Cost-benefit analysis of land restoration in the Assegaaibos Catchment Area with regard to water yield and tourism benefit

With the emergence of the new field of resource economics, one now has the ability to value and to include natural resources in decision making. This thesis aims to explore the valuation of natural resources by reviewing the economic values, techniques, methods and ecological aspects of restoration. Assegaaibos mountain catchment in the Western Cape Province has been used as a case-study example. A cost-benefit analysis of the restoration of the mountain catchment, in terms of the direct benefits of water and tourism, has been performed. The costs of restoration were observed to see whether they outweighed the benefits (income) derived (water and tourism). The results show that the water and tourism benefits did outweigh the costs of a basic restoration scenario. However, the basic restoration scenario did not fulfil the ecological requirements of the project. The results also illustrated that in the moderate restoration scenario, costs only outweighed the benefits when a three percent discount rate was applied. With the optimistic restoration scenario, costs outweighed benefits only when an eight percent discount rate was used. In the comprehensive restoration scenario, costs were shown to outweigh by far the water and tourism benefits over a thirty-year time frame. However, it should be noted that the deterioration of the environment (accelerated erosion, reinvasion, reduced water quality) was not factored into the costs of failure to rehabilitate

Investigating the effectiveness of microcatchments at enhancing transplant performance in Nama-Karoo riparian ecosystem restoration

Globally agricultural rangelands have been subjected to degradation through over-utilization. The loss of productivity of agricultural rangelands around the world has led to the development of methods to restore the productivity of these areas. In South Africa, extensive areas of the Nama-Karoo have been degraded or transformed due in part to unsustainable agricultural activities. The development of restoration methods which are easily implementable and financially viable could increase the probability of stakeholders implementing restoration activities on privately owned land. The removal of the degrading factor is not sufficient to reverse the degradative trend in dryland environments. Active measures must be implemented to arrest the degradation cascade. The climatic conditions of the rangelands of South Africa are limiting to plant performance and the favourable conditions are sporadic. The translocation of plants should be combined with the amelioration of the local conditions. This study tested the restoration technique of microcatchments in association with plant translocation. The effects of microcatchments and planting combinations which were best suited to the survival and performance of the transplants were determined through a field trail. The results showed that microcatchments created microsites which were conducive to transplant survival and growth, including nutrient accumulation and increased soil moisture. The success of the method was dependent on the planting combination used. Plants which are adapted to inundation and the saline conditions of the site performed better. Plants which were older at the time of translocation had higher survival rates than younger transplants. In the conditions of this site, planting adjacent to the microcatchments was necessary to avoid inundation induced mortalities. The environmental conditions of the Nama-Karoo necessitate the coordination of restoration activities with the predicted favourable conditions in order to improve the success of restoration activities

Social network analysis of a landscape-scale conservation initiative in South Africa

Assessment of social relations, including social network analysis, is central to understanding collaborative processes for environmental decision-making and action. The capacity of network role players to learn and adapt appropriately to uncertainty and change is a critical determinant of the resilience of social-ecological systems. Poor social network structure can predispose failure. In this study, we used social network analysis to explore learning capacity and network resilience in a multi-authority conservation initiative on the West Coast of South Africa (Dassenberg Coastal Catchment Partnership). Our analysis focused on structural variables for network learning and resilience, namely connectivity, heterogeneity, and centrality. The governance network was found to be structurally connected, with the interaction between heterogeneous organisations and sectors, and centralised around a core group of actors. The network had good structural features to enable learning. However, the high level of centrality, and dependence on a small number of core actors, rendered the network potentially vulnerable to dealing with complex challenges. We recommend that core actors (1) reflect on their core functions and whether the network can absorb these functions if they were to leave and (2) tap into the knowledge potential of actors on the network periphery or invite new actors to the network when dealing with complex challenges. This may require the network to diverge into decentralised subgroups to deal with complex issues. We further suggest that the Dassenberg Coastal Catchment Partnership network incorporate social network research with qualitative monitoring into a long-term plan to monitor the movement and influence of actors as the initiative evolves. Significance: This study illustrates how social network analysis can help researchers, public-sector organisations, and donor agencies to monitor the structural features of governance networks that enable or disable learning and resilience within landscape-scale conservation initiatives. Our results illustrate how social network analysis can assist public-sector actors to reflect on their roles and whether there is redundant competency within the network to maintain its resilience

