Non-technical summary Nature and culture are intricately linked the rapid loss of both biological cultural diversity around globe has led to increasing concerns about its effects on sustainability. Important efforts understand biocultural relations bolster sustainable practices have been made by scientists, local communities, civil society organizations policy makers. In spite their efforts, a stronger articulation between sectors discourses is needed for broader transformative impact. Here,...

Droughts can have serious ecological and economic consequences will pose an increasing challenge to rangeland users as the global climate is changing. Finding ways reduce impacts of drought should thus be a major research thrust. Resilience, defined amount perturbation social or system absorb without shifting qualitatively different state, has emerged prominent concept in ecosystem ecology more recently conceptual framework for understanding managing complex social-ecological systems. This...

Policy affecting the rangeland commons in South Africa has been based largely on management models developed for large-scale commercial farming. This paper examines current policy situation and discusses some of most pervasive ecological economic assumptions that have influenced development commons: increasing livestock sales full-time farming are best way to improve productivity resource management; communal rangelands invariably overstocked degraded destocking, fencing rotational grazing...

Despite the size of informal small-scale farming sector and its livestock holdings in South Africa, there has been little detailed work to assess how populations are affected by drought. Africa experienced a major drought 2015–2016. We analysed goat cattle census data from Msinga area KwaZulu-Natal, which represent some 3 000 households. Cattle farmers study lost 43% herd, compared with 29% for goats, Three years after drought, numbers remained depressed, whereas had recovered. Larger herds...

In South Africa conservation is still largely framed in terms of Western scientific values, with a focus on material benefits to local communities, whilst little known about the intangible values people attach nature and biodiversity. We explored cultural, spiritual emotional relationships expressed by Xhosa people, within Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot, as well activities that mediate this relationship. A descriptive research approach was applied document emotions, meanings associated...

The concept of cultural landscapes relates to the multifaceted links between people, place and identity. From a professional perspective, refers category designated conservation areas with specific biocultural heritage values. local it may refer landscape that is associated provision culturally-specific sense identity belonging. We explore these two perspectives through comparative analysis three in South Africa, 'expert' Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape Richtersveld Botanical Landscape,...

The concept of biocultural diversity, originally used to describe indigenous people and their ways using managing natural resources, has more recently been applied within the urban context understand variability interactions between humans nature. Significant progress made internationally in acknowledging need preserve maintain green spaces environments. Current efforts address for greening areas South Africa primarily focus on establishment maintenance botanical gardens parks as well...

South Africa continues to experience high rates of rural–urban migration. Despite long-term residence in urban areas, many migrants do not consider the city be home. This article presents a multi-sited study Xhosa-speaking who journey between Centane former Transkei homeland and Cape Town. The aimed explore relationship that have with their family home (ekhayeni). We interpret migrants' narratives life returning terms processes 'place attachment' (sensory, narrative, historical, spiritual,...

Tree planting has long been promoted to avert climate change and received renewed impetus in recent years with the Bonn Challenge related forest restoration initiatives guided by landscape (FLR) framework. Much of focus for reforestation afforestation is on developing countries Africa, Asia South America, where large areas rangelands drylands grassy biomes are portrayed as "degraded", "unused", need more trees. This perception rooted persistent theories forests desertification that widely...

Abstract A national degradation audit conducted in South Africa the late 1990s found communal land tenure to be strongest predictor of vegetation and soil degradation, while abiotic factors such as geology, slope aspect were also correlated with scores, but secondary importance. This study compared relative importance tenure, angle solar radiation index (calculated from angle) influencing plant composition, basal cover, erosion shrub encroachment adjacent commercial farming areas two...

Large-mammal herbivore populations are subject to the interaction of internal density-dependent processes and external environmental stochasticity. We disentangle these by linking consumer population dynamics, in a highly stochastic environment, availability their key forage resource via effects on body condition subsequent fecundity mortality rates. Body demographic rate data were obtained monitoring 500 tagged female goats Richtersveld National Park, South Africa, over three-year period....

Non-technical summary We argue that the ways in which we as humans derive well-being from nature – for example by harvesting firewood, selling fish or enjoying natural beauty feed back into how behave towards environment. This feedback is mediated institutions (rules, regulations) and individual capacities to act. Understanding these relationships can guide better interventions sustainably improving alleviating poverty. However, more attention needs be paid experience-related benefits...

Abstract Changes in vegetation and soils under heavy continuous grazing have been widely documented, but the effects of these on secondary production are debated. Sterkspruit is one South Africa's most degraded districts, soil erosion district increased substantially over twentieth century. Despite this, records dating to late‐1800s show no decline livestock numbers. This study explores how high stocking rates maintained despite an apparent deterioration natural resource base. Multiple...

Invasion by alien woody species is a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function in the Fynbos Grassland Biomes of South Africa, riparian areas are particularly affected. Large stands Australian Acacia longifolia have been cleared catchments grassy fynbos Eastern Cape. After clearing mature A. longifolia, dead material usually stacked, left dry eventually burned. There concern that this results very high fire intensities detriment native seed banks, it has suggested smaller slash...

Soil erosion in rangelands is widely believed to be caused primarily by overgrazing. The aims of this study, conducted a severely eroded district under communal tenure, were establish (1) how the extent and severity soil have changed over time, (2) varies within what variables correlate with high levels erosion, (3) perceptions local people reflect realities degradation. Analyses aerial photographs showed that increased substantially since 1950, area affected doubling some areas between 1950...

This article reports on a symposium held at Fort Hare University in July 1998. Its objective was to assess the current state of knowledge communal rangelands and identify issues important for policy making. done light concerns about recent reform. Uncontrolled access resources lack services were identified as main constraints socio‐economic development rangelands, inadequate forage during dry season recognised general constraint livestock production, irrespective mean annual rainfall....

Following a field campaign to determine the species composition, canopy cover, aboveground annual production and leaf area index (LAI) of semi-arid savanna north-western Namibia, we present model that can be used by graziers livestock carrying capacity. The predicts net primary (ANPP) from regression equations cover fraction for plant functional classes. We tested output against another fully independent (NPP) model, namely MODIS NPP product. mean 29 sites was 343 ± 22 kg dry matter (DM)...

Short-duration overnight kraaling has been suggested as a tool for restoring degraded rangelands. However, the response of different plant functional types and communities to such intense livestock impact may vary depending on local context. We thus examined effects short-duration soil vegetation characteristics in mesic montane grassland South Africa using paired kraal control sites, part low intensity grazing approach. Kraaling increased P S, well organic matter (except when initial values...

Drought limits maize production in many regions of the world, and this is likely to intensify future. Elevated atmospheric CO2 (eCO2) can mitigate by reducing stomatal conductance water loss without yield. The magnitude effect depends on interaction eCO2 drought severity, but scarce data collected under severe conditions limit predictions future production.We compared × responses six genotypes from semi-arid sub-humid growing regions.Genotypic differences were apparent growth, gas exchange,...

Non-technical summary We argue that the ways in which we as humans derive well-being from nature – for example by harvesting firewood, selling fish or enjoying natural beauty feed back into how behave towards environment. This feedback is mediated institutions (rules, regulations) and individual capacities to act. Understanding these relationships can guide better interventions sustainably improving alleviating poverty. However, more attention needs be paid experience-related benefits...