Rethinking our relationship to the natural environment through legally compliant sustainable tourism.

Irrational exploitation has devastated the resources of ecotourism; therefore, forming a legal system of ecotourism as soon as possible and having laws to abide by it can ensure the sustainable development in South Africa. The goal is to bring to the surface a course of action taken by local agents about socio-environmental aspects. What is effective is the transformation of reality to open channels towards the participation of civil society in the decision-making process. In this paper we attempt to explore the idea of sustainability within our relationship with the natural environment. Sustainability assumes that natural and human technological resources can be utilised while maintaining the environment. Sustainability must also be understood within the context of ecological, cultural, social, economical and ethical realms. In putting this in perspective, the idea of sustainability becomes more concrete. Amongst a range of environmental constraints that are of necessity playing an increasing role in social development planning, climate change represents the most urgent and far-reaching challenge of our time. This paper is theoretical in orientation, with a keen eye on the practical implications of ideas concerning sustainable tourism that enhances our natural environment

The Business of Climate Change: A Perspective of Environmental Performance on the Tourism Industry.

Climate change has increasingly attracted tourist attention in the past decade, because tourism is likely to be affected both by climate change itself and by policies implemented to address it. Corporate reaction could be viewed in three ways to climate change regulations, namely supportive, neutral or defensive. The perspective examines the critical relationship between the tourism sector and sustainable development, examining global trends and the problems they raise, exploring the current set of solutions being implemented, and offering some new ideas for better managing the relationship. The Climate and Sustainable Tourism Model that is a suitable framework encapsulates many of the issues explored and offer insights for policy makers seeking to develop better solutions to vexing climate change issues. Sustainable development is particularly important in the South African context if one considers, for example the fact that Africa has economic uncertainty, intractable conflict, rising prices for food and oil and the effects of climate change on agricultural land and tourism which are all problems that need to be addressed. The government must be the central co- coordinator and leader, because the government holds many tools, which are essential to coordinate and develop and enforce new rules. The main purpose of the regulations is to set up climate change policies, strategies, plans and measures as well as to cooperate with the private sector and with the international actors

Genetic relationships between three indigenous cattle breeds in Mozambique

This study provides the first account of genetic relationships between three indigenous cattle breeds from Mozambique. Forty-two blood group factors and six blood proteins revealed genetic variation of 84% (Angone), 88% (Bovine de Tete) and 90% (Landim) at the loci studied. Average heterozygosity values ranged from 33% for Angone and Bovine de Tete to 35% for the Landim. The genetic distance was greatest between the Landim and both the Bovine de Tete and the Angone breeds, whereas the smallest genetic distance was observed between the Bovine de Tete and the Angone. These results show the intermediate relationship of Bovine de Tete with the Angone and Landim breeds and show that the Bovine de Tete is an admixture of taurine and indicus genes. (South African Journal of Animal Science, 2000, 30(2): 92-97

Allozyme variation in two populations of the Mopane worm, Imbrasia belina (Saturniidae), and the effect of developmental stage and staggered generations

Imbrasia belina is utilised as a food item by certain ethnic groups of southern Africa, but little is known of the genetic structure of this resource. The aims of this study were to determine whether the limited flight ability of moths has an effect on gene flow between two geographically distant I. belina populations, whether there are gene expression differences between moths, worms and pupae and whether staggered generations have different genotypic expressions. Gene products of 19 protein-coding loci from moths collected at two locations, one of which included two staggered generations, were analysed by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. High levels of polymorphism (42% and 47%) and heterozygosity (0.182 to 0.210) were present in all groups. There were developmental constraints on the expression of the phosphoglucomutase enzyme coding locus, and only allozyme and not isozyme differences between individuals from the various developmental stages were found at other loci. Although the groups displayed a large amount of variation, little differentiation and a large amount of gene flow were observed between them. Results indicate that the genetic diversity of I. belina populations is relatively high. The February-hatching Messina group is recommended for commercial utilisation due to the large amount of genetic variation in this population. (South African Journal of Animal Science, 2001, 31(1): 15-24

Microsatellite markers reveal low genetic differentiation among southern African Camelus dromedarius populations

We report new demographic and genetic data on southern African camel (Camelus dromedarius) populations. Results from questionnaires on demography indicated that approximately 476 camels were extant in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana in 2003. We have sampled 234 camels for genetic analysis using a microsatellite marker set consisting of 12 loci. Results indicated little differentiation between camels from southern Africa, the Sudan or an outgroup from the family Camelidae, the alpaca (Lama pacos). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that -0.09% of total variation reside between species, 0.26% between the two southern African camel populations and 99.83% within populations. A coefficient of population differentiation (RST) indicated low levels of differentiation between southern African camel populations, with no specific pattern observed in pair-wise comparisons of 16 populations. An assignment test conformed to known population histories and provided additional support for the hypothesis of low differentiation between populations. There was no evidence of loss of genetic diversity in any individual population. Parentage analysis confirmed the utility of the microsatellite marker set for elucidating uncertain paternity. The results are discussed with reference to the management history of camels in the southern African region and the importance of population and parentage verification in the light of the many historic translocations. Keywords: Camel; genetic differentiation; Camelus dromedaries; genetic variation; microsatellites South African Journal of Animal Sciences Vol. 35 (3) 2005: pp.152-16

Transfer of Madagascan species of Gnidia L. to Lasiosiphon Fresen. (Thymelaeaceae: Thymelaeoideae)

Thirteen of the fourteen Malagasy species of Gnidia are transferred to Lasiosiphon following its re-instatement based on systematic studies of the Thymelaeoideae. New combinations are made for five of the species and the new name Lasiosiphon leandrianus Boatwr. & J.C.Manning is provided for Gnidia decaryana Leandri. The generic affinity of Gnidia neglecta remains uncertain

Report of the multidisciplinary investigation of differentiation and potential hybridisation between two Yellowfish species Labeobarbus Kimberleyensis and L. Aeneus from the Orange-Vaal system

From the executive summary]: The relationships within and between two yellowfish species, Labeobarbus aeneus (smallmouth yellowfish) and L. kimberleyensis (largemouth yellowfish) from the Orange-Vaal system were investigated through three independently conducted studies of the same material collected from the Sak River (the type locality of L. aeneus), the upper Orange River at Aliwal North and the lower Orange River at Pella and Onseepkans

A taxonomic revision of the Pteronia camphorate group (Astereae, Asteraceae)

As a first step towards a comprehensive revision of Pteronia (Asteraceae, Astereae), we present here a taxonomic treatment of the Pteronia camphorata group, in which we recognise three species. The group includes the type species P. camphorata (an important medicinal plant) and is easily distinguished from the rest of the genus by the glabrous rather than glandular or variously pilose cypselas. The lectotype of P. camphorata has involucral bracts with entire margins and long acuminate apices, both diagnostic characters for P. stricta. As such P. stricta is here reduced into synonymy with P. camphorata and the next available name, P. aspera Thunb, reinstated to accommodate the species heretofore treated as P. camphorata. Three varieties within Pteronia camphorata had been previously recognised (var. armata, var. laevigata and var. longifolia). The characters distinguishing var. armata were found to be continuous with the variation observed within var. longifolia. The third infraspecific taxon, var. laevigata, was however found to be distinct and is therefore recognised here as a new species, P. cederbergensis Bello, Magee & Boatwr. It is readily distinguished by the glabrous branches, opposite to sub-opposite somewhat succulent leaves, the 2-seriate pappus and larger, obclavate cypselas. Transverse sections of the leaves and cypselas were also examined and provide additional differences between the three recognised species.IS