Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'National parks and reserves South Australia'

The patterns of spatial distribution and abundance were investigated for moth assemblages in the eucalypt woodlands of the Sydney Basin. A total of 228 species of Lepidoptera, distributed among 25 families, were recorded from three national parks located on the perimeter of the Sydney metropolitan region.From within the eucalypt woodland habitat of the Sydney Basin, the study investigated the spatial variation of night-flying Lepidoptera present at several different scales of observation, from the trap level through to across the landscape. Assemblages varied with spatial scale, with uniformity occurring across the landscape as a whole, however becoming patchy at finer spatial scales. Multivariate and turnover analysis indicated that although heterogeneity of abundance and richness may vary significantly depending on spatial scale, sites and national parks contained their own unique suite of species in comparison to one another.The structure of the assemblages of moths in the eucalypt woodlands of the Sydney Basin can vary, and is dependant on the level of spatial scale of observation. Further study needs to be conducted at a range of temporal scales to ascertain the presence of patterns in the Lepidoptera communities in the Sydney region in order to contribute to the development of suitable conservation strategies in the Sydney Basin.

This study looks firstly at the historical background to conservation, particularly in the South African National Parks Board, and relates this to developments in interpretation in the National Parks. These are evaluated against international norms as they appear in the current literature. The aim is to establish a platform upon which future developments in interpretation may be built, avoiding the mistakes of the past, while capitalising on the strong points. Current views of what interpretation is, and what it should be, are reviewed. Knowing who the audience is, in terms of cultural background, education, needs and interests, as well as sound planning, clear objectives and ongoing evaluation of interpretive programmes, emerge as essential prerequisites for effective interpretation. Through reviewing the development and current status of interpretation in the National Parks, the study finds that although the view has been expressed by management, both past and present, that interpretation in the national parks is of great importance, the past and current status of interpretation does not reflect that view. Generally, interpretation appears to be regarded as a non-essential service. This report argues that environmental interpretation should be given a higher status in the National Parks Board and that it should form an important part of the conservation strategy and management plan for the national parks. The researcher contends that a greater investment in interpretation could lead to a decrease in the need for further, increased investment in law enforcement in the parks. The researcher is also of the opinion that interpretation aimed at all levels of personnel of the National Parks Board is at least as important as interpretation aimed at visitors.

This study documents the development of the Queenstown nature reserve as a cross-curricular tea~hing resource. Participants in the project included the researcher, the municipality nature conservation officer and the senior Geography and Biology teachers from five high schools in the town. A modified action research approach was adopted. Data was collected from workshops and interviews and then analyzed. The conclusion of the research was that the participants perceived that the project had been worthwhile and was to be continued. The nature reserve is now more widely and usefully used

A consistent and integrated approach to nature conservation across the landscape and regardless of tenure is widely recognised as essential in ensuring the effective conservation of biodiversity. 'Multi-tenure reserve networks', which incorporate public and private lands managed for conservation, are considered a means of achieving landscape scale conservation. Biosphere Reserves (BR) and Conservation Management Networks (CMN) are characteristic models in Australia. This thesis aims to evaluate the role of such networks in protecting biodiversity, specifically by: (1) analysing the spatial configuration (size, shape, connectivity) of networks and their individual components; (2) evaluating the contribution of networks (in real terms and in reporting procedures) to biodiversity conservation objectives; (3) analysing the influence of the attitudes and perceptions of land managers on the functionality of networks; and (4) evaluating the influence of coordinating bodies on network functionality. In order to account for deficiencies in existing classifications of conservation lands, a new classification system was developed for this thesis - the Conservation Lands Classification. This classification incorporates conservation mechanisms on public and private lands and forms the basis for comparing network components in three Australian case studies - the Bookmark BR located in the Murray Mallee of South Australia, the Gippsland Plains CMN on the eastern Gippsland Plains of Victoria and the Grassy Box Woodlands CMN across the inland slopes of New South Wales. The spatial configuration of individual components within networks was measured using spatial analysis techniques within a geographic information system (GIS). GIS was also used to measure the contribution that networks made to a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system through the ecosystems they protected. The attitudes and perceptions of landowners and managers within the networks were obtained using questionnaires. Questionnaires were also sent to network coordinators. Statistical and descriptive analysis was conducted on the results. The sizes of individual components varied markedly between the three networks, however within each network public reserves were on average larger than private conservation lands. Although levels of physical connectivity varied between networks, Bookmark BR and Gippsland Plains CMN showed greater similarity to each other than to the Grassy Box Woodlands CMN. The findings raise important questions about the real and perceived differences in the BR and CMN models. All networks, and particularly those components outside the public protected area estate, contributed to enhancing the protection of ecosystems unrepresented or under-represented in the reserve system, although the extent of this contribution varied between networks. Trade-offs between reserve design efficiency and a contribution to a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system were evident between networks. Bookmark BR was characterised by high connectivity, strong reserve design integrity but a lower contribution to protecting under-reserved ecosystems, whereas the opposite was evident in the Grassy Box Woodlands CMN. Over 88% of managers considered their involvement in multi-tenure reserve networks to be a positive or very positive experience. A lack of resources and time for management were considered major limitations of these networks. The majority (80%) of private land managers within networks were willing to be included in a national reserve system of conservation lands. This has important implications for the Australian National Reserve System, which currently incorporates mostly public land. The changing nature of the network coordination arrangements suggests an organic fluid evolution of network structures is likely, contrasting with the desire for legalistic and administrative rigidity promoted by government agencies. The thesis concludes that all the networks studied contribute in varying degrees to biodiversity conservation. The key factors influencing the current and potential contribution that such networks make are: (1) the aims, directions and restrictions set by or imposed upon the coordinating body; and (2) the biophysical nature of the surrounding bioregion and resultant historical land use and tenure pattern. Although the successful operation of such 'multi-tenure' networks ultimately relies on the willing participation of private landholders, ongoing institutional support is likely to be required for maintaining networks in the longer term. Considering networks are increasingly formed outside of the influence of government institutions, this presents a significant challenge for effective coordinated conservation.

This study looks at aspects of the development of environmental education in South African National Parks (SANParks), in relation to the emergence of national and organisational policy frameworks. In order to put current environmental education practices into context, the study firstly looks at the historical development line of environmental education in SANParks, as well as in the broader national context. This provides a framework within which the processes of change and development can be traced in terms of social, political and economic influences on an international and national front. The study finds that the promulgation of legislation, including the Constitution, National Acts and various other policies, reflected the trends of thinking and set the pace in a democratic South Africa, which led to the emergence of more explicit processes and refined policies. Popkewitz’s finding, that education emerged in modernity, is used in the study to illustrate this tendency. It finds that these changes in South Africa resulted in the establishment of more structured environmental education processes within SANParks, and led to the expansion, diversification and strengthening of environmental education as a field of practice over time. The study traces significant processes of recontextualisation of international and national environmental education related policies according to the framework established by Bernstein (1980). These processes of recontextualisation were followed in the formulation processes of SANParks policy and strategy documents in the period from 1999 to 2005, and resulted in an official pedagogic discourse for environmental education in SANParks. The study establishes a second level of recontextualisation, that is, the official pedagogic discourse of environmental education in SANParks is recontextualised to a pedagogic discourse of reproduction. The pedagogic discourse of reproduction relates to park practices, where contextualisation within park-based programmes appears to be strong. The park-based programmes resemble a ‘curriculum in practice’, which brings us to Cornbleth’s critical curriculum approach. The study utilises this approach to explore and explain the meaning of the critical perspective taken on curriculum construction and change efforts at park implementation level (Cornbleth, 1990). The study finds that the contextualisation of park programmes and practices lead to variety in park programmes, which adds richness to environmental education programmes and activities, and further highlights the fact that environmental education practices are prolific in national parks. The study also finds that historical and contextual processes associated with specific parks strongly characterise environmental education programmes and practices in those parks, and that partnership programmes, such as the Kids in Parks programme, contribute towards, and enhance the growth of environmental education as a specialised field of practice in SANParks. The study comments on the need for environmental education practices in SANParks to be reviewed and expanded in line with the contemporary approach towards the environment as a social construct of interacting components. These components include the biophysical, social, economic and political dimensions. The study also highlights the need for the recognition and acknowledgement of the long, historical development line of environmental education in SANParks in order to build on established structures in a holistic way. The study further determines a need for strong leadership to successfully expand this specialised field of practice and encourages a participatory approach in the review and further development of this field of practice in SANParks. The study ultimately finds that environmental education in SANParks has a long and rich development profile, which has placed it in a strong position for further development. However, it concludes that there is a great need for a rejuvenated approach, which requires expert knowledge, professionalism and broad based networking approach to enable meaningful expansion within this specialised field of practice.