A survey of the ichthyofauna in the Noetsie Estuary, Western Cape Province, South Africa

The fish assemblage in the Noetsie Estuary, a temporarily open and closed estuary on the southern coast of South Africa, was sampled using multiple gears. A total of 12 species from 8 families were recorded. Collectively, estuarine-dependent marine species dominated seine net catches numerically and in terms of biomass for both sampling seasons. Estuarine round herring (Gilchristella aestuaria) was numerically the dominant species in late summer, while juvenile Mugilidae dominated catches in winter. Size class distributions of various fish species indicate that the estuary both serves a nursery function for important euryhaline marine species and supports estuarine resident taxa. Application of the Estuarine Fish Community Index indicates the ecological condition of the estuary to be ‘good’. This study contributes to the species list for the estuary while also reporting the presence of an alien invasive freshwater species, Gambusia affinis. Recommendations include the development of a management plan and the formalisation of an estuarine management committee. Conservation implications: The Noetsie Estuary serves a nursery function for important euryhaline marine species, while supporting healthy populations of estuarine resident taxa. The presence of one alien invasive fish species is documented with potential implications for the conservation of biodiversity in the estuary

The impact of a national clinician-led audit initiative on care and mortality after hip fracture in England: an external evaluation using time trends in non-audit data.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture is the most common serious injury of older people. The UK National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) was launched in 2007 as a national collaborative, clinician-led audit initiative to improve the quality of hip fracture care, but has not yet been externally evaluated. METHODS: We used routinely collected data on 471,590 older people (aged 60 years and older) admitted with a hip fracture to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in England between 2003 and 2011. The main variables of interest were the use of early surgery (on day of admission, or day after) and mortality at 30 days from admission. We compared time trends in the periods 2003-2007 and 2007-2011 (before and after the launch of the NHFD), using Poisson regression models to adjust for demographic changes. FINDINGS: The number of hospitals participating in the NHFD increased from 11 in 2007 to 175 in 2011. From 2007 to 2011, the rate of early surgery increased from 54.5% to 71.3%, whereas the rate had remained stable over the period 2003-2007. Thirty-day mortality fell from 10.9% to 8.5%, compared with a small reduction from 11.5% to 10.9% previously. The annual relative reduction in adjusted 30-day mortality was 1.8% per year in the period 2003-2007, compared with 7.6% per year over 2007-2011 (P<0.001 for the difference). INTERPRETATION: The launch of a national clinician-led audit initiative was associated with substantial improvements in care and survival of older people with hip fracture in England

Trimethoprim+Sulfamethoxazole Reduces Rates of Melioidosis in High-Risk Hemodialysis Patients

Introduction Melioidosis causes sepsis and death in the Top End of Northern Australia during the monsoonal wet season. Dialysis-dependent adults suffer higher melioidosis rates compared to low rates among renal transplant patients who routinely receive trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis. Methods We performed a prospective interventional study to determine the efficacy and safety of daily trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis in hemodialysis patients during the wet season, from 1 November 2014 to 30 April 2015. Hemodialysis (for ≥ 3 months) patients ≥ 18 years of age were offered treatment. A total of 269 patients on hemodialysis were eligible. Eight of the 269 patients (3%) were excluded from the analysis for being on melioidosis treatment. In all, 169 of 261 patients (64.8%) received the prophylaxis, and 92 of 261 patients (35.2%) did not, because of allergy history (n = 10), remoteness and logistical reasons (n = 60), poor dialysis attendance (n = 11), and refusal (n = 11). We monitored for clinical side effects 3 times weekly and neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and liver function monthly throughout treatment and for 2 months posttreatment. Results In all, 169 of 261 patients (64.8%) received the prophylaxis. There was no age (years) difference by group (prophylaxis vs. nonprophylaxis, 54.7 [11.3] vs. 54.3 [11.2] [P = 0.751]). Sixteen of 261 patients (6%) had melioidosis. The event frequency was 0% (0/169, prophylaxis, vs. 17.4% [16/92, nonprophylaxis], P < 0.001). Higher thrombocytopenia and neutropenia rates were noted in the prophylaxis group. These did not warrant treatment stoppage. There was no difference in liver function. Three patients (1.8%) withdrew from the treatment because of side effects. Conclusion Daily dosing was effective and safe. Posthemodialysis dosing in the subsequent seasons was effective and safer. We recommend this approach in melioidosis-prevalent regions

