Urban biodiversity research in South Africa: status, policies, implementation and global

relevance

S.S. Cilliers, S.J. Siebert, M.J. du Toit, E. DavorenResearch Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management

North-West UniversityPotchefstroom

South Africa

Urban Ecology in South Africa

ISI, Web of Science, Science Direct, EBSCOHost, SABINET (SA e publications)62 papers = urban areas (or just include them)

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Subject Areas

Papers published on Urban Ecology in different subject areas in South Africa

Ecology papers: ISI (Web of Science) – 1990-2009Ecology and South Africa: 854 papersUrban Ecology = 9 papers

Only natural areas (41%)

"All" urban areas (25%)

Specific urban areas (28%)

Urban -general

(6%)

Areas covered in papers published on Urban Ecology in South Africa

1990 – 2009 = 9 papers in Urban ecology2010 – 2013 = 36 papers in Urban ecology

Urban ecology in South Africa: 36 papers from 2000 - 2013

Different approaches and "drivers" of urban ecological research in S.A.:

• Cape Town – biodiversity conservation (hotspot, unique biodiversity of CFK, leaders in systematic conservation planning)

• Durban – ecosystem goods and services (MOSS, Agenda 21, leaders in urban environmental management and climate adaptation planning)

• North West Province – biodiversity of private green spaces - gardens (patterns and processes of urban green infrastructure, smaller cities and rural settlements)

• Eastern Cape Province – biodiversity of public green spaces – parks (inequality of green space provision, urban forestry, smaller cities)

Unique research questions – different needs !

Urban ecology in South Africa: 36 papers from 2000 - 2013

Cape Town 1 – biodiversity: status and conservation planning

Some threats to implementation of biodiversity network: (BioNet)• Invasive alien plants• Fire exclusion• Lack of megaherbivores• Lack of larger predators• Alien animals (also domestics)• Edge effects in small remnants• Sewage pollution• Eutrophication of water tables• Loss of habitat integrity• Green belts failing as conservation

corridors• Dumping• Public and political ignorance and

apathy• Ignorance and lack of communication• Lack of clarity of roles and

responsibilites

Ecology "in" cities -Urbanization is major challenge to conservation

Aim: To analyse..• historical loss and current biodiversity• conservation planning• current initiatives to stop biodiversity

loss

Vegetation status:

•23 national vegetation types•10 Critically endangered•4 Endangered•4 Vulnerable

•6 vegetation types endemic to city

Cape Town 2 – biodiversity: development and systematic conservation planning

Tools for implementing the BioNet plan rely on transdisciplinary approach:• Spatial planning –

SDF, EMF, city policies• Communication, Educat

ion, Public Awareness• Conservation

stewardship – secure land in return for tax rebates and management advice

• Securing BioNet plan land in public ownership – City Parks, Bulk Water

• Acquiring land into public ownership

SA signatory to international treaties but• Slow implementation• Limited support• Local gov. not

implementation partner

• Conflicting policies, e.g. housing policy - sprawl and biodiversity loss

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of policy and implementation measures in stopping biodiversity loss

Systematic conservation planning in urban areas - relevance

• Spatially explicit data – patterns of biodiversity, what about the processes ?

• Advises SDF’s and IDP’s which are legally binding

• But not necessarily implemented by spatial planners and honored by decision makers

• Focus on representative areas and conservation targets

• Need thorough and spatially explicit biodiversity data

• Bias towards large cities and those in biodiversity hotspots

Cape Town 3 - ecosystem services: mapping

Aim: To test a rapid ecosystem service assessment method to indicate the importance of natural vegetation remnants to ecosystem service provision : (link between ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation.) Requested by city managers due to several competing land uses

Rapid assessment is scoping tool and should precede a full ecosystem service assessment which could be used to determine trade-offs of specific areas

Partially fulfill the need for spatially explicit ecosystem service data

Cape Town 4 – ecosystem services: economic valuation

Aim: To present an argument for increased investment in urban natural capital – following a six step method including participation by financial and environmental decision-makers, and applying valuation techniques

Focus of six-step valuation more on detail and processes to identify and prioritize EGS:•What EGS are available ?•Who are the users ?•How can EGS be related to development objectives ?•How can EGS be influenced by management ?•What are the risks to sustainable flows of EGS?

Ecosystem services mapping and valuation in urban areas - relevance

• Internationally accepted way to promote the conservation of biodiversity in terms of implementation on local government level

• But then…. More research is needed to determine relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services - entire green infrastructure ?

• Quick ecosystem service assessments as scoping reports should precede detailed mapping

• Care should be taken in the selection of ecosystem service valuation techniques – every situation is unique, but for comparative studies standard methods are needed

Cape Town 5 – co-management: citizen science

Aim: To evaluate 10 years of co-management in a conservation area surrounded by townships (mainly poor people) in terms of successes and failures in the co-management process.

Future research questions in co-management on urban fringes of rapidly growing cities:• How does poverty intersects with

economic, social, and spatial development desires of different stakeholders ?

• What material or economic benefits can be promised at the initiation of co-management arrangements ?

Durban 1: Urban environmental management

Aim: To describe the implementation of LA21 in environmental management of Durban, difficulties to localize the sustainable development concept, and lessons learned and factors required to ensure future progressMajor achievements in Durban up to 2000 :• Advantages:

• Hot spot of biodiversity of national and international importance

• 3 decades of open space planning (MOSS) following a conservation of biodiversity approach

• Change to protection of important EGS approach (use resource economics)

• Keep sustainable development on the city's agenda

• Provide mechanism for local stakeholders to interact with local government on environmental management issues

Durban 2: urban environmental management: climate adaptation

IN: Hoornweg, D.; Freire, M.; Lee, M. J.; Bhada-Tata, P.; Yuen, B. 2012. Cities and the urgent challenges of climate change : introduction. Vol. 2 of Cities and climate change : responding to an urgent agenda. Urban development series. Washington D.C. - The Worldbank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/01/16494244/cities-climate-change-responding-urgent-agenda-vol-2-2-main-report

Aim: To describe and evaluate the efforts of Durban and Quito (Ecuador) (both early leaders in the global south) to implement climate adaptation plans in urban governance (Urban climate research)• Participate in CCP campaign of ICLEI• Climate change issues in Durban that will

impacting sustainability:• Temperature increases• Increase in rainfall, but change of seasonal

distribution• Sea level rise (average of 2.7 cm per decade)

• Since 2007 – Dedicated Climate Protection branch within the Environmental Management department of the city

• Several community-based adaptation programs • Cape Town, Johannesburg and Potchefstroom

also "climate leaders" in South Africa, BUT currently no joint learning or sharing of best practices

Urban environmental management - relevance

• Durban leader in Urban environmental management in climate adaption planning

• Networking between different South African cities needed, and also globally - sharing of best practices

• Research needed on impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially in coastal cities – mapping and valuation

North-West Province 1 – private garden studies

Locality of the study areas in the North-West Province and Gauteng, South Africa.

Garden studies in individual settlements:

1.Deep rural – Tlhakgameng (Molebatsi 2011) Managed -tribal authority, 90 % subsistence farmers (51 gardens)

2.Rural – Ganyesa (Davoren 2009) Municipal management, 50 % subsistence farmers (55 gardens)

3.Peri-urban – Ikageng (Lubbe 2011) City council management, 10 % subsistence farmers (51 gardens)

4.Urban – Potchefstroom (Lubbe 2011) City council management, no subsistence farmers (49 gardens)

5.Metropolitan – Roodepoort (new data) Metropolitan council, no subsistence farmers (50 gardens)

Snapshot of entire garden flora:• Best represented families• Best represented genera• Most frequent species• National endemic (61 spp.) and

endangered species (18 spp.)• Useful plants• Origin of indigenous cultivated

species• Origin of naturalized and cultivated

alien species• Invasive species (88 spp.)• Growth forms• Total species diversity

North-West Province 1 – private garden studies: floristics

”Considering both the benefits of garden vegetationand the possible threat that it poses to our naturalheritage, much more knowledge on the ecologicalfunctioning of gardens is necessary to fullyunderstand their features and allow cities to managethe natural environment sensibly and optimize itspotential for sustainability.” (Lubbe et al., 2011)

Aim: To provide baseline floristic information of a typical medium-sized southern African city to compare with garden floras with other cities and other countries

Aim: To describe the contribution of home gardens towards the green infrastructure of a rural settlement in terms of floristicsand to provide base-line information

North West Province 4 – private garden studies: socio-economic and cultural influences

Aim: To determine the diversity of garden floras along a steep socio-economic gradient in a city with a history of cultural segregation.

Aim: To evaluate floral composition in terms of indigenous and alien origin, examine the different use categories of home garden plants, and determine whether placement of micro-gardens is linked to a specific garden lay-out

Tswana homegardens –IKS with specific lay-out and function1.1 orchard1.2 vegetable garden2. medicinal garden3.1 flower bed3.2 container3.3 succulent container3.4 lawn4.1 windbreak4.2 fire screen4.3 shade tree4.4 hedge5. lebala (open space)6. naga (natural area)

Private gardens as part of urban green infrastructure - relevance

• Private gardens have a role to play in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of the entire urban green infrastructure

• We need to expand on the information we have in terms of the role of culture and socio-economics in determining garden diversity – are there any other historical social drivers for garden diversity ?

• Challenge/Impossible to include private gardens in local governance• Gardens provide many opportunities for conservation by general public – forms

part of Civic Science which is a critical stepping stone towards implementation of science in the broader community (also urban planners, managers and decision makers)

• BUT THEN ..private garden studies should also followed a participatory approach – not only consent from home owners, but also total involvement in project – researchers must also give thorough feedback. Study in Potchefstroom – anthropologists – vegetables - “pavements activists”

Implementation of urban biodiversity studies - planning

Aim: To determine if planners on local government level are using systematic conservation plans which are included in the SDF which are legally binding, interviewing 24 officials in 6 Eastern Cape Municipalities.

• In large municipalities – used by environmental units• In small municipalities – used by consultants preparing the municipal planning

documents• Land-use planning system was not fully functional – lack of capacity and

importance according to conservation, and political influence• Younger generation of officials not so sensitive about biodiversity concerns

“Providing information to an already overworked audience about an issue that they feel is addresses by referring the responsibility to consultants is highly unlikely to be effective or even draw any attention. The question is: What value can conservationists provide to land-use planners ? This value is defined by what land-use planners perceive as such”

Implementation of urban biodiversity studies – decision makers

Aim: To investigate the level of understanding of the terms “biodiversity” and “sustainability” shown by 37 councillors (elected politicians) from four coastal municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

“The sustainability concept is not a possible surrogate for biodiversity or a useful means to further its protection: the majority of decision makers did not perceive biodiversity, nature and the natural environment to be a component of sustainable development”

“Three ideas to improve effectiveness of communication for mainstreaming biodversity maps:

•Include both development and conservation – steering activities causing habitat loss to low priority areas•Conservation sector must establish trustful, long-term relationships with local government•Maps should include ecosystem services and non-technical terms – highlight “service provision” from nature to people

Implementation of urban biodiversity studies – education and training

Training of Planners, Managers and Ecologists based on sound scientific information but that can also be applied on local government level

Example North-west University, Potchefstroom, South Africa:• Urban ecology and Landscape Ecology for fourth year

students in Environmental Sciences in 2 streams:– Ecological remediation and sustainable management– Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology

• Urban Ecology for third year students in Town Planning -focusing on understanding basic ecological principles and applying them in planning and design of urban areas:– Systematic conservation planning,– Planning based on ecosystem services (6 steps of TEEB)– Green infrastructure planning

Final statements - implementation of urban biodiversity studies

• Our research must be relevant to all stakeholders ?• Customize research to address current issues faced by

different local governments ? – then they will and must listen. For example:– Issue of service delivery - emphasize ecosystem services in

general– Issue of water quantity and quality – emphasize roles of

wetlands and rivers– Urban heat island/comfort index – emphasize role of trees in

climate mitigation

THANK YOU !

North-West Province 3 – private garden studies: patterns and processes

Socio-economic gradientLow High

Lubbe, C.S. 2011. Comparison of the urban domestic garden flora along a socioeconomic gradient in Potchefstroom. Unpublished Masters Dissertation, North-West University, Potchefstroom. Interpolation map (using IDW in Spatial analyst) of 100 gardens in

Potchefstroom showing patterns of indigenous cultivated and natural plant species richness along a socio-economic gradient

North West Province 4 – private garden studies: ecosystem services

Aim: To provide an overview of studies dealing with ES of urban green spaces in Africa, and showing the challenges in applying the ES approach on finer scales, (parks, gardens, individual plant species)

Eastern Cape Province 1 – public open spaces

Implementation of urban biodiversity studies -S.A. policies

Table 3: Relevant national legislation, guidelines and action plans in terms of biodiversity conservation (Du Toit & Cilliers, in press)

Legislation1. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

2. National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998

3. Local Government: Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000

4. Local Government: Municipal planning and performance management regulations

R796 (2001)

5. National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004

Guidelines6. White paper on the Conservation and Sustainable use of South Africa’s biological

Diversity (1997)

7. White Paper on Environmental Management policy for South Africa (1998)

8. White Paper on Local Government (1998)

9. Wise Land Use: White Paper on Spatial Planning and Land Use Management

(2001)

10. National Climate Change Response Green Paper 2010

Action Plans and Policies11. National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment (2004)

12. National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2005)

13. National Biodiversity Framework (2009)

DU TOIT, M.J., CILLIERS, S.S. In press. Urban ecology in South Africa: Environmental laws, policies and local government. in A. du Plessis, editor. South African Environmental Law: The Governing Function of Local Government. Juta.

IDP (Integrated Development Plan

SDF (spatial Development Framework)