PERCEPTIONS AND KNOWLEDGE OF A SELECTED GROUP OF ORGANIC CONSUMERS IN BLOEMFONTEIN, FREE STATE PROVINCE

Published ArticleOrganic agriculture is a production method that upholds the well-being of soil, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles tailored to local conditions. This descriptive study assessed the knowledge and perceptions of organic food consumers in Bloemfontein. A convenience sample of 60 consumers (male and female) was selected to participate in the study. A structured questionnaire was designed to obtain data at a local fresh-produce grocer. Most of the consumers showed positive and negative attitudes towards organic products. Most consumers had basic knowledge regarding organic products, but it also became evident that there was uncertainty surrounding facts of organic products, such as labelling standards. Only 12% of respondents interpreted the term “organic” correctly. Human health (86.67%) and environmental concerns (28.33%) were the key factors influencing consumer preference for organic food. Organic fruit and vegetables (45.37%) were the most popular purchased organic items amongst consumers. The majority of consumers (61.67%) stated that organic products are affordable. The results of the present study provided valuable insight into the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of consumers towards organically grown foods. The general positive attitude of consumers can be attributed to consumers' basic knowledge of, and preference for, organic food. Despite the organic lifestyle being in the minority in this region, there continues to be a growing demand for organic products in Bloemfontein, and for this reason producers have ensured a continued supply of organic products

Testing the applicability of morphometric characterisation in discordant catchments to ancient landscapes: A case study from southern Africa

The ancient landscapes south of the Great Escarpment in southern Africa preserve large-scale geomorphological features despite their antiquity. This study applies and evaluates morphometric indices (such as hypsometry, long profile analysis, stream gradient index, and linear/areal catchment characteristics) to the Gouritz catchment, a large discordant catchment in the Western Cape. Spatial variation of morphometric indices were assessed across catchment (trunk rivers) and subcatchment scales. The hypsometric curve of the catchment is sinusoidal, and a range of curve profiles are evident at subcatchment scale. Hypsometric integrals do not correlate to catchment properties such as area, circularity, relief, and dissection; and stream length gradients do not follow expected patterns, with the highest values seen in the mid-catchment areas. Rock type variation is interpreted to be the key control on morphometric indices within the Gouritz catchment, especially hypsometry and stream length gradient. External controls, such as tectonics and climate, were likely diminished because of the long duration of catchment development in this location. While morphometric indices can be a useful procedure in the evaluation of landscape evolution, this study shows that care must be taken in the application of morphometric indices to constrain tectonic or climatic variation in ancient landscapes because of inherited tectonic structures and signal shredding. More widely, we consider that ancient landscapes offer a valuable insight into long-term environmental change, but refinements to geomorphometric approaches are needed

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Pretoriana, no. 053, April 1967

Uit die onderwys in Pretoria gedurende die laaste jare van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek en daarna / N.A. Coetzee -- Oor die Nederlandse verenigingslewe in ou Pretoria / J. Ploeger -- Die ampswoning van Conyngham Greene / J.M. Schoeman -- The president and the rose / C.W.L. de Souza -- Die konsentrasiekamp te Meintjieskop / J.L. Hattingh -- Kultuuraktiwiteite van die Pretoriase jeug tussen 1883 en 1913 / G.J. van Eck -- Die voorstad Groenkloof, Pretoria, en die herkoms van sy straat- en parkname / K.M. (Ina) van Eck -- Die eerste poging tot koffieverbouing in die Pretoriase distrik / H.M. Rex -- Correspondence / C.J. Beane

Pretoriana, no. 048, Aug. 1965

Redaksioneel -- Tuinboukompetisie vir laerskole / J.P. Lotz -- 'n Ou probeem / J.L. Hattingh -- The value of local history / J.W. Kew -- The last echoes / T.S. van Rooyen -- Die Duitse skool / A.M.F. Muller -- Unfair comment, 1900 / Arthur Davey -- Gesneuweldes op Spioenkop / F.J. du T. Spies -- Church Square, 190