Increased orthogeriatrician involvement in hip fracture care and its impact on mortality in England

Objectives to describe the increase in orthogeriatrician involvement in hip fracture care in England and its association with improvements in time to surgery and mortality. Study design analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics for 196,401 patients presenting with hip fracture to 150 hospitals in England between 1 April 2010 and 28 February 2014, combined with data on orthogeriatrician hours from a national organisational survey. Methods we examined changes in the average number of hours worked by orthogeriatricians in orthopaedic departments per patient with hip fracture, and their potential effect on mortality within 30 days of presentation. The role of prompt surgery (on day of or day after presentation) was explored as a potential confounding factor. Associations were assessed using conditional Poisson regression models with adjustment for patients’ sex, age and comorbidity and year, with hospitals treated as fixed effects. Results between 2010 and 2013, there was an increase of 2.5 hours per patient in the median number of hours worked by orthogeriatricians—from 1.5 to 4.0 hours. An increase of 2.5 hours per patient was associated with a relative reduction in mortality of 3.4% (95% confidence interval 0.9% to 5.9%, P = 0.01). This corresponds to an absolute reduction of approximately 0.3%. Higher numbers of orthogeriatrician hours were associated with higher rates of prompt surgery, but were independently associated with lower mortality. Conclusion in the context of initiatives to improve hip fracture care, we identified statistically significant and robust associations between increased orthogeriatrician hours per patient and reduced 30-day mortality

Transdisciplinarity in transformative ocean governance research—reflections of early career researchers

This paper interrogates the concept of transdisciplinarity, both theoretically and practically, from a perspective of early career researchers (ECRs) in transformative ocean governance research. Aiming to advance research methodologies for future complex sustainability challenges, the paper seeks to illuminate some common uncertainties and challenges surrounding transdisciplinarity from a marine science perspective. Following a literature review on transdisciplinary research, workshops, and a series of surveys, we determine that transdisciplinarity appears to be a concept in search of definition, and that there is a need to explore transdisciplinarity specifically from an ocean research perspective. The paper discusses a number of challenges experienced by ECRs in conducting transdisciplinary research and provides recommendations for both ECRs wishing to undertake more equitable transdisciplinary research and for the UN Decade for Ocean Science to support ECRs in this endeavour (Figure 1). Based on our findings, we interrogate the role of non-academic collaborators in transdisciplinary research and argue that future transdisciplinarity will need to address power imbalances in existing research methods to achieve knowledge co-production, as opposed to knowledge integration

Cost-benefit analysis of alien vegetation clearing for water yield and tourism in a mountain catchment in the Western Cape of South Africa

Economic analysis is used to assess the costs and benefits of restoration following clearing of invasive alien trees in the floristically rich Fynbos mountainous area near Franschhoek, Western Cape of South Africa. The Groot Drakenstein, Franschhoek and Jonkershoek mountains receives more rainfall than the surrounding areas and is an important source of water for the city of Cape Town. The costs of alien invasive plant removal, gully-erosion repair and reseeding with indigenous plants are considered in a case-study cost-benefit analysis of restoration, in terms of the water and tourism benefits derived. Three different options of restoration (comprehensive, moderate, basic) were analysed under three different economic scenarios (optimistic, realistic, pessimistic) and the costs of which have been weighted up against the income derived from the supply of water and tourism. The results have shown that despite the high costs of restoration, the basic restoration option costs were out-weighed by the water and tourism benefits derived. This was also true of the moderate restoration option, when evaluated under the optimistic scenario and using an 8% discount rate, or a 3% discount rate under any scenario. However, this was not the case in the moderate restoration option when using an 8% discount rate in conjunction with the realistic and pessimistic scenarios. Neither was it the case when using a 12% discount rate, irrespective of the scenario. Under no scenario was the cost of a comprehensive restoration option outweighed by the benefits quantified, irrespective of the discount rate used. It was concluded that further restoration, in addition to the mere clearing of alien invasive plants, would be economically viable under certain assumptions and conditions.Ecosystem services Resource economics Ecological economics Invasive alien plants Fynbos