SILEZA NATURE RESERVE KwaZulu-Natal South Africa Protected Area Management Plan Developed in: 2013 Prepared by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Protected Area Management Planning Unit and Sileza Nature Reserve Park Planning Committee Citation Sileza Nature Reserve: Management Plan. Version 1.0 (28 November 2013), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg. AUTHORISATION This Protected Area Management Plan for Sileza Nature Reserve is recommended by the Sileza Nature Reserve Planning Committee (NRPC), a multi-disciplinary team consisting of: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Richard Penn Sawers Park Manager: Northern Parks Peter Coulon Conservation Manager: Ndumo Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park Dilika Ntombeni Section Ranger: Sileza Nature Reserve Mandla Tembe Community Liaison Officer Catharine Hanekom District Ecologist North East: Umkhanyakude Magda Goosen Protected Area Management Planner Shiven Rambarath Protected Area Management Planner Trainee SILEZA NATURE RESERV E PROTECTED AREA MANAG E M E N T P L A N III TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHORISATION ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VII LIST OF TABLES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X LIST OF FIGURES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X LIST OF APPENDICES --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- XI PREFACE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- XII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XIII Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- xiii Management issues, challenges and opportunities at Sileza Nature Reserve ---------------------------------- xiii Managing the issues, challenges and opportunities at Sileza Nature Reserve --------------------------------- xiv ABBREVIATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- XV 1) BACKGROUND ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 1.1 Purpose of the plan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 1.2 Structure of the plan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 1.3 Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 1.4 The values of Sileza Nature Reserve --------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 1.5 Planning approach -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 1.5.1 Protecting and managing park ecosystems ----------------------------------------------------------------8 1.5.2 Ecosystem-Based Management -------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 1.5.3 Adaptive management -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9 1.5.4 Collaboration and transparency ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 2) DESCRIPTION OF SILEZA NATURE RESERVE AND ITS CONTEXT---------------------------------------------------------------- 12 2.1 Institutional and administrative framework for the management of Sileza Nature Reserve ------ 12 2.2 The legislative basis for the management of Sileza Nature Reserve ------------------------------------- 12 2.2.1 Proclamation status of Sileza Nature Reserve ----------------------------------------------------------- 13 2.2.2 Public Trust Doctrine ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 2.2.3 Invasive species control in terms of the Biodiversity Act --------------------------------------------- 13 2.3 The policy framework guiding the management of Sileza Nature Reserve ---------------------------- 13 VISION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 MISSION STATEMENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 STRATEGIC GOALS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 CORE VALUES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 2.4 The regional and local planning context of Sileza Nature Reserve --------------------------------------- 15 2.4.1 The National Protected Area Expansion Strategy ------------------------------------------------------- 15 2.4.2 The Provincial Protected Area Expansion Plan ---------------------------------------------------------- 16 2.4.3 EIA Regulations in terms of NEMA -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 2.5 The history of Sileza Nature Reserve ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 2.5.1 Origins of the name of Sileza Nature Reserve ----------------------------------------------------------- 17 2.5.2 History of the area ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 2.5.3 History of Eco-tourism in Sileza Nature Reserve -------------------------------------------------------- 18 2.6 Ecological context of Sileza Nature Reserve -------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 2.6.1 Climate and weather ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 2.6.2 Topography ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 2.6.3 Geology and soils ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20 2.6.4 Hydrology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 2.6.5 Vegetation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 2.6.5.1 Licuati Sand Forests: Eastern Licuati Sand Forest ------------------------------------------------------- 21 2.6.5.2 Maputaland Coastal Belt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 SILEZA NATURE RESERV E PROTECTED AREA MANAG E M E N T P L A N VII 2.6.5.3 Maputaland Wooded Grassland ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 2.6.5.4 Subtropical Freshwater Wetlands--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 2.6.6 Fire regime -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 2.6.7 Invasive species -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 2.6.8 Mammalian fauna ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 2.6.9 Avifauna ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 25 2.6.10 Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 26 2.6.11 Invertebrates ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 2.7 Cultural context of Sileza Nature Reserve ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 2.8 Socio-economic context ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 2.9 Operational management within Sileza Nature Reserve ---------------------------------------------------- 28 2.9.1 Infrastructure ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 2.9.2 Staffing establishment ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 2.9.3 Funding levels at Sileza Nature Reserve ------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 2.9.4 Management effectiveness in Sileza Nature Reserve ------------------------------------------------- 29 2.10 Summary of management issues, challenges and opportunities ----------------------------------------- 30 3) STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 3.1 Sileza Nature Reserve vision ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 3.2 Objectives and strategic outcomes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 4) ZONATION PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 34 4.1 Zonation of Sileza Nature Reserve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------