The literature reviews on tourist satisfaction revealed that a satisfied tourist leads to positive word of mouth recommendation to friends and family, loyalty (return visits), competitive advantage and long-term profitability and sustainability. These favourable benefits resulting from satisfaction are necessary for any destination to survive in the competitive tourism industry. South African National Parks (SANParks) manages all 21 national parks in South Africa, with the TNP being the third in terms of visitor numbers and income generated from tourism products. Data captured from visitors to the TNP was used to achieve the goal and objective of this study. This goal was achieved by conducting a questionnaire survey at Storm’s River rest camp within the TNP from 01 May to 31 July 2015. A total of 120 questionnaires were completed and included in further analysis. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between satisfaction, service and travel motivations of the visitors to the TNP. The statistical test was used to determine whether or not visitors’ expectations were met. This was also used to determine the relationship between travel behaviour, travel motives, and service satisfaction of the visitors to the TNP. Park management can use these results as tools to ensure that the product offered guarantees visitors’ satisfaction and therefore contributes to long-term park sustainability. Therefore, park management is able to obtain the ideal tourist experience by not only focusing on the travel motives but also on the quality of service delivered at the park. The results showed that park management needs to become aware of what the visitor sees as important factors for a memorable visitor experience and they can adapt certain aspects to improve the visitor’s experience. Park management can therefore improve their services and products as well as the quality thereof by knowing what the tourists see as important when visiting a national park to obtain a memorable experience, which will lead to positive word of mouth sharing, loyalty, increased revenue and sustainability of the TNP.

The objective of this project is to link the statistical theory used in the ecological sciences with an actual project that was developed for the South African National Parks Scientific Services. It investigates the changes that have occurred in the herbaceous and woody structure due to the closure of artificial waterpoints; including the impacts that elephants and other herbivores have on the vegetation of the Kruger National Park. This project was designed in conjunction with South African National Parks (SANP) Scientific Services and it is a registered project with this department. The results of this project will be submitted to Scientific Services in accordance with the terms and conditions of a SANP research project. A major concern within the KNP is the declining numbers of rare antelope and numerous projects have been developed to investigate possible ways of halting this decline and thus protecting the heterogeneity of the Kruger National Park. Three different datasets were investigated, covering three aspects of vegetation structure and composition within the KNP. The first investigated the changes that have occurred since the N'washitsumbe enclosure in the Far Northern KNP was fenced off from the rest of the park. The results show that over the 40 years since the enclosure was built, changes have occurred which have resulted in a significant difference in the abundance of Increaser 2 and Decreaser grass species between the inside and the outside of the enclosure. Increaser 2 and Decreaser categories are the result of a grass species classification depending on whether the species thrives or is depressed by heavy grazing. The difference in grass species composition and structure between the inside and the outside of the enclosure indicates that the grazing animals within the KNP have influenced the grass composition in a way that favours the dominant animals. This has resulted in a declining roan antelope population - one of the species that is considered as a 'rare antelope'. Many artificial waterpoints (boreholes and dams) have also been closed throughout the KNP in the hope of resulting in a change in vegetation structure and composition in favour of the roan. Veld condition assessment data for 87 boreholes throughout the Park was analyzed to determine whether the veld in the vicinity is beginning to change towards a more Decreaser dominated sward which would favour the roan. The results were analyzed for the different regions of the Park; and they indicate that changes are becoming evident; however, the results are not particularly conclusive, yet. The majority of the boreholes were closed between 1994 and 1998 which means that not a lot of data were available to be analyzed. A similar study conducted in another 10 years time might reveal more meaningful results. However the results are moving in the direction hoped for by the management of the KNP. The results show that the grass composition has a higher proportion of Decreaser grasses since the closure of the waterpoints, and the grass biomass around these areas has also improved. The results were analyzed on an individual basis; and then on a regional basis as the minimal data meant that the individual analyses did not provide any significant results. A third study was then done on the impact that the rapidly increasing elephant population on the vegetation within the Riparian zone along three rivers in the Far Northern region of the KNP. The riparian zone is an important part of the landscape, in terms of providing food for many animals as well as shade. The elephant population has increased substantially since the termination of the culling program and this means that the feeding requirements of the population has increased which could result in severe damage upon the vegetation, as elephants can be very destructive feeders. The results show surprising differences between the three years of data that were analyzed; however the results indicate that the elephants are targeting specific height ranges of trees when feeding; however they do not seem to consistently target specific tree species. This is positive for the diversity of the Riparian zone as this region is very important both ecologically and aesthetically for the tourists who visit the Park.

