Scorpions and spiders

Name: Moira Cronje

Date: 12 April 2011

Course: Site guide

Task: Scorpions and spiders.

The burrowing scorpion:  Opistophthalmus

There are around fifty species of African burrowing scorpions. They are native to the southern and eastern parts of Africa with most residing in South Africa. They dig long, deep tunnels in fairly hard-packed ground. Species range in size from 2.5 inches to 6 inches. The African burrowing scorpion is a very attractive and colorful species with stocky builds and large, broad pincers. They spend most of their lives hidden underground.

These scorpions are very aggressive. They will sting readily if cornered or restrained. Their venom ranges from mild to strong. If stung, the pain is very intense at the location of the sting and can last as long as 48 hours. This species of scorpion is best left to the experienced collector.

The burrows vary from 10 mm to 1 meter deep and may run to a length of 1,5 meters. Males are also smaller than females. Females also construct deeper burrows than males. These eggs hatch as soon as they are laid. Between 20 and 40 young are born at a time in early summer.

Bark scorpion: Centruroides

The bark scorpion is nocturnal, prefers to ambush its prey, and usually feeds on crickets or roaches. Bark scorpions are eaten by a wide variety of animals such as birds, reptiles, and other invertebrates. They have a gestation period of several months, are born live, and are gently guided onto their mother's back. The female usually gives birth to between 25–35 young, and the young will remain with their mother until their first molt, up to 3 weeks after birth. Bark scorpions may live up to 6 years.

The bark scorpion is particularly well adapted to the desert: layers of fat on its exoskeleton make it resistant to water loss. Nevertheless, bark scorpions hide during the heat of the day, typically under rocks, wood piles, or tree bark. Bark scorpions do not burrow, and are commonly found in homes, requiring only 1/16 of an inch for entry.

Extreme reaction to the venom is indicated by numbness, frothing at the mouth, paralysis, and a neuromotor syndrome that may be confused with a seizure and that may make breathing difficult, particularly for small children.

Bark scorpions, like most other scorpions, will glow when exposed to a blacklight. This is particularly useful in scorpion detection, since bark scorpions are active during the night, and can be easily spotted using this method.

    

 Thick- tail scorpion: Androctonus

They are one of the most dangerous groups of scorpion species in the world. Their venom contains powerful neurotoxins and is especially potent. Stings from Androctonus species are known to cause several human deaths each year.

A rough English translation of the name Androctonus is "man-killer", from the Greek language. Several species are capable of blinding you by squirting poison into your eyes in much the same way as a spitting cobra does. They are known to hunt and kill mice.

Its habitat consists of under stones, in burrows and under dried cowpats.

The sand-dwelling scorpion:

Compound slit sensilla on basitarsal leg segments of sand-dwelling scorpions respond to surface waves generated by movements of insects as far as 50 centimeters away, and tarsal sensory hairs respond to higher-frequency (mostly compressional-wave) components of the signal.

They have thin pincers and thick tails with large sting at the end of the tail. They are sparsly populated in desert regions like Namaqualand. The females stay at the burrow whilst the male roams for food. They also have a well orchestrated courtship ritual they perform prior to actually mating. They will move together looking like the male is leading the female in dance. This dance can continue for several hours.

 The golden orb web spider:

The Golden Orb Web Spider is not the largest spider, but makes the largest and strongest web. It gets its name from the golden colour of its silk. It is not a perfect wheel and is usually off-centre. To make its web, the spider releases a thin thread into the wind. When it catches on something, the spider walks along it trailing a stronger non-sticky thread. It repeats the process in the centre of the line to form a strong Y-frame. Around this, it spins the rest of the web out of sticky capture silk.

The male is so tiny that he can live on the female's web, stealing her food, often without her even noticing him. She may not even notice that he has crept up and inseminated her! Nevertheless, just to be sure, he usually does the deed when she is feeding. In some, mating can take up to 15 hours! The female lives only slightly longer than the male.

The female buries her eggs in the ground. First she digs a shallow hole with her strong mandibles and legs, which is then lined with woolly silk. She lays her eggs on this silk, covers it with another woolly layer then covers the whole assembly with camouflaging debris and soil.Laying can take 4 hours. Spiderlings hatch with their egg yolks still attached and don't have fully developed mouthparts, venom glands, digestive tracts or spinning organs. They may stay together at this stage. When they are fully developed, they have to disperse or they will cannibalize each other.

