Bibliography: Land Degradation in South Africa project

local disturbance where Pheidole sp. 2 was less successful. At Tierberg,

competitively inferior ant species with a decentralised territorial system

coexisted with competitively superior ant species in an unstable equilibrium by

pre-empting newly available space through the lateral expansion of territories.

Competitively superior species, however, replace the inferior competitor (yet,

superior coloniser) in time. Plant succession in the Portulacaria afra

rangeland follows a deterministic pattern of cyclical replacement. No single

mechanism adequately explains the coexistence of all plant species in this

community. Nurse-plant effects were important for the establishment of P. afra

and later-successional trees below woody shrubs and P. afra respectively. Soil

moisture and nutrient levels below nurse plants were favourable for the

successful establishment of seedlings but nurse plants also disrupt the

inhibitory effect of grass on seedlings and young plants. Linked to the

facilitative process is the directed dispersal of seeds by biotic vectors. Seed

dispersal by ants and birds moves propagules away from the harsh competitive

environment of established adult plants (particularly grass) to safe

establishment sites below nurse plants. Complementary root systems of seedlings

and nurse plants may facilitate the establishment of young plants but ultimately

competition will reduce nurse plant vigour leading inevitably to the death of

the nurse plant. At least two plant species (Lycium cinereum and Psilocaulon

absimile) persist in the P. afra rangeland as fugitives on areas of local

disturbance. The relatively cool and moist environment below P. afra clumps

supports a variety of detritivorous taxa that enrich the soil. Once the P. afra

clump collapses and dies, bare nutrient rich patches that favour the

establishment of L. cinereum and P. absimile, ahead of the competitively

superior grass component, remain. However, the replacement of the fugitive

plant species by grass is inevitable as the soil nutrient levels decline. The

competitive superiority of grass controls the dynamics of the P. afra rangeland

system. Disruption of the inhibitory effect of grasses by elevated nutrient

levels (e.g. detritivore activity, ant nests) permits plant species to establish

that which it would otherwise be unable to in the absence of disturbance.

Degradation of the grass component by overgrazing at the P. aftra rangeland site

has the same effect as disturbance by soil-nutrient enrichment and results in an

increase in plant species diversity. All stages of the cyclical process would

be relatively uncommon in a grass dominated system because of the inability of

plants to establish successfully in grass. Strong feedback links exist between

the ant and plant communities studied. Habitat patchiness maintains ant species

diversity by disrupting dominance hierarchies. Ants maintain plant species

diversity by moving seeds out of competitively harsh microhabitats into safe

sites (often below nurse plants) for establishment. Soil nutrient enrichment

(ant nests and various detritivore taxa) create disturbances which also

facilitates plant establishment. Overgrazing by domestic stock causes the

replacement of palatable by unpalatable plant species. Unpalatable plant

species, released of suppressive effects, develop into a monospecific stand that

inhibits the further establishment of seedlings. Loss of habitat patchiness

results in habitat monopolisation by one (or two) dominant ant species. Habitat

degradation therefore severs the complex feedback links between the plant

community and the important invertebrate component (dispersal agents and

detrtitivores) which disrupts the dynamic processes driving the system.Doctor of

Philosophy.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : EASTERN CAPE; KAROO DESERTIFICATION; LAND DEGRADATION; PLANT-ANIMAL

INTERACTIONS; RESTORATION; SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE; VEGETATION DYNAMICS; VELD

MANAGEMENT; SOIL NUTRIENTS

Ref ID : 268

84. Adler, E.D. Ons kwynende bodem. Ekos 3(1):2-27, 1981.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : SOIL EROSION; LAND DEGRADATION

Ref ID : 1249

85. Adler, E.D. Soil Conservation in South Africa, Pretoria:Department of

Agriculture and Water Supply, 1985.pp. 1-44.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : SOIL CONSERVATION; CONSERVATION; POPULATION; POLICY

Abstract : A concise and general review of the problems surrounding conservation

and care of a resource to which man's survival is inextricably linked. Twenty-

two years have elapsed since the appearance of J.C. Ross's well-known brochure

Soil Conservation in South Africa in which inter alia, the history of the Soil

Conservation Act was explained. During this period the agricultural scene

underwent changes that were no less dramatic than those of the preceding three

centuries. Many of these changes not only influenced the framer's ability to

produce, but also the resources which form the farmer's basic means of

production. To try and maintain a balance between utilisation and conservation

of the agricultural resources in the midst of exponential growth in population

numbers and consumer demand, the policy of optimum resource use was accepted by

this department in the seventies. This is a long-term strategy which has had

remarkable succcess in some respects. But in the conservation and care of the

natural resources, it became equally clear that these facets will demand

sustained and dedicated attention from all concerned with agriculture. The

matter of soil conservation has in the interim also become part and parcel of

man's greater awareness of his environment. There is already greater

sensitivity towards the conservation and care of both the resources that provide

man with food and fibre and the other natural endowments within which man finds

himself and which are so vital to the quality of his daily existence.

