Abstract.A study on a population of speckled Columba guinea and feral Columba livia pigeons on the University of South Africa's (UNISA) Muckleneuk campus was conducted from March 2013 to February 2014. Morning and evening counts, once a week, were conducted by an observer who also noted the presence of breeding activity and the use of ledges in relation to aspect and levels of buildings. The pigeon population index fluctuated seasonally. Breeding occurred throughout the year, with notable peaks and declines relating to physiological and population dynamics. Opportunistic use of the crop availability was made during optimal production periods, while conserving energy when not favourable. Site selection in relation to building aspect indicated significant differences in all the seasons except for winter, while a positive significant relationship between level height and pigeon numbers was recorded. Knowledge of pigeon ecology and their use of urban landscapes contribute to further understanding wildlife management.

A study on a population of pigeons on the University of South Africa’s Muckleneuk campus was conducted over 2 years. Counts were conducted during a baseline year (March 2013–February 2014) to establish the pigeon population index inhabiting the campus buildings, and again in the management year (August 2014–August 2015) once Eagle Eyes™, Fire (Flash) Flags, bird spikes and a combination thereof were implemented on the buildings. An efficacy reduction percentage was determined for each of the control structures. The total pigeon index on the campus declined by 50 % once the control structures were implemented. Control structures; however, differed markedly in efficacy from each other. Whilst bird spikes indicated the highest efficacy at reducing the pigeon population index, seasonality also influenced the efficacy of the control structure. Quantified understanding of the efficacy of pigeon control measures allows urban management to make informed decisions about reducing pigeon populations.

Companies in South Africa should realise the important influence of greening their suppliers and of innovation to achieve environmental goals and competitive advantages. In order to prove this, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 75 companies from 11 industries in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality region, South Africa. A confirmatory factor analysis was done, followed by bivariate correlations to determine the strength of association between the latent constructs. Correlations between greening the supplier, innovation, environmental performance and competitive advantages were done. The research found that a green innovative process had a significant effect on environmental performance. Green managerial innovation further had a significant correlation with competitive advantage. The primary result of the study indicated that all the constructs positively related to each other, meaning that greening suppliers, by means of green innovation, leads to an enhanced environmental performance and to competitive advantages.

on the environment remain worrisome. In recent times, agricultural practices involving organic and environmentally-friendly compounds are gaining acceptance. In line with this, we evaluated the effect of different concentrations of vermicompost leachate (VCL, a form of liquid organic fertilizer) on greenhouse grown tomatoes and bananas. In terms of the potential of VCL to replace essential elements (N, P and K) during the growth of tomato seedlings, the use of VCL proved beneficial with either a complete nutrient solution or in the absence of P and K. The current findings suggest that VCL could serve as a potential substitute in cases of P and K deficiency. The role of VCL on the root system and stimulation of more off-shoots in bananas was tested. In VCL-treated banana plantlets, the number of off-shoots was significantly higher than the control. In addition, VCL significantly enhanced the root system of the banana plantlets. The positive effect on rooting is beneficial for acclimatization and establishment of tissue-cultured banana plantlets in nurseries and subsequent transfer to the field. The current findings support the potential use of VCL as an easy and affordable alternative to both small scale and commercial farmers for increasing crop production.Despite the popularity of the traditional method of healthcare in Africa, the continent remains behind in terms of regulation, safety and quality control of its medicinal plant industry. Therefore, there is heightened interest in aspects that affect the industry, with storage practices and consequent effects on plant efficacy being important concerns. After plant materials are collected, several biochemical variations can occur within the material resulting in bioactivity changes. The main objective of the study was to assess the overall effect of storage on the efficacy of three South African medicinal plants. The pharmacological and phytochemical properties of freshly harvested and short-term stored (± 3 years) Ocimum basilicum, Senna petersiana and Hypoxis hemerocallidea were assessed. Fresh samples of most plant extracts indicated greater anti-bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and anti-fungal (Candida albicans) activity in comparison to the stored samples. The anti-oxidant assay for DPPH radical scavenging activity showed variable results, with increased activity in both stored and fresh samples for the different plants. Phytochemical analysis pointed towards noticeable differences between fresh and stored samples of the various plant extracts with fresh samples showing higher chemical concentrations in most plant parts. In general, the current findings indicate that the degree of changes in pharmacological and phytochemical activity due to storage were species-specific, with fresh samples being favoured in terms of efficacy.There is an increasing concern with the impact of synthetic cosmetics on humans and the environment. The long-term effects of low dose exposure to an ever growing number of synthetic chemicals are not understood at ...

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