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CSE721S - CONSERVATION ECOLOGY 3 - 2ND OPP - JAN 2023 |
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,r-
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n Am I 8 I A Un IVE RS ITY
OF SCIEnCE Ano TECHnOLOGY
FACULTYOF HEALTH, NATURAL RESOURCESAND APPLIED SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES SCIENCES
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
QUALIFICATION CODE: 07BNRS
LEVEL: 7
COURSE CODE: CSE721S
COURSE NAME: CONSERVATION ECOLOGY 3
DATE: JANUARY 2023
DURATION: 3 HOURS
MARKS: 80
SECOND OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
EXAMINER{S): PROF. T. WASSENAAR
MODERATOR: DR GILLIAN MAGGS-KOLLING
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Answer ALL the questions.
2. Write clearly and neatly.
3. Number the answers clearly.
PERMISSIBLE MATERIALS
1. Examination question paper
2. Answering book (including additional
specific questions)
illustrative
material linked to
THIS EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF THREE PAGES (excluding front page)
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Question 1: Name two key barriers to evidence-based decision-making in NRM. [4 marks]
Question 2: Define evidence-based natural resource management, then critically analyse the
approach of the researchers in the accompanying piece of text with the title "Flagging Aberrant Sites
and Assemblages in Restoration Projects" in terms of the extent to which they used evidence to
recommend management decisions. [10 marks]
Flagging Aberrant Sites and Assemblages in
Restoration Projects
Theo D. Wassenaar. 1•2 Sam M. Ferreira.u and Rudi J. van Aarde 1.4
Abstract
The rccoYcry of an cl'OS)'Stcm in response tu a rcstorntion
11rogrm11tlmt relics on natural processes nmy be ch:mll'•
tcrizcd by heterogeneous changes in species romposition
and s1r11ct11rc.In most l'ascs. such nuiuhilit)' is nat11n1I
and should c,·en he wckomcd. 1-lowc,·cr. ,•ariability that
arises rrom a specific restoration site. as opposed to ran-
dom!~· from all siles, may indicate problems with the res•
toration process and may jeopardize the outromc of a
Jlrojcct. Herc, we describe a tcchnilJUC to flag those sites
and assemblages that tend to de\\'clop ahcrruntly. We use
data on plant and :minml assemblages, collected dnring
routine monitoring operations oYcr scYcral s11n1cys on
:1 chronose<JUCncc of rehabilit.1ling dune forests. Using
this techni<Jnc, we show that a hird assemblage on one of
the sites al our study :1rca on the coast of southern Afric:1
tends to develop slower than expected. This site is sitn-
atcd l'arlhcr than others from potential source areas
(intact forests) and closer to hnman h:1bitation. In
essence, the technique uses a pcrm11t:1tion test to identify
ecological ,·:1riahlcs :uul :1sscmhl:1gcsthat lend lo be more
variable thm1 expected. It then focuses on these tn iden-
tilY s11ecificaberrant sites. The ted111i<111alclows nmnage-
ment tu concentrate scarce resources to determine the
causes of ahcrrant changes. as well as possihlc mili~uting
actions, for specific silcs inste:111of across the bo:ml. This
cust-cllicicnt rapid assessment technique will lead to
impro,•cd chances of resloratiou success. II m:1y he
applied in all 1m1jects where a chronose11nence of sites
rnn he sampled repeatedly, us is often the case in post-
mining restoration.
Key words: aberrant clumges, dune forest, earl~·detection,
mining.
Question 3: Part of a nature reserve near Windhoek burned in an unplanned veld fire. Many people
feel that management should in the future keep all fires out. Describe how you will decide whether
management should be adapted to keep fire out or to allow fire in some circumstances. What sort of
questions will you ask? What kind of data will you collect from where? [10 marks]
Question 4: One of the key barriers to evidence-based decision-making in NRM is the difficulty that
natural resource managers face in evaluating and interpreting findings from the scientific literature,
which is often published in inaccessible places and use highly technical language. Acknowledging
that both managers and researchers face time and resource constraints in their daily tasks, discuss
possible solutions to this PROBLEM.[4 marks]
Question 5: Evaluate the relationship between the concepts of meta populations and patch
dynamics. [4 marks]
Question 6: Explain the difference between equilibrium and non-equilibrium dynamics as applied in
rangeland management. [4 marks]
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Question 7: Hierarchical patch dynamics is a simple expansion of patch dynamics that recognises
that disturbances can be nested, and that they interact with other different disturbances at a variety
of scales, creating a hierarchy of natural disturbances and patch characteristics. Explain why and
how this is a key constraint for an initiative to approach natural resource management as a patch
dynamics problem. [4 marks]
Question 8: EssayQuestion: The pastoralist farmers of Namibia's arid northwest region have for
centuries followed the traditional practice of moving their livestock to areas that had received rain,
sometimes over long distances, leaving the old range behind. It has been argued that in this case,
vegetation composition and structure is not affected by animal stocking rate because plants and
animals are both affected by random abiotic factors such as the highly variable rainfall. Rangelands
that appear to be degraded therefore experience frequent rest periods when animals migrate away
or die out and can recover their diversity and composition soon after rain. More importantly, the
argument also states that the concept of stocking rate therefore does not apply at all.
Discussboth sides of this argument - is there evidence for the hypothesis that livestock do not affect
vegetation structure? If so, what kind of evidence is there? On the other hand, is there evidence for
large scale degradation? What is this evidence? What is the reason for this dichotomous view? [20
marks]
Question 9: Diagram Question: It has been said that fire's effects on savannas is just like that of a
very large, very hot herbivore. And in many respects fire's effect on savanna structure and function
is indeed similar that of a large herbivore, but in many others it is not. Using the extra supplied
paper, explain the similarities and differences in an annotated graphic that shows relationships
between the main elements that make up this contrast, and that shows how they compare in terms
of their effects on vegetation physiognomy and nutrient cycling. [20 marks]
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QUESTION 9 DIAGRAM ANSWER PAGE
WRITE YOUR NAME HERE---------
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