Browsing by Author "Nakanyala, Jesaya"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Determinants of tourists' satisfaction in Etosha National Park, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2015) Kimaro, Mary-Ellen; Lendelvo, Selma M.; Nakanyala, Jesaya
    Although tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and contributes to socio-economic development, most tourist destinations are faced with the challenge of ensuring tourist satisfaction. Understanding determinants of tourism satisfaction through tourists’ experiences on destinations could help improve the potential for tourism growth. This study was conducted in the Etosha National Park (ENP). Data collection was during the low and high seasons in February 2010 and September 2011, respectively. A total of 150 tourists were interviewed during both seasons. Results indicated that over 80% of visitors to Etosha National Park were of international origin of which more than half were first time visitors and self-drive tourists. In addition, the majority of tourists toured in groups of either related (51%) or non-related (44%) of 2-4 individuals. Tourists experienced crowding during the high season compared to the low peak season at different sites within the Park. Attractiveness of the Park, its facilities and its cleanliness were the major determinants of tourist satisfaction to the Etosha National Park. Specifically, the cost of accommodation and services, road infrastructure, environmental related issues, park management and control were among the issues tourists shared their experiences on during their visit to the ENP. Therefore, there is need to develop further tourist satisfaction research in ENP and in Namibia in order to provide a useful body of knowledge and guidance to tourism planners, managers, decision makers and marketers on the factors influencing tourist satisfaction in the Namibian context.
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    The effect of tourist roads development on road-side vegetation and soils within the Etosha national park
    (University of Namibia, 2015) Nakanyala, Jesaya; Hipondoka, Martin; Graz, Patrick F.
    Management of tourism-based protected areas is often faced with a challenge of balancing nature conservation and tourism development. Understanding such interactions is crucial for resources management in tourism-based conservation hotspots such as Etosha National Park (ENP). This study assessed how roads, being part of tourism development, impacts on conservation efforts in ENP, focusing specifically on the roadside landscape, vegetation and soils. Data was collected at at 30 selected sites in major vegetation communities within the park. Herbaceous biomass was assessed using a Disk Pasture Meter based on field calibration from ENP. Soil samples were collected using a soil auger and analyzed. Results show that a substantial network of tourist roads has been developed for Etosha National Park, translating in a road density of 0.2 km/km2. The development of this road network has left more than 180 unrestored gravel pits, or an average of one gravel pit for every 4 km. Similarly, results demonstrated that roads and related vehicular activities have significant impact on the foliage cover and biomass yield of herbaceous species adjacent to the roads, with foliage cover decreasing with increasing proximity to roads. No conclusive evidence emerged to suggest that roads and vehicular emission have a significant impact on roadside soil chemical properties. An exception is made to elevated calcium, carbonate and high cation exchange capacity which is speculated to have been sourced from the Etosha limestone. This study concluded that an unrestricted development of roads and the accompanying quarrying of gravels have a potential to degrade the landscape of Etosha National Park. As a first attempt, this study serves as a baseline for monitoring tourism related ecological disturbances in the park.
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    Impact of tourism on the landscape and vegetation along tourist roads in Etosha National Park, Namibia
    (2012) Nakanyala, Jesaya; ;
    The study describes how mothers and daughters communicate about sex and sex related matters by focusing on four underlying dimensions - content, style, timing, and frequency of communication. A sequential mixed method research design was utilized to gather data from participants. Data analyses of questionnaires were based on a random sample of 32 mothers and 204 teenage daughters from four secondary schools
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    Rooting strategies of savanna shrubs in the Kalahari basin: Implications for the coexistence of woody and herbaceous plants and shrub encroachment
    (University of Namibia, 2020) Nakanyala, Jesaya
