If the work of others has been used, this is duly acknowledged in the text. The continued degradation of natural resources has led to an investigation of changes in land use patterns in the area.
Introduction
- Aim and objectives of the study
- Choice of study area
- Choice of time period for evaluation
- Structure of the dissertation
The aim of this study was to examine changes in land use patterns in Manganeng, Limpopo, South Africa over a period of 45 years. By digitizing these aerial and orthophotos, land use maps are created using a geographic information system (GIS).
Literature Review
- Land use and land cover change: an overview
- Natural resource assessment
- Water as a resource
- Soil as a resource
- Flora as a resource
- Fauna as resources
- The atmosphere and minerals as resources (brief overview)
- Land use types and their impact on the environment
- Agricultural Land
- Forestry and woodlands
- Natural rangelands
- Human settlement
- Interpreting land use change using aerial photographs
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- The use ofGIS in land use change studies
- Land use classification
- Multilevel land use classification system
- Levels of land use analysis
- Change detection techniques using aerial photographs and GIS Techniques
- Summary
2 In this document, land use and land cover will be referred to as land use unless specifically specified. The criteria should be based on natural land use and land cover dimensions in order to complement other classifications (eg soil, vegetation, agriculture, etc.).
Study Area
- Location
- Hydrology
- Soils
- Climatology
- Natural vegetation
- Summary of biophysical charecteristics
- Historical background of the study area
- Recorded historical background of Sekhukhuneland
- Historical boundaries
- Land ownership
- Land distribution and land tenure
- Environmental changes in South Africa
- Summary ofthe historical background of Sekhukhuneland
There is no recorded history for Manganeng, hence the use of Sekhukhuneland's history as a basis for understanding environmental issues in the area. This land of the Geluks had a communal system of land rights, which remains a widely loved model rooted in the history of the Pedi kingdom.
Materials and Methods
- Data capture
- Aerial and orthophotographs
- Identification of different land use types
- Scanning
- Georeferencing
- Digitizing
- Field surveys and ground truthing
- Ecological time line
- Analytical techniques
- Quantitative analysis
- Qualitative analysis
- Accuracy and error assessment
- Errors in aerial photos
- Errors that occur during identification offeatures
- Errors that occur during georeferencing
- Errors that occur during digitizing
- Qualitative techniques in land use change studies
- Summary of materials and methods
Missing data Some aerial photographs did not cover the entire study area, resulting in some land use maps containing missing data. The interviews and the PRA workshop helped to verify the data and provided a basis for understanding the causes and consequences of land use change in the area under consideration. The resulting data were then used to plot graphs using Minitab v12 (Minitab for Windows, 1998) to illustrate the amount of each land use covering the area.
The above method was also used to obtain percentage values for each change in land use (Equation 2) (Appendix E) (Westinga, 1999). The use of the interviews and the PRA workshop in his case was mainly to provide verification of the causes and consequences of land use changes in the area. There are several cases where errors can occur during the creation of land use maps and their analysis.
Field visits to specific locations in the area with available aerial photographs also helped to verify and pinpoint the various types of land use observed. To overcome these shortcomings, 1977 pictorial boundaries were used for all land use maps produced.
Results and Discussion
General land use changes in Manganeng
Present land use in Manganeng
Explanation Scattered trees Clapped trees River Housing Old road Missing data Farms Dongas Oepos~ed sand Bare stone Grazing land. Scattered trees Clustered trees Road River Dwelling Old road Farms Oongas Deposited sand _ Bare rock.
Surface area and land cover change analysis
- Farms
- Grazing land
- Bare rock
- Deposited sand
- Dongas
- Scattered trees
- Residential land
- Clustered trees
- Reservoir
Data were missing on the eastern part of the map overlays because the land use maps and 1995 did not cover the entire area. An increase in the size of the fanns was observed in the northeast and southeast of the land use map overlays. No map overlays were created for bare rocks because there is insignificant land use change over time.
No map overlays were created for deposited sand because there is insignificant land use change over time. No map overlays were created for dongas because there are no significant land use changes over time. No map overlays were created for scattered trees because there are no significant changes in land use over time.
However, this decline is linked to the missing data on the 1983 land use map. It was noted that most of the residential land polygons increased in size and were not replaced by other land use parcels.
Qualitative analysis
A continuous increase in population growth in the area has led to an increase in human settlement/residential land. The socio-economic needs of the community promoted the use of available natural resources in the area. This Vertiveria zinanoides grass can also be planted along the edges of the dongas in the area.
An integrated land use plan must be developed for the sustainable use of resources in the area. It is recommended that further research be done on soils in the area (soil mapping). Population and land use change in the California motif- Natural habitat implications of alternative futures.
Denser settlement in the Western District of Vistoria: a case study in Australian land use policy. The use of a geographic information system to investigate changes in land use patterns in the Midmar catchment.
- Land use change in Manganeng: a community perspective
- Transformation of the human settlement
- Modifications of the natural rangements
- Human activities impacting on agricultural practices
- Natural activities impacting on the environment
- Visual change assessment
Potentialland use change analysis
- Grazing land
- Bare rock
- Farms
- Residential land
- D Image
As observed in the land use maps created over the years, the need for more farmland has increased with a large increase in residential land. An assessment of potential changes in land use patterns in the area also suggests that this trend in reducing open space may continue. It is recommended that the agricultural extension officers be involved to provide guidance and assistance in relation to agricultural activities in the area.