Ref ID : 1522

86. Agnew, C. Spatial aspects of drought in the Sahel. Journal of Arid

Environments 18:279-293, 1990.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : DROUGHT; RAINFALL; DESSICATION

Abstract : The incidence of drought in the Sahelian country of Niger is analysed

firstly through examination of annual rainfalls (meteorological drought) and

secondly by the determination of shortages of moisture leading to the failure of

millet, (Pennisetum typhoides), (agricultural drought). Meteorological and

agricultural drought appeared widespread and persistent during the 1970's in the

drier (less than 300 mm mean annual rainfall) regions where rainfalls appeared

to exhibit a trend towards increasing desiccation. In the wetter South (more

than 500 mm mean annual rainfall), meteorological drought was infrequent during

the 1970's, and there was little evidence for agricultural drought. Annual

rainfalls at some stations in this wetter regions showed no clear, recent

downward trend.

Ref ID : 2530

87. Ainslie, A. Managing natural resources in a rural settlement, Peddie

district.Rhodes University, Grahamstown. , 1998.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : CISKEI; RURAL DEVELOPMENT; CONSERVATION; VELD MANAGEMENT

Notes : The objective of the research was to investigate how natural resources

were commonly managed by Gwabeni villager dwellers in the Peddie district. A

socio-anthropological method was used in gathering the data for the study. This

involves oral interviews and discussion. Several results or findings related to

the study have been presented in the document. This thesis is obtainable from

the Rhodes University library, Grahasmtown. See also ID ref. no. 2339.

Ref ID : 2513

88. Ainslie, A., Cinderby, S., Petse, T., Ntshona, Z., Bradley, P.N.,

Deshingkar, P., and Fakir, S. Rural livelihoods and local level natural resource

management in Peddie district. Technical Report: ISBN 9/887 14497.Anonymous ISBN

9/887 14497, 1997.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : POLICY; CISKEI; VELD MANAGEMENT; RURAL DEVELOPMENT; SOCIOECONOMIC

ASPECTS; LEGISLATION; INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS; GENDER ASPECTS

Notes : The research study had four objectives. They were : 1. to

systematically identify and analyse those factors which currently impact on the

use and management of natural resources at four levels, namely the household,

village, district and provincial levels; 2. to investigate the relationships

between environmental factors and a range of social variables which interact to

have an impact on the management of natural resources in a specific rural area;

3. to conduct research that can make a substantial contribution to the debate

around natural resource management (NRM) policy formulation at national and

provincial levels; and 4. to make recommendations to SIDA regading approaches

for appropriate and successful NRM/ development interventions in semi-arid areas

of rural South Africa. In achieving objectives 1,2, and 3, extensive use was

made of both standard social research techniques such as a thorough household

questionnaire survey, a collection of life histories and participatory rural

appraisal techniques. For the fourth objective, a key intervention was made to

commit project resources to building the institutional capacity of village and

district level administrative bodies through formal training courses and

workshops on research findings. Pilot - NRM development projects were initiated

in two of the sample villages. The findings of this study include the following:

1. the study revealed that a wide range of natural resources available on the

village commons is used by all rural households to varying degrees; 2. no formal

natural resource management regimes were found to be in place; and 3.

consideration was given to the role of rural women in the management of natural

resources. This report is obtainable from the Rhodes University, Grahamstown.

See also ID ref. no. 2339.

Ref ID : 2456

89. Ainslie, A., Fox, R., and Fabricius, C. Towards policies for feasible and

sustainable natural resource use: the mid Fish river zonal study, Eastern

Cape.Anonymous Grahamstown:ISER, Rhodes University. , 1994.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : POLICY; EASTERN CAPE; LAND DEGRADATION; DESERTIFICATION ASSESSMENT;

DESERTIFICATION CONTROL; CISKEI; LAND REFORM; LAND USE

Notes : The original brief to the Zonal study team of ISER was to: a. research

current natural resource use patterns; b. analyse the causes of natural resource

degradation; and c. make recommendations which would assist policy makers in

drawing up a feasible natural resource use regimes for the future. The overall

goal of the study was to provide basic information that will guide and advise

the process of natural resources management policy formulation, particularly in

the light of the post apartheid widening of access to land and other resources.

