Freshwater Fishes
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WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE state oF BIODIVERSITY 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 2 Methods 17 Chapter 3 Freshwater fishes 18 Chapter 4 Amphibians 36 Chapter 5 Reptiles 55 Chapter 6 Mammals 75 Chapter 7 Avifauna 89 Chapter 8 Flora & Vegetation 112 Chapter 9 Land and Protected Areas 139 Chapter 10 Status of River Health 159 Cover page photographs by Andrew Turner (CapeNature), Roger Bills (SAIAB) & Wicus Leeuwner. ISBN 978-0-620-39289-1 SCIENTIFIC SERVICES 2 Western Cape Province State of Biodiversity 2007 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Andrew Turner [email protected] 1 “We live at a historic moment, a time in which the world’s biological diversity is being rapidly destroyed. The present geological period has more species than any other, yet the current rate of extinction of species is greater now than at any time in the past. Ecosystems and communities are being degraded and destroyed, and species are being driven to extinction. The species that persist are losing genetic variation as the number of individuals in populations shrinks, unique populations and subspecies are destroyed, and remaining populations become increasingly isolated from one another. The cause of this loss of biological diversity at all levels is the range of human activity that alters and destroys natural habitats to suit human needs.” (Primack, 2002). CapeNature launched its State of Biodiversity Programme (SoBP) to assess and monitor the state of biodiversity in the Western Cape in 1999. This programme delivered its first report in 2002 and these reports are updated every five years. The current report (2007) reports on the changes to the state of vertebrate biodiversity and land under conservation usage. In addition, the current report is expanded to include an initial assessment of plant biodiversity in the province and has a broader look at land utilization and ecosystem health. This report differs from typical State of the Environment (SoE) reports in that it is primarily focused on biodiversity and natural ecosystems. Within the current reporting period several other “state” reports were produced that have direct relevance to this report: 1 A National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment (NSBA) was published (Driver et al. 2004) as part of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) which will outline a strategy for the protection of biodiversity nationally (see Chapter 9 for more detail); 2 The City of Cape Town continued its annual State of the Environment reporting; 3 The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry produced a pilot report on the national State of Forests (Institute of Natural Resources (INR) 2005); 4 The DWAF in collaboration with CapeNature produced five River Health reports and three technical reports on river health in the Western Cape Province (see Chapter 10). The report covers birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish and plants in separate chapters. This report covers the state of plants of the WCP for the first time. The state of ecosystems and habitat Introduction 3 both inside and outside of protected areas is reported in a chapter on land-use and protected areas, and a chapter on freshwater ecosystems. Several of these groups have had significant taxonomic revisions and the number of species may have changed since the previous State of Biodiversity report for the WCP. In addition, these changes have prompted complete reviews of the conservation status of these groups which provides a more up to date representation of conservation state. In those groups where revisions of conservation status are still required, there are plans to carry out these revisions within the next five years and hence within the next reporting period. CapeNature has a suite of monitoring programmes that cover many different taxa with a particular focus on threatened species such as the Cape Vulture and natural processes ranging from protea seedling regeneration after fires to monitoring frog populations in relation to global climate change. Each of the monitoring programmes is covered in the taxon-specific chapter. CapeNature is committed to conserving biodiversity on a scientific basis and supports research that will further this aim. CapeNature is fortunate to have established several collaborative research projects with researchers from various tertiary education facilities and research organisations. A list of the scientific activities by the Scientific Services division of CapeNature is found in Appendix 1. Should you wish to engage CapeNature on any nature conservation related issues in the WCP, Please visit our website www.capenature.co.za to obtain contact details or contact any of the chapter authors directly. REFERENCES Driver, A., Maze, K., Rouget, M., Lombard, A.T., Nel, J., Turpie J.K., Cowling, R.M., Desmet, P., Goodman, P., Harris, J., Jonas, Z., Reyers, B., Sink, K. and Strauss, T. 2005. National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004: priorities for biodiversity conservation in South Africa. Strelitzia 17. