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N2 Wildcoast Toll Road – Greenfields Section N2 Wild Coast Toll Road between East London and Durban: Environmental Impact Assessment Report 3. FLORA AND VEGETATION 3.1 General Introduction This chapter examines impacts on the plants and vegetation of the proposed route of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road. The study of plants concerns both the flora and the vegetation, and these terms need to be defined. 3.1.1 The flora of the region Flora refers to the particular plants that occur in an area, with reference to species which it contains, but also the genera or families. Plants are not evenly distributed, as they are confined to defined geographical ranges, and botanists classify the different ranges of species into regions, referred to as phytogeographic regions, where phyto means plants. These are very often associated with other features such as geology, climate, etc. In this way the world has been divided into phytogeographical regions, each with its own distinct compliment of species (Good, 1974). Thus, the Cape Flora is referred to, due to the species (or more specifically the taxa, i.e. families, genera, species etc.) that are typically found in that region of the Cape. Plants endemic1 to the Cape region are thus those that form the natural characteristics of the Cape flora and are confined to this region. Endemism is relative to scale, and it usually refers to the distributional range of these species, with the distribution being affected by historical, ecological or physiological reasons. Consequently, plants are referred to as being endemic to a particular region, e.g. the Cape, Transkei, Pondoland, etc. Plants occurring within that region are the endemics, and those which occur in the region and perhaps in a few isolated cases outside the region, are referred to as “near-endemics” (van Wyk and Smith, 2001). White, (1983) defined regional centres of endemism as geographical regions with a particular combination of endemic plant species. He divided Africa into different phytogeographical regions (called phytochoria), and in this way identified regional centres of endemism, where each phytogeographical region (or phytochorion) had more than 50% of its species confined to that centre, and a total of more than 1 000 endemic species. He also identified regional transitional zones and regional moziacs, and floristically assigned the whole of Africa into phytogeographical regions or phytochoria. Centres of Endemism are, therefore, determined 1 Endemic means restricted to a particular geographic region. Vegetation Specialist Report 1 Sep-02 N2 Wild Coast Toll Road between East London and Durban: Environmental Impact Assessment Report by the high concentration of plant species with a very restricted distribution (endemics). The regions of White (1983) of particular concern in this study are the Cape region, which extends from south-western Cape up the Cape coast, the Karoo-Namib, extending from the dry interior towards the coast, the Maputuland-Pondoland region stretching down the coast of south-east Africa and the Afromontane region which extends down the mountainous areas of Africa into Southern Africa. In addition to this regional classification of floras, a focus on the main centres of endemism has been introduced by Myers, (1988, 1990) who identified 18 major endemic centres on a global scale. Each of these is referred to as a “biodiversity hot spot”, but they must have at least 1 500 endemic plant species and have lost 75% or more of their original vegetation. In other words, these diverse areas are under threat of destruction. Cowling and Hilton-Taylor (1994) carried this approach further for southern Africa, and identified various hot spots throughout our region. The Pondoland hot spot was one such area, and is therefore of particular concern for this EIA. Although this alternative way of examining floras is noteworthy, in this case the approach of van Wyk and Smith (2001) is followed, and the Cape floristic region and the Maputuland- Pondoland region are referred to, and within the latter the Pondoland Centre of Endemism (PC). The Pondoland Centre is sharply defined by the geological features and the derived soils, as explained below (see section 3.2). 3.1.2 The vegetation of the region Vegetation can also be discussed on a global scale, as it can be divided into various formations (e.g. forests, savanna, etc.) or more locally into plant communities or associations. These are defined by their dominant and diagnostic species. In this study, the recent classification by Low and Rebelo (1996), who with the help of experts throughout southern African defined various vegetation types in a distinct hierarchy, is followed. Many of these studies drew on other works, such as that of Acocks (1988), or Lubke et al. (1988) for the eastern Cape region. In the earlier biophysical scoping report for the N2 toll road (CES, 2001), broad vegetation types were defined according to Low and Rebelo (1996) for the different sectors of the route (Table 3.1). Vegetation