2014-05-08 alard wof ethekwini
TRANSCRIPT
Burning for Biodiversity:Decision support for burning grasslands in
eThekwini municipalityGlynn Alard (eThekwini Municipality) & Ross Goode (Munyawana Game Reserve)
8 May 2013
The driving purpose of the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD) in eThekwini Municipality is to speak out and take action on behalf of Biodiversity and Climate Protection in Durban, with a guiding vision to be an example to the world of how a city can protect and enhance biodiversity and respond positively to the challenges of climate change (Vision: 2013 – 2018 Strategy)
In support of the eThekwini Municipality vision , and to challenge the current development paradigm in a way that positively transforms existing systems, the EPCPD aims: • To conserve and enhance biodiversity and the beneficial
ecosystem services it provides for all; • To plan for, and implement measures to address climate change
and its impacts; • To develop and build human and natural capital, as a means to
achieving a green economy that ensures well-being and that is embedded within planetary boundaries.
(Mission: 2013 -2018 Strategy)
Council adopted layer:
• Created in response to rapid
urbanisation
• Tool to inform conservation
and development planning
• Inclusive of areas important
for ecosystem services
• Updated by EPCPD
Systematic Conservation
Plan
Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’MOSS)
KZN vegetation types (Scott-Shaw 2011): past and present extent
(Map Source: EM Systematic Conservation Plan 2012)
KZN Vegetation Type1 SA Vegetation Type2 Conservation
Status EM3Conservation Status SANBI
Dry Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Endangered Vulnerable
Moist Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Critically
Endangered Vulnerable
KZN Sandstone Sourveld
KZN Sandstone Sourveld
Critically Endangered Endangered
North Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically
Endangered Endangered
South Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically
Endangered Endangered
1 (Scott-Shaw 2011)2 (Mucina & Rutherford 2006)3 Conservation status used for the EMSCP (Scott-Shaw 2011)
KZN vegetation types (Scott-Shaw 2011): past and present extent
(Map Source: EM Systematic Conservation Plan 2012)
KZN Vegetation Type1 SA Vegetation Type2 Conservation
Status EM3Conservation Status SANBI
Dry Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Endangered Vulnerable
Moist Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Critically
Endangered Vulnerable
KZN Sandstone Sourveld
KZN Sandstone Sourveld
Critically Endangered Endangered
North Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically
Endangered Endangered
South Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically
Endangered Endangered
1 (Scott-Shaw 2011)2 (Mucina & Rutherford 2006)3 Conservation status used for the EMSCP (Scott-Shaw 2011)
KZN vegetation types (Scott-Shaw 2011): past and present extent
(Map Source: EM Systematic Conservation Plan 2012)
KZN Vegetation Type1 SA Vegetation Type2 Conservation
Status EM3Conservation Status SANBI
Dry Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Endangered Vulnerable
Moist Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Critically
Endangered Vulnerable
KZN Sandstone Sourveld
KZN Sandstone Sourveld
Critically Endangered Endangered
North Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically
Endangered Endangered
South Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically
Endangered Endangered
1 (Scott-Shaw 2011)2 (Mucina & Rutherford 2006)3 Conservation status used for the EMSCP (Scott-Shaw 2011)
• Design and implement large scale implementation programmes to protect biodiversity, adapt to climate change and optimise the creation of sustainable green jobs, in line with EPWP standards.
• Site selection is to a large degree be guided by research outcomes generated by the Biodiversity Planning branch and Climate Protection branch.
• Policy Implementation branch research findings help ensure that:• Implementation programmes foster partnerships• Operations will embrace communities as equal partners
• Conduct research into the full range of its projects to assess:• Biodiversity and climate protection• Improving the green economy and project sustainability (e.g. building SME’s and
providing training)• Stakeholder engagement to ensure that learnings are adopted and embedded
into best business practices
Biodiversity, Climate and Green Project Implementation Branch
EPCPD Implementation Programmes
eThekwini Region WoF WfE CRP
South 1
Central 3
North 2 2 2
Inner West 6 2 1
Outer West 17 2
Total sites 29 6 3
Restore grassland health and control Invasive Alien Plants through a combination of:• Scheduled burning of grassland in dry season• IAP control during wet growing season:
• Mechanical control (e.g. felling, hand-pulling, etc.)• Chemical control (e.g. foliar, ring-barking, cut-stump
application of herbicide, etc.)