In order to avoid a repetition of the widespread land degradation and

unsustainable land use regimes in the future, the current natural resource

management regimes base was also analysed. The Mid-Fish river Zonal study was

conducted by multi-disciplinary team of researchers and academics, co-ordinated

and managed by ISER. The study was divided into various components.

Contributors to the Zonal study were given specific briefs and allocated

components of the study to research, although the regular workshops on findings

made evident the presence of unavoidable overlaps. The specific research

methods used during data collection included desk study and the collation of

existing data, but with a strong emphasis on fieldwork. Questionnaire surveys

were conducted in households in eight village settlements and on more than 10

commercial farms. Participatory workshops, key informant interviews and group

discussions were conducted in the course of the data collection. Regular

workshops were held so that contributors to the study could exchange ideas and

information. This report is available from the ISER, Rhodes University,

Grahamstown. See also ID ref no. 2339.

Ref ID : 2441

90. Ainslie, A., Hintsa, M.D., Palmer, A.R., and Zondani, V. Describing the key

attributes of successful rangeland management systems in the semi-arid

rangelands of the Eastern Cape. Rehabilitation ecology: veld rehabilitation,

reclamation and revegetation of degraded land.Anonymous Grahamstown:ARC-Range

and Forage Institute. Contract 5: 5.3, 1999.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : EASTERN CAPE; COMMUNAL AREA; POPULATION; AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT;

VELD MANAGEMENT; CISKEI; RURAL DEVELOPMENT; GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES; AGRICULTURAL

EXTENSION

Notes : There is a general assumption that people in rural communal areas (in

the former homelands) are ecologically ignorant and cannot be relied upon to

manage their natural environment. Most studies in the past have highlighted the

degradation of rangelands in these areas and the overall deterioration of the

natural resource base. Of course, there are areas which are badly degraded due

to heavy human and livestock population pressure that are often linked to a

breakdown in local controls and resource management strategies. In constrast to

this scenario, however, there appear to be some areas, such as Cizele and Tutra,

where some formal management and control of both grazing lands and the

utilisation of communal resources persists. It is also enlightening to note the

extent to which local people are informed about their natural environment.

Although local people claim that there have never been any veld rehabilitation

schemes introduced from outside, the grazing resources are still in good

condition. Goqwana (1998) suggests that the above argument and the persistence

of a management regime are clear indications that grazing is in a stable

condition. What is encouraging is the absence of a formal resource management

policing structure, like grazing rangers that are encountered in other areas.

Local people, both on their own and (sometimes) in conjunction with traditional

authorities are actively managing their rangelands. Problems encountered in

these areas, however, include the continued demarcation of residential and

arable sites in grazing lands. The youth in these villages are less involved in

agricultural activities. The demarcation of sites in grazing veld, rather than

to look for alternative lands is a clear indication of this. If government,

especially DALA, does not intervene in the coming five to ten years, there will

be a steady decline in the availability of grazing lands, especially at Tutura.

The second area of concern in the area is DALA itself: its role in promoting

agricultural development remains unclear at present. Although there are

development assistants and extension officers, these people are only visible in

their offices in towns. Agricultural officers no longer reside in villages to

give advice and direction to rural farmers on a daily basis. Neither of the two

areas of study have extension officers based in the area on a continuous basis.

There are, of course, numerous other concerns that people in both areas have.

While the short period of study did not allow for some of these concerns to be

raised, others are clearly outside the ambit of this study and indeed, outside

the line function of agriculture more generally. While interesting insights

have been generated during the course of this study, the overall research

questions of why grazing is in good condition in these communal areas has only

really begun to be addressed and more detailed research is still required.

Ref ID : 2497

91. Ainslie, A., Kepe, T., Cinderby, S., and Petse, T. Rural livelihoods and

local level management of natural resources in the Peddie district.Anonymous ,

1996.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : POPULATION; EASTERN CAPE; CISKEI; RURAL DEVELOPMENT; ECONOMIC

ASPECTS; SOCIOECONOMIC ASPECTS

Notes : The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors which currently

impact on the utilization and management of natural resources at four levels,

namely the regional, district, village and household level. Questionnaires and

participatory rural appraisal were used in the study. The study revealed that

the battle for basic survival in the rural Peddie continues. Dependency on the

outside sources, such as welfare grants and remittances from family members in

the cities, does not augur well for the development of a strong rural economy in

the near future. The population of these villages appears, however, to be

sedentary with under 8% of the total sample of households having members who had

plans to migrate from their villages. Unemployment rates are very high, with

70% of households in the sample without anyone who was presently employed and

resident in the village. Quite clearly, households in these villages benefit

from access to numerous resources in their environment. This report is

obtainable at the Eastern Cape Appropriate Technology Unit. See also ref. no.

