PROVINCIAL SCP – THE REAL WORLDThreatened 

speciePrior 2001 2004 2012

A 37  63  88  15 B 7  7  2  0 C 66  8  0  0 D 27  13  4  0 E 10  0  0  0 F 162  139 G 2700 1829H 223 0

Scientists Monitoring Planning

3  4  0

0

1

2

3

4

5BIOLOGY - Life history

BIOLOGY - Niche breadthBIOLOGY - Dispersa l

BIOLOGY - Human tolerance

STATUS - National distribution

STATUS - National abundance

STATUS - National popula tion trend

STATUS - Information quality

STATUS - Major threat

MANAGEMENT - Illegal off-take

MANAGEMENT - Management history

MANAGEMENT - Management planMANAGEMENT - Aim of harvest

MANAGEMENT - QuotasCONTROL - Harvest in PA

CONTROL - Harvest in strong tenure

CONTROL - Open access harvest

CONTROL - Confidence in harvest management

MONITORING - Monitoring method

MONITORING - Confidence in monitoring

INCENTIVES - Effect of harvest

INCENTIVES - Species conservation incentive

INCENTIVES - Habita t conservation incentive

PROTECTION - Proportion protected from harvest

PROTECTION - Effectiveness of protectionPROTECTION - Regulation of harvest

Response

NEMBA: Legal Planning Frameworks to Conserve Biodiversity 

Bioregional Plan + EMF’s + IDP’s

Conservation Plans = Spatial Representation CBA’s• Pattern (distribution of biota) and process features – ID priority areas• ID corridors to link priority areas• Possible conflicts: conservation and development• Asses protected area network/expansion against  CBA’s• Provide planning and landuse guidelines

Based on time, resource  and known data  constraints

PRELIMINARY CONSERVATION PLAN 

•Data  assessment and gap analysis – Landcover!!!!• Provide baseline for future conservation planning using available data and information

• Conservatively identify priority areas ‐ FOCUS ON BROAD LAND CLASSES, some species info

• Decision support  tool for high level Environmental Planning, IEM, EIA’s and Protected Area Expansion 

• Provide land use guidelinesP‐LCP: HIGHER LEVEL, MORE CONSERVATIVE, BUT DATA INTEGRITY AND 

QUALITY OUTPUTS

• Focussed on Geographical Planning Units:  Vegetation types + Quaternary catchment areas  + Wetlands + Rivers and Protected Areas + Species locality data. Some planning units very large - FIX

FOCUS – BROAD LAND CLASSES• Vegetation type ‐ basis for broad land classes ‐ NSBA targets proportionally assigned  to Limpopo  ( 19% ‐ 31% )

• Land  classes not sufficient for  species that are rare, have  limited ranges, Red Data Book status, specialised habitats, who’s distribution is based on historical factors ‐ Considering species require ± 0.1‐0.8% additional  area

• Species data limited, specialist input, surrogates and modelling to improve • Consolidated species data table  ‐ 46,924 records• Species targets: IUCN thresholds – national guideline• Critically endangered vegetation types – 100%• Threatened Red Data Listed Species: 11 locations conserved / at least 10 000 mature individuals

• Many threatened species do not meet basic target – 100% of localities / breeding areas

• National Freshwater Aqu. Ecosystems Priority Areas (NFEPA) ‐ aquatics

FEATURE DESCRIPTION EXTENT TARGET

Vegetation types 56 Vegetation types occur in Limpopo.

64 283ha Azonal Biome; 39 750ha Forests Biome; 353 120 Grassland Biome; 10 439 645 ha Savanna Biome (Outside Transformed Areas).

Targets are proportion of national target, except for Critically Endangered Vegetation types where the targets have been set on 100%.

Birds Threatened Species (known, modelled and/or breeding sites/ areas in Limpopo).

17 Species.  10% of modelled area. 

Plants Known and modelled localities.

13 Species. Euphorbias, buffered 150m.

100% of threatened plant localities.

Reptiles Known localities. 1 Species. 20% of known locality.

