Southern african wildlife college talk july 2011

Southern African Wildlife College

• Introduction• Examination of words• Some of the College’s teachings and their

applicability• An example

Wildlife

• The term wildlife describes the two groups of living organisms in nature –wild plants and wild animals. Birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, worms and bacteria are all animal organisms (Thomson 2006).

Wildlife

College

SAWC Environmental education Learner guide

• Examine major environmental issues by focusing on current and potential situations and on the learner’s immediate surroundings and culture and relating topics under discussion to regional, national and international issues and

perspectives. “Think global, act local”, in other words examine

the large global and national problems, but look at what you can do in your own area.

• Stress individual responsibility towards the environment by

emphasizing both individual and collective involvement and the importance of public participation.

Easy to teach difficult to do.

People retain:10% of what they hear30% of what they read50% of what they see90% of what they do

• Limiting factors in Savanna: water & nutrients

Society’s wildlife management priorities in order of importanceNUMBER ONE PRIORITY- THE SOILSociety’s most important wildlife management responsibility concerns the protection and/or wise use of the soil – because without soil no plants can grow; and without plants life on Planet Earth would not be possible.Note: Consideration of the soil as man’s priority responsibility is one of the most important general omissions from society’s understanding about the principles and practices of wildlife management.

Ecology / Wildlife management

Organic layer

A horizon darker richer

1. Factors influencing soil erosion

2. Influence of soils on the ecosystem

Relationship of water & wind erosion for bare (B,D) & natural veld (A,C) with an increase in annual rainfall

(van Oudtshoorn 1992)

The relative influence of certain factors affecting water erosion (van Oudtshoorn 1992)

Leaf litter & soil removal from campusBag No. Bag wgt. Kg Min total bags in week 128

1 13.3

2 13.1 Amount removed/week 984.96 kg

3 10.3

4 10.9 Amount/month 3940 kg

5 5.2 Month 4 tonnes6 11.6

7 6.8

8 3.8

9 6.7

10 5.3

11 5.6

12 6.4

13 6.3

14 10.6

15 9.9

16 11.6

17 6.6

18 3.5

19 3.5

20 2.9Total 20 bags 153.9

Average 7.695

2.4.1 Reasons why erosion control efforts are sometimes unsuccessful (Infrastructure Management)

• Failure to understand the process involved.• Impulsive actions devoid of good planning.• Insufficient attention to financial implications.• The use of inappropriate methods.• Trying to “fill up” or “fix up” advanced erosion

systems, rather than preventing them from degenerating further.

• Failure to eliminate the cause of accelerated erosion.

For soil example what are the issues

• Ecology & conservation.• Lead by positive example.• Safety (fire hazard, dangerous animals).• Social (visual-emotional) aspect (personal).

Thank You