterson, Vanessa A , Nel, Jeanne L , O'Farrell, Patrick , Palmer, Carolyn G , Pereira, Laura , Pollard, Sharon , Preiser, Rika , Roux, Dirk J , Scholes, Robert J , Selomane, Odirlwe , Shackleton, Charlie M , Shackleton, Sheona , Sitas, Nadia , Slingsby, Jasper A , Spierenburg, Marja , Tengö, Maria
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401330 , vital:69726 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2150317"
- Description: Sustainability-focused research networks and communities of practice have emerged as a key response and strategy to build capacity and knowledge to support transformation towards more sustainable, just and equitable futures. This paper synthesises insights from the development of a community of practice on social-ecological systems (SES) research in southern Africa over the past decade, linked to the international Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS). This community consists of a network of researchers who carry out place-based SES research in the southern African region. They interact through various cross-cutting working groups and also host a variety of public colloquia and student and practitioner training events. Known as the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (SAPECS), its core objectives are to: (1) derive new approaches and empirical insights on SES dynamics in the southern African context; (2) have a tangible impact by mainstreaming knowledge into policy and practice; and (3) grow the community of practice engaged in SES research and governance, including researchers, students and practitioners. This paper reflects on experiences in building the SAPECS community, with the aim of supporting the development of similar networks elsewhere in the world, particularly in the Global South.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The trade in and household use of Phoenix reclinata palm frond hand brushes on the Wild Coast, South Africa: Effects on soil nutrients
- Authors: Mjoli, Nwabisa , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/180800 , vital:43647 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-015-9316-9"
- Description: The Trade in and Household Use of Phoenix reclinata Palm Frond Hand Brushes on the Wild Coast, South Africa. This paper reports on an investigation of the harvesting, trade, and use of hand brushes made from fronds of the wild palm, Phoenix reclinata. We considered both the abundance of the resource as well as the demand. Within the harvesting areas, there were approximately 141 palm plants per hectare, of which almost two-thirds showed no signs of frond harvesting. During harvesting, most fronds (82%) were left on the plant, 16% were removed to make brushes, and 2% were cut and discarded. Although the number of harvesters had increased during the last decade, most felt that the number of palm plants had remained stable or even increased over the same period. There was strong consensus that cut fronds were replaced within two months, after which a particular stem could be harvested again. Harvesting and trade were practiced largely by middle-aged to elderly women, who had limited formal education, skills, and employment prospects. Most had entered the trade because of cash income poverty. The main markets for selling the palm brushes were in nearby urban areas. The income earned from the trade was modest, but still rated highly by the traders, for most of whom it was the second most-important source of cash income. For many users, the palm brushes was found to be the only type of brush suitable for cleaning mud and cow-dung flooring and, most importantly for many, their use forms part of a long household use history and culture.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Estimating the potential role of commercial over-harvesting in resource viability: A case study of five useful tree species in South Africa
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Guthrie, G , Main, R
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181324 , vital:43719 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.652"
- Description: There is a growing commercialization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) as a means of livelihood by rural communities throughout the developing world. This often occurs in the absence of any clear understanding of or guidelines regarding sustainable yields and ecological impacts, which may undermine the success of NTFP enterprises, especially from arid regions. This paper reports on the use of size class profiles and three quantitative indices to examine population profiles of five potentially useful tree species used as NTFPs in the semiarid lowveld of South Africa. We also contrast the population densities of the five tree species in 2003 with data from 1992. Low stem densities and population profiles indicated that three of the five species would preclude the establishment of NTFP enterprises based on their products. The other two species seem to have sufficient densities for some harvesting to take place, within an adaptive management framework. However, the longitudinal data indicated that the density of both these species had significantly declined over an eleven-year period, highlighting the need for appropriate management institutions. Additionally, the proportion of mature stems cut, and the degree of cutting per stem, had increased for all five species over the eleven years. The three quantitative indices of population stability were not correlated with one another, and hence provided a useful suite of measures sensitive to different aspects of size class profiles and their interpretation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Growth patterns of Pterocarpus angolensis in savannas of the South African lowveld
