Ecosystem Functioning, Goods, Services and Economic Benefits in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) Eastern Cape, South Africa

摘要

This paper focused on the ecosystem functioning, goods, services and economic benefits in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) Eastern Cape, South Africa. Approval for this study was given by both the BCMM and the University of Fort Hare (with ethical clearance certificate number given as KUL011SOLA01). The analysis of results begin with the demographic characteristics of the study population (such as age, educational attainment and race), as well as other issues including the following: knowledge and benefits derived from CVEs, changes in features of coastal vegetation resources management and conservation, as well as the analysis of derivable services (such as provisioning, cultural and regulation services) in the study area. It presents the analysis of questionnaire results, which indicated that more males (122/48.2%) participated in the field exercise, while respondents that had the highest frequency in terms of age (that is, 36-40 years old respondents) were 97 (38.3%). As regards educational attainment, majority of the respondents, (that is, 117/46.1%) were university degree holders, and blacks were 172 (68.0%). This research also sought to know the respondents' knowledge of coastal vegetation resources, as well as the benefits derivable from the study area, and these were categorized into three areas namely, raw materials (154/56.9%), medicinal purposes (159/62.8%) and economic benefits (161/63.4%). The results were further elucidated with bar graphs, pie charts, scatter diagrams, plates and tables.