Population Assessments of Priority Plant Species Used by Local Communities in and Around Three Wild Coast Reserves, Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Population assessments of priority plant species used by local communities in and around three Wild Coast reserves, Eastern Cape, South Africa By JOCLYN J. FEARON Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science Department of Environmental Science, Rhodes University Grahamstown 2010 Abstract The project was initiated by Eastern Cape Parks (ECP) as a request for the construction of inventories of priority species and their population levels inside three nature reserves on the Eastern Cape Wild Coast, South Africa, and to develop a strategic management plan to manage these natural resources in each reserve. Thirty key species were identified by local communities in and around Dwesa-Cwebe, Silaka and Mkambati Nature Reserves through community workshops. For forested areas belt transects of 100 m x 6 m where used. The basal circumference of key tree species within the belt transect was measured as well as the height of saplings (height < 150 m). Tree species were categorized based on densities, size class distribution (SCD) curves and values, and spatial grain. For grassland areas straight transects of 200 m long were used, along which ten 3 m x 3 m quadrates were placed at 20 m intervals. Within each grassland transect the height of herbs or tuft diameter of grasses was recorded and percentage cover estimated. Grassland species were categorized based on density, SCD curves and percentage cover. All species were placed into harvesting categories based on analysed ecological data that was collected in the field. Category 1 species were very rare or not found in the reserve and it was recommended that species be conserved and monitored. Category 2 species had low densities in the reserve indicating declining populations and was suggested that these be monitored and not harvested. Category 3 species had high densities and have potential for harvesting with strict limitations. Category 4 species were most abundant with very high densities and can be harvested within management guidelines. These categories were grouped further using social and ecological data such as harvesting risk, frequency of collection, use value and number of uses. This highlighted which species have conservation priority within each category and a decision can be made as to how intense or limited extraction should be. By incorporating GIS the distribution of each species was looked at and harvesting and non-harvesting zones established to determine where species can be extracted. Monitoring plans must consider the quantity of plant material collected, fire regimes, optimal harvesting rates and harvesting zones, and be able to pick up changes in populations. Also, it is important that the community be involved in conserving and monitoring these species. Adaptive monitoring and management must be used to steer harvesting practices in the Wild Coast reserves. This allows for the development of harvesting practices through ‘learning by doing’, and the evolution of good questions to guide monitoring decisions. ii Declaration I declare that this work is my own and has not been submitted in any form to another University. It has been accordingly acknowledged in the text where I have used the work of others. Signed …………………..…………………………… iii Acknowledgements I would firstly like to thank my supervisor Charlie Shackleton for his insight, advice and guidance throughout my project, and his constant dedication to getting my work on track and making time for me. Thank you to my co-supervisor James Gambiza for his support and advice. I am also grateful to Michelle Cocks and Tony Dold for making the first trips to the Wild Coast a fun and rewarding experience and for their contribution of wisdom and knowledge to my project. My fieldwork in the Wild Coast would not have been possible without the help of some special people of whom I am forever grateful to. So thank you to my parents, and my friends John, Nicholas and Stuart, you are very much appreciated! Many thanks to the reserve rangers, especially those of Dwesa-Cwebe, that helped me navigate the reserve and kept us safe, and of course for always being willing to help out with the fieldwork in rain or shine. I am grateful to the communities of the Wild Coast for sharing their knowledge of plants and animals of the area and to those that helped us find some important specimens. I humbly acknowledge my sister Janine, my parents Jayne and Jamie, and Nicholas for giving me motivation when I had none, for inspiring me to do better and for always being there for me. Lastly, I would like to thank the Eastern Cape Parks for making this project possible and for their help with organizing the workshops and my accommodation. I could not have done my MSc without their funding and willingness to make this project a reality. iv Contents ABSTRACT ii DECLARATION iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES viii LIST OF FIGURES x LIST OF APPENDICES xii CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Objectives 1 1. Introduction 1 2. Objectives and key questions 4 3. Thesis layout 4 4. Natural resources use by rural people in South Africa with emphases on the Eastern Cape 5 5. The use of natural resources in and around three nature reserves on the Wild Coast 10 5.1. Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 11 5.2. Silaka Nature Reserve 13 5.3. Mkambati Nature Reserve 14 CHAPTER TWO: Study Area 16 1. The Wild Coast 16 2. Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 17 2.1. Location 17 2.2. Climate 17 2.3. Geology and soil 18 2.4. Vegetation 19 2.5. Wildlife 19 2.6. Fire regime 20 2.7. People and the land 20 3. Silaka Nature Reserve 22 3.1. Location 22 3.2. Climate 22 3.3. Geology and soil 22 3.4. Vegetation 23 3.5. Wildlife 24 3.6. Fire regime 24 3.7. People and the land 24 4. Mkambati Nature Reserve 25 4.1. Location 25 4.2. Climate 25 4.3. Geology and soil 25 4.4. Vegetation 26 4.5. Wildlife 27 4.6. Fire regime 28 4.7. People and the land 28 v CHAPTER THREE: Natural resource use amongst communities living adjacent to protected areas along the Wild Coast 30 1. Introduction 30 2. Methods 31 3. Results 34 3.1. Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 34 3.1.1. Respondents 34 3.1.2. Natural resources use 34 3.1.3. Collection of natural resources 34 3.1.4. Species collected as top ten 36 3.2. Hluleka Nature Reserve 36 3.2.1. Respondents 37 3.2.2. Natural resources use 37 3.2.3. Collection of natural resources 37 3.2.4. Species collected as top ten 38 3.3. Mkambati Nature Reserve 39 3.3.1. Respondents 39 3.3.2. Natural resources use 40 3.3.3. Collection of natural resources 40 3.3.4. Species collected as top ten 42 3.4. Silaka Nature Reserve 42 3.4.1. Respondents 42 3.4.2. Natural resources use 43 3.4.3. Collection of natural resources 43 3.4.4. Species collected as top ten 44 4. Discussion and conclusion 45 CHAPTER FOUR: Population assessments of priority plant species inside and outside of protected areas along the Wild Coast 49 1. Introduction 49 2. Methods 51 2.1. Data collection 51 2.1.1. Forest plots 52 2.1.2. Grassland plots 52 2.1.3. Aquatic habitat plots 52 2.2. Data analysis 53 2.2.1. Population analysis of tree species 53 2.2.2. Population analysis of grassland species 55 3. Results 56 3.1. Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 56 3.1.1. Population inventories of tree species 56 3.1.2. Population inventories of herbaceous species 60 3.1.3. Population inventories of aquatic species 63 3.2. Mkambati Nature Reserve 64 3.2.1. Population inventories of tree species 65 3.2.2. Population inventories of herbaceous species 68 vi 3.3. Silaka Nature Reserve 70 3.3.1. Population inventories of tree species 71 3.3.2. Population inventories of herbaceous species 74 4. Discussion 76 4.1. Abundance and population status of key tree species across the reserves 77 4.2. Abundance and population status of key grassland species across the reserves 81 4.3. Abundance and population status of key aquatic species across the reserves 83 5. Conclusion 83 CHAPTER FIVE: Harvesting potential and conservation priority of key species in the Wild Coast reserves 85 1. Introduction 85 2. Methods 87 2.1. Harvesting potential 87 2.1.1. Ecological categorization of tree species 87 2.1.2. Ecological categorization of grassland species 88 2.1.3. Rating system based on ecological and social data 89 2.2. Distribution of priority species across the reserve 92 3. Results 93 3.1. Harvesting potential of key species in the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 93 3.1.1. Categorization of tree species 93 3.1.2. Categorization of grassland species 94 3.2. Harvesting potential of key species in the Mkambati Nature Reserve 96 3.2.1. Categorization of tree species 96 3.2.2. Categorization of grassland species 97 3.3. Harvesting potential of key species in the Silaka Nature Reserve 98 3.3.1. Categorization of tree species 98 3.3.2. Categorization of grassland species 100 3.4. Distribution of harvestable and non-harvestable species within and around the reserves and position of harvesting zones 101 3.4.1. Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve 101 3.4.2. Mkambati Nature Reserve 103 3.4.3. Silaka Nature Reserve 105 4. Discussion 107 5. Conclusion 113 CHAPTER SIX: Management of sustainable natural resource harvesting and scope for beneficial community harvesting in Wild Coast reserves 115 1.