Browsing Research Articles (Geography and Environmental Studies) by Title
Now showing items 56-75 of 117
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A hierarchical Bayesian model of wildfire in a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot : implications of weather variability and global circulation
(Elsevier, 2010)In this study we combined an extensive database of observed wildfires with high-resolution meteorological data to build a novel spatially and temporally varying survival model to analyze fire regimes in the Mediterranean ... -
I fish because I am a fisher : exploring livelihood and fishing practices to justify claims for access to small-scale fisheries resources in South Africa
(AOSIS, 2021)In South Africa, claims for and access to natural resources are deeply embedded in people’s histories, identities and livelihood experiences. As in the case of land, access to and rights over fisheries resources is a highly ... -
Identifying the challenges of creating an optimal dissemination geography for census
(CONSAS Conference, 2015-02)The importance of census data in government and private-sector planning cannot be underestimated. However, the geographic level at which it is made available for different users, is a highly debateable issue. ... -
Impact of ecological redundancy on the performance of machine learning classifiers in vegetation mapping
(Wiley Open Access, 2017)Vegetation maps are models of the real vegetation patterns and are considered important tools in conservation and management planning. Maps created through traditional methods can be expensive and time-consuming, thus, ... -
Input variable selection for interpolating high-resolution climate surfaces for the Western Cape
(Water SA, 2011-07)Accurate climate surfaces are vital for applications relating to groundwater recharge modelling, evapotranspiration estimation, sediment yield, stream flow prediction and flood risk mapping. Interpolated climate surface ... -
Into the future : Donkergat military training area and the Langebaan Ramsar site
(AOSIS, 2019-02-26)Militaries need natural areas for offensive and defensive combat-readiness programmes. Here soldiers, war machinery and munitions are employed to prepare forces to execute warfighting tactics. Integration of environmental ... -
Investigating 2-D and 3-D proximal remote sensing techniques for vineyard yield estimation
(MDPI, 2019-08-22)Vineyard yield estimation provides the winegrower with insightful information regarding the expected yield, facilitating managerial decisions to achieve maximum quantity and quality and assisting the winery with logistics. ... -
Investigating the knowledge and preparedness of proximal residents to a general-emergency event at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station
(AOSIS Publishing, 2016-01)Ward 23 in the City of Cape Town South Africa is situated within 16 km of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station (KNPS). Massive investments were made to provide the 13 800 residents of Ward 23 with information on emergency ... -
Investigating the utility of oblique tree-based ensembles for the classification of hyperspectral data
(MDPI, 2016-11)Ensemble classifiers are being widely used for the classification of spectroscopic data. In this regard, the random forest (RF) ensemble has been successfully applied in an array of applications, and has proven to be ... -
Knowledge-based service industry in a South African university town : the case of Stellenbosch
(Carfax Publishing, Taylor and Francis Ltd, 2012-08)Knowledge-based service industries, because they are geographically ‘footloose’, have the potential to contribute to small town and city economies. The university town of Stellenbosch, identified as having a high growth ... -
Laboratory method design for investigating the phytoremediation of polluted water (with erratum)
(South African Water Research Commission, 2019)The performance of plants to remove, remediate or immobilise environmental contaminants in a growth matrix through natural biological, chemical or physical activities was studied in a laboratory phytoremediation system. ... -
A landscape-scale assessment of the long-term integrated control of an invasive shrub in South Africa
(Springer, 2009-01)The control of invasive alien plants often involves the integration two or more approaches, including mechanical clearing, the application of herbicides, burning, and biological control. More than one species of invasive ... -
Making the case for biodiversity in South Africa : re-framing biodiversity communications
(AOSIS Publishing, 2016)Background: Biodiversity education and public awareness do not always contain the motivational messages that inspire action amongst decision-makers. Traditional messages from the biodiversity sector are often framed around ... -
Measuring and modelling evapotranspiration in a South African grassland : comparison of two improved Penman-Monteith formulations
(South African Water Research Commission, 2018)Accurately measuring evapotranspiration (ET) is important in the context of global atmospheric changes and for use with climate models. Direct ET measurement is costly to apply widely and local calibration and validation ... -
Modelling the winter distribution of a rare and endangered migrant, the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2007-04)The Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola is one of the most threatened Western Palearctic passerine species, classified as globally Vulnerable. With its breeding grounds relatively secure, a clear need remains for ... -
Modelling water stress in a Shiraz Vineyard using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning
(MDPI, 2018)The detection of water stress in vineyards plays an integral role in the sustainability of high-quality grapes and prevention of devastating crop loses. Hyperspectral remote sensing technologies combined with machine ... -
Monitoring effects of land cover change on biophysical drivers in rangelands using albedo
(MDPI, 2019)This paper explores the relationship between land cover change and albedo, recognized as a regulating ecosystems service. Trends and relationships between land cover change and surface albedo were quantified to characterise ... -
Multi-temporal remote sensing land-cover change detection for biodiversity assessment in the Berg River catchment
(CONSAS, 2013)Due to the intimate relationship that exists between land cover and biodiversity it is possible to draw inferences on the current state of the biodiversity of an area, assess the likely future pressures and plan accordingly ... -
National coastal assessment & coastal climate change vulnerability assessment: Implications for the future
(2019-09)In this presentation the legacy of the coastal flood and erosion risk assessments conducted from the National Coastal Assessment project and the Coastal Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment is explained and the way ... -
Naturalization of European plants on other continents : the role of donor habitats
(National Academy of Sciences, 2019)The success of European plant species as aliens worldwide is thought to reflect their association with human-disturbed environments. However, an explicit test including all human-made, seminatural and natural habitat types ...