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Institute of Natural Resources (INR). 2005. Pilot State of The Forest Report: A pilot report to test the national criteria and indicators. Primack, R.B. 2002. Essentials of Conservation Biology. 3rd Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, USA. 4 Western Cape Province State of Biodiversity 2007 APPENDICES Appendix 1. Publications by the staff of CapeNature Scientific Services for the period November 2002 to November 2006. SEMI-SCIENTIFIC/POPULAR ARTICLES: 1. Baard, E.H.W. 2003. Gun slange plek in die son. Die Burger, 11 Maart 2003. 2. Baard, E.H.W. 2003. Tabakrolletjie is tuinier se vriend. Die Burger, 22 April 2003. 3. Bonthuys, J. 2005. (Information from Impson, D.) Kleinbekbaars moet vasgevat word. Nuwe begin vir visbestuur in Kaapse fynbosryk. 4. Dalton, M.J., Hudson, V. and Shaw, K.A. 2003. Synchronised, flightless moult of Blue cranes (Anthropades paradiseus) on the Agulhas Plain, Overberg, Cape Province. Indwa 1: 11-17. 5. De Villiers, A.L. 2003. Western Leopard toad, Bufo pantherinus (formerly: Bufo pardalis). African Wildlife 57(2): 29. 6. De Villiers, A. 2004. Watch out for this toad. Village Life - Journal of the Cape Overberg 7:10. 7. De Villiers, A.L. and De Villiers, M.E. 2004. Cordylidae, Chamaesaura anguina, Cape Grass Lizard – Fire, Population Size and Density. African Herp News 37: 22-23. 8. De Villiers, C., Brownlie, S., Driver, A., Laidler D. and Love V. 2004. Developing guidelines for the effective incorporation of biodiversity considerations in environmental assessment: The experience of the Fynbos Forum. International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) South Africa, National Conference Proceedings. 17-22 October 2004, Champagne Sports Resort, Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal. 9. De Villiers, A.L. 2006. Bufonidae: Bufo gutturalis Power, 1927; guttural toad: Introduced population. African Herp News 40: 28-29. 10. De Villiers, A.L. 2006. Gekkonidae: Lygodactylus capensis capensis (A. Smith, 1849); Cape dwarf gecko: Introduced population. African Herp News 40: 29-30. 11. Hamman, K.C.D., Stadler, J.C. and Lloyd, P.H. 2003. Is die wildbedryf versoenbaar met natuurbewaring? Wild en Jag/Game and Hunt 9(4): 35-36. 12. Hamman, K.C.D., Stadler, J.C. and Lloyd, P.H. 2003. Ongewenste wildpraktyke kwel. Die Burger, 13 Mei 2003. 13. Impson, N.D. 2003. A lesson too late for the learning – Berg River whitefish now extinct. Flyfishing 79: 29- 31. 14. Impson, N.D. 2003. Progress report for the Western Cape since the 2002 yellowfish workshop. Proceedings 7th Yellowfish Working Group Conferences pp. 63-65. 15. Impson, D. 2004. Research confirms severe impacts of smallmouth bass on indigenous fishes in Western Cape. SA Bassing, December 2004. 16. Impson, D. 2004. The threatened yellowfishes of Western Cape. In: Wolhuter, L (Ed.) The Nedbank Guide to Flyfishing in southern Africa. pp. 217-222. 17. Impson, D. and Woodford, D. 2005. Alien invaders: guilty. Just how bad are smallmouth bass for Cape rivers? Flyfishing 88:32-33. 18. Impson, D., Harding, B and G. Steyn. 2005. The use of rotenone as a tool for restructuring fish populations in inland waters of the fynbos biome. Piscator 137: 63-69. 19. Woodford, D and D. Impson. 2005. Invasive fish in the Fynbos: a major threat to the conservation of a unique floral kingdom. African Wildlife 59(2): 24-25. 20. Impson, D. 2005. Extinction of the Berg-Breede whitefish in the Berg River: causes and the way forward. Proceedings 8th Yellowfish Working Group Conference. pp. 59-61. 21. Impson, D. (in press). Do anglers know better?: the collapse of outstanding bass fisheries in Theewaterskloof and Voëlvlei dams and the Breede River. Piscator 138. 22. Impson, D. 2006. Status of yellowfishes in the Western Cape. Proceedings 9th National Yellowfish Working Group Conference. pp. 44-49. 23. Impson, D. 2006. Importance of riparian zones. Flyfishing 90: 66-71. 24. Love, V.C. 2002. Islands on Land. Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, Envirokids 23: 4. 25. Malan, L., Malan, F. and Williams, A.J. 2004. Kelp Gulls as predators of large African Penguin chicks; observations at Possession Island, Namibia. Bird Numbers 13(2): 14. Introduction 5 26. Oschadleus, H.D., Ward, V.L. and Brooks, M. 2005. Primary moult in passerines. Afring News 34(1): 41. 27. Palmer, N.G., Shroyer, M.E. and Wessels, N. 2003. Wilderness conservation in the Western Cape Province, South Africa: Where we are going. In: Watson, A. and Sproull, J. (Eds). 2003. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: 7th World Wilderness Congress, 2-8 November 2001, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-27: pp. 13-19. 28. Palmer, N.G. and Van Niekerk, A. 2002. What CNC is doing about the state of biodiversity. Earthyear Magazine. 29. Palmer, N.G. and Van Niekerk, A. 2003. In support of the honey badger.