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Site and land use effects on some physical properties and the distribution of total carbon, aluminium, and iron within aggregates of some humic soils in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2023) Mbanjwa, Vusumuzi Erick.; Muchaonyerwa, Pardon.; Hughes, Jeffrey Charles.
Humic soils occur mainly on old land surfaces, with a warm, misty climate having native forests and grasslands as the predominant natural vegetation, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and along the coast of Pondoland and the eastern escarpment of Mpumalanga. The effects of site characteristics and response to replacement of native vegetation with sugarcane cultivation on these soils, remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of different site conditions, including native forest, grassland, and sugarcane production, on (i) general soil characteristics such as pH, clay mineralogy, and total Al, Fe, and C in bulk soils, (ii) bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), and moisture content at field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP), (iii) AS and size distribution, and (iv) the distribution of total Al, Fe, and C within different aggregate size fractions in humic soils. The humic soils studied were developed on dolerite and were under grassland at Cedara and Karkloof and on sandstone and under native forest and sugarcane at Eshowe in KZN. Disturbed samples were collected from soils under each land use at 5 cm intervals from 0-20 cm, 10 cm intervals from 20-60 cm and 20 cm intervals from 60-100 cm depth to compare (a) forest and grassland sites and (b) forest and sugarcane sites. These samples were air-dried and a portion was used for AS measurements while the rest was ground and sieved. The samples for AS were fractionated into large macro-aggregates (LM; > 2000 μm), small macro-aggregates (SM; 250- 2000 μm), micro-aggregates (M; 63-250 μm) and silt + clay (SC; < 63 μm). Results showed that Karkloof soils had lower pH but a higher TOC content than those at the other sites. Cedara and Karkloof soils had higher Al, Fe, clay, and silt content than soils at Eshowe that had a higher sand fraction. After 30 years of sugarcane cultivation, there was an increase in BD and Ks on the sandy clay loam humic soil at Eshowe. However, TOC could not solely explain the water retention characteristics, suggesting that other factors such as texture, especially silt, played a significant role. Soils at Karkloof had higher TOC and MWD, resulting in lower BD and higher TP, thereby increasing Ks, FC, and PWP compared to soils at Cedara and Eshowe. Moreover, TOC only explained Ks and water retention characteristics in the top 30 cm depth, suggesting that texture played a more significant role in these properties below 30 cm. Soils at Karkloof and Cedara had higher MWD than those at Eshowe. Exchangeable acidity (and thus Al) and silt played a critical role in aggregation at all depths, while TOC was mainly responsible for the formation of LM and SM in the upper 30 cm. Below 30 cm, clay, total Fe, and Al predominated in all aggregates. The aggregate size distribution showed that LM and SM dominated at all sites at the expense of the SC fraction. The M size fraction in soils at Cedara had higher TOC content, while both LM and SM had a higher concentration in soils at Karkloof and Eshowe. Total Al and Fe concentrations were higher in the LM and SM than in the M fractions at Karkloof and Cedara, with the SC fraction at Eshowe having higher concentrations of these elements. Sugarcane cultivation decreased AS and TOC in both LM and SM, while Al and Fe increased in all aggregate size fractions. It was also found that total Al and Fe did not explain the protection of TOC in the aggregates of the studied soils. The results of the study imply that total Al and Fe contents increase when these soils are cultivated. Therefore, to ensure sustainable production, agricultural management practices such as lime application are needed to reduce soil acidity, and improve the availability of exchangeable bases. Despite these fertility challenges, the high TOC in these soils promotes the formation of stable aggregates, thereby positively affecting BD, TP, Ks, FC, and PWP, especially in the topsoil. To improve or maintain their TOC status, it is strongly recommended that practices such as adding organic matter, reducing tillage, using cover crops, crop rotation, maintaining soil moisture, and applying lime be used. This is because the stability of aggregates against disaggregation is of paramount importance in preventing soil degradation.
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Understanding the fate and mobility of zinc in contaminated shallow groundwater and vadose zone with clay rich soils.
(2023) Terrell, Christie Lynn.; Lorenz, Simon Antony.
Abstract available in PDF.
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Teaching practices and emotions of senior phase teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic : a case study.