    The savanna biomes are characterised by a coexistence of two antagonist – woody plants and herbaceous plants in defiance of competition theories. Scientific efforts to understand this unique coexistence are still largely inconclusive; various theories have been proposed, but no unanimous theoretical framework exists to date. Among these theories, the root niche-partitioning model offers the most popular, yet the most controversially debated viewpoint. It argues that this coexistence is a result of vertical root niche-partitioning, a natural mechanism by which woody plants develop deeper root systems to avoid competition with herbaceous plants. Despite its prominence and subsequent integration into models of species coexistence and arid eco-hydrology, several shortcomings of this model are evident. For example, it overlooks the critical issue of root plasticity. This study was thus designed to investigate the root systems of various savanna shrubs across a rainfall gradient in the Kalahari to test the aforementioned model. The overall aim was to investigate, compare, and contrast the root system architecture (RSA) of encroaching shrubs and those of non-encroaching shrubs within the proximate environmental setting. Using a direct excavation method, 183 shrubs were sampled, had their roots exposed and were subjected to morphometric measurements. Shrub encroachers were randomly selected and four non-encroaching shrubs surrounding each of the sampled encroacher plant were systematically chosen, using the nearest-neighbour approach. Results indicated that shrubs in the Kalahari develop diverse root system architecture which exhibits significant inter- and intra-species plasticity. In particular, three bush encroaching shrubs, Terminalia sericea, Senegalia mellifera, and Dichrostachys cinerea, tend to develop root systems essentially composed significantly (p < .001) of lateral roots deployed within shallow soil sub-surfaces; and partly without taproots, more especially in the drier part of the Kalahari. Overall, the architecture of the savanna shrubs’ root system can be classified into three major architecture groups: i) a fibrous or lateral root system, ii) a dual root system, and iii) a taproot system. These architecture groups are not necessarily unique to any species or environment, which suggests that plants develop their root systems plastically in response to prevailing environmental conditions. These findings are not consistent with the premise that the savanna shrubs are largely deep-rooted. This oversight has major implications for our current understanding of the savanna biomes. Whereas deeper-rooted shrubs may allow for root niche-partitioning with grasses, shallow-rooted shrubs are potentially in direct competition with grasses, suggesting that shrub encroachment is a probable manifestation of this competition. These findings may also explain why the phenomenon of shrub encroachment is largely attributed to shallow-rooted shrubs such as T. sericea.
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    Rooting strategies of savanna shrubs in the Kalahari basin: Implications for the coexistence of woody and herbaceous plants and shrub encroachment in the African savannas
    (University of Namibia, 2020) Nakanyala, Jesaya
    The savanna biomes are characterised by a coexistence of two antagonist – woody plants and herbaceous plants in defiance of competition theories. Scientific efforts to understand this unique coexistence are still largely inconclusive; various theories have been proposed, but no unanimous theoretical framework exists to date. Among these theories, the root niche-partitioning model offers the most popular, yet the most controversially debated viewpoint. It argues that this coexistence is a result of vertical root niche-partitioning, a natural mechanism by which woody plants develop deeper root systems to avoid competition with herbaceous plants. Despite its prominence and subsequent integration into models of species coexistence and arid eco-hydrology, several shortcomings of this model are evident. For example, it overlooks the critical issue of root plasticity. This study was thus designed to investigate the root systems of various savanna shrubs across a rainfall gradient in the Kalahari to test the aforementioned model. The overall aim was to investigate, compare, and contrast the root system architecture (RSA) of encroaching shrubs and those of non-encroaching shrubs within the proximate environmental setting. Using a direct excavation method, 183 shrubs were sampled, had their roots exposed and were subjected to morphometric measurements. Shrub encroachers were randomly selected and four non-encroaching shrubs surrounding each of the sampled encroacher plant were systematically chosen, using the nearest-neighbour approach. Results indicated that shrubs in the Kalahari develop diverse root system architecture which exhibits significant inter- and intra-species plasticity. In particular, three bush encroaching shrubs, Terminalia sericea, Senegalia mellifera, and Dichrostachys cinerea, tend to develop root systems essentially composed significantly (p < .001) of lateral roots deployed within shallow soil sub-surfaces; and partly without taproots, more especially in the drier part of the Kalahari. Overall, the architecture of the savanna shrubs’ root system can be classified into three major architecture groups: i) a fibrous or lateral root system, ii) a dual root system, and iii) a taproot system. These architecture groups are not necessarily unique to any species or environment, which suggests that plants develop their root systems plastically in response to prevailing environmental conditions. These findings are not consistent with the premise that the savanna shrubs are largely deep-rooted. This oversight has major implications for our current understanding of the savanna biomes. Whereas deeper-rooted shrubs may allow for root niche-partitioning with grasses, shallow-rooted shrubs are potentially in direct competition with grasses, suggesting that shrub encroachment is a probable manifestation of this competition. These findings may also explain why the phenomenon of shrub encroachment is largely attributed to shallow-rooted shrubs such as T. sericea.
