LINE to BY-PASS DUVHA (Bravo 5)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CONSTRUCTION OF A 400 KV BY-PASS LINE, APPROXIMATELY 10 KM IN LENGTH, ON THE BRAVO – VULCAN (WITBANK) LINE TO BY-PASS DUVHA (Bravo 5). DEA Ref No - 12/12/20/1097 by I.L. RAUTENBACH, A.E. and J.C.P. VAN WYK Eco-Agent CC PO Box 25533 Monument Park 0105 0825767046 012 3463180 Fax 012 4602525 March 2010 Commissioned by Limosella Consulting [email protected] Copyright in all text and other matter is the exclusive property of the authors. It is a criminal offence to reproduce and/or use, without written consent, any matter, technical procedure and/or technique contained in this document. Criminal and civil proceedings will be taken as a matter of strict routine against any person and/or institution infringing the copyright of the author and/or proprietors. This document may not be modified other than by the author and when incorporated into overarching studies, it should be included in its entirety as an appendix to the main report. Mammals and Herpetofauna and Habitats along the Bravo 5 Development May 2016 1 of 31 TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration of Professional Standing and Independence: ...................................................................... 4 Disclaimer:............................................................................................................................................... 5 ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. 5 1. ASSIGNMENT – Eco-Agent Protocol ............................................................................................... 6 1.1 Initial preparations: .................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Fauna assessment .................................................................................................................. 6 1.3 General .................................................................................................................................... 6 2. RATIONALE .................................................................................................................................... 6 3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................................. 7 4. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ................................................................................ 8 5. STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................. 8 5.1 General .................................................................................................................................... 8 5.2 Vegetation Types .................................................................................................................. 10 5.3 Regional Hydrology ............................................................................................................... 10 6. METHODS .................................................................................................................................... 14 6.1 Vertebrate Survey ................................................................................................................. 14 6.2 Field Survey .......................................................................................................................... 14 6.3 Desktop Survey ..................................................................................................................... 14 6.4 Specific Requirements .......................................................................................................... 15 6.5 Assessment criteria ..................................................................................................................... 15 6.6 Significance (Consequence) Rankings ................................................................................. 16 7. RESULTS ...................................................................................................................................... 17 7.1 MAMMALS ............................................................................................................................ 17 7.1.1 Mammal Habitat Assessment ....................................................................................... 17 7.1.2 Observed and Expected Mammal Species Richness ................................................... 17 7.1.3 Red Listed Mammal Species Identified: ........................................................................ 19 -By the Biodiversity Act No 10 of 2004 ......................................................................................... 19 -By the Mpumalanga Nature Conservation Act 10 of 1998. ......................................................... 19 Nil. ................................................................................................................................................. 19 7.2 HERPETOFAUNA ................................................................................................................. 19 7.2.1 Herpetofauna Habitat Assessment ............................................................................... 19 7.2.2 Observed and Expected Herpetofauna Species Richness ........................................... 20 7.2.3 Red Data Listed Herpetofauna identified ...................................................................... 22 -By the Scientific Community ........................................................................................................ 22 8. FINDINGS AND POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS ............................................................................. 23 8.1 Impact Assessment ............................................................................................................... 23 8.2 Assessment criteria ................................................................................................................... 24 8.3 Impacts on mammals and herpetofauna ................................................................................. 24 9. LIMITATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS AND GAPS IN INFORMATION ................................................. 26 10. CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................................ 26 11. LITERATURE SOURCES ......................................................................................................... 26 FIGURES Figure 1: The location of the Bravo 5 powerline. ................................................................................... 9 Figure 2: Conservation status of areas traversed by the proposed powerline as classified in the Mpumalanga regional datasets. .............................................................................................................. 9 Figure 3: The vegetation classification for the proposed powerline. .................................................... 10 Figure 4: A hydrology map of the site and water features in the proximity of the powerline route. ..... 11 Figure 5: A south-easterly view of the Duvha Power Station. The bypass construction will be within the secured compound of the station. ................................................................................................... 12 Figure 6: The entire compound of the Duvha Power Station is secured by a double mesh fence with barbed wire loops atop, and an electrical fence inbetween. ................................................................. 12 Figure 7: The two incoming lines from the north-east cross a manmade wetland between the Duvha perimeter to the right and a slimes dam visible to the left. See footprint in Figure 1. .......................... 13 Figure 8: The outgoing lines exiting to the south-west across cut grassland within and outside the Duvha security compound..................................................................................................................... 13 Mammals and Herpetofauna and Habitats along the Bravo 5 Development May 2016 2 of 31 TABLES Table 1: Components of the Bravo Integration Project and associated activities ................................... 8 Table 2: Mammal diversity. The species observed or deduced to occupy the site. (Systematics and taxonomy as proposed by Bronner et.al [2003], Skinner & Chimimba [2005], Apps [2012] and Stuart & Stuart [2015]). ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Table 3: Reptile and Amphibian diversity. The species observed or deduced to occupy the site. Species list and systematic arrangement and nomenclature according to Branch (1998), Minter, et.al (2004), Alexander & Marais (2007), Du Preez & Carruthers (2009) and Bates, et.al (2014). .............. 20 Table 4: Direct impact on terrestrial vertebrate communities. .............................................................. 24 Table 5: Loss of faunal habitat and ecological structure. ...................................................................... 25 Mammals and Herpetofauna and Habitats along the Bravo 5 Development May 2016 3 of 31 Declaration of Professional Standing and Independence: We, Ignatius Lourens Rautenbach (SACNASP # 400300/05), Jacobus Casparus Petrus van Wyk (SACNASP # 400062/09) declare that we: hold higher degrees in the biological sciences, which allowed registration by S.A. Council for National Scientific Professions