Browsing by Author "Tshali, Nolwethu"
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- ItemEvaluating detection efforts and management of alien and invasive species by citizens in Western Cape, South Africa(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Tshali, Nolwethu; Measey, John; Shackleton, Ross; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Botany and Zoology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Invasive alien species (IAS) are a growing threat globally and cause a variety of ecological, economic and social impacts. People play a key role in introducing IAS and facilitating their spread but also in implementing and supporting management. Research and management of IAS traditionally focuses on biological dimensions and on state operated large scale control initiatives, with little emphasis on the social dimensions. Citizens can, however, contribute to prevention, detection, eradication and containment of IAS and getting an understanding of the extent of knowledge, perceptions and involvement in IAS management is important. I evaluate the motivations and contributions of individual volunteers and groups to the control of IAS in South Africa’s Western Cape province. I use two different online questionnaires, one for volunteer group co-ordinators and the other for individual volunteers involved in the control of invasive alien plant species (IAPS). In total, I identify 52 volunteer groups, most of which were motivated to take action by the rapid expansion of IAPS in their local areas, and their perceived need to maintain pristine fynbos. I estimate that half of these groups that participated in the survey clear nearly 5 300 ha of land with estimated labour costs of ZAR 5.1 million annually (equivalent to USD 0.32 million) when aligned with formal state management cost estimates. Most volunteer groups work on Australian Acacia species, raising their own funds to facilitate their work. Further, many groups affirm that they require support from governmental conservation organisations, for manpower to remove biomass and bigger plants, tools, training for new members and to comply with legislation on herbicide use. The majority of volunteers (82%) detect and report invasive species to relevant authorities, citizen science platforms and to their team leaders, while only 16% of volunteers said that they have never reported IAPS. Volunteers themselves gain fulfilment and build their social capital by meeting and interacting with new people and preserving native biodiversity. The contribution of these volunteer groups to IAPS management is important, but there is the need for better co-ordination and engagement between volunteer groups and mandated authorities working on science, policy and management. I also administered questionnaires to citizens in eight small towns in the Berg River Catchment in Western Cape, South Africa, where volunteer groups are largely absent aiming to assess their knowledge and perceptions of IAS. Overall, 262 respondents participated in the survey. More than half of the respondents 65% (n = 171) explicitly did not know the meaning of IAS, and 10% (n = 25) were unsure. Many respondents perceive IAS as beneficial. Using a logistic regression, I find that the minority of respondents who understand the concept of IAS were men with higher education levels, living in areas where IAS density is higher. Knowledge of IAS is found to be a pre-requisite for citizens engaging in reporting and removing IAS, and for them to get involved in volunteer programmes aimed at controlling IAS. I conclude that the citizens remain largely unaware of IAS and their impacts, in the Western Cape. However, once informed, some respondents 53% (n = 139) showed interest and willingness to learn more about IAS and their impacts regardless of their current level of knowledge. This suggests the need for better education campaigns which might help to facilitate support of IAS management efforts by the public in the future. I conclude that there is a need to promote a broad public understanding of IAS in South Africa and help to facilitate ongoing citizen initiatives. The state support of volunteers could be used as a potential vehicle to promote awareness on IAS more generally. Creation of new volunteer groups in the Berg River Catchment may represent a potential way to increase citizen knowledge, co-ordinate awareness and reporting and management of IAS. This thesis highlights the importance of the social dimensions in invasion science and the need for better engagement between different stakeholders to improve reporting, policy and management surrounding biological invasions in South Africa.