In 1926 the Kruger National Park in South Africa became the first national park in Africa to accept visitors. Since that date there has been a propaganda campaign to convince people outside of the administration of the importance of the national park project and the value of the wildlife inside the parks. As a large tract of land in a land-hungry region of the country, the Kruger Park required both political and public support to ensure its survival. This attempt to communicate with the public is the subject of my thesis. The idea of the national park, and the natural world that it contained, altered dramatically since 1926. At times the message was tightly managed, and at others that control was loosened. As various interests intervened and encroached, new discourses developed and struggled for influence. Contained within the messages around the park and its wildlife were ulterior strands and ideologies that impacted in various ways on the idea of the national park. Nationalism, race, gender, class and status all became constituent parts of a heterogeneous construction. My thesis interrogates those strands within the discourse on the Kruger National Park. In 1967 the Manyeleti game reserve, on the western borders of the Kruger Park, became the first segregated game reserve for the exclusive use of black South Africans. Through this parallel project African visitors, who had been generally ignored in the Kruger Park setting, became the focus of propaganda efforts intended for a black audience. Race, gender, and class merged with the environmental messages in this unique setting to create new directions in conservationist rhetoric. My thesis sets these diverse messages communicated at Manyeleti alongside those transmitted through and about the Kruger Park.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The official custodian of the Cape Peninsula mountain chain, located at the centre of Cape Town, is the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). This park is South Africa’s only urban open-access park and has been declared a World Heritage Site. This thesis is an anthropological and historical examination of the past and present conservation of the Cape Peninsula . I provide an overview of the relationship between the urban environment and the Cape Peninsula aiming to illustrate the produced character of the mountains and its mediation in power relations. This study of custodianship reveals that protecting and conserving the Cape Peninsula is shaped by the politics of the urban and natural environment as well as by the experience of living in the city. As such, official and unofficial custodianship is informed by class and race differentiations, embedded in the politics of identity, responsive to the local and national political transformations in governance and connected to the urban struggles of the marginalised Capetonians. Furthermore, inherent in the notion of custodianship is the social appropriation of the Cape Peninsula which was shown to produce specific ideological representations of nature. The thesis presents an ethnographic study of Hangberg, a poor neighbourhood situated at the border of the TMNP. There, the encroachments and poaching within the park boundaries is addressed by focussing on the competing discourses between biodiversity, entitlement and heritage. The engagements between the TMNP, the state and Hangberg on the issues of conservation reveal the distinct complexities of running a national park in a city beset with inequalities. My focus on these engagements also illustrates that the manifestation of ‘community’ is a construction contingent upon circumstances which reflect a meaningful and political relationship between identity, citizenship and place, rather than a homogeneous group of people. I conclude with the idea that in attempting to make the park socially and racially equitable, urban conservation ought to begin to recognise its distinct urban character in the larger socio-environmental framework of the city.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die offisiële beskermheer van die Kaapse Skiereiland Bergreeks, geleë in die sentrum van Kaapstad, is die Tafelberg Nasionale Park (TNP). Die park is Suid-Afrika se enigste stedelike en oop-toegangspark en is verklaar as ’n Wêreld Erfenis Gebied. Hierdie tesis is ’n antropologiese en historiese studie van die huidige en geskiedkundige beskerming van die Kaapse Skiereiland. ’n Oorsig van die verhouding tussen die stedelike omgewing en die Kaapse Skiereiland ontbloot die geproduseerde karakter van die bergreeks en die bemiddeling daarvan in magsverhoudinge. ’n Studie van die beskermheerders van die Kaapse Skiereiland toon aan dat die beskerming en bewaring van die bergreeks (of dele daarvan) afhanklik is van die stedelike en nasionale politieke klimaat en die ervaring van ’n stedelike lewe. Sodoende word offisiële en nie-offisiële kuratorskap as klas- en ras-onderskeibaar, ingebed in identiteitspolitiek, verwant aan die plaaslike en nasionale politieke transformasies in die regering, en verbonde aan die stryd van armes in Kaapstad gedefinieer. Verder, inherent aan kuratorskap is die sosiale toe-eiening van die Kaapse Skiereiland wat spesifieke ideologiese voorstellings van die natuur in die stad produseer. Die tesis bied’n etnografiese studie van Hangberg aan, ’n arm woonbuurt geleë op die grens van die TNP. Ek bespreek die onwettige behuising en stropery binne die park se grense deur te fokus op die kompeterende diskoerse tussen biodiversiteit, regte en erfenis. Die onderhandelinge tussen die TNP, die staat, en Hangberg in verband met die kwessies rondom bewaring ontbloot die spesifieke kompleksiteit daarvan om ’n nasionale park in ’n stad geteister deur ongelykhede te bestuur. Hierdie fokus illustreer dat ‘gemeenskap’ manifesteer as ’n konstruksie wat afhanklik is van omstandighede en dui op ’n betekenisvolle en politieke verhouding tussen identiteit, burgerskap en plek, eerder as ’n homogene groep. Ek sluit af met die idee dat in ’n poging om die TNP meer sosiaal- en ras-inklusief te maak, behoort stedelike bewaring die spesifieke stedelike karakter daarvan te erken in die groter sosialeomgewingsraamwerk van die stad.

The Eden To Addo Corridor Initiative aims to connect formally protected areas in a conservation corridor from the coastal area of the Eden District near Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, South Africa to the Addo National Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The corridor will incorporate government and privately owned land, and will be an attempt to maintain ecological processes at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The Langkloof Valley lies between the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Area and the Tstitsikamma National Park; two formally protected areas that will be incorporated into the Eden To Addo Corridor. Spatial prioritization analyses allow conservation planners to select areas that should be targeted for conservation action based on a range of criteria. Historically, ecological criteria have been included mostly alone in spatial prioritization. Recently, the idea of ‘conservation opportunity’ has emerged in the field of conservation planning; the notion suggests that a range of different types of data should be included in processes to spatially prioritise for conservation. By including those data defined as ‘human’ and ‘social’ data into prioritising activities, the feasibility of conservation plans can be accounted for, but historically conservation planners have failed to do so. I conducted a literature review that demonstrated that although the importance of human and social data are acknowledged in the conservation planning literature, these data that define opportunity are rarely actually included in spatial prioritisation analyses. I then carried out a social assessment that allowed me to define the social and human context of our study area and, specifically, what stewardship instruments land managers in the Langkloof would be prepared to engage. We found that land managers were generally willing to engage, but lacked the financial capacity to adopt conservation methods. Using a subset of the social and human data that were collected in the social assessment, I trialled a new Decision Support Software to fuse those data with ecological data in a novel attempt to identify priority areas for conservation action based on ecological integrity and feasibility. We also scheduled (ranked) land managers to approach for conservation action with a focus on local champions and clusters of land managers displaying strong conservation characteristics. Two corridors were identified; a major corridor in the western region of the valley and a secondary corridor closer to the middle. The members of the Initiative have been briefed on the outcomes, which provided them an opportunity to provide feedback; it is hoped that the framework of this study can be used for planning future connections. The Eden To Addo Corridor Initiative sent out a stewardship extension officer in February 2011 to approach those land managers areas that were identified. This planning exercise is a good demonstration of how, by collaborating effectively, academic conservation planners can contribute to supporting decision making by organizations that are implementing conservation action.

Thesis (MScConsEcol (Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa promotes participatory, cooperative governance and environmental conservation. This constitutional directive is enhanced into the National Environmental Management Act and other conservation laws. These legal requirements for active community participation in natural resources management, including benefit sharing are sufficiently captured in the SANParks’ policy and strategy for the management of national parks.

[Truncated abstract] This ethnoecological study examines land uses by modern Martu Aboriginal people on their country. They occupy very remote settlements—Parnngurr, Punmu and Kunawarritji—in the Great and Little Sandy Deserts. In 1990, their country included Crown Lands and Rudall River National Park. The study investigated the proposition that the knowledge and practices of Martu were of direct relevance to ecosystem processes and national park management. This research commenced in the wider Australian research context of the late 1980s – early 90s when prevailing questions were about the role of customary harvest within contemporary Aboriginal society (Altman 1987; Devitt 1988) and the sustainability of species-specific harvests by Australian indigenous people (Bomford & Caughley 1996). Separately, there was a national line of enquiry into Aboriginal roles in natural resource and protected area management (Williams & Hunn 1986; Birckhead et al. 1992). The field work underpinning this study was done in 1986–1988 and quantitative data collected in 1990 whilst the researcher lived on Martu settlements. Ethnographic information was gathered from informal discussions, semi-structured interviews and participant observation on trips undertaken by Martu. A variety of parameters was recorded for each trip in 1990. On trips accompanied by the researcher, details on the plant and animal species collected were quantified. Martu knowledge and observations of Martu behaviour are interpreted in terms of the variety of land uses conducted and transport strategies including vehicle use; the significance of different species collected; socio-economic features of bush food collection; spatio-temporal patterns of foraging; and, the 'management' of species and lands by Martu. The research found that in 1990, hunting and gathering were major activities within the suite of land uses practiced by Martu. At least 40% of trips from the settlements were principally to hunt. More than 43 animal species and 37 plant food species were reported to be collected during the study; additionally, species were gathered for firewood, medicines and timber artefacts. Customary harvesting persisted because of the need for sustenance, particularly when there were low store supplies, as well as other reasons. The weight of bush meats hunted at least equalled and, occasionally, was three times greater than the weights of store meats available to Parnngurr residents. ... Paradoxically, hunting was a subject of significant difference despite it being the principal activity driving Martu expertise and practice. There is potential for comanagement in the National Park but it remains contingent on many factors between both Martu and DEC as well as external to them. The dissertation suggests practical strategies to enhance co-management.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the use of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) to develop an infrastructure management support system for the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board (WCNCB). The primary goal was to design a system to help the managers with their task of managing the infrastructure of a reserve. It involved the development and description, of a system in ArcView with the programming language Avenue in conjunction with an Access application developed in Visual Basic for Applications. The end result was a system that can create maps of all the different infrastructure features with ArcView and use an open-ended Access application to input data. The data are stored in an Access database. The thesis describes the user functionality of the system. Basic reporting facilities are provided and the data and system have the potential to provide essential reporting in future development. The conclusion of this thesis is that GIS could fulfil the role of an Infrastructure Management Support System for WCNCB.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis ondersoek die gebruik van GIS (Geografiese Inligting Stelsels) in die ontwikkeling van 'n infrastruktuur bestuurshulpmiddel VIT Wes-Kaap Natuurbewaringsraad. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie is om 'n sisteem te ontwikkel wat die bestuurders van die verskillende natuurreservate kan bystaan in die bestuur van hul reservate. Die tesis beskryf die ontwikkeling van 'n infrastruktuur bestuurshulpmiddel met ArcView se programmeringstaal Avenue. Tesame hiermee is 'n Access applikasie wat in Visual Basic for Applications ontwikkel is geïntegreer. Die eind-resultaat is 'n sisteem wat kaarte met ArcView vanaf gestoorde data in 'n Access databasis kan produseer en ook datainvordering kan hanteer. Die tesis beskryf die ontwikkeling en funksionaliteit van die sisteem. Daar word voorsiening gemaak vir basiese verslaglewerende funksies en vir toekomstige meer gevorderde analises in die data samestelling. Die gevolgtrekking wat in die tesis gemaak word is dat GIS die rol van 'n infrastruktuur bestuurshulpmiddel kan vervul VIT Wes-Kaap Natuurbewaringsraad.

