Your text herei 5 BOTANICAL ASSESSMENT PROPOSED GAMMA-KAPPA ESKOM POWERLINE March 2021 Your text here 1234 Mark Berry Environmental Consultants Pr Sci Nat (reg. no. 400073/98) PhD in Botany Tel: 083 286-9470, Fax: 086 759-1908, E-mail: [email protected] ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive summary Declaration of Interest 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 2 METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................ 1 3 PROPOSED PROJECT .............................................................................................................. 3 4 STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................. 6 4.1 Biogeographical aspects .......................................................................................................... 7 4.2 Land use and past disturbances ........................................................................................... 10 5 RESULTS .................................................................................................................................. 12 5.1 Description of vegetation types and flora encountered from west to east ....................... 13 5.2 Species of Conservation Concern & regional endemics .................................................... 22 5.3 Protected areas and critical biodiversity areas (CBA’s) ..................................................... 27 6 ANTICIPATED IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY .......................................................................... 31 7 SUMMARY & CONCLUDING REMARKS ............................................................................... 36 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 38 APPENDICES Appendix A Vegetation and floristic data recorded at the sampling sites. Appendix B Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) and regional endemics expected to occur along the proposed powerline route. Appendix C Brief CV of specialist. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report investigates the vegetation types traversed by a proposed new Kappa-Gamma powerline between the Kappa and the Gamma substations. Encroaching on the Western Cape Province’s northern boundary, the proposed route traverses three biomes, namely the Succulent Karoo (western section), Fynbos Biome (western section) and the Nama Karoo (central and eastern sections), as well as azonal vegetation types (rivers and associated floodplains). Within these biomes, eight mapped vegetation units will be affected by the project, namely Tanqua Karoo, Tanqua Wash Riviere, Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld and Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo in the western part of the study area, and Gamka Karoo, Southern Karoo Riviere, Upper Karoo Hardeveld and Eastern Upper Karoo in the central and eastern parts. Proposed project The project comprises the construction of a new 765 kV overhead powerline through the Karoo from the Kappa substation 25 km north of Touws River to the Gamma substation on the R63 (Victoria West Road). Three route options are investigated, namely Alternative 1 (374.158 km), 1A (378.655 km) and 2 (366.081 km). Alternatives 1 and 1A follows roughly the same route as existing Eskom powerlines. Results The vegetation in which the project is located is largely untransformed. Disturbances noted in the study area include the footprints of existing powerline pylons and access tracks, farm roads, farming activities (pastures and grazing) and associated overgrazing problems, tourist activities (tourist accommodation and hunting), wind farm projects (in the Klein Roggeveld) and minor alien plant infestation. There are also a few conservation efforts along the route, including the Spitzkop Protected Environment and Karoo National Park. The estimated sections through the respective vegetation types (as presented on the South African vegetation map) are shown in Table 1 (in this case for Alternative 1). Thirteen Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) and regional endemics were recorded along the proposed powerline route, including Didymaotus lapidiformis (Vul, endemic to the Tanqua Karoo), Antimima loganii (Vul) and Romulea hallii (Vul). However, several more are expected to occur along the route. The majority of the SCC and endemics are found in the western part of the study area, including the Tanqua Karoo, Tanqua Wash Riviere, Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo, Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld and the western part of the Gamka Karoo. This area falls mainly inside the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape. Of the recorded SCC, only Ruschia sp. nov was found in the eastern part on a calcrete band nearby Beaufort West. This emphasises the botanical value of the iv western part, which includes the Klein Roggeveld. Table 1 Estimated sections of the proposed powerline (for Alternative 1) through the respective vegetation types. Vegetation type Estimated section of powerline Tanqua Karoo 8 km Tanqua Wash Riviere 11 km Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld 19 km Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo 61 km Gamka Karoo 190 km Southern Karoo Riviere 18 km Upper Karoo Hardeveld 26 km Eastern Upper Karoo 41 km Total: 374 km Two specialised habitats recorded include a chert band on a low ridge north of the Kappa substation and a calcrete band east of Beaufort West. These areas are typically rich in small (and often rare) succulents, especially members of the Aizoaceae family. Elsewhere in the study area, especially in the western part (Klein Roggeveld) and around Merweville, gravelly shale slopes and sandstone outcrops are also home to a variety of succulents and geophytes. The level of transformation and conservation status of the affected vegetation types are summarised in Table 2. Due to a low level of transformation, none of the vegetation types are currently listed as threatened. Tanqua Karoo and Tanqua Wash Riviere are the best protected vegetation types. The Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West is the only formal conservation area in the eastern part of study area that is encroached by the proposed powerline. Alternative 1 touches the southern tip of the Park, while Alternative 2 actually runs through it. Alternative 1 also runs through the Steenbokkie Private Nature Reserve, located east of Beaufort West. The latter has no formal conservation status. In the western part of the study area, the line runs through the Spitzkop Protected Environment, which is mapped as a critical biodiversity area (CBA). Spitzkop (7639 ha) forms part of the CapeNature stewardship programme. Like the existing lines, the proposed powerline is expected to largely avoid the steeper slopes and mountains. The crossing of numerous seasonal rivers by the proposed powerline, many of which are mapped as CBA’s, is however unavoidable. Essentially all the significant rivers crossed by the proposed powerline are considered to be priority rivers according to the National Protected Areas Expansion Strategy (NPAES) freshwater v priorities and were classified as either critically endangered or endangered rivers. They are therefore indicated as CBA’s on the biodiversity network map. Table 2 Level of transformation and conservation status of the affected vegetation types (information obtained from Mucina & Rutherford 2006 and Skowno et al. 2019). Vegetation type Transformation Conservation status Tanqua Karoo <1% transformed 10% formally conserved in the Tankwa Karoo National Park. Tanqua Wash Riviere 6% transformed 13% formally conserved in the Tankwa Karoo National Park. Koedoesberge-Moordenaars <1% transformed Very small portion formally conserved in Karoo the Gamkapoort Nature Reserve. Central Mountain Shale 3% transformed None conserved Renosterveld Southern Karoo Riviere 13% transformed 1.5% formally conserved in the Karoo National Park and a few nature reserves, including the Gamkapoort and Karoo Nature Reserves. Gamka Karoo <1% transformed 2% formally conserved in the Karoo National Park, as well as in a few private nature reserves, such as Steenbokkie. Upper Karoo Hardeveld <1% transformed 3% formally conserved in the Karoo National Park and Karoo Nature Reserve. Eastern Upper Karoo 3% transformed 2% formally conserved in the Mountain Zebra and Karoo National Parks, as well as in Oviston, Rolfontein, Commando Drift and Gariep Dam Nature Reserves. CBA’s incorporate areas that need to be safeguarded in order to meet national biodiversity thresholds; areas required to ensure the continued existence and functioning of species and ecosystems; and important locations for biodiversity features or rare species. Loss of designated CBA’s is therefore not recommended. Two biodiversity hotspots have been identified during the SKEP initiative in the western part of the study area, one of which (i.e. Klipfontein se Berg) is crossed by the proposed powerline. The latter has also been mapped as a CBA. Other significant CBA’s traversed by the proposed powerline, include certain high-lying areas in the Klein Roggeveld, the Merweville area, areas on the southern side of the Karoo National Park, an area directly east of Beaufort West, and the Nelspoort area. Anticipated impact on biodiversity The potential impact imposed by the powerline alternatives is difficult to assess due to the length of the powerline and the botanical diversity of the areas it traverses. Fortunately,