Tribal people have long used the webs of these spiders. In the South Pacific, the web silk is used to make fishing lures, traps and nets. In the Solomon Islands, the spider web is collected by winding it around sticks to make large sticky balls which are suspended just above the water. Needle fish are lured to jump out and get entangled in the ball. In Southeast Asia, people make a net by scooping up the web between a stick bent into a loop. Spider webs have been used as bandage to stop blood flow and used to make bird snares.

The kite spider: Gasteracanthus sanguinofenta

This is a diurnal species that occupies the higher zones amongst trees, a meter and higher above the ground. Their sizes range from around 5mm to 15mm with the female being much larger than the male. They spin the common round orb web and wait in the center for their pray.

The rain spider:

Larger specimens of these spiders are also sometimes referred to as wood spiders, due to their preference for inhabiting woody places (forest, mine shafts, woodpiles ,wooden shacks). They do bite if provoked, but the victim will suffer only minor swelling and localized pain, and will recover in a day or two. In southern Africa they are commonly known as rain spiders because of their tendency to seek shelter before rain storms, often entering human habitations when doing so.

As adults, huntsman spiders do not build webs, but hunt and forage for food: their diet consists primarily of insects and other invertebrates, and occasionally small skinks and geckos. They live in the crevices of tree bark, but will frequently wander into homes and vehicles. They are able to travel extremely fast, often using a springing jump while running, and walk on walls and even on ceilings. They also tend to exhibit a "cling" reflex if picked up, making them difficult to shake off and much more likely to bite. The females are fierce defenders of their egg sacs and young. They will generally make a threat display if provoked, but if the warning is ignored they may attack and bite.

The trapdoor spider: Ctenizidae

They are medium-sized mygalomorph spiders that construct burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk. Prey is captured when insects, other arthropods, or small vertebrates disturb the 'trip' lines the spider lays out around its trapdoor, alerting the spider to a meal within reach. The spider detects the prey by vibrations and, when it  comes close enough, leaps out of its burrow to make the capture.

Females never travel far from their burrows, especially if they have an egg sac. During this time, the female will capture food and regurgitate it to feed her spiderlings. Enemies of the trapdoor spider include certain pompilids (spider wasps), which seek out the burrows and manage to gain entrance. They sting the owner and lay their eggs (usually one per spider) on its body. When the egg hatches, the larva devours the spider alive.

They are one of the multiple species of spiders that have grown to incredibly large sizes because of ingestion of crickets plagued with toxic waste.

The baboon spider:

The baboon spiders are ground living animals and construct silk-lined burrows or retreats under stones and rocks. They use their chelicerae, fangs and pedipalps to excavate the burrows. They are found in a variety of habitats such as dry acacia scrubland, grassland or savanna woodland.

They are predominantly nocturnal sit-and-wait hunters and most species await the approach of prey within the entrance of their burrows.

Mating usually takes place in spring and summer. Before mating the male transfers sperm from the genital opening under the abdomen, to the secondary sexual organs on the pedipalps. This is done by depositing sperm on a small sperm web. The sperm is then absorbed with the palpal organ, where it is stored until mating. At this stage adult males usually change their life-style completely to become wanderers in search of females.

If a mating spur is present on the front leg of the male it is used to force open the fangs of the female. This prevents her from attacking. Baboon spider may live up to 25 years and take about 10 years to mature.

Bird nests

Name : Moira Cronje

Date : 7 April 2011

Course : Site guide

Bird nests:

Task:

Build a nest of your own and build a Hammerkop’s nest together hoping that birds will use it in the future.

Lesson learn’t:

We learn’t that it takes time to build a nest and that you should do research on the type of nest and the bird that would build such a nest. We all fulfilled the objective and they look very pretty!

Challenges:

We struggled at first to get a basic idea on how to start but we got the hang of it as time progressed. Patience is definitely one thing you need to do such a task and mine ran out a couple of times. We struggled to keep the hammerkop nest erect after moving it to the vehicle.

Strong points:

We could do the task and it came out quite fantastic. We gathered information on how to build a nest the day before and were well informed. We also gathered the materials needed to build the nests with the day before so we were prepared.