Bibliography: leaves 106-109. Provides guidelines to develop a strategy for the integrated management of change to a bio-geographical and socio-economic environment. The case study of Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo Island is used to express these notions at a local level, with potential implications and applications to other coastal communities.

Submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology) in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand. June 2015
This dissertation critically examines the transformation of the South African National Parks with special reference to the role of the Social Ecology Directorate during the period 1994-2004. The establishment of a non-racial democratic social order required a different approach to the conservation of biodiversity which involved substantive change. This change included the organisation confronting its role in the apartheid legacy of dispossession, environmental racism and injustice. The Social Ecology Directorate and the concept of Social Ecology were established by the South African National Parks to drive a process of transformation. However, it is argued that these ideas and structures were not strong and cohesive enough to do so. Nevertheless the dissertation suggests that during this period, in a series of complex and contested processes, constrained but significant change was achieved in four areas: a shift to a more people-centred and developmental approach to conservation, restructuring to make the organisation more representative and to eliminate racism and sexism, land restitution, improved relations with neighbouring communities and greater inclusivity and openness to all South Africans through the promotion of tourism and cultural heritage. These changes laid the basis potentially for more radical change which links the conservation of biodiversity to social justice.
MT2016

South Africa's protected areas are at the forefront of the county's efforts to conserve it's unique flora and fauna. The setting aside of these vast tracts of land has been the main thrust of Western conservation efforts for over two centuries. Despite the significant financial and human resources allocated to the protection of these natural areas, the extinction of many plant and animal species continues to occur on a daily basis. This study sets out to explore one of the crucial weaknesses of traditional protected areas management - the failure to incorporate and empower the people with the greatest knowledge and need of the natural resources in their areas - the local indigenous communities. In the past, the legislative focus was aimed at the total exclusion of these communities from protected areas. In South Africa, these 'preservationist' laws have been bitterly flavoured by the apartheid ideology, resulting in widespread environmental inequity and injustice for those societies targeted by racist and discriminatory policies. The thesis traces the history of the national parks concept, from its preservationist origin in the late nineteenth century United States, to modern day national parks that operate in terms of joint-management agreements in Australia and South Africa. It also exposes the detrimental effect that the establishment of national parks has inflicted on local indigenous communities around the globe. The experiences of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Canada and Australia are of particular relevance and value to South Africa in this respect. An overview and assessment of the current legal regime governing protected areas in South Africa reveals that further legislative transformation is required in order to integrate human development and wildlife conservation ideals. In particular, greater emphasis is needed to ensure the participation of local indigenous communities in the management natural resources in and around national parks. A failure to meet this objective may seriously undermine the future well-being of all of South Africa's inhabitants.
Thesis (LL.M.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

This thesis examines community structure of cliff-top coastal heathlands in Botany Bay National Park, Sydney. Community properties of floristic composition, structure and species richness are investigated. This investigation is made in order to assess the justification for contemporary pre-emphasis in local studies on individual community properties. It is also made in order to assess the relative and independent contributions of individual properties to variance in overall community structure. It is also made in order to assess the relative utility of multi-property classifications in summarising community structure of cliff-top coastal heathlands. First, the presence of determinable structure in each property is assessed through multivariate classification of respective data sets. Secondly, a new model of community structure is developed in which the hypothesis that community structure is a function of common (shared) and independent (unique) variance in each of the three properties is assessed. This is achieved through application of variance partitioning using correspondence analysis techniques. Thirdly, a matrix combining variance in all three properties is classified. This classification is compared with those of individual properties in order to assess the hypothesis that more ecologically cohesive classifications than those of single properties are obtainable. The ecological significance (environmental relativity) of all classifications and variance components is assessed through examination of relationships with variance in 20 environmental factors which encompass variation in maritime factors, soil physical factors, soil nutrition factors and effects of time since fire. Classifications of individual properties showed the presence of determinable structure in each. Eleven floristic complexes, nine structural complexes and eighteen species richness complexes were recognised. Nineteen community complexes were recognised from the classification of the combined property matrix. All complexes were shown to differ significantly with respect to multiple environmental factors. Variance partitioning showed the presence of both independent and common variance components with respect to properties compared pairwise. These were all shown to differ in magnitude. Examination of environmental correlates showed ecological differentiation of all properties and most variance components. Maritime and fire factors provide a major axis of environmental differentiation for most properties and variance components. A second major axis was resolved with respect to physical soil factors. With the exception of variance in species richness, major soil nutrients were generally of secondary importance to community structure. Low soil nutrients may demarcate heathlands from other vegetation types. However, this study shows elevated importance of other major areas of environment for community structure within cliff-top coastal heathlands. Comparisons of environmental homogeneity characteristics between all classification systems showed the classification of the combined property matrix to be more ecologically robust than those of structure or species richness. Homogeneity characteristics of the combined classification remained statistically inseparable from that of floristic composition. However, studies provided some evidence suggesting greater robustness of the combined classification with regard to fine-scale variance in community structure. This thesis shows that variance in all major community properties of the studied vegetation to be of ecological significance. It also shows that this significance is differential with respect to properties and their variance components. Pre-emphasis on individual properties in syntheses of local systems thus involves the loss of ecological information. I thus conclude that if adequate ecological syntheses of cliff-top coastal heathlands are to be obtained which are appropriate to their scale of distribution and functioning in the Sydney area then inclusion of attributes of multiple properties is required. Equally, multiple sources of environmental variation need to be examined.