2339.

Ref ID : 1217

92. Al Darkoh Socio-economic and industrial factors behind desertification in

Southern Africa. Area 19(1):25-33, 1987.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : SOUTHERN AFRICA

Ref ID : 940

93. Alberti, L. Ludwig Alberti's account of the tribal life & customs of the

Xhosa in 1807. Translated by Dr William Fehr from the original manuscript in

German of "The Kaffirs of the South Coast of Africa", Cape Town:A.A. Balkema,

1968.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : DEFORESTATION; ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY; EASTERN CAPE

Notes : Only pages 13-20 have been copied.

Ref ID : 1523

94. Alexander, C. Our precious planet. New York:Time Inc. Magazine. Time Special

Issue:1-84, 1997.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : LAND DEGRADATION; ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY;

DISASTER MITIGATION

Notes : This special edition is the most comprehensive edition to date at what

could be the biggest story of the 21st century: the fight to save our endangred

planet. The wide-ranging articles are both scary and hopeful, describing

problems and potential solutions. It pulls together the most incisive

commentary possible and draws upon writers and correspondents as well as on

knowledgeable outside journalists, eminent scientists and two prominent public

figures long associated with the environmental cause: Al Gore and Mikhail

Gorbachev. Many other talented writers are included, as well as Eugene Linden,

a former Time senior writer who was, at the time, finishing a book that looks

ahead to the next century. FILED UNDER 'TIME MAGAZINE'.

Ref ID : 2109

95. Alexander, W.J.R. Hydrology of low-altitude Southern Hemisphere land masses.

In: Perspectives in Southern Hemisphere Limnology, edited by Davies, B.R. and

Walmsley, R.D.Dordrecht: 1985,p. 75-83.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : HYDROLOGY

Ref ID : 411

96. Alexander, W.J.R. Floods, droughts and climate change. South African Journal

of Science 91:403-408, 1995.

Reprint : In File,

Keywords : CLIMATE CHANGE; RAINFALL; DROUGHT; FLOODS; ENERGY

Abstract : Observations of apparent cyclicity of climatic extremes - floods and

droughts - are as old as civilization itself. As all climatological processes

are driven by the redistribution of solar energy, it is natural to search for

explanations of the observed anomalies in solar radiation. The only available

long-term indicator of perturbations in solar radiation is the sunspot counts.

In this presentation it is shown that there is an uncanny correspondence between

cumulative deviations from the mean annual river flow for most river systems in

South Africa and cumulative deviations from the mean annual sunspot numbers.

This correspondence is not as apparent in the annual rainfalls over the

catchments, however, or in the Southern Oscillation Index. There is no visual

evidence in the graphical relationships that the annual Southern Oscillation

Index precedes annual river flow or precedes annual catchment rainfall as one

would expect to be the case if the El Nino phenomenon was the cause and not a

consequence of global cimatic disturbances. As there is a stronger linkage

between solar activity and annual river flow than between solar activity and

annual rainfall, or between solar activity and the Southern Oscillation Index,

it appears that perturbations in solar activity are affecting the phenomena that

control the extreme events (runoff-producing rainfall, floods and droughts)

rather than the mean conditions. More studies will be required to determine the

validity of this conclusion.

Ref ID : 2551

97. Alff, U., Derichs, A., and Maye, C. Decentralised participatory planning in

Willowvale area, Eastern Cape. Consultant Report.Anonymous , 1998.

Reprint : Not in File,

Keywords : EASTERN CAPE; RAINFALL; LAND USE; POVERTY; POPULATION; CISKEI;

GRAZING EFFECTS; SOIL PROPERTIES; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; ECONOMIC ASPECTS;

LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION; AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION; LABOUR; SETTLEMENT IMPACTS

Notes : The purpose of the study was to carry out participatory situation

analysis in the Willowvale area. Various methods were uesd to collect the

necessary information. These are: semi-structured interviews; observation; and

workshops on pilot areas. The findings indicated that the average annual

rainfall ranges from 800 mm in the coastal uplands to 1200 mm in the lowlands.

Much of the surface water resources is not used. Overgrazing is a major problem

in the area. The larger part of the area is occupied by soils of marginal land

use potential. The average household size is five. Subsistence agriculture is

mainly practised throughout the area. Major crops produced are maize, pumpkin

and beans. Commercial fruit and vegetable production occurs in the coastal

areas. Major livestock holdings are pigs, chicken, cattle and goats. The rate

of unemployment is estimated to be over 50%. In conclusion, the situation of

the majority of the communities is characterised by a scattered rural

settlement, lack of basic infrastructure, very limited job-opportunities and a