We wanted to build three types of nests, one in each level meaning ground level, middle and canopy.

The ground level nest would be for birds like Kiewiet, Guinea fowl and Lapwing.

The mid-story nests would be for birds like Doves, Shrikes and Weavers.

The canopy level nests are built by birds like Hammerkop, Vultures and Secretary birds.

Objective:

To see how difficult it is to build a nest and to realize the time and effort it takes to build a home when you are a bird.

Compost report

Date        : 7 March 2011

Name      : Moira Cronje

Course    : Species care

Product  : Compost heap    SOP: E1   US: 113814   SO : 3    AC: 1

Definition:

Compost is partially decomposed matter. It is dark and easily crumbled and has an earthy aroma. It is created by biological processes in which soil- inhabiting organisms break down plant tissue.

The three types of compost heaps:

Static  : A static pile is a pile that does not get turned because it has a permanent airing system so the pile does not get to hot.

Thermal : This is a pile that gets turned because it must cool down for the bacteria to work effectively. The temperature must not go over 110 degrees Celsius.

Combination : This is a combination of the static and the thermal. It gets turned but not as often as a regular thermal.

Why do we make our own compost?

Byproducts from the garden can be turned into compost at home. Compost improves both the physical condition and fertility of the soil when added to the landscape or garden.

The heap must always have 80% moisture. This can be checked by squeezing a hand full of compost. There must be drops falling for it to be right.

 Organisms that decompose organic matter.

 

Plastic wrapping to prevent moisture loss.

  Proper layering in a compost bin.

 
Bibliography :  http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub

HIV and Aids

Name: Moira Cronje

Date: 21 June 2011

What is HIV / Aids?

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive.

How does it work? Every human has anti-bodies and white blood cells that builds up their immune system. The virus called HIV attacks these cells and uses them as hosts to replicate and build in numbers. By using these cells as hosts they are eaten from the inside by the replicas and the cell dies. The immune system is therefore broken down and as soon as another virus or strong bacteria gets into the body, the immune system is not strong enough to fight it off and the person dies in a certain period of time.

Window period: The window period is the period between the onset of HIV infection and the appearance of detectable antibodies to the virus. In the case of the most sensitive HIV antibody tests currently recommended, the window period is about three to four weeks. This period can, however, be longer. Any antibody-based blood tests (such as the ELISA, rapid tests and the Western Blot) conducted during this window period may give false negative results. Antibodies are produced from about three weeks after infection and usually become detectable by four to six weeks after infection. This four- to six-week period between infection and a positive test is called the window period. Tests most commonly used to diagnose HIV infection are those that detect HIV antibodies. Two of the best-known HIV antibody tests are the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and the Western Blot tests.

Does HIV have any symptoms?

Some people experience a flu-like illness, develop a rash, or get swollen glands for a brief period soon after they become infected with HIV. However, these are also common symptoms of other less serious illnesses, and do not necessarily mean that a person has HIV.

Often people who are infected with HIV don't have any symptoms at all. It is important to remember that a person who has HIV can pass on the virus immediately after becoming infected, even if they feel healthy. It's not possible to tell just by looking if someone has been infected with HIV. The only way to know for certain if someone is infected with HIV is for them to be tested.

VCT  : Voluntary Counseling and Testing

VCT is when a person chooses to undergo HIV/AIDS counseling so that they can make an informed decision about whether to be tested for HIV.  The government is encouraging all of us to come forward to be tested for HIV. It believes that if many of us get tested, even though we may not be sick, this will help to lessen the amount of stigma associated with the HIV test. 

If  infected :

Infected persons can still work and go about their daily lives. Although they need to be cautious when they work because if they get hurt and they bleed no one must touch the blood without gloves. This goes for any human being because you can never be too careful when it comes to someone else’s blood. Infected people are no different to others when it comes to work however they do need to adjust their lifestyle so they get enough exercise and they need to eat healthy to try and boost their immune system so they don’t get sick.

In the field of HIV/AIDS, the role of counselor is demanded when health care personnel are required to inform a patient of their HIV status. Conveying such status alone is not sufficient. It is also important to discuss things such as protecting current and future sexual partners and unborn babies, and high-risk behaviors. It is crucial to equip patients with knowledge about their disease.