This dissertation is an attempt to analyse and address some of the many and complex issues revolving around protected area - community relationships. The success of these relationships are essential if the mission of protected areas are to be achieved. Due to large scale agriculture, high density populations and environmental degradation protected areas are often looked upon as a means to conserve biodiversity. It is for this reason that they play an important role in the natural environmental of South Africa. However, there is a growing realisation that protected areas will not survive unless they become relevant to the communities that surround them. These cOI11nlunities are often characterised by high density populations and low levels of infrastructural and economic development. These developmental requirements need to be considered by protected area management, and a dedicated effort is required by protected areas to assist in meeting these needs. However, the relationship between protected areas and C0111nlunities should not simply focus on meeting the developmental needs of the community, relationships need to allow for communities to participate in decisions and activities that directly impact of their lives. Benefits need to accrue to communities from protected areas for them to support the concepts of conservation. Benefits need to be tangible, intangible and empowering for them to have real meaningful impacts on the communities. Communities need to be actively involve in all aspects of the protected area management and links need to be forged between conservation and development, so that the socio-economic condition of those living closest to protected areas improves. This study uses the relationship between Mthethomusha Game Reserve and the surrounding Mpakeni conmunity, and the Pilanesberg National Park and the neighbouring Bakgatla community to investigate many issues, including the manner in which communities participate and benefit from conservation. The findings of this study reflect that the relationships between communities and protected areas are dependent on a number of factors including~ ownership~ socio-economic condition of the surrounding community~ institutional structures and capacity of the community formal agreements; history of the fonl1ati~n of the protect~d a~ea~ reliance on the protected area for survival and the meaningfulness and appropriateness of the benefits received from the protected area. The experiences of the two case studies has been analysed and compared to develop a theoretical model for community - protected area relationships. This model indicates the primary prerequisites which will contribute to effective and equitable relationships between protected areas and surrounding communities.
Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. 11/30/2013.
A variety of mass movement and depositional geomorphic phenomena in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park have been described in the literature over the past few decades, yet notably, the prominent rockfalls remain understudied. The objective of the MSc study is to undertake detailed mapping of the GGHNP rockfalls, and in so doing ascertain a better understanding of their macro-morphologies, associated spatial-size dynamics and relationships to lithology, using both field-based and desktop image processing techniques. Ground truthing, using the highest possible resolution achievable through differential GPS (DGPS) and field measurements with an accuracy of cm to mm, serves to quantify the accuracy of mapping rockfall phenomena through 0.5 m GSD colour aerial imagery. In addition, field measurements are used as inputs for feature extraction, such that rockfalls associated with the Clarens, Elliot and Molteno Formation Sandstones may be defined using object orientated classification techniques. The dimensions, orientation and absolute coordinates of rockfalls for select representative sites were captured using both field based and desktop techniques. The rockfall coordinates were taken at the midpoint of each measured rock using a DGPS, with an accuracy of ~ 2 cm on the x, y and z axis. Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) of Clarens and Molteno Fm. rockfalls was performed successfully using ground-truthed rockfall measurements to guide the creation of segmentation and classification rulesets. Multiple linear regression modelling can be used to model rockfall characteristics from ground-truthing with remotely sensed imagery, albeit to a very limited extent. Elliot Formation rockfalls could not be mapped and analysed mainly due to resolution limitations. Uni- and bi-variate statistics show promise in interpreting rockfall distribution and weighting with environmental variables derived from a DEM and geological vector. Point density analyses found that for the entire GGHNP ~2 and ~4 rockfalls are found per Km² of Clarens and Molteno Formation rockfall areas

This is both a critical history of the nature guiding industry in South Africa from 1902- 2007 and a subjective critique of the practical components of contemporary natureguiding. It focuses particulary on guides operating on foot in “Big Five” (dangerous game) areas. The early history and the subsequent development of “wilderness” trails in the Kruger National Park and the histories of KwaZulu-Natal Parks and Madikwe Game Reserve are examined. The influences of the Field Guides’ Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) and the Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority (THETA) are discussed. Transformation of the industry (in both the demographic and in the broader sense) faces language, cultural and ethical challenges because of prevailing anthropocentric and militaristic norms. Nature guides need improved communication skills and should balance traditional and progressive skills and ethics. They should become more critical and proactive in determining the style and content of their industry

Each day the joint managers of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park receive packages of returned rocks and sand that have been removed from the landscape by visitors as a souvenir of the place. The returned objects are sent from people all over the world as the stories of this phenomenon travel well beyond the Park boundaries. Known within the Park as the ‘sorry rocks’, these returned objects and their accompanying letters of apology reflect the different ways in which people engage with the landscape and interpret their surrounds. In this research, the sorry rocks have been used as a medium for examining the complex relationships that exist between visitors, heritage management and interpretation particularly in cross-cultural settings that recognise Indigenous cultural heritage. THIS THESIS CAN BE VIEWED AT UWS LIBRARY FOR RESEARCH OR PRIVATE STUDY PURPOSES ONLY BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

For over a century, wildlife in Southern Africa has come under the exclusive management of states, which tends to centre on the exclusion of local communities from wildlife areas. In many cases, this approach has led to the hostility of wildlife management policies by excluded communities. This widespread dissatisfaction has caused a paradigm shift in conservation thinking towards a more community-based conservation (CBC) approach. A major assumption of this new approach is that providing socio-economic benefits on a sustainable basis to formerly excluded communities will result in conservation. Indeed, some advocates of this management regime have stressed community incorporation and inclusion as the only path to conservation. As a result, numerous CBC initiatives have been implemented throughout the African sub-region over the past ten years with varied success. As there is no alternative to the CBC concept that attempts to enhance all three elements, namely the economic, social and biological components, of the sustainable development premise in conservation areas, it is imperative to ensure that CBC initiatives are monitored and evaluated in order to determine what the recurring problems and challenges are in implementing and running such initiatives so as to achieve the three sustainable development goals. By establishing what these recurring challenges are during the implementation process, a broad framework of necessary principles, criteria, pre-requisites and co-requisites can be established to guide future CBC initiatives. The purpose of this study is to identify the successes, challenges and problems that have either enhanced or detracted from the socio-economic and biological elements of CBC initiatives during the implementation processes of different projects. Previous documented project examples from around the sub-region, as well as two case study examples of CBC initiatives in KwaZulu-Natal, namely the Mabaso Community Game Reserve and the Usuthu Gorge Community Conservation Area, are used in this thesis to best determine how to enhance the social and economic elements of the sustainable development premIse III order to achieve, in theory, the biological components necessary for a successful conservation strategy. The findings within this study, from the case study examples and secondary research, show that there are several recurring challenges and problems shared by initiators of CBC initiatives throughout the sub-continent. Issues include long project implementation periods due to government bureaucracy, planning procedures and the necessity to gain community support; debates over devolution of authority to local municipalities or tribal authorities; the risks of elite capture and/or the free rider concept whereby individuals do not change their hunting practices despite communal benefits accruing from wildlife conservation; community participation and benefit distribution; as well as the need to have clear communication channels between the community and the project implementers. The main conclusions drawn from this study emphasise several needs necessary for making CBC initiatives sustainable for the long term. Firstly, CBC initiatives need to conserve as well as create a variety of different ways for communities to earn a living and to minimise any disruption by CBC projects of pre-existing livelihood strategies carried out by local residents. Secondly, there needs to be a provision of outside assistance to facilitate local projects and to ensure the development of the necessary skills for local communities to eventually take on the initiatives themselves. Thirdly, clearly defined property rights, as well as conflict resolution mechanisms and the enforcement of any rules and regulations are further crucial criteria. Fourthly, it is important for communities to avoid exploitation and to maximise any benefits accruing from private investors utilising local community resources by developing favourable legal contracts. Fifthly, it was found that the inclusion of tribal structures in both the case study examples increased the trust and feeling of ownership by the respective communities. Finally, it was found that CBC projects require specific locations and the right criteria to be in place for their successful implementation. Not all communities or communal areas meet these criteria, which is why CBC should be seen more as an important and necessary supplement to conservation strategies as opposed to a holistic conservation policy tool.
Thesis (M.Dev. Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2004.

