Dave Edge & Associates ____________________________________________________________ Biodiversity Surveys Environmental Consulting BUTTERFLY SENSITIVITY ERF 4016, KNYSNA WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE Prepared for: Cape Environmental Assessment Practitioners(Pty) Ltd P.O. Box 2070 George Western Cape 6530 South Africa David A Edge SACNaSP reg. no. 129735 Date of issue: 23 November 2020 _______________________________________________________________________________ P O Box 2586, Knysna, 6570 Tel: 044 3810014 Cell: 074 5807288 email: [email protected] 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Description Page Title page 1 Table of Contents 2 Credentials of the consulting personnel 3 Declaration by independent person who compiled this report 4 1. Introduction 5 2. Terms of reference 5 3. Methodology 5 4. Results 5 4.1 Previous surveys on Erf 4016 5 4.2 The Knysna fire 5 4.3 The current situation 6 4.4 Delineation of suitable A. almeida butterfly habitat 6 4.5 Other suitable habitat 6 5. Conclusions and recommendations 6 6. References 7 Appendix 1 – Curriculum vitae of the consultant 8 2 CREDENTIALS OF THE CONSULTING PERSONNEL Contact details: 1) Dr David A. Edge Tel no: 044 381 0014 Cell no: 074 580 7288 Email: [email protected] Expertise • Qualifications: BSc (Zoology & Botany) UNISA; BSc (Hons) (Environmental Science) North-West University; MSc (Environmental Science) North-West University; PhD (Environmental Science) North-West University; SACNaSP reg. no. 129735. • Experience: Lepidopterist and ecologist with over 60 years’ experience collecting and studying butterflies. Has conducted numerous specialist butterfly surveys in terms of NEMA. • Publications/ conferences: 32 scientific papers published in peer reviewed journals, and has presented papers at a number of national and international conferences. A more detailed CV is attached as Appendix 1. Conditions pertaining to this report The content of this report is based on the author’s best scientific and professional knowledge as well as available information. Dave Edge & Associates reserve the right to modify the report in any way deemed fit should new, relevant or previously unavailable or undisclosed information become known to the author from on-going research or further work in this field, or pertaining to this investigation, and will inform Jeffery Environmental Consultants accordingly. This report must not be altered or added to without the prior written consent of the author. This also refers to electronic copies of the report, which are supplied for the purposes of inclusion as part of other reports, including main reports. Similarly, any recommendations, statements or conclusions drawn from or based on this report must make reference to this report. If these form part of a main report relating to this investigation or report, this report must be included in its entirety as an appendix or separate section to the main report. 3 NATIONAL LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THIS REPORT This is a ‘specialist report’ compiled in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), as amended, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014. DECLARATION BY THE INDEPENDENT PERSON WHO COMPILED THIS REPORT I, David Alan Edge, as the appointed independent specialist hereby declare that I: • act as an independent specialist in this application; • regard the information contained in this report as it relates to my specialist input/study to be true and correct, and do not have and will not have any financial interest in the undertaking of the activity, other than remuneration for work performed in terms of the NEMA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 and any specific environmental management Act; • have and will not have any vested interest in the proposed activity proceeding; • have disclosed, to the applicant, EAP and competent authority, any material information that have or may have the potential to influence the decision of the competent authority or the objectivity of any report, plan or document required in terms of the NEMA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014, and any specific environmental management Act; • am fully aware of and meet the responsibilities in terms of NEMA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2014 (specifically in terms of Regulation 13 and Appendix 2 of GN No. R. 982) and any specific environmental management Act, and that failure to comply with these requirements may constitute and result in disqualification; • have ensured that information containing all relevant facts in respect of the specialist input/study was distributed or made available to interested and affected parties and the public and that participation by interested and affected parties was