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182373 , vital:43824 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(01)00676-4"
- Description: Pterocarpus angolensis D.C. is one of the most valuable indigenous timber species on the African continent south of the equator. Because of its high value, it is actively sought after in a number of countries, and wild populations are diminishing. However, attempts at artificial germination and growth trials have yielded poor results, thus, emphasis needs to be placed on sustainable management of existing populations. Success of in situ management will be enhanced if based on reliable data and knowledge regarding the growth patterns of this species within specific localities and countries. Such comprehensive data are lacking for several countries, including South Africa. This paper presents empirical data on a number of studies investigating the growth patterns of P. angolensis in the central lowveld savannas of South Africa, including phenology, annual diameter increment, size class structure, size of reproductive maturity, and morphometric relationships. The size class profile indicated that there was adequate recruitment of P. angolensis, but with constricted through growth from the suffrutex stage to the sapling stage. A small proportion of individuals attained reproductive maturity at 8 cm diameter, but most were bigger. All stems were reproductively mature by 26 cm diameter. This is below the minimum size for harvesting which is dictated by the need for a well developed heartwood. Annual growth was strongly related to stem size and rainfall during the growing season. Basal area increment of small stems was approximately four times greater than mature stems, and declined with increasing stem size. Over the 6-year-period and across all stem sizes, mean diameter increment was 4.5 mm per year. This rate is towards the lower end of the range of reported growth rates from other countries, and poses particular challenges for the sustainable management of this species in South African savannas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
An inventory of medicinal plants traded on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, South Africa
- Authors: Botha, Jenny , Witkowski, Ed T F , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181662 , vital:43756 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v44i2.172"
- Description: The World Health Organisation estimates that traditional medicine still plays a vital role in the lives of 70-80 of the populations of developing countries. Approximately 20 000 tons of medicinal plants are estimated to be traded in South Africa annually, resulting in considerable pressure on the wild populations from which these plants are harvested. In 1997, a study was initiated to assess the extent of trade in medicinal plants on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, and to determine local perceptions of the availability and values of these plants. This paper presents an inventory of the species traded, including vendors' and traders' perceptions of current availability of species and consumer demand, as well as price/kg. In Mpumalanga, 176 species were identified (71 of the vernacular names encountered in the market place), representing 69 families. In Northern Province, 70 different species were identified (84 of the vernacular names recorded in the markets), representing 40 families. Perceptions of availability of a species varied considerably, often within the same markets. Perceptions of demand tended to be more consistent, although these also sometimes varied. Although monitoring markets is an efficient means of assessing the conservation status of medicinal plants, it is important to select appropriate parameters. Markets often differ from one another, and an understanding of local conditions is crucial. For example, in the medicinal markets on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, price/kg and market perceptions of availability of species were highly variable and would thus not provide a consistent monitoring parameter. Perceptions of demand provide an indication of current and potential pressure on a species, particularly when combined with the monitoring of species traded, and the introduction of substitutes in the market place. The size of plant parts traded could also provide useful monitoring data. It is important to identify the plants utilised locally first hand where possible, due to the variation of vernacular names from one area to another.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
Woodlands in South Africa and the national forests act
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182065 , vital:43796 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10295925.2000.9631252"
