Outer West Corridor Study and Local Area Plans
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eTHEKWINI OUTER WEST CORRIDOR STUDY MUNICIPALITY AND LOCAL AREA PLANS eTHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY OUTER WEST CORRIDOR STUDY AND CATO RIDGE LOCAL AREA PLANS GRAHAM MULLER ASSOCIATES CONSORTIUM Biodiversity Situational study Compiled by GRAHAM MULLER ASSOCIATES CONSORTIUM eTHEKWINI OUTER WEST CORRIDOR STUDY MUNICIPALITY AND LOCAL AREA PLANS TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... II LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ I LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... II 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Objectives .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Study area ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Approach ........................................................................................................................... 3 2. OVERVIEW OF CATCHMENTS ........................................................................................ 5 2.1 Catchment 1: Mshwati River ........................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Land uses ................................................................................................................ 6 2.1.2 Natural open spaces ............................................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Catchment condition .............................................................................................. 7 2.1.4 Drivers and pressures ............................................................................................. 7 2.2 Catchment 2: Mngcweni River ........................................................................................ 7 2.2.1 Land uses ................................................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 Natural open spaces .............................................................................................. 8 2.2.3 Catchment condition ............................................................................................. 8 2.2.4 Drivers and pressures ............................................................................................ 9 2.3 Catchment 3: Sikelekehleni River .................................................................................. 10 2.3.1 Land uses .............................................................................................................. 10 2.3.2 Natural open spaces ..................................................................................... 11 2.3.3 Catchment condition ............................................................................................ 11 2.3.4 Drivers and pressures ........................................................................................... 11 2.4 Catchment 4: Mlazi River ............................................................................................... 11 2.4.1 Land uses .............................................................................................................. 11 2.4.2 Natural open spaces ............................................................................................. 12 2.4.3 Catchment condition ............................................................................................ 12 2.4.3 Drivers and pressures ................................................................................... 13 2.5 Catchment 5: Sterkspruit ............................................................................................... 13 2.5.1 Land uses .............................................................................................................. 13 2.5.2 Natural open spaces ......................................................................................... 14 2.5.3 Catchment condition .......................................................................................... 14 2.5.4 Drivers and pressures ......................................................................................... 15 2.6 Catchment 6: Wekeweke River ..................................................................................... 15 2.6.1 Land uses .............................................................................................................. 15 2.6.2 Natural open spaces ........................................................................................ 16 2.6.3 Catchment condition ........................................................................................... 16 2.6.4 Drivers and pressures ......................................................................................... 16 GRAHAM MULLER ASSOCIATES CONSORTIUM eTHEKWINI OUTER WEST CORRIDOR STUDY MUNICIPALITY AND LOCAL AREA PLANS 2.7 Catchment 7: Umhlatuzana River .................................................................................. 17 2.7.1 Land uses .............................................................................................................. 17 2.7.2 Natural open spaces ........................................................................................... 17 2.7.3 Catchment condition .......................................................................................... 18 2.7.4 Drivers and pressures .......................................................................................... 18 2.8 Summary of catchment condition ................................................................................. 18 2.8.1 Terrestrial environment ....................................................................................... 18 2.8.2 Aquatic environment .......................................................................................... 20 3. BIODIVERSITY ASSETS STATUS QUO ........................................................................ 22 3.1 Aquatic ecosystems ........................................................................................................ 22 3.1.1 Rivers and dams.................................................................................................... 22 3.1.2 Wetlands................................................................................................................ 23 3.2 Terrestrial ecosystems .................................................................................................... 25 3.2.1 Vegetation types ........................................................................................... 25 3.2.2. Natural habitat ............................................................................................... 26 3.2.3 Important flora ............................................................................................... 28 3.2.4 Important fauna ............................................................................................. 29 3.3 Areas of conservation importance ................................................................................. 30 3.3.1 C-plan ................................................................................................................... 30 3.3.2 Metropolitan Open Space System ............................................................... 31 3.3.3 Formally protected areas..................................................................................... 32 3.4 Biodiversity hotspots ..................................................................................................... 33 3.4.1 Important plant communities .............................................................................. 33 3.4.2 Important biota (fauna and flora) ....................................................................... 35 4. WAY FORWARD ............................................................................................................. 36 4.1 Drivers and pressures ..................................................................................................... 36 4.2 Biodiversity information sources .................................................................................... 36 5. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 37 GRAHAM MULLER ASSOCIATES CONSORTIUM eTHEKWINI OUTER WEST CORRIDOR STUDY MUNICIPALITY AND LOCAL AREA PLANS LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Site map showing the study area for the Outer West in relation to major rivers and urban areas ................. 3 Figure 2 Land cover map for the Mshwati Catchment (after DEAT and EKZNW, 2008) .............................................. 6 Figure 3 Land cover map for the Mngcweni Catchment (after DEAT and EKZNW, 2008) ......................................... 8 Figure 4 Land cover map for the Sikelekehleni Catchment (after DEAT and EKZNW, 2008) ..................................... 10 Figure 5 Land cover map for the Mlazi Catchment (after DEAT and EKZNW, 2008).................................................. 12 Figure 6 Land cover map