Environmental & Physical Sciences

Environmental & Physical Sciences Research Papers/Topics

Assessment of public-private partnership for solid waste management in Wote town, Makueni county Kenya

Abstract: Wote is a town in Eastern Kenya, Makueni County . Wote serves as the headq uarter of Makueni County and has a population of 9,875. The town has been experiencing rapid population growth. An increase in solid waste is observed due to increase in urbanization, population density and inco me, changing food habits, taste and pattern. T his study aimed at providing an alternative solution to the existing Solid Waste Management (SWM) systems . The study set out to investigate how Public ...

Land user based land degradation and livelihoods assessment: application in sustainable management of Lake Naivasha -Kenya

Abstract: The study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of using a land user based land degradation and livelihood assessment approach, with the overall aim of improving the sustainable management of Lake Naivasha. The study focused on two sub-catchments of Wanjohi and Turasha within the Lake Basin. A cross-sectional survey was selected for this study to allow for triangulation on information collected and to be able to infer the results from the sample to the larger population. T...

Drivers of land use change in the Drakensberg Mountains South Africa

Abstract: Change in land use has had major impacts on natural resources. Mountain terrains and their associated natural resources are especially vulnerable to extensive changes in land use. We evaluated climate, demographic and socio-economic changes for two study areas in the Drakensberg Mountains, as possible drivers of land use change in each study area. The most notable change in land use within the study areas was the increase in urban areas despite the fact that the study areas are loc...

The development of an approach for the production and use of algae to treat urban wastewater

Abstract: The presence of huge quantities of nutrients in water bodies heavily promotes the growth of algae. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in discharged wastewaters can lead to downstream eutrophication thereby damaging the ecosystem. Algae bioremediation involves the use of live algae in the removal of excess dissolved nutrients from wastewater and subsequently diminish the pollution load. It is an alternative economical and sustainable way of treating sewage wastewater compared to convent...

Host-parasite interactions of two sympatric small mammals from South Africa

Abstract: Patterns of ectoparasite burden among hosts can be linked to differences in abiotic (i.e. climatic conditions) and biotic (i.e. host characteristics) factors. Although this is well documented for small mammals in the northern hemisphere, similar data for southern Africa, particularly South Africa, is scant. In addition, interspecific interactions in parasite communities may contribute to the distribution of parasites across a host population, however, they are not fully understood ...

Licuati forest reserve, Mozambique : flora, utilization and conservation

Abstract: A floristic study of the Thicket vegetation in the Licmiti Forest Reserve, southern Mozambique, was undertaken. Observations on the structure and range of this unique vegetation type, its species composition, level of endemism and utilisation are provided. A literature review of the physical environment, soils, climate, vegetation and flora, as well as historical background, is presented. The Licuati Thicket covers an area of about 14 000 ha, which is about 35% of the 40 000 ha cov...

Addressing the expectations gap between corporate environmental performance communication and an affected community’s needs : with reference to organisations situated in markman township and

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify and address an expectations gap in the environmental-performance information between a community that believes it is being polluted and the organisations from a nearby industrial area. The study has consisted of a literature survey and a field study. The field study comprised a survey among the residents in Bluewater Bay, and a similar survey amongst the organisations in Markman Township. These areas were chosen because there is a history o...

Systematics and conservation of Colophon Gray (Coleoptera: Lucanidae)

Abstract: The flightless Cape High-mountain stag beetle genus Colophon (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) is studied. Represented by 17 species, which are restricted to the highest mountain peaks of the Cape Floristic Region in the Western Cape, South Africa, and show a strict association with the fynbos biome. The study aimed to determine the specific and phylogenetic status of the described species of Colophon and to determine the main factors driving their evolution by testing hypotheses of relation...

Restoration and ant diversity to post-plantation forestry grasslands

Abstract: There has been a widespread assessment of the capacity of grasslands to restore after several forms of disturbance. In South Africa forestry is a significant habitat disturbance within the Eastern Highveld grasslands where this study was conducted. The study compared ant communities between disturbed grasslands that have been rehabilitated after pine forestry and undisturbed grasslands. Ant sampling was conducted using pitfall traps within rehabilitated sites of age 10 years to 40 ...

Visual and olfactory cues used in host location by the blister beetle Hycleus apicicornis (Coleoptera: Meloidae), a pest of Desmodium (Fabaceae) species

Abstract: Desmodium spp. are leguminous plants mainly used as livestock fodder. In Kenya and neighbouring countries they are also used in a „push-pull‟ strategy by smallholder farmers to protect maize (Zea mays) against two major groups of pests, stemborers (Lepidoptera) and witchweed, Striga spp., by repelling the former away from the cereal crop and suppressing growth of the latter. However, smallholder seed production of Desmodium spp. is compromised by blister beetles Hycleus spp. (C...


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