Stages of HIV:

STAGE 1: Primary HIV infection

This stage of infection lasts for a few weeks and is often accompanied by a short flu-like illness. In up to about 20% of people the HIV symptoms are serious enough to consult a doctor, but the diagnosis of HIV infection is frequently missed. During this stage there is a large amount of HIV in the peripheral blood and the immune system begins to respond to the virus by producing HIV antibodies and cytotoxic lymphocytes.

STAGE 2 : Clinically asymptomatic stage

This stage lasts for an average of ten years and, as its name suggests, is free from major symptoms, although there may be swollen glands. The level of HIV in the peripheral blood drops to very low levels but people remain infectious and HIV antibodies are detectable in the blood, so antibody tests will show a positive result.

STAGE 3 : Symptomatic HIV infection

Over time the immune system becomes severely damaged by HIV. This is thought to happen for three main reasons:

• The lymph nodes and tissues become damaged or 'burnt out' because of the years of activity;
• HIV mutates and becomes more pathogenic, in other words stronger and more varied, leading to more T helper cell destruction;
• The body fails to keep up with replacing the T helper cells that are lost.

As the immune system fails, symptoms develop. Initially many of the symptoms are mild, but as the immune system deteriorates the symptoms worsen.

STAGE 4 : Progression from HIV to AIDS

As the immune system becomes more and more damaged the individual may develop increasingly severe opportunistic infections and cancers, leading eventually to an AIDS diagnosis and if not helped, death.

Cost of HIV medication 2009:

Cost per month
Crixivan	$570.96
Emtriva	$347.11
Epivir 300mg	$347.11
Kaletra	$796.26
Retrovir	$405.59
Viramune	$442.45
Ziagen	$466.44

These drugs may be expensive but it is still possible to prolong your life by eating healthy and doing enough exercise. There are places that sell the same medication for cheaper to accommodate the poor, some of them are just duplicates and have other names. Therefore the ingredients need to be checked to make sure that it’s not a rip off.

Ways of paying:

Private health insurance

Medicaid and Medicare

AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP)

State or community assistance programs

How does it spread?

Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth (perinatal transmission). Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world. Sex is the most common way in which the virus will spread.

Mother with HIV:

If a pregnant woman is infected with HIV, she can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or breastfeeding. Without treatment, around 15-30 % of babies born to HIV-infected women will become infected with HIV during pregnancy and delivery. A further 5-20% will become infected through breastfeeding. This pregnant woman or girl can still infect a partner when having unprotected sex. If she is not infected and she engages in unprotected sex she can get infected and her baby will suffer from AIDS as well.

Prophylactic antiretroviral therapy with AZT (zidovudine; Retrovir), nevirapine (Viramune), or combination HAART for the mother during pregnancy and delivery, plus treatment of the baby for 6 months after birth, has dramatically reduced the rate of mother-to-child transmission. Now, studies presented at the recent 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston have demonstrated that longer treatment of mothers and infants while breast-feeding can further lower the risk of HIV transmission.

 Drug abuse leading to HIV:

Drug use is a major factor in the spread of HIV infection. Shared equipment for using drugs can carry HIV and hepatitis, and drug use is linked with unsafe sexual activity. Drug and alcohol use can also be dangerous for people who are taking antiretroviral medications (ARVs). Drug users are less likely to take all of their medications, and street drugs may have dangerous interactions with ARVs. Infected blood can be drawn up into a syringe and then get injected along with the drug by the next user of the syringe. This is the easiest way to transmit HIV during drug use because infected blood goes directly into someone’s bloodstream.

To reduce the risk of HIV and hepatitis infection, never share any equipment used with drugs, and keep washing your hands. Carefully clean your cookers and the site you will use for injection. Abstinence is key and stay away from drugs then it won’t happen to you.

Precautions in S.A:

The World Health Organization (WHO) outlines a number of recommendations which countries should follow to maintain a safe and constant blood supply. These steps prevent transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI), which include HIV-1, HIV-2, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, passing from a blood donor to the recipient of a blood transfusion. According to the recommendations countries need:

• A nationally coordinated blood transfusion service
• Voluntary unpaid donors
• To test all donated blood
• To use blood efficiently and appropriately
• To ensure a safe transfusion practice
• To have a quality systems check throughout the blood transfusion process.