Working on FireProgramme
Working on Fire – initiated 2009
Total Training Courses: 12 20 11
Total Training Person Days: 1254 549 579
IAP control - follow-up (Ha): 564 655.5 331
Total Area of Burning (Ha): 38 98.4 230
Total Jobs Created: 52 61 49
IAP control – initial (Ha): 114 48 12
Total Person Days: 14042 17119 11914
Female employment 37% 38% 37.8%
2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
WoF Budget: R4,7mil R4,9mil R5,3mil
• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control
Fire control grassland sites
• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special
Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)
51
4
20
State ownedNUCS ServitudePrivate
Fire control grassland sites
• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special
Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)
• Sites burned biennially/triennially
Fire control grassland sites
• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special
Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)
• Sites burned biennially/triennially• Sites cover most regional grassland veld
types
Fire control grassland sites
• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special
Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)
• Sites burned biennially/triennially• Sites cover most regional grassland veld
types• Burns have reduced IAPs, but no
monitoring relating to grassland health or levels of service
Fire control grassland sites
• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special
Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)
• Sites burned biennially/triennially• Sites cover most regional grassland veld
types• Burns have reduced IAPs, but no
monitoring relating to grassland health or levels of service
• Biodiversity (specifically graminoid diversity)
• Soil stability• Water retention for flood attenuation• Water quality within the catchment
Fire control grassland sites
Veld condition assessment (VCA) and Fixed-point photography for WoF grasslands were planned, under consultation of Prof. Winston Trollope in Dec 2012. • Surveys conducted by Ross Goode• A subset of 25 sites were surveyed in 2013 & remaining 16 in 2014• Methods used according to simplified, adapted method developed in 2012.
• Trollope, W S W., 1990. Development of a technique for assessing veld condition in the Kruger National Park.J.Grassld. Soc. South. Afr.7, 1:46-51.
• Trollope, W.S.W., 2012. Assessment of veld condition using the adapted point centre quarter method. Special Report, Working On Fire International, Nelspruit, South Africa: 1-20.
Veld Condition Assessment
Veld Condition Assessment:Sampling design
Veld Condition Assessment:Fixed-point photography
The grass surveys comprised:
• Recording the species and point to tuft distance (PTTD) of the nearest rooted grass or herbaceous plant to 100 point quadrats at appropriate intervals that traverse the length of WoF fire control grasslands.
Veld Condition Assessment:Methods
cm100 xGrass sp. &
The grass surveys comprised:
• Estimating the herbaceous fuel load with a Disc Pasture Meter using 100 disc meter readings recorded at appropriate intervals along the same transects
• The grass fuel loads were estimated using the calibration equation developed for the Kruger National Park (Trollope & Potgieter 1986) and recommended for general use in African grasslands and savannas:
Veld Condition Assessment:Methods
• DECREASER SPECIES (D) - Grass & herbaceous species that decrease when veld is under burnt or over burnt;
• INCREASER I SPECIES (I) - Grass & herbaceous species that increase when veld is under burnt;
• INCREASER II SPECIES (II) - Grass & herbaceous species that increase when veld is over burnt.
• BASAL COVER PTTD (Hardy & Tainton 1993) provide an index of basal cover and therefore its potential to resist accelerated soil erosion. A mean (PTTD) distance of < 3 cm indicated low erosion potential, and > 10 cm a high erosion potential
• FUEL LOAD Above-ground phytomass < 4000 kg/ha indicates a low fuel load, those swards > 4000 kg/ha indicate high fuel loads
and readiness for a burn
• FUEL SCORE y = -3019 + 2260 √x : Where: y = mean grass fuel load kg/ha; x = mean disc height (cm)
Veld Condition Assessment:Interpretation
Veld Condition Assessment:Outputs
Veld Condition Assessment:Outputs
Veld Condition Assessment:Decision support to burn
• All sampled sites qualified for burning in the 2013 dry season
• Of the 41 scheduled blocks, 40 were successfully burned, though some blocks were only partially burned due to a relatively wet winter, and sward greenness.
• An area exceeding 300 ha was burned in the 2013 fire season
• 2013 marks the first year were our burns were mapped to develop a detailed fire history
2013 Fire Season
• All sampled sites qualified for burning in the 2014 dry season (very high fuel load)• 91 grass spp.
2014 VCA Outcomes
Veld Condition Assessment:Outcomes
Bridging the divide between SCIENCE and PRACTICE:
Use of VCAs for the Working on Fire Programme in the eThekwini Municipality is an excellent example of the use of good ecological science to support decision-making at the local government level
Acknowledgements:
• Working on Fire crew• Rael Hughes – images and operations efficiency• Cameron McClean & Preshen Banwari – mapping• Jessica Cockburn & Aerisha Ramkalawan – mapping
and images• Prof. Trollope – Fire Ecology, images, methodology• Ross Goode – Data collection and analysis, images