- Description: The development of the National Forestry Action Programme (NFAP) and promulgation of the National Forests Act (NFA) have established a new vision for the care, management and distribution of benefits from South Africa's woodlands. The Department of water Affairs and Forestry is mandated with ensuring this vision is put into practice. However, historically the Department has had little to do with woodlands, and suffers from a lack of capacity and expertise, a situation which it readily acknowledges. Additionally, the legal definition of a woodland within the NFA is problematic. Within this context, this paper examines oft cited definitions of woodlands and seeks to find an appropriate one for the South African context. It then briefly reviews the major classifications of woodland types at a national scale, as the minimum basis for homogenous reporting units for which monitoring of the success of the NFAP and the NFA should be pursued. Finally, a brief description of moist/dystrophic and arid/eutrophic woodlands is presented.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Use and users of municipal commonage around three small towns in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Davenport, Nicholas A , Shackleton, Charlie M , Gambiza, James
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181116 , vital:43700 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.11.003"
- Description: Municipal commonages surround many small towns throughout South Africa, and are an integral component of the national land reform programme. But little is known about their extent, use or value, and most appear to have limited or no management or investment. This paper reports on a survey of randomly selected households in three small towns in the Eastern Cape to ascertain the extent and purpose of use of municipal commonages. Between 27% and 70% of urban households used commonage depending on site. Key resources used were fuelwood, medicinal plants, and grazing of livestock. Typically, commonage using households were poorer and less educated than other urban residents, although the profile of users is unique for each town. Given the extensive use of commonage resources, and their contribution to the livelihoods of the poor, local municipalities need to develop and implement sound management strategies that account for all users of commonages, rather than the oft encountered focus on livestock owners and production.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
How do HIV and AIDS impact the use of natural resources by poor rural populations?: The case of wild animal products
- Authors: Kaschula, Sarah , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/182344 , vital:43822 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC97203"
- Description: As a result of heightened financial and food insecurity, populations adversely affected by HIV and/or AIDS may be more likely to utilise wild natural resources to supplement their diet and livelihoods. Should this effect be pronounced, HIV and AIDS may pose a serious environmental threat. We explored the hypothesis that the presence of factors in the household, such as chronic illness in and recent mortality of individuals in a high HIV-risk age group, as well as the fostering of orphans, are associated with increased utilisation of wild animal products (WAPs) at the household level. We randomly surveyed 519 households from four sites in rural South Africa, recording household socio-economic status, the utilisation of wild animal products and health and demographic factors attributed to HIV or AIDS. Binary logistic regressions were used to test if households with markers of HIV and/or AIDS affliction were more likely to have a higher incidence and frequency of WAP utilisation relative to non-afflicted households, after adjusting for socio-economic and demographic variables. We found that, although households with markers of HIV and/or AIDS were generally poorer and had higher dependency ratios, there was no evidence to support the hypothesis that WAP harvesting was associated with either poverty, or markers of HIV and/or AIDS affliction. Our findings suggest that generalisations about a possible interaction between HIV and/or AIDS and the environment may not uniformly apply to all categories of natural resources or to all user groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Harvesting impacts on commonly used medicinal tree species (Catha edulis and Rapanea melanophloeos) under different land management regimes in the Mpumalanga Lowveld, South Africa
- Authors: Botha, Jenny , Witkowski, Ed T F , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181379 , vital:43728 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v47i2.77"
- Description: Harvesting of products from plants in the wild is widespread throughout southern Africa. Particularly important products are plant parts used in traditional medicine. However, the impacts of harvesting practices are rarely quantified, with as yet insufficient generic rules across species and life forms. This limits the predictive ability to monitor and manage the affected populations. This paper examines the harvesting impact on two popular woody medicinal species used throughout sub-Saharan Africa, namely Catha edulis (Vahl) Forssk. ex Endl. (bushman’s tea) and Rapanea melanophloeos (L.) Mez. (Cape beech). In both species, basal diameters, heights, and the number of size classes in the harvested populations were lower than in unharvested. Densities of harvested populations were higher in both species, including densities of young plants, but the frequency of individuals in larger size classes was lower. The populations of both species being harvested for medicinal products appeared to be withstanding the current levels of harvesting, but the population structure of C. edulis populations being harvested for poles on the roadside and near human settlements had been substantially altered. Despite the resilience of the two species to harvesting for medicinal products, loss of habitat or changes in land use pose a threat to a number of the assessed populations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004