Human behavior  VS  HIV:

We as humans need to relax and enjoy life every once in a while but we tend to take that too far. By drinking and doing drugs we are not in a good state to think properly and so people tend to have sex. This can be protected sex but most of the time it is not because girls are raped or teenagers make impulsive decisions. This can lead to the spreading of HIV and aids therefore we need to get tested as soon as possible.

The best way to avoid HIV is to not have sexual intercourse. If that is not possible condoms can be used, they are not 100% safe because they still do let semen through but they are much safer than having unprotected sex. A high risk behavior would be considered unprotected sex and sharing needles. Medium risk would be using a condom because you are protected but you can still get infected. And low risk behavior is not having sex at all and not sharing any needles as well as not touching anyone’s blood even if you want to help them.

When in the workplace and you are infected you need to be careful in terms of injuries and blood related situations. You also need to eat healthy and exercise to keep healthy so you can keep working and get an income to look after yourself. If you get hurt it is your duty to let the people that want to help you know that you are HIV+ so they can know they need to be careful because one wrong move from their side and they could get infected spreading the global problem.

When you are working with an infected person there is no reason not to have a healthy working relationship. Myths about HIV like not drinking out of the same cup or not giving each other hugs can disturb the peace but they are not true and need to be looked over. You can use the same toilet seat and you may kiss. The only way to transmit the virus is through bodily fluids and blood.

As infected employees become ill they will take additional sick leave and this will disrupt operational activities. It is estimated that the costs to a manufacturing company could increase. This disruption will be amplified when more qualified and experienced employees are absent, as finding a temporary replacement becomes more difficult.

What is the link between STDs and HIV infection?

Individuals who are infected with STDs are at least two to five times more likely than uninfected individuals to acquire HIV infection if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact. In addition, if an HIV-infected individual is also infected with another STD, that person is more likely to transmit HIV through sexual contact than other HIV-infected persons (Wasserheit, 1992).

STD treatment reduces an individual's ability to transmit HIV. Studies have shown that treating STDs in HIV-infected individuals decreases both the amount of HIV in genital secretions and how frequently HIV is found in those secretions (Fleming, Wasserheit, 1999).

Guidelines and assistance in the workplace when infected with HIV:

The Department of Labor and the Commission for Employment Equity, in association with the Department of Health and the International Labor Organization (ILO), have recognized the need to assist employers, employees and trade unions in the management of HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The Technical Assistance Guidelines (TAG) presented in this document provides implementation guidelines for employers, employees and trade unions on how to respond to the scourge of HIV/AIDS and its impact in the workplace.

A company policy in HIV:

OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this policy is to provide clarity on TOTAL's views and commitments with regard to HIV/AIDS and the comprehensive management of HIV positive employees and employees living with AIDS. The Policy is also aimed at focusing on aspects of HIV/AIDS which, if not carefully addressed may impact negatively on TOTAL'S business and/or the well being of its employees. TOTAL recognizes the seriousness and implications of HIV/AIDS for the individual employee, as well as co-workers of affected individuals.

Total South Africa (Proprietary) Limited and its subsidiary companies based in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland ("TOTAL"), acknowledges the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and seeks to minimize the social, economic and developmental consequences to the company and its employees through comprehensive, proactive HIV/AIDS workplace programs, therefore committing itself to providing leadership in implementing such programs. TOTAL is fully committed to protect its employees, create awareness, encourage behavior changes where necessary as well as ensure that all employees are treated with the necessary dignity, fairness and equality.

In this policy they acknowledge the fact that HIV is something that cannot be avoided and that the people that are infected will not be forced to take a test. If they willingly tell the management that information will be confidential.

Problems that HIV+ persons have to deal with in the workplace:

The first and biggest problem is confidentiality. If someone knows about your status they can and probably will pass it on to another person, and before you know it the whole firm is scared of you. Other than that it comes to sick leave that will definitely increase because you will experience those off days where you just can’t get out of bed. The medical benefits that you have or do not have will have to be adjusted to fit your new medical needs. You will need to check your health regularly at the doctor and be sure that you don’t get hurt at the workplace.

Counseling will be a good route to take if infected so you know that you are not alone and that everything will be okay. They can also give you tips on how to cope and what medication to take. If you think you are infected it is the best to take a test and if you are infected you can get more information on the internet as to how to go on with your life and what steps to take. You can also join a help program that will support you during those tough times. Magazines, books and the internet can help you on information about this virus.