Imperfect information on aspects of biodiversity conservation will constrain the extent to which tourists’ preferences for biodiversity conservation are revealed in game reserve (GR) tariffs, reducing the incentive for tourism businesses to invest in biodiversity conservation. Accreditation is an institutional approach to addressing the issue of imperfect information on biodiversity conservation. In this study, Choice Experiments (CE) and the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) are used to estimate tourist’s willingness-to-pay (WTP) to visit biodiversity conservation accredited terrestrial nature-based tourism (NBT) destinations in selected areas of South Africa (SA). A survey of 97 domestic tourists and 96 foreign tourists was conducted at 16 private and public GR camps in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal (NEKZN) and Mpumalanga/Limpopo Provinces (MP/LP) during October and November 2004. The survey captured socio-economic data to be used in discriminating between market segments, eighteen hypothetical CE questions and a CVM question. Analyses comparing the preferences of domestic tourists from foreign tourists, tourists visiting NEKZN from tourists visiting MP/LP and tourists visiting private GRs from tourists visiting public GRs were performed. In addition, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) was used to identify groups of tourists with similar preferences. Respondents are grouped into three market segments according to their revealed preferences using HCA. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) was used to discriminate the three groups based on socio-economic characteristics. These groups were named “Conservation Vacationers”, “Incidental Sightseers” and “Big 5 Brigade” based on socioeconomic characteristics unique to each group. The region (NEKZN or MP/LP), level of education and itinerary (independent travellers or part of tour group) were the most powerful in discriminating “Big 5 Brigade” from the other two groups in the first function. The second function primarily discriminates Conservation Vacationers from Incidental Sightseers based on membership to a wildlife society, gender and education. Results of the CE and CVM studies respectively, indicate that, overall, respondents were willing to pay premiums of R114.41 and R87.67 per person per night (all premiums are presented as per person per night, unless otherwise stated) to stay at a GR accredited with having a high standard of biodiversity conservation. Foreign tourists were, on average, willing to pay the highest premium of R136.35 for biodiversity conservation accreditation, while tourists visiting private GRs were, on average, willing to pay the lowest premium of R 96.42. A further three market segments were identified using HCA. The average WTP estimates for biodiversity conservation accreditation for Groups 1(Conservation Vacationer), 2(Incidental Sightseer) and 3(Big 5 Brigade), identified by HCA were R171.41, R66.15 and R14.94, respectively. On average, respondents in all groups, game-viewing quality was most highly valued, followed by the level of congestion. Results of this study may be useful to NBT operators and managers in developing marketing strategies targeting specific market segments. Analysis of the results by market segments indicates that CE may be a more reliable technique than CVM. Further research on the costs and benefits of biodiversity conservation accreditation is necessary to predict the extent to which NBT businesses are likely to adopt biodiversity conservation accreditation.
Thesis (M.Agric.Man.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Rangers, as vanguards of wildlife conservation, are constantly fighting off armed poachers. That makes their work stressful and dangerous. In spite of this, their needs are neglected and are not considered as the focus is on saving wildlife. Undoubtedly, the African continent is not spared from the unrelenting poaching menace that threatens to drive the world’s wildlife spicies into extinction. In response to this scourge, countries, in their quest to safeguard these species from extermination, have signed various treaties, continuously come up with different strategies and pledged their support to fight illegal wildlife trading. This study was conducted at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HIP) and Mkhuze Game Reserve, which are under the management of Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Wildlife Management. These parks have turned into a battlefield between poachers and rangers. The intrinsic case study approach, which is explorative and interpretive in perspective, was used to unravel and describe the experiences from the world view of rangers. A descriptive qualitative research design was used to gain insight from the rangers about their challenges and needs in the workplace. Furthermore, developmental research was used to design and develop a tailor- made technology – a ranger resilience-building model – to assist rangers to deal with their workplace challenges. Focus group discussions were conducted with a group of rangers, while individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers in order to solicit information from purposively selected sample of rangers and managers at HIP and Mkhuze Game Reserve, that assisted in the development of the model. Ethical considerations, which involve the informed consent of the participants, confidentiality and privacy, participants’ right to withdraw from the study and the management of information, were applied to ensure that the participants were protected from harm. The collected data was analysed by using codes and themes that best described the experiences of the rangers, and data verification was done before the process of model development. It was evident that rangers are faced with a variety of workplace challenges, such as poor quality of work life, unpleasant living conditions, coupled with poor amenities, inadequte wellness interventions, and the poor management and implementation of policies by the Human Resources (HR) Department. Nevertheless, teamwork and their cultural practices were positive aspects that promoted their coping capacities in dealing with their everyday challenges.
Social Work
D. Litt. et Phil.(Social Work)