(2024) Ndlovu, Eric Nkosiyephana.; Naidoo, Jaqueline Theresa.; Pennefather, Jane Alexandra Stewart.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa and the declaration of a national lockdown in March 2020 resulted in the closure of schools. Social distancing became an important measure to curb the spread of the pandemic. As a result, learners had to stay at home while embarking on alternative learning. Therefore, this research study examined the experiences and emotions of senior phase teachers in the process of adjusting their teaching practices and curriculum coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was grounded on Hargreaves’s (2001) theory of emotional geographies of teaching as it the most relevant theoretical framework for this study. Hargreaves’s (2001) five emotional geographies of teaching are sociocultural, moral, physical, political and professional. Furthermore, this study was located within the interpretive research paradigm due to its appropriateness in helping the researcher to obtain an in-depth understanding of the reality of teachers’ circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Mack (2010), interpretive studies focus on an individuals’ ability to construct meaning. In answering this study’s two research questions, this study adopted two forms of data generation instruments which were semi-structured interviews and collages. Purposive sampling was applied in conducting this study as it allowed a small number of participants to be selected based on a stipulated criterion. Therefore, the researcher purposefully selected six grade seven teachers teaching different subjects in a primary school during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was done to get in-depth knowledge on the experiences of senior phase teachers in the process of adjusting teaching strategies and curriculum coverage during COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study indicated that the outbreak of the pandemic compelled teachers to adjust to COVID-19 regulations. In doing so, the implementation of the following actions was in practice: health protocols such as social distancing and sanitising, rotation systems, curriculum trimming, use of digital technology. There were a number of factors that impaired the process of adjustment in many ways. These included scarcity of resources and heavy workloads for teachers, as well as other socio-economic challenges. In addition, the findings of the study revealed that, in adjusting teaching strategies during COVID-19, teachers experienced feelings of fear and anxiety and felt the need for varying degrees of support from different role players such as parents, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and fellow teachers
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The use of geospatial techniques in detecting and mapping the spatio-temporal variability of communal rangelands in South Africa.
(2023) Zuma, Xolile.; Mutanga, Onisimo.; Sibanda, Mbulisi.
Abstract available in the PDF.
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Investigating social license to operate and pacification associated with the heavy sand mining at Fairbreeze, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2023) Khuzwayo, Nomthunzi Mbalenhle Sizophila.; Nel, Adrian.
Extractivism is a term associated with the extraction and export of resources extracted from the Earth’s surface, that open doors for economic opportunities and job creation. The extraction of sand and heavy minerals has been occurring since ancient times, affecting both developing and developed countries. Heavy Sand Mining (HSM) is a form of extractivism, which results from the excavation and processing of minerals such as titanium and ilmenite and is utilized in many major industries. In a South African context, there are several examples where mining company operations within communities and fragile ecosystems are contested. and exhibit a weak ‘Social Licence to Operate’. Even though formal rights to mine may be granted, social consent on the part of affected communities can remain in question. While this fact is acknowledged, there is little research in South Africa on how diverse stakeholders, including mining houses and adjacent community groupings, navigate and contest the Social Licence to Operate, over the inception and running of HSM activities. The Fairbreeze mine, adjacent to the Kwazulu-Natal town of Mthunzini, South Africa has a reported history of contestation over the inception of the mine. For the study, a qualitative methodology and case study approach was adopted. The study aimed to investigate how stakeholder perceptions of and relations to the mining activity changed over time, as well as he perceived environmental and social impacts of the mine. For data collection, a questionnaire was distributed and interviews involved interested and affected parties, including community members and focus groups that were both purposely and randomly selected. A field of study known as political ecology was utilized for the research to politicize an understanding of the mining operation and explore the relationship between the various stakeholders, not least adjacent communities, and the local community environment. A conceptual framework using the two concepts of Social Licence to Operate (SLO) and Pacification was used to analyse the evolving relationship between the mining company and other stakeholders The results indicated that a small percentage of the population were granted employment for short durations, while the majority of the community as a whole, did not see significant economic improvements in their livelihoods. Some positive economic impacts were the improvement of infrastructure and roads. Economically, the mine assisted in the economic growth of the area. Environmentally, habitats have been affected negatively. There are however long-term plans to rehabilitate the affected area through offsetting methods, once mining is complete. More importantly for this thesis, I characterize the contested licensing process for the mine to have had a weak social license to operate, and an evident process of pacification, whereby resistance to the mine was, over time, diminished or undermined in court. The research indicated that future heavy sand mining projects must involve a stronger social license to operate, which will assist the relationship between affected communities. Lastly, more environmental programs should be conducted in mining-affected areas, to ensure that skills development and sustainability remain the major focus in affected communities.