Treatment options available:

HIV medications are almost always used in combination. The recommended treatment for HIV is a combination of three or more meds from at least two different classes in a treatment regimen called Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy or HAART. By using meds from more than one class, you can fight HIV at different stages of its replication.

There are four different classes of HIV meds:

·         Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), also called "nukes"

·         Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), also called "non-nukes"

·         Protease inhibitors (PIs)

·         Fusion inhibitors (FIs), also called "entry" inhibitors

“I was able to attend a support group session. I found the experience wonderful. I was surprised at how deep the talking was. It showed me that people accept who they are in a positive way. They were speaking openly, not ashamed, caring for each other – both men and women. The message was that having AIDS is not a death sentence; here (in the support group) you will learn to cope.”

KK Administrator assistant

  

At 21.5%, the HIV prevalence rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world, with an estimated 1,429 new infections every day. The number of children orphaned by AIDS is set to grow to 1.7 million by 2010. South Africa has made progress in terms of improving access to ARVs: there are currently over 350,000 people on ARV treatment in the South African public health system, which was only introduced in 2004, while approximately 100,000 people receive treatment through the private sector.

All health care workers are under ethical and legal duties to protect the health and safety of their patients. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and associated regulations, such as the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, health care workers who are employees have a legal duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of others, such as colleagues and patients, and to co-operate with their employer in health and safety matters.

The policy is a framework for action by Government, employers and workers to deal effectively with HIV at the workplace. It proposes to guide workers and employers and assist in the development of a caring, supportive and responsible working environment that will protect all workers. Surveillance data from the National HIV/STI Programme shows a national prevalence of 1.5 per cent, with 12,063 persons reported with AIDS between January 1982 and June 2007.

Charles said that if not controlled, the spread of HIV will impose huge costs on companies through decline in productivity, loss of skills and experience.

An 'orphan' is defined by the United Nations as a child who has 'lost one or both parents'. Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 16 million children under 18 have been orphaned by AIDS.

When a person is diagnosed with HIV it is crucial that they obtain some kind of income to look after themselves and their family. If the infected person dies and the family has nothing to live with they will surely suffer, that’s why the main bread winner needs to be healthy.

Fire breaks

On the 21^st of June 2011 we took a drive to look at an example of fire breaks. We went to the van Rensburg avenue and firstly checked which parts we would like to use for fire breaks. Then we decided on the trees we would like to keep and we checked the depth that the blades are going to go.

Task:

We received a task to write a report on the removal of flora for fire breaks. We went to the sites and took a look at the before and after.

Why are fire breaks important?

A firebreak  is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire or wildfire. A firebreak may occur naturally where there is a lack of vegetation or "fuel", such as a river, lake or canyon. Firebreaks may also be man-made, and many of these also serve as roads, such as a logging road, four-wheel drive trail, secondary road, or a highway.

Purpose of firebreaks

Anyone with experience of veldfires knows that a firebreak cannot stop every veldfire.

There will inevitably be a time when conditions are so severe that a fire will cross a break, by spotting or otherwise.

We went to the site that has not been scraped yet and we looked for the protected species Violet tree. If we do not mark it and it gets bulldozed we will get a very big fine because it is on the red data list. After marking the trees that should not be bulldozed we went to the already bulldozed area to check if it went as prescribed. This is a block method used to prevent fires from burning a bigger area then made provision for.  The one side is done with two blade lengths and the other with only one because it is next to the dirt road. One blade is 3 ½ m in length and he scrapes off the top layer of about 20cm.

Cobus was there before us and he marked the Violet tree beforehand. This is a protected species and valued by the Venda’s for medicinal uses. Securidaca longepedunculata  is a slender tree with a light grey bark and propeller leafs.

  

We also noticed that when the area has been bulldozed little animals and bugs come out. We found a skaapsteker snake and little bugs all over.

Follow ups need to be done on the bulldozed area because they can turn into rivers or rain can easily cause erosion. If erosion occurs flow offs need to be made so the water does not cause as much damage. Some areas need the trim because they are in the climax stadium and they are not eaten by animals. If cut down they will return to the sub- climax stadium and then be grazed by animals because they will have a higher nutritional value.