Specialist Report 2 Sep-02 N2 Wild Coast Toll Road between East London and Durban: Environmental Impact Assessment Report Table 3.1: Vegetation types of Low and Rebelo (1996) along sectors of the route, their conservation status and equivalent vegetation types of other authors. SECTORS OF ROUTE Proportion Conserved % East Kei Umtata Lusikisiki London River Tombo to Mtamvuna Vegetation Types to to Alternative Names to Kei to Lusikisiki to Isipingo Tombo Mtamvuna E. Cape KZN River Umtata FOREST 1. Coastal Forest + - + ++ ++ + 8.7 27.4 Coastal Belt Forest or Dune Forest (Acocks, 1975 - A1) 2. Afromontane Highland and Dohne Sourveld (Acocks, 1995 - A44) Scarp + - + + + - 7.1 16.4 Forest forest (Scott-Shaw 1999) THICKET 4. Dune Thicket + - - - - ++ 7.5 - Dune Forest (Acocks,1975 - A1) 5. Valley Thicket ++ + ++ + + + 2.5 1.5 Valley Bushveld (Acocks, 1975 – A23) SAVANNA Eastern Province Thornveld (A7), False Thornveld of E. 16. Eastern Thorn +++ + ++ - - - 0.5 - Cape (Acocks, 1975 – A21, Acacia savanna (Lubke et al. Bushveld 1988); Savanna (Scott-Shaw, 1999). 23. Coastal Bushveld - - ++ + - +++ 0.0 14.7 Coastal Forest & Thornveld (Acocks, 1975 - A1) Grassland GRASSLAND Highland Sourveld or Dohne Sourveld (Acocks, 1975 - 42. Moist Upland - +++ + - ++ + 0.2 7.5 A44), Montane Grassland (Scott-Shaw 1999), Dohne Grassland Sourveld (Lubke et al. 1988). Eastern Province Thornveld (Acocks, 1975 - A7), Coastal 48. Coastal + - - + +++ + 1.1 56.2 Sour Grassveld or Coastal Mixed Grassveld (Lubke et al. Grassland 1988). Pondoland Coastal Grassland (Scott-Shaw 1999). Number of 6 3 6 5 5 6 vegetation types Code: - absent; + present; ++ abundant; +++ very abundant. Vegetation Specialist Report 3 Sep-02 N2 Wild Coast Toll Road between East London and Durban: Environmental Impact Assessment Report 3.1.3 The specific aims of studying flora and vegetation The flora and the different vegetation types need to be examined in detail in order to examine the impact of the proposed road. The different components of the flora (the species and various families which are found in the area) may occur in very specific sites and be in danger of extinction, and thus are of special concern. Likewise, vegetation types may be specific to particular sites within the road corridor and also be of conservation value, both for the specific species, which they contain as well as other important factors such as habitats for animals, the presence of plants of economic importance to local people, or, simply by being structurally unique to the area. Thus, in addition to the general aims stated above, the plants and the vegetation types in which they occur were specifically investigated. In the context of this EIA, the specific deliverables from this specialist study include: • An assessment of the potential impact on vegetation (i.e. plant species, plant communities and associated habitats/systems) associated with the proposed project. As far as possible, the status of key species or families were quantified to assist in interpretation. • The identification of the conservation status of Red Data and endemic plant species. • The identification of potentially sensitive areas along the proposed route in terms of vegetation which would be required to be avoided where possible, or would require stringent mitigation. • Production of a vegetation sensitivity map. • Recommendations regarding appropriate mitigation measures for each phase of the project, where required. 3.1.4 Conservation and tourism of the region The most important site for conservation along the route is the Pondoland Centre of Endemism - PC (Frey, 1988). For the past five years, the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa has been lobbying for the establishment of a large conservation area along the Pondoland coast (WESSA, Cooper, pers com). The proposed Park extends from the north banks of the Mzimvubu River at Port St Johns to the south bank of the Mtamvuna River adjacent to the Wild Coast Sun near Port Edward. This is a distance of about 80 km. Within the proposed area are a provincial nature reserve, numerous state forests, extensive grazing areas and agricultural lands and villages. The total area of the proposed Pondoland Park is Vegetation Specialist Report 4 Sep-02 N2 Wild Coast Toll Road between East London and Durban: Environmental Impact Assessment Report approximately 50 000ha. The proposed Park is a unique situation, since it incorporates formally protected areas as well as traditional communal land which is mostly still in a natural state but used by the local people. The proposed N2 Toll Road passes through extremely attractive natural areas and in many cases undeveloped rural landscapes. It would also bisect a major part of the Pondoland Centre of Endemism (see Section 3.4) and would pass through sections of the proposed Pondoland Park. However, the road largely forms the boundary of the Park, and only crosses the areas proposed for schedule 2 (contract conservation areas). The road therefore stays outside the core conservation area.
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