• Design for persistence  ‐ areas critical for ecological functioning of important biodiversity and conservation areas 

• Some data sets identified where processes are reflected spatially

• Represent natural habitat features required to maintain the corresponding processes

• Discussions with biodiversity experts expanded on the available data

FEATURE DESCRIPTION TARGET

Ecological diversification of plant lineages in relation to fine‐scale edaphic gradients

Three  Centres of Endemism

11% of area based on national targets for protection. Wolkberg 32 205 Ha; Sekhukhune 59 502 Ha and Soutpansberg 69 675 Ha

Sensitive hydrological systems and associated specialist biotic and a‐biotic components

Dolomite areas with caves and underground aquifers. 20% or approximately 41 770 Ha to be formally protected

Migration along and between ridges and escarpments Ridges and escarpments corridors with a gradient > 8% 20% or approximately 430 570 ha to  be 

formally protected 

High yield catchmentsSub‐quaternary catchments where mean annual runoff is three times higher than the average for the related primary catchment

30% of the area is 321 266 Ha

Nylriver floodplain system Floodplain ecosystem, its hydrological functioning and movement of species along the system 100% of the area

Plant‐herbivore processes involvingmedium‐sized herbivores.

Healthy natural areas between 5‐10 000ha (not necessarily demarcated by existing fences). 

1 070 887 Ha Healthy Quaternary Catchments included in the “Important and Necessary layer” of the CBA layer map to guide landuse management.

Predator‐prey processes involving smalleromnivores and predators

Healthy natural areas between 5‐10 000ha (not necessarily demarcated by existing fences)

1 070 887 Ha Healthy Quaternary Catchments included in the “Important and Necessary layer” of the CBA layer map to guide landuse management.

• Priority PAs  =  high irreplaceability  +  highly vulnerable to threatening processes

• Avoid conflicting land use• Factors  considered : mining and urban expansion• Site selection to avoid these areas • Agricultural expansion addressed through interpretation of Waterberg and Olifants EMF

•Data deficiencies: climate change + alien plant  infestation risks

DESCRIPTION TYPE OF PROTECTED AREAS CAT.

PLANNING AREA 

PROTECTED –KNP (Ha)

% PLANNING AREA 

PROTECTED –KNP

% PLANNING AREA 

PROTECTED + KNP 

FORMALLY PROCLAIMED  

PROTECTED AREAS 23%

Proclaimed National & Provincial Protected Areas; National 

Wilderness and Forestry Nature Reserves; 

Municipal Reserves.

1 366 121 2.8 10.3

AREAS WITH SOME FORM OF LEGAL 

STATUS 2%

Core Areas of World Heritage Sites and  

RAMSAR Sites (those not proclaimed)

2 30 903 0.2 0.2

AREAS  EARMARKED/DESIG

NATED FOR CONSERVATION

75%

National Protected Area Expansion Strategy; Un‐proclaimed Provincial Parks; Core Areas of 

Biospheres that are not Proclaimed Protected 

Areas. 

3 1 173 324 8.9 8.9

TOTAL 1 570 347 11.9 19.4

OTHER USEFUL OUTPUTSAcquire and consolidation of information available for provinceGIS layers that can be used for other purposesNetwork and liaison – new partnerships going forwardIdentify major conflicting areas  ‐ provincial economic development plan (major mining drive)

VEGETATION TYPECONS

TARGET %

CONSERVATION STATUS BIOME

% of Target protected in

Protected Areas

Sekhukhune Plains Bushveld 28% Vulnerable Savanna 42.0Western Sandy Bushveld 19% Least threatened Savanna 38.1 Central Sandy Bushveld 24% Vulnerable Savanna 36.2Makhado Sweet Bushveld 24% Vulnerable Savanna 35.2Dwaalboom Thornveld 22% Least threatened Savanna 34.3Springbokvlakte Thornveld 35% Endangered Savanna 33.1Polokwane Plateau Bushveld 25% See text Savanna 32.3Roodeberg Bushveld 21% Least threatened Savanna 26.3Musina Mopane Bushveld 20% Least threatened Savanna 16.3

