Systematic conservation planning: a review of perceived limitations and an illustration of the benefits, using a case study from Maputaland, South Africa

Systematic conservation planning is widely considered the most effective approach for designing protected area and other ecological networks. However, many conservation practitioners still ignore these methods and we suggest that five perceived limitations of this process are affecting its uptake. These perceptions are that (1) systematic conservation planning software is difficult to use, (2) the process requires extensive biodiversity distribution data, (3) setting targets for representing conservation features is not possible, (4) the advantages of systematic conservation planning do not outweigh the costs, and (5) the resulting plans often identify unsuitable areas. Here we review these perceived limitations and argue they are all misplaced, although we recognize difficulties in the target setting process. We then illustrate the value of systematic conservation planning to practitioners using a case study that describes a low-cost exercise from Maputaland, South Africa. This preliminary conservation assessment measured the effectiveness of the existing reserve system and identified a number of candidate areas that could be the focus of community- or privately-run ecotourism or game ranching ventures. Our results also emphasize both the importance of producing planning outputs that are specifically targeted for stakeholders, and the role of systematic conservation planning in providing a framework for integrating different provincial, national and transnational conservation initiatives.

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INVESTIGATING CROSS CONGRUENCE BETWEEN BUTTERFLY TAXA AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF SYSTEMATIC CONSERVATION PLANNING: A CASE STUDY FROM LESSER CAUCASUS ECOREGION OF TURKEY

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.17161/eurojecol.v7i2.15042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Banu Kaya özdemirel

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Site Selection ◽

Conservation Planning ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Systematic Conservation Planning ◽

Ecological Community ◽

North Eastern ◽

Lesser Caucasus

Cross taxa congruence was investigated between butterfly taxa and ecological community for fine spatial scale (10 × 10 km² UTM grids) in north-eastern part of Turkey. The study area was evaluated within the scope of systematic conservation planning, and analyses were performed for sets of priority protected areas composed using complementarity-based site selection software Marxan. Cross taxa congruence was subsequently examined both in species richness and ecologic complementarity. Accordingly, it has been observed that the cross-taxon congruence between butterfly taxa and ecological community was relatively better than the results of previous studies. Another remarkable finding is that ecological community was a more robust surrogate than butterfly taxa. Although the results are valuable for conservation studies, they highlight the fact that a simple surrogate-based site selection would be inadequate to represent overall biodiversity. The weakness of congruence patterns among surrogates would also lead to gaps in biodiversity conservation. These findings therefore draw attention to the necessities of incorporating surrogates of distinct ecology or some other surrogates like environmental parameters into conservation planning. Otherwise, there may be mistakes regarding species representation and the vast majority of species may be misrepresented in protected areas and protected area plans. At this point, it should be emphasized that understating cross taxa congruence and/or relationships is a key component for efficient biodiversity conservation.

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Exploring Guanxi in a Cross-Cultural Context

Journal of Chinese Overseas ◽

10.1163/17932548-12341357 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 263-286 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

_ _

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

South African ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Economic Activities ◽

Employment Decisions ◽

Employment Relationships

Abstract Using a case study of recently arrived Cantonese-speaking migrants, this article examines the role of guanxi in shaping Chinese newcomers’ economic activities and opportunities in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Cantonese-speaking migrants tend to be employed in restaurant and fahfee (gambling) sectors, which are partially inherited from the early generations of South African Chinese. Through narratives and stories, this article reveals that Cantonese newcomers often strengthen personal and employment relationships through the practice of guanxi, but that doing so can also constrain their employment decisions. Moreover, the ambiguous boundary between the act of bribery and the practice of guanxi may facilitate Chinese participation but can also result in the victimization of the newcomers.

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Industrial strategy and local economic development: The case of the foundry industry in Ekurhuleni Metro

South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences ◽

10.4102/sajems.v8i4.1175 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 448-464 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T Phele ◽

S Roberts ◽

I Steuart

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Economic Development ◽

Local Economic Development ◽

Local Level ◽

Action Plans ◽

Foundry Industry ◽

The Past ◽

Concrete Action

This article explores the challenges for the development of manufacturing through a case study of the foundry industry in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Ekurhuleni Metro covers the largest concentration in South Africa, but the industry’s performance has been poor over the past decade. The findings reported here highlight the need to understand firm decisions around investment, technology and skills, and the role of local economic linkages in this regard. The differing performance of foundries strongly supports the need to develop concrete action plans and effective institutions at local level to support the development of local agglomerations.

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Exploration role of volunteerism on the digitisation project: case of the office of the premier in Mpumalanga province, South Africa

Collection and Curation ◽

10.1108/cc-12-2019-0048 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 15-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Best Practice ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Youth Empowerment ◽

Content Type ◽

Mpumalanga Province ◽

Volunteer Labor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of volunteerism during the digitisation project by the Office of the Premier in Mpumalanga with a view recommending the best practice. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data was collected through the semi-structured qualitative interviews with the records manager and ten volunteer archivists employed by the Office of the Premier. Findings Local pupils within the Mpumalanga province were recruited to participate in the digitisation project as a form of youth empowerment. The Mpumalanga Provincial Archives was not involved in the digitisation project to ensure that all digitisation specification was in line with the requirement of the provincial archives. Furthermore, a lack of resources to implement the digitisation project was cited as the main stamping block for the successful implementation of the project. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to the Office of the premier, in the Mpumalanga province. Practical implications Archivists interested in recruiting volunteers on a digitisation project can use this paper to understand the benefits and cost of volunteer labor before putting volunteer projects into practice. Social implications The success of a digitisation project depends on the involvement of the Mpumalanga Provincial archives. Originality/value This paper presents a unique case study in South Africa of a digitisation project staffed with volunteers in the office of the Premier.

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