Text in English with abstracts and keywords in English, Sepedi, isiXhosa and isiZulu
Protected areas in South Africa are often surrounded by impoverished communities. Biodiversity must be conserved while improving community wellbeing. An increased understanding of key influences on pro-conservation attitudes and behaviour is essential for the future of successful conservation and the creation of realistic solutions for poor communities. Knowledge gaps exist regarding intangible benefits and losses, as well as the relationship between benefits, losses and pro-conservation attitudes and behaviour. Furthermore, there are less qualitative studies in this field than quantitative, nor are there many that include the perspective of park staff. This research followed a novel comparative multiple-method qualitative approach, using contrasting case studies and borrowing from grounded theory. Three nature reserves were selected, each involving two constituencies – (i) the local community and (ii) protected area staff. Individual interviews, focus group interviews, mapping, and adapted nominal grouping technique were used to collect data. The data were first analysed question-by-question for each case study, followed by cross-case analysis which resulted in meta-themes for each research objective. In each case study, benefits and losses were ranked to indicate their level of importance. Key tangible benefits were employment, access to natural resources and support for schools. Intangible benefits drew less focus, but comprise key influences, such as visiting the park, environmental education, information dissemination, and involvement. These benefits emerged again as aspects that would drew less focus, but comprise key influences, such as visiting the park, environmental education, information dissemination, and involvement. These benefits emerged again as aspects that would improve future positivity if more of each could be provided. Key losses were lack of/limited access to the reserve as visitors, insufficient employment, fear of wild animals and lack of involvement/interaction. Findings indicate that communities have a range of responsibilities towards the reserve (some of which are self-imposed), and a strong sense of custodianship. Exclusion from responsibility led to negative attitudes. Good relationships resulted in fewer poaching incidents, although locals are hesitant to report subsistence poaching. Areas of non-alignment between the perceptions of both constituencies highlight areas for rectification, such as parks acknowledging the losses perceived by communities; knowing which benefits are most important to communities; and highlighting benefits not mentioned by communities. The meta-themes were used to construct a data-derived ‘Theory of Influences on Pro-conservation Attitudes and Behaviour’, which indicates how relationship is shaped by benefits, losses, detractors and facilitators; and includes solutions to increase positive attitudes. To drive practical application of the theory, recommendations for park managers and local communities are provided. Finally, this study was integrated with existing literature to develop the ‘People-Parks Win-Win Framework’ – a comprehensive representation of the influences on people-park relationships – which has not been done before. The study makes methodological, theoretical and practical contributions. Its findings can facilitate people-park win-wins, aiding both biodiversity conservation and community wellbeing.
Mafelo ao a šireleditšwego ka Afrika Borwa gantši a dikaneditšwe ke ditšhaba tšeo di hlokago. Diphedi tšeo di fapafapanego di swanetše go babalelwa mola ka go le lengwe re kaonafatša go phela gabotse ga ditšhaba. Kwešišo ye e oketšegilego ya dilo tše bohlokwa tše di huetšago maikutlo ao a thekgago pabalelo ya diphedi le maitshwaro e bohlokwa go bokamoso bja pabalelo ye e atlegilego le go hloma ditharollo tše di kwagalago go ditšhaba tše di hlokago. Tlhokego ya tsebo e gona mabapi le dikholego le ditahlegelo tšeo di sa bonagalego, gammogo le kamano magareng ga dikholego, ditahlegelo le maikutlo ao a thekgago pabalelo ya diphedi le maitshwaro. Godimo ga fao, go na le dinyakišišo tše mmalwa ka ga boleng ka mo lefapheng le go fetwa ke dinyakišišo ka ga bontši, ebile ga go na le tše ntši tšeo di akaretšago maikutlo a bašomi ba ka dirapeng tša diphoofolo. Dinyakišišo tše di latetše mokgwa wa papetšo wa mekgwa ye mentši ya dinyakišišo ka ga boleng, ka go šomiša dinyakišišo tša seemo tšeo di thulanago le go adima go teori yeo e tlogago e theilwe ka mabaka. Mafelo a pabalelo ya diphedi a mararo a kgethilwe, le lengwe le le lengwe le akaretša bakgathatema ba babedi ka go lona – (i) setšhaba sa kgauswi le (ii) bašomi ba lefelo leo le šireleditšwego. Batho ka o tee ka o tee ba ile ba botšišwa dipotšišo, dihlopha tše di nepišitšwego le tšona di ile tša botšišwa dipotšišo, go hlaola, le mokgwa wo o fetošitšwego wa go hlopha ka maina di šomišitšwe go kgoboketša tshedimošo. Tshedimošo e thomile ka go sekasekwa go ya ka potšišo ye e botšišitšwego go dinyakišišo tša seemo, gwa latela tshekatsheko ya dinyakišišo tše di fapafapanego yeo e feleleditšego ka merero ye megolo go maikemišetšo a mangwe le a mangwe a dinyakišišo. Ka go dinyakišišo tše dingwe le tše dingwe tša seemo, dikholego le ditahlegelo di ile tša bewa ka maemo go laetša maemo a bohlokwa bja tšona. Dikholego tše bohlokwa tšeo di bonagalago di ile tša dirišwa, gwa ba le phihlelelo go methopo ya tlhago le thekgo ya dikolo. Dikholego tšeo di sa bonagalego di ile tša ba le šedi ye nnyane, eupša tša ba le dikhuetšo tše bohlokwa, tša go swana le go etela serapeng sa diphoofolo, thuto ya tikologo, go phatlalatša tshedimošo, le go kgatha tema. Dikholego tše di tšweletše gape bjalo ka dikokwane tšeo di tlago kaonafatša maikutlo a makaone a ka moso ge e le gore tše ntši tša tšona di tla abja. Ditahlegelo tše bohlokwa e bakilwe ke tlhokego ya phihlelelo/phihlelelo ye nnyane ya go tsena ka dirapeng tša diphoofolo ka baeti, tlhokego ya mešomo, go tšhaba diphoofolo tša lešoka le tlhokego ya go kgatha tema/tirišano. Dikutollo di laetša gore ditšhaba di na le maikarabelo a mehutahuta go dirapa tša diphoofolo (a mangwe maikarabelo ke a go ithaopa ga setšhaba), le maikutlo ao a tiilego a go di hlokomela. Go se akaretše ditšhaba go maikarabelo a go feleleditše ka maikutlo ao a sego a loka. Dikamano tše botse di feleleditše ka ditiragalo tše mmalwa tša go bolaya diphoofolo ke bao ba nyakago manaka a tšona, le ge e le gore badudi ba dikadika go bega go bolaya diphoofolo ke bao ba inyakelago nama ya tšona. Makala a go se sepelelane magareng ga maikutlo a bakgathatema ka bobedi a laetša fao go swanatšego go phošollwa gona, go swana le ge dirapa tša diphoofolo di dumela ditahlegelo tšeo di bonwago ke ditšhaba; di tseba gore ke dikholego dife tše di lego bohlokwa kudu go ditšhaba; le go laetša dikholego tše di sego tša bolelwa ke ditšhaba. Mereo ye megolo e ile ya šomišwa go hlama ‘Teori ya dikhuetšo ye e tšwago tshedimošong ka ga Maikutlo le Maitshwaro ao a Thekgago Pabalelo ya diphedi’, yeo e laetšago ka fao kamano e bopšago ke dikholego, ditahlegelo, disenyi le basepediši; ebile e akaretšago ditharollo tša go oketša maikutlo a makaone. Go tšwetša pele tirišo ye e phathagatšwago ya teori ye, balaodi ba dirapa tša diphoofolo le ditšhaba ba ile ba fiwa ditšhišinyo. Mafelelong, dinyakišišo tše di ile tša tsenywa ka gare ga dingwalwa tšeo di lego gona ka nepo ya go hlama ‘Melawanatheo ya Dirapa tša Diphoofolo tša go Thekgwa ke Batho tšeo di Holago Bohle’ – e lego kemedi ye e akaretšago bohle ka ga dikhuetšo tša dikamano tša dirapa tša diphoofolo tša go thekgwa ke batho – e lego seo se sego sa ka sa dirwa mo nakong ye e fetilego. Dinyakišišo tše tsenya letsogo ka ga mekgwa, teori le tirišo. Dikutollo tša tšona di ka nolofatša kholego ya bohle go dirapa tša diphoofolo tša go thekgwa ke batho, tša thuša bobedi pabalelo ya diphedi tšeo di fapafapanego le go phela gabotse ga setšhaba.
