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A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use
Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
2011
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| _version_ | 1867613732568301568 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Dawson, Emily Kathleen |
| author2 | Van der Merwe, J. H. |
| author_browse | Dawson, Emily Kathleen Van der Merwe, J. H. |
| author_facet | Van der Merwe, J. H. Dawson, Emily Kathleen |
| author_sort | Dawson, Emily Kathleen |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | University of Stellenbosch |
| description | Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16297 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:49.380Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publishDateRange | 2011 |
| publishDateSort | 2011 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16297 A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use Dawson, Emily Kathleen Van der Merwe, J. H. Boucher, C. University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Earth Sciences. Rivers -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Water quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape Ecological integrity -- South Africa -- Western Cape Land use -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Water quality biological assessment -- South Africa -- Western Cape Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Western Cape Theses -- Geography and environmental studies Dissertations -- Geography and environmental studies Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The River Health Programme (RHP) is an assessment tool for monitoring the ecological state of rivers to ensure that they remain fit for use by present and future generations. This study, forming part of a RHP assessment conducted on the south-western Cape Hout Bay, Lourens and Palmiet Rivers, has the aim to (1) zone the rivers for representative site selection, (2) assess their habitat integrity (HI), (3) determine the influence of land use on riverine HI and (4) assess the river water quality at the time of the RHP assessments. (1) The desktop geomorphological zonation method used in RHP assessments has not been sufficiently previously tested on short rivers draining the Western Cape Mountains. The Lowland River Zone of the rivers studied, as well as the Hout Bay River’s Upper Foothill Zone, were found to have steeper gradients than expected, probably due to these rivers being shorter and consequently steeper than any on which the method was previously tested. The notion of one gradient river classification system being applicable throughout South Africa, with its diverse geology and climate, is unlikely. Rather a classification system modified for various physiographic features regions or by a factor based on river length is more realistic. (2) Although there is a general longitudinal decrease in HI downstream along the Hout Bay and Lourens Rivers, coinciding with increased anthropogenic activities, HI improves in the Palmiet River’s lower reaches through the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. Surrounding land use thus seems to be a major determinant of HI. Although the Index of Habitat Integrity (IHI) used appears to achieve its aim, it was found to be subjective. Categorisation of the IHI scoring is suggested. (3) The amount of natural versus disturbed land use occurring upstream of a site at a regional and local scale, is a good predictor of riverine HI. Regional alien forestry and local urbanisation have significantly strong negative effects on instream (r2 = -0.80, r2 = 0.80, p<0.05) and riparian (r2 = -0.81, r2 = -0.83, p<0.05) HI. Different land use types therefore appear to affect riverine HI at differing scales and thus managers must not only think on a local but also a catchment scale. (4) In the Hout Bay River, a filtering system (e.g. wetland) appears to improve the water quality between the middle and lower reaches. Along the Lourens River, high total dissolved salts, conductivity and inorganic nitrogen concentrations in the middle reaches are cause for concern. Along the Palmiet River there appeared to be insufficient oxygen to support most aquatic life forms at Grabouw. Impoundments in the middle reaches act as sinks for nutrients and salts, but the Huis and Krom tributaries downstream then appear to degrade the water quality of the Palmiet River’s lower reaches within the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. Together with the results of simultaneous biotic assessments, these results should be used to develop management actions to improve the ecological health of these rivers. The results have been used in a State-of-Rivers Report for the south-western Cape. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Riviergesondheidsprogram (RGP) is 'n asseseringsinstrument wat die ekologiese stand van riviere monitor om te verseker dat hulle steeds bruikbaar bly vir huidige en toekomstige geslagte. Hierdie studie maak deel uit van 'n RGP-assessering van die Lourens-, Houtbaai- en Palmietrivier in die Suidwes-Kaap en het ten doel om (1) die riviere te soneer vir verteenwoordigende terreinseleksie, (2) die habitat-integriteit (HI) te assesseer, (3) die invloed van grondgebruik op rivier-HI te bepaal en (4) die kwaliteit van rivierwater tydens die RGP-assesserings te bepaal. (1) Die geomorfologiese-soneringsmetode wat in RGP-assesserings gebruik word, is nog nie voorheen genoegsaam vir die kort riviere wat die Wes-Kaapse berge dreineer, getoets nie. Daar is bevind dat die studiegebied riviere in die laagland-sones skerper gradiënte het as verwag, gehad het. Dit kan moontlik toegeskryf word aan die riviere wat korter en dus steiler is as enige van dié wat voorheen met die metode getoets is. Die moontlikheid dat een gradiëntklassifikasiestelsel vir riviere regdeur Suid-Afrika met sy diverse geologie en klimaat toegepas kan word, is onwaarskynlik. 'n Klassifikasiestelsel aangepas vir verskillende fisiografiese streke of met 'n faktor gebaseer op rivierlengte, is meer realisties. (2) Alhoewel HI stroomaf langs die Lourens- en Houtbaairivier in die algemeen longitudinaal saam met die toename in antropogeniese aktiwiteite afneem, verbeter die Palmietrivier se HI waar dit laer af deur die Kogelbergnatuurreservaat vloei. Die gebruike van aanliggende grond blyk dus 'n belangrike bepaler van HI te wees. Die Indeks van Habitatintegriteit (IHI) bereik klaarblyklik die vereiste doel, maar is te subjektief. Kategorisering van die IHI-waardes word voorgestel. (3) 'n Goeie voorspeller van rivier-HI is die hoeveelheid natuurlike teenoor versteurde grondgebruik stroomop van 'n terrein op 'n streeks- en lokale skaal. Die sterk negatiewe effek van uitheemse plantegroei in die omgewing en lokale verstedeliking op stroom- (r² = -0.80, r² = 0.80, p<0.05 ) en oewer-HI (r² = -0.81, r² = -0.83, p<0.05) is beduidend. Verskille in tipe grondgebruik beïnvloed rivier-HI op verskillende vlakke; bestuurders moet dus plaaslik en aan die opvanggebied dink. (4) In die Houtbaairivier lyk dit asof 'n filtreringstelsel (bv. vleigrond) die waterkwaliteit tussen die middel- en lae gedeeltes verbeter. In die loop van die Lourensrivier is hoë totale opgeloste soute, geleidingsvermoë en anorganiese stikstofkonsentrasies in die middelgedeelte 'n rede tot kommer. In die Palmietrivier by Grabouw was die suurstof te min om die meeste akwatiese lewensvorme te onderhou. Opgedamde water in die middel gedeeltes dien as 'n sink vir voedingstowwe en soute, maar dit lyk asof die Huis- en Kromrivier die waterkwaliteit van die Palmietrivier stroomaf in die Kogelbergnatuurreservaat degradeer. Saam met die resultate van gelyktydige biotiese assesserings, kan hierdie resultate gebruik word vir die ontwikkeling van bestuursaksies om die ekologiese toestand van hierdie riviere te verbeter. Die resultate is gebruik in 'n toestand-van-riviere-verslag vir die Suidwes-Kaap. 2011-08-25T10:48:22Z 2011-08-25T10:48:22Z 2003-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16297 en_ZA University of Stellenbosch xv, 167, 34 leaves : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| spellingShingle | Rivers -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Water quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape Ecological integrity -- South Africa -- Western Cape Land use -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Water quality biological assessment -- South Africa -- Western Cape Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Western Cape Theses -- Geography and environmental studies Dissertations -- Geography and environmental studies Dawson, Emily Kathleen A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| title | A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| title_full | A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| title_fullStr | A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| title_full_unstemmed | A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| title_short | A river health assessment of selected South-Western Cape Rivers : index of habitat integrity, water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| title_sort | river health assessment of selected south western cape rivers index of habitat integrity water quality and the influence of surrounding land use |
| topic | Rivers -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Water quality -- South Africa -- Western Cape Ecological integrity -- South Africa -- Western Cape Land use -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa -- Western Cape Water quality biological assessment -- South Africa -- Western Cape Habitat (Ecology) -- South Africa -- Western Cape Theses -- Geography and environmental studies Dissertations -- Geography and environmental studies |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/16297 |
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