MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PLEROMA NATURE RESERVE Strategic Management Plan 2021 – 2026 Prepared by: Elsie Van Tonder & Koos Van der Lende, with assistance from Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA), WWF South Africa (WWF) and the Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust (LHSKT) Citation: Pleroma Nature Reserve (PNR), 2