Imimandla ekhuselekileyo eMzantsi Afrika ikholisa ukungqongwa yimiphakathi ehluphekileyo. Indalo esingqongileyo kufuneka ilondolozwe lo gama kuphuculwa intlalontle yoluntu. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukwanda kokuqonda imiba enefuthe kwiindlela zokucinga nokuziphatha malunga nolondolozo lwendalo ukuze kubekho impumelelo ekulondolozeni indalo, kudaleke nezisombululo ezisebenzayo kwimiphakathi ehluphekileyo. Kukho izikhewu kulwazi olumalunga noncedo nelahleko, kwanolwalamano phakathi koncedo, ilahleko neendlela zokucinga nokuziphatha. Ngaphaya koko, zimbalwa izifundo ezingqiyame kakhulu kwingxoxo nengcaciso kunezifundo ezingqiyame kumanani, kwaye zimbalwa eziqwalasela izimvo zabasebenzi bamaziko ekugcinwa kuwo indalo. Olu phando lunesimbo esitsha esiqhutywa ngokuthelekisa iindlela zophando eziliqela, kusetyenziswa izifundo ezisekelwe kumava neengcingane/iithiyori ezaziwayo. Kukhethwe amaziko endalo amathathu apho kubandakanywe amacandelo amabini kwiziko ngalinye – (i) uluntu lwendawo kunye (ii) nabaqeshwa bommandla okhuselweyo. Ulwazi okanye idatha luqokelelwe ngezi ndlela zilandelayo: Kwaqhutywa udliwano ndlebe nabantu bengabanye, bengamaqela ekugxininiswe kuwo, kwalandeliswa ngokuthelekisa okuqikelelweyo nokwenzekileyo kunye nokudibanisa amaqela ukuze axukushe imiba ekuphandwa ngayo. Iinkcukacha zolwazi eziqokelelweyo zahlalutywa ngokuthi kuqwalaselwe iimpendulo zombuzo ngamnye kule yemizekelo yamava omntu ngamnye, kwalandeliswa ngokuthelekisa iimeko namava abantu ngabantu, nto leyo eyaveza imixholo ebanzi kwinjongo nganye yesifundo sophando. Kwisifundo samava ngasinye kwalandelelaniswa uncedo nelahleko ngokokubaluleka kwazo. Izinto eziluncedo ezaqwalaselwayo yaba yimpangelo, ukufikelela kwimithombo yendalo nenkxaso yezikolo. Uncedo olungabambekiyo zange luqwalaselwe ngokungamandla kodwa lunefuthe eliphambili njengokutyelela amaziko endalo, ukufundiswa ngokusingqongileyo, ukusasazwa kolwazi nokuthatha inxaxheba. Ezi ndidi zoncedo zaphinda zavela njengamanqanaba aya kuphucula ukuzijonga ngethemba izinto xa kunokwenziwa ukuba zibe khona. Ilahleko yaba kukunqongophala kwendlela yokufikelela kwiziko njengeendwendwe, ukunqaba kwamathuba empangelo, ukoyika izilo zasendle nokungabikho kwamathuba okuthatha inxaxheba. Okufunyanisiweyo kudiza ukuba uluntu lunoxanduva oluziindidi ezahlukeneyo kwiziko (olunye uxanduva bazinike ngokwabo), kwaye luzibona lungabagcini bendawo. Ukunganikwa uxanduva kwakhokelela ekucingeni gwenxa. Intsebenziswano yakhokelela ekuncipheni kweziganeko zokuzingela ngokungekho mthethweni, nangona abahlali bendawo bemathidala ukuxela abantu abazingelela ukuzondla. Iindawo zokuhlabana kwezimvo zamacala omabini zidulisa amanqanaba afanele ukulungiswa, njengokuba amaziko endalo ayiqonde imeko ebonwa njengelahleko luluntu lwendawo; aqonde nokuba zeziphi izinto ezibalulekileyo nezibonwa njengoncedo luluntu; acacise nezinto eziluncedo ezingabalulwanga luluntu lwendawo. Imixholo ebanzi (meta-themes) yasetyenziselwa ukuqweba ‘Ingcingane Yefuthe Elenzeka Kwiimbono Nokuziphatha’ (‘Theory of Influences on Pro-conservation Attitudes and Behaviour’), nebonakalisa ukuba izinto eziluncedo, ilahleko, iziphazamiso nabaququzeleli zilubumba njani ulwalamano. Kwakhona, le ngcingane iquka izisombululo zokwandisa iingcinga ezintle. Kunikwe iingcebiso kubaphathi beziko lendalo nakuluntu lwendawo ukuze kuphuhliswe iindlela ezibonakalayo zokusebenzisa le ngcingane. Okokugqibela, esi sifundo sixutywe noncwadi oselukho ngenjongo yokuphuhlisa ‘Isakhelo Sempumelelo Yentsebenziswano Kuluntu Namaziko Endalo’ (‘People-Parks Win-Win Framework’) – lo ngumbhalo oveza ifuthe lentsebenziswano yoluntu namaziko endalo – nto leyo ingazange ibekho ngaphambili. Esi sifundo sifaka igxalaba ngobuchule, ngengcingane nangomsebenzi ophathekayo. Okufunyaniswe apha kunakho ukudala impumelelo kwintsebenziswano yokuntu namaziko endalo, sincede ulondolozo lwendalo nentlalontle yoluntu.
Izindawo ezivikelekile eNingizimu Afrika kaningi zihaqwe yimiphakathi entulayo. Izinto ezahlukahlukene eziphilayo kufanele zilondolozwe kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi sibe sesifafaza ivangeli lempilo ephephile emiphakathini. Ulwazi oluningi lwemithelela esemqoka emayelana nommoya kanye nemikhuba yokulondoloza kwemvelo kubalulekile kwikusasa lokwakha uhlelo olluyimpumelelo lokulondoloza kwemvelo kanye nokwakha amasu empilo yangempela okusiza imiphakathi edla imbuya ngothi. Kukhona ukwedlulana okumayelana nezinzuzo ezingabonakali ngamehlo kanye nokulahlekelwa, kanye nobudlelwano obuphakathi kwezinzuzo, kokulahlekelwa kanye nemmoya kanye nemikhuba ehlose ukulondoloza imvelo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezifundo ezincane zocwaningo olugxile kwizingxoxo kulo mkhakha, uma seziqhathaniswa nezifundo zocwaningo olugxile kumanani, kanti kunjalo-nje izifundo zocwaningo eziningi azixubi umqondo wabasebenzi. Lolu cwaningo luye lwalandela indlela embaxaningi yokuqhathanisa egxile kwizingxoxo, ngokusebenzisa izifundo zocwaningolotho eziphikisanayo futhi ziye zaqhubeka nokuboleka amasu kwimiqondo egxilile. . Kuye kwakhethwa iziqiwu zokulonda izilwane ezintathu, esinye nesinye isiqiwu sinezakhamuzi zendawo – (i) umphakathi oyizakhamuzi kanye (ii) nendawo evikelekile yabasebenzi. Kuye kwasetshenziswa izinhlelo zenhlolovo yomuntu ngamunye, ukumepha, kanye nezindlela zemibuzo eshicilelwe zemibono yamaqembu, konke lokhu kuye kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa idatha. Okokuqala idatha iye yahlaziywa ngokwemibuzo ngamunye kolunye nolunye ucwaningolotho, okuye kwalandelwa yindlela yokuhlaziya eyaziwa phecelezi ngecross-case analysis okuyindlela edale ukuba kube nezindikimba ezibizwa ngemeta-themes zenhloso enye nenye yocwaningo. Kolunye nolunye ucwaningo, izinzuzo kanye nokulahlekelwa kuye kwabekwa ngokulandelana ukuze kuvezwe amazing okubaluleka. Izinzuzo ezisemqoka eziphathekayo kuye kwaba ukusebenza, ukwazi ukuthola imithombo yemvelo kanye nokuxhaswa kwezikole. Izinzuzo ezingaphathekiyo akugxilwanga kakhulu kuzo, kodwa nazo ziqukethe imithelela esemqoka, enjengokuvakashela izindawo zokungcebeleka, ukuhlinzekwa ngemfundo yezemvelo, ukusakazwa kolwazi kanye nokubandakanyeka. Lezi zinzuzo ziye zavela futhi njengezinto ezizothuthukisa ikusasa eliqhakazile uma ngabe konke lokhu kuyalandelwa. Ukulahlekelwa okuphawulekayo kuye kwaba ukusweleka/ukufinyeleleka kancane kwezivakashi esiqiwini sezilwane, ukuqashwa kwabasebenzi benani eliphansi, ukwesaba izilwane zasendle kanye nezinga lokusweleka kokubandakanyeka/nokungahlangani. Ulwazi olutholakele luveza ukuthi imiphakathi inezindima eziningi okufanele iziidlale kwiziqiwu ezilondoloza imvelo (ezinye izindima yilezo ezizibeke phezu kwamahlombe omphakathi) kanye nokuba nesasasa lokunakekela imvelo. Kanti ukungabandakanywa komphakathi kuye kwaholela ekutheni umphakathi ube nommoya ongemuhle kulezi ziqiwu. Ubudlelwano obuhle buye baholela ekutheni kube nenani eliphansi lezehlakalo zokubulawa kwezilwane, yize abantu bezindawo ezisondelene neziqiwu beba nokuthandabuza uma kufanele babike izehlakalo zokubulawa kwezilwane. Ukungasebenzisani phakathi kwezinhlanga ezimbili, izakhamuzi kanye namalungu eziqiwu zezilwane kuveza amaphutha okufanele alungiswe, anjengokuthi iziqiwu lezi zibe nolwazi ngokulahlekelwa komphakathi; zazi ukuthi ngiziphi izinzuzo ezibalulekile emphakathini; futhi ziveze izinzuzo ezingavezwanga wumphakathi. Izinhlaka phecelezi ezingama meta-themes zisetshenzisiwe ukwakha ithiyori esuselwe kwidatha, phecelezi ‘Theory of Influences on Pro-conservation Attitudes and Behaviour’, okuveza indlela ubudlelwano obakhiwa ngayo yizinzuzo, ukulahlekelwa, yizihibhe kanye nabancedisi; kanti lokhu kuxuba izixazululo eziqonde ukwengeza ummoya omuhle. Ukuze kusetshenziswe imiqondo ngendlela ebonakalayo , kuye kwalandelwa izincomo zabaphathi beziqiwi kanye nezakhamuzi eziseduze neziqiwu. Okokugcina, lolu cwaningo luye lwahlanganiswa nombhalo wobuciko obevele ukhona ukwakha phecelezi ‘People-Parks Win-Win Framework’ – uhlelo olubanzi oluxuba zonke izinhlaka olunemithelela yemibono yezinhlelo zobudlelwano babantu kanye neziqiwu zezilwane – okuyinto engakaze yenziwe ngaphambilini. Ucwaningo luye lwaba negalelo kwindlela yokucwaningo (methodological), kwimiqondo kanye namagalelo abonakalayo. Okutholwe wucwaningo kunganceda ukuhlela uhlelo lapho kuzuza abantu kanye neziqiwu, lokhu kunganceda zombili izinhlaka ukulondolozwa ephilayo ehlukahlukene kanti futhi kungadala inhlalakahle emphakathini.
Environmental Sciences
Ph. D. (Environmental Management)