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    The Savannas: An integrated synthesis of three major competing paradigms
    (University of Namibia, 2017) Nakanyala, Jesaya; Kosmas, S.; Hipondoka, Martin
    The coexistence between trees and grasses in the savannas is a contentious issue. Al- though necessary scientific efforts have been done, unfortunately such efforts have given rise to contrasting theories and models. This review provides a synthesis of these theories how they influenced our understanding of the savannas over time. The review found that while the equilibrium theory predicts savannas as stable ecosystems regulated by natural mechanisms such as root niche partitioning, such ideas have been disputed in favour of non-equilibrium framework. The latter suggests that savannas are unstable ecosystems largely regulated by stochastic dynamics such as inter annual rainfall variations and episodic environmental shocks such as fire and overgrazing which result in an ecosystem oscillation between grass dominated and woody dominated phases in time and space. On the other hand the disequilibrium paradigm argues that savannas are unnatural ecosystems formed as a result of anthropogenic disturbances such as fire and grazing that buffer the ecosystem from complete domination by either trees or grasses. This review demonstrates that the savannas still lack a unifying theoretical framework. The current one is characterized by conflicting, contradictory, diverging ideas. Such revelations call for a need to develop a unifying theoretical framework for the savannas.
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    Socio-economic and livelihood strategies of the Ehirovipuka Conservancy, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2012) Lendelvo, Selma M.; Nakanyala, Jesaya
    The Conservancy, a Community-Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) approach, implemented in the rural areas in Namibia was identified as the focus of this study. A Conservancy is an organised group of farmers living within a common boundary area and related cultural background, as well as sharing the same resources for their livelihoods (Sullivan, 2002). Namibian rural areas have undergone changes in terms of social structures and the use of the environment. The livelihood strategies of people have been changing over time due to changes in the resources base and accessibility. This case study focuses on the Ehirovipuka communal Conservancy, which is located in the north-western part of the Namibia and directly bordering Etosha National Park. The north-western part is regarded as the richest region for wildlife species in the country. The objective of this study was to examine changes in livelihoods in order to enhance understanding the perception of the community on the linkages between the natural resources base and the livelihood strategies in the area. This study employed both the household questionnaire survey and focused group discussions. A total of 111 households from 10 villages were randomly interviewed for the survey. In addition, six focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in the two main settlements of the Conservancy, namely, Otjokavare and Onguta. The findings of the study showed that the Conservancy is characterised by a high dependency ratio 100% or 1:1. This ratio is high because the number of the dependent age (50.3%) is almost equal the number of independent age group (49.7%). In addition to this, the Conservancy is dominated by low level of education and a high unemployment rate. Most members of the independent age group (economically active) (60%) also indicated to be neither working nor looking for employment. Also, the majority of the household members have either not attended any formal education (44%) or have not completed primary education (48%). The households from this conservancy are engaged in various livelihood activities. These livelihood activities have been maintained over the years, although some have changed in order of importance. Livestock farming, mainly for own use purposes, emerged as the most important livelihood activity, followed by formal employment and old age pension grants. Most of the income generating livelihood strategies only became important during the 1980s, which suggests the shifting of the rural community to respond to the national cash economy lifestyle. Three factors that maintained the livelihoods activities in the Ehirovipuka Conservancy emerged as access through strong social relations, diversification of livelihood activities and the emergence of the community level support institutions such as the Conservancy. In conclusion, the Conservancy is perceived as community level support that contributes to the improvement of natural resources which most livelihood activities depend on, hence, leading to the resilience of most livelihood activities. The study recommended the following: (i) Although owning large herds of cattle is a cultural practice, there is a need to find ways to address this practice because it may lead to subsequent land degradation in the area, hence affecting the main livelihood activity of the area; (ii) Development of monitoring mechanisms for vegetation resources and landscapes is required to allow community leaders to make informed decisions; (ii) Community members need to practise mechanisms that are important in reducing human wildlife conflict such as herding, kraaling the livestock at night and others known to them as wildlife in their communities will continue to increase due to good management practices put in place by the conservancy; (iv) Social cohesion among conservancy members should be promoted as this could be crucial to reduce vulnerability among poor households; (v) Employment creation through tourism initiatives in the conservancy could help in tackle the need for employment among those economically active members of the community; and (vi) There is a need for further research to understand the implementation of the conservancy activities and its contribution to sustainable development.