Woodbush Granite Grassland 100% Critically endangered Grassland 14.4Loskop Thornveld 23% Vulnerable Savanna 14.1Limpopo Sweet Bushveld 20% Least threatened Savanna 4.9Northern Afrotemperate Forest 32% Least threatened Forests 3.9Madikwe Dolomite Bushveld 19% Least threatened Savanna 2.7Granite Lowveld 24% Vulnerable Savanna 1.7Gravelotte Rocky Bushveld 20% Least threatened Savanna 0.6Leolo Summit Sourveld 75% Vulnerable Grassland 0.0VhaVenda Miombo See text Savanna 0.0

MiningCBA’s

FEPA

OTHER USEFUL OUTPUTSAcquire and consolidation of information available for provinceGIS layers that can be used for other purposesNetwork and liaison – new partnerships going forwardIdentify major conflicting areas  ‐ provincial economic development plan (major mining drive)Guiding PA expansion in absence of formal expansion strategyIdentify gaps – guide plan of action With limited resources – a tool for prioritisation (planning, monitoring, EIA’s, etc.)Viewer enable officials that do not have GIS expertise to gain access to biodiversity informationHelp to flag issues and needs

• Landcover data older than 10 years – improved with other data layers.

• Small landuse changes mayhave significant impacts.

High water yield areas that produce ecosystem services , including water, under severe threat from plantations 

and poor landuse management, have to increase protection through various means. These areas also have the last remaining  threatened mountain 

grassland .

• Product as good as the data available, the capacity to analyse and implement – we need to build capacity - to survey, set targets, upgrade SCP, implement.

• Current product: used for soliciting political support for key issues + high level planning and decision support (better than having nothing – direct further work)

• Private Nature Reserves – important but not assessed i.t.o. conservation contribution – audit required to verify status and contribution

• High % of important biodiversity features have no or inadequate protection –prioritise – expand Conservation Estate

• Some PAs contain features found nowhere else in the world – allocate resources• 6 Clusters - 3 important for ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation• Fragmentation in mountain grasslands and forests, and competing landuses

(including forestry) in high water yield to be assessed as a priority• Corridors present a good opportunity for long-term biological movement between

important biodiversity areas but it needs refinement • Cost of ecosystem services to be determined – resource economists needed• Consider potential conflicts between development needs (e.g. mining and

environmental conservation) and develop SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK (Green the LEGDP) to ensure provision of ecosystem services

LAND MANAGEMENT 

CLASSCODE

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION 

CATEGORYFEATURES DESCRIPTION

SignificantLandscapes

SLMC Highly Significant Areas

- Endangered vegetationtypes and forest patchesin terms of the NationalForest Assessment

- Expert‐mapped areas

Objective: manage biodiversity for a near natural state with minimal loss of ecosystem integrity

No new transformation of natural habitat should be permitted

Degraded areas should be rehabilitated to near natural state

SC Significant Ecological Corridors

- Near Natural EcologicalCorridors identified interms of the P‐LCP

LANDUSE BMLC 1 BMLC 2 BMLC 3 BMLC 4Conservation management Y Y Y YUnderground linear engineering  structures

Y Y Y Y

Extensive game farming N Y YExtensive livestock farming N Y Y YRural grazing areas N N Y YRural  high density settlement N N Y YDry‐land crop cultivation N N Y YIntensive animal farming N N Y YIrrigated crop cultivation N N Y YAbove‐ground  linear engineering projects

N N Y Y

Exotic timber production N N Y YUrban development N N N YMining N N N YWater transfer projects N N N Y

• Development pressure is high ‐ losing opportunities to conserve• Dynamic systems with major pressures  require adaptive management and innovative approaches that are not always based on the best scientific outputs

• Some good data available, work with it while attempting to improve data layersand address gaps

• Conservative approach to  SCP provide for challenges  and constraints   butdo provide basis for getting important messages across (political)  and basic decision support. Also basis to guide future planning 

• Preliminary – conservative SCP can assist if you have major capacity challenges• Conservation Planning  = CYCLICAL PROCESS – P‐LCP to be refined

• Next phase to refine, engage,  develop capacity – LEDET & other role players 

Continuous improvement