A.J. de Villiers

Development of structured support groups for HIV-positive women in South Africa

Women living with HIV in a stigmatising community need support to cope with their HIV status. In a process of action research, a structured support group programme was designed to meet the needs of women to cope with their diagnosis and interpersonal relationships. The emphasis was on identifying their needs and developing programme material to address those needs through group participation and interaction. The programme was pilot-tested at two sites located in two townships in Tshwane, South Africa. Feedback after each session made it possible to adjust the programme to the needs of the participants. In a formative evaluation, audio-taped sessions, process notes of facilitators, and experiences of the participants were used to identify therapeutic elements, the value of the groups and the problems in the implementation process. Women reported benefit from participation in the support groups. A 10-session structured programme to be used in support groups addressing the most important needs of HIV-positive women was developed.

Vegetation diversity of the Brand-se-Baai coastal dune area, west coast, South Africa: a pre-mining benchmark survey for rehabilitation

Prior to the mining of heavy minerals, the vegetation diversity of the Brand-se-Baai coastal area was investigated to serve as a benchmark for the future rehabilitation of the area. The vegetation was surveyed using the Braun–Blanquet procedure to classify the different plant communities. Six plant communities, some of which include several variants, were identified, described and mapped. A revegetation goal of 30 per cent, rather than 60 per cent, of the number of plant species present prior to mining are recommended. Copyright

Removal of sodium and chloride from a saline soil by Mesembryanthemum barklyi

Abstract The removal of sodium and chloride from a saline-mined soil by Mesembryanthemum barklyi N.E. Br. was investigated under laboratory conditions. The sodium, magnesium and chloride content of plants increased when grown on a saline soil, while the calcium, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus content decreased. No significant difference in biomass production occurred between plants grown on saline and non-saline sandy soils.

Salinity-induced changes in anatomy, stomatal counts and photosynthetic rate of Atriplex semibaccata R. Br.

Anatomical changes in the roots and leaves of Atriplex semibaccata R. Br., induced by salinity stress, as well as photosynthetic and stomatal response to salinity, were investigated. As salinity increased, decreases were observed in root diameter and leaf size, as well as in the number of chloroplasts in the chlorenchyma and bundle sheath cells. Development of these two cell types was also inhibited. Net leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf stomatal conductance decreased with increasing salinity. while the intercellular CO 2 concentration increased. Both stomatal closure and inhibition of biochemical processes probably caused the reduced leaf photosynthetic rates. The stomatal indices suggest that the trend towards an increase in number of stomata per unit leaf area with an increase in salinity was not due to decreased epidermal cell size.

Tolerance of six Namaqualand pioneer species to saline soil conditions

Saline soils pose a great problem to reclamation of mined areas in arid regions. Experiments were carried out in order to determine the tolerance of six Namaqualand pioneer species to varying levels of salinity. Both perennial and ephemeral species were used and results of all species showed that increased salinity induced a significant decrease in biomass production. With increased salinity, biomass allocation towards the leaves increased, while that towards the stems decreased in both perennial and ephemeral species, but biomass allocation towards the other plant organs varied. Of the six species tested, the perennials seemed to be better suited for rehabilitation purposes under saline soil conditions.

Seed bank classification of the Strandveld Succulent Karoo, South Africa

Laboratory characteristics of seeds of 37 species (41 seed types) from the Strandveld Succulent Karoo were used to predict seed bank types according to a modified key of ). Five seed bank strategies were recognized for this vegetation type, i.e. two with transient and three with persistent seed bank strategies. Of the 37 species investigated, 32% (all perennial species) had transient seed bank strategies, while 68% had persistent seed bank strategies. Seed dispersal of these 37 species was mainly anemochorous, although antitelechoric elements such as myxospermy, hygrochasy, heterodiaspory and synaptospermy were found among these species. The seed bank alone will not be sufficient to restore the vegetation of damaged land in the Strandveld Succulent Karoo, since many of the dominant species in the vegetation do not produce persistent seed banks. Many of these species may, however, be dispersed by wind into revegetation areas from surrounding vegetation. Topsoil replacement, seeding and transplanting of selected species will be essential for the successful revegetation of mined areas in this part of Namaqualand.

Germination patterns in the Succulent Karoo Biome, South Africa

The timing of germination and seedling establishment is critical for the existence and survival of plants in arid environments. The dormancy mechanisms that play a major role in regulating the timing of germination in the plant species that were investigated from the Succulent Karoo included physiological dormancy (after-ripening) and physical dormancy (hard-seededness). A leaching treatment improved the germination in only approximately 10% of the investigated species. Environmental factors, such as light and temperature also influence the breaking of dormancy and timing of germination. In general, annual species germinated better in the light, whereas perennial species germinated better in the absence of light. Most of the species are adapted to germinate during autumn or winter with an optimum temperature for germination for most of the investigated species from 15°C to 20°C, but many species germinated optimally at even lower temperatures (<15°C). In general, the optimum temperatures were slightly hig...The timing of germination and seedling establishment is critical for the existence and survival of plants in arid environments. The dormancy mechanisms that play a major role in regulating the timing of germination in the plant species that were investigated from the Succulent Karoo included physiological dormancy (after-ripening) and physical dormancy (hard-seededness). A leaching treatment improved the germination in only approximately 10% of the investigated species. Environmental factors, such as light and temperature also influence the breaking of dormancy and timing of germination. In general, annual species germinated better in the light, whereas perennial species germinated better in the absence of light. Most of the species are adapted to germinate during autumn or winter with an optimum temperature for germination for most of the investigated species from 15°C to 20°C, but many species germinated optimally at even lower temperatures (<15°C). In general, the optimum temperatures were slightly higher when the seeds germinated in the light when compared with seeds germinated in darkness. On the whole, the species investigated from the Succulent Karoo exhibited a spectrum of germination patterns, from those that risk a few seeds in many rainfall events, to those that germinate only after large rainfall events but then risk the bulk of the seed crop.

Seedling emergence and survival of three Namaqualand pioneer plant species grown under saline soil conditions

The effects of salinity (NaGI) on emergence and seedling survival of three Namaqualand pioneer plant species, were investigated. In the perennial species ( Gazania leiopoda (DC.) Rossl.), seedlings did emerge in the 1% NaGI treatment (although the maximum mean percentage of emerged seedlings was only 2%), but not at the higher salinities. Seedlings of the two ephemeral variaspecies only emerged in the control treatment. Increased salinity resulted in an increased mortality rate of seedlings. None of the species investigated are recommended for initial revegetation purposes. To ensure successful restoration of mined areas in Namaqualand, soil salinity should be at a minimum.

Germination strategies of Strandveld Succulent Karoo plant species for revegetation purposes: III Effect of relative humidity and storage site on seed viability

Changes in seed viability owing to fluctuations in environmental conditions (temperature and relative humidity) are crucial factors to consider during post-mining revegetation efforts in the Strandveld Succulent Karoo. The effect of relative humidity and storage site on seed viability was investigated in six plant species from the Strandveld Succulent Karoo, South Africa. An increase in relative humidity generally resulted in a decrease in seed viability. High summer temperatures in the field probably hastened the loss of seed viability at a relative humidity of 43%, while exerting only a minimal deteriorative effect on seeds stored at a low relative humidity (7%).