It is hoped that the recommendations in the above paragraphs can improve environmental conditions in the area. It is recommended that any project to be implemented in the area that involves sustainable management and conservation of resources should be managed by both the community and the assisting external organization. Land use and environmental policy in the vast areas of South Africa: case studies from the Free State and the Northern Province.
Do you think that these dongas will increase in number and size in the future. Have measures been taken in the past to stop further increase of these dongas.
Machanisms responsible for possible land us changes in Manganeng
- Social and economic atributes
- Unsustainable cultivation methods which increase soil erosion over time
- Increased population growth vs cultivated
- Political attributes
- Cultural attributes
- Employment of indigenous knowledge systems in resource management
- Migration of wildlife
- De-stocking
- Donga reclamation
- Physical attributes
- Transportation links with other communities
- Damning of the pshirwa River
- Unfavourable climatic conditions
- Increased settlement
- Conversion of open spaces to other land uses
Conclusions and Recommendations
General conclusions and recommendations
- Indigenous knowledge
- Land use maps
- Quantification of land use change
- Forces driving land use changes
The cultivation of land, together with increased residential land use, has increased the pressure on land resources and exacerbated the degradation of the environment over recent years. It is important to emphasize that the main purpose of this study was to investigate changes in land use patterns in Manganeng. It is recommended that further research be undertaken where further data is collected and linked with other studies to assist in the preparation of land classification and future land use plans.
GIS was used to create land use maps with data that was quantified to determine the extent of changes that had occurred. This was due to population growth and the demand for more land for residential use. It is recommended that all plans for the construction of houses or further harvesting of trees be monitored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Affairs, the chief, his manager and the community in order to minimize activities that will accelerate the depletion of vegetation cover, loss of soil fertility and soil erosion (see table 4.1 for land use classification of deposited sand).
The use of a GIS by itself would not have been able to provide this study with an insight into and understanding of the forces driving land use change in Manganeng. This survey method made it clear that the drivers of most land use changes in the study area have been delineated by social, economic, political, cultural and/or physical characteristics.
Recommendations
- Short term (0-2 years)
- Medium term
- Long term (5-10 years)
Imbalances in political power between the Transitional Local Council and the Traditional Council have contributed to the slow development and lack of proper resource management in the area. It is recommended that all stakeholders be involved in all decision-making processes as legislated by the National Environmental Management Act of 1998. Thus, it is recommended that dongas which are smaller in size or those which are just developing should be recovered immediately using the reclamation measures already used in the area.
It is recommended that a perennial type of grass (Vertiveria zinaoides) be planted along the banks of the Sebilwane and Pshirwa rivers. It is recommended that grasslands in the area be reseeded and vegetation that promotes soil stability be planted to stabilize the soil to minimize further soil erosion. It is recommended that continued monitoring of the area be carried out, with footpaths showing signs of donga development being blocked at the earliest stages.
It is hoped that their findings will help bring the two worlds together, where government and the community can work together to introduce a more sustainable settlement plan to improve the environment, infrastructure and quality of life in the area. . It is recommended that agricultural education and environmental awareness be used as a mitigation measure to reduce further environmental degradation in Manganeng.
Adoption of a Sustainable Livelihood Framework
This study could not propose any form of management strategy without an assessment of those that are ongoing and those that have been successful or unsuccessful in the past. It is hoped that future research in Manganen can address all of these questions included in this framework to provide a clear understanding of the use and conservation of natural resources in Manganen. This framework will provide an assessment that will guide the development options that should be prioritized to maximize the benefits of sustainable resource management in the community.
Recommendations for further research
Limitation of the study
This study was a mini-survey to investigate possible changes in land use patterns in Manganeng. Land use maps were developed that did not exist for the area, making it easy to identify and interpret how changes in land use patterns have occurred in the area (Figure SA to SE). An economic evaluation of crop production in Manganeng and Makua in the Northern Province of South Africa.
Land use and land cover dynamics in response to changes in climatic, biological and socio-political forces: the case of southwestern Ethiopia. Integrated paleoecological and historical data in the service of land use and fme-resolution assessment of ecological change over the past 1000 years in Rouge, southern Estonia. In the past, the pedians had a large number of cattle, which caused this decrease in the number of cattle.
How much and where they cut firewood; the extent to which the vegetation has changed; can they still reap as much as they used to; where their livestock graze; is there enough pasture for them; where they grazed in the past;. What is the state of their rivers; whether their flow pattern has changed since the past; what about the amount of dongs seen in the area; whether any measures have been taken to reduce the problem;.
Bare parts of the mountain strewn with rocks
Insufficient rainfall has left parts of the Sebilwane River dry, note the size of the river
Clustered trees taken near the foot of the mountain
Scattered trees observed on the mountain
A view of the area from Ntswelatau Mountain. The main road, together with the new
A view of a donga across the bridge when entering the area. Taken from within to view
Some of the community members examining the aerial photographs and discussing
Members of the Manganeng Traditional Council after the PRA workshop