facilitated in such a manner that all interested and affected parties were provided with a reasonable opportunity to participate and to provide comments on the specialist input/study; • have ensured that the comments of all interested and affected parties on the specialist input/study were considered, recorded and submitted to the competent authority in respect of the application; have ensured that the names of all interested and affected parties that participated in terms of the specialist input/study were recorded in the register of interested and affected parties who participated in the public participation process; • have provided the competent authority with access to all information at my disposal regarding the application, whether such information is favourable to the applicant or not; and am aware that a false declaration is an offence in terms of regulation 48 of GN No. R.982. Signature of the Specialist: ______________________ David Alan Edge Representing: Dave Edge & Associates 4 1. Introduction Cape Environmental Assessment Practitioners(Pty) Ltd (Cape EAPrac) has been engaged by Pieter van Niekerk to conduct an Environmental Assessment Scoping Study for a possible development project on Erf no. 4016, Knysna, Western Cape Province. 2. Terms of reference of the Consultant Dave Edge & Associates was appointed on 17 November 2020 by Melissa Mackay of Cape EAPrac, to determine the exact extent of occurrence of a species of conservation concern (SCC) Aloeides almeida (Felder) at the Erf 4016 project site: 1) Review previous work conducted at the site in 2005/ 2006. 2) Conduct a detailed survey at the property on 19 November 2020 to establish where the butterfly is currently flying and where its host plant Hermannia decumbens Willd. ex Spreng. is growing. 3) Prepare a report detailing the findings of the survey, with conclusions and recommendations. Cape EAPrac provided access to their website for full details of their investigation into the project: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/se1359v3wahk7rv/AACTAHWMUg0IwWhsvcKuykvna?dl=0 3. Methodology 1) Study previous work conducted at the site and specifically where A. almeida was recorded. 2) Study the current project data and specifically the footprint of the proposed development as defined on the provided Google Earth kmz file. 3) Visit the site, and establish the physical location of the proposed development footprint employing a Garmin GPS. 4) Explore the development footprint to see if any A. almeida butterflies or Hermannia decumbens host plants are present (referred to below as “habitat”), and photograph any such butterflies and host plants. 5) If the butterflies or host plants do occur within the proposed footprint delineate where the boundary is between habitat and non-habitat. 6) Explore the rest of Erf 4016 to see where other suitable habitat exists on the property. 4. Results 4.1 Previous studies on Erf 4016 The Erf 4016 site has changed considerably since the previous biodiversity studies in 2004/ 2006 (Helm, 2004; Edge, 2005). Much of the site was then shale fynbos in fairly good condition, and much of the higher ground was classified as of medium botanical conservation importance (see Fig. 1) and a butterfly species of conservation concern Aloeides almeida occurred within this area (Fig. 2). Note that the occurrences were all along an unsurfaced track where the butterflies were mostly perching on the track, so the red line is not indicative of their total distribution. Figure 1 – 2005 conservation map of Erf 4016 Figure 2 – Aloeides almeida (Almeida Copper) 4.2 The 2017 Knysna fire During the devastating June 2017 Knysna fire nearly all the vegetation on Erf 4016 was destroyed, including extensive stands of Pine and Black Wattle. After the fire a rare opportunity existed to eradicate these alien plants during their regeneration from seed and coppicing, at 5 minimal cost, but unfortunately this was not done and the new owner faced an enormous challenge, which he took on and within a few months large areas of the aliens had been cut down. The fynbos vegetation thrives in a post fire environment has regenerated well. The A. almeida butterflies, which were underground as caterpillars during the fire, have survived. Their H. decumbens host plant is also well adapted to survive fire, and has rapidly regenerated from seeds and by resprouting, providing fresh shoots for the caterpillars to feed on. 4.3 The current situation The currently proposed development footprint has been mostly cleared of alien plants, although juvenile plants are resprouting in places. Outside the development footprint there are some Acacia cyclops (Rooikrans) and Acacia mearnsii (Black Wattle) occurring sporadically across the site, and alien clearing contines. 4.4 Delineation of A. almeida butterfly