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Abstract. Gunya B, Muchenje V, Gxasheka M, Tyasi LT, Masika PJ. 2020. Management practices and contribution of village chickens to livelihoods of communal farmers: The case of Centane and Mount Frere in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Biodiversitas 21: 1345-1351. This study was conducted to determine village chickens production practices and their contribution to the livelihoods of farmers in rural households of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Data were gathered using a questionnaire survey of 150 households, which were identified by the use of snowball sampling. Village chickens were the most livestock species kept by farmers, mostly owned by women (79.61% in Centane and 81.06% in Mount Frere) and were kept for household food needs. Some farmers (21.92% and 25.31%) also occasionally sold their chickens at an average of R80 ($7.22) per bird. Most (93.13% and 76.44%) chickens flocks were provided with supplementary feed. The majority of farmers (80.31% and 88.33%) provided shelter for their chickens. The causes of chicken losses were reported to be diseases, predators, parasites and theft. The most cited disease problem was Newcastle (50.32% and 66.02%) while major predators were eagles (84.91% and 81.82%). The most common internal parasites were roundworms and tapeworm whilst the most reported external parasites were poultry lice and mites. The majority of farmers (94.51% and 92.21%) reported using chicken manure to improve the fertility of soils in their gardens. Chickens had a varied social role in the two areas, i.e., donation (61.63% and 68.82%) to neighbors and relatives. The majority of farmers (84.90%) in Centane didn't use chickens for cultural purposes whilst the majority (55.85%) in Mount Frere used chickens for cultural purposes. The present study showed that village chickens have a contribution to the livelihoods of rural households.

Shrub invasion is a recent occurrence in African grassland ecosystems. This study assessed the distribution of Euryops floribundus (a native shrub species) along an elevation and invasion intensity gradients, and its relationship with soil and herbaceous vegetation in a South African grassland. Shrub density increased (p < 0.05) from the uplands (2,301 plants/ha) to the bottomlands (4,888 plants/ha). Themeda triandra (a highly palatable grass) was dominant at the uplands and sloping sites, whereas Eragrostis plana and Sporobolus africanus (poorly palatable grasses) dominated the bottomlands. Upland soils had the highest organic carbon (OC), phosphorous (P), calcium and nitrogen (N) contents, but the lowest shrub density and herbaceous biomass. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that elevation, soil OC and N contents determine important vegetation variables along the elevation gradient. In the shrub density gradient, soil P, OC and N responded positively to E. floribundus density. Grass biomass in the moderate and heavily invaded sites was high, but the abundance of palatable grasses declined, suggesting that E. floribundus invasion may be concomitant with a decrease in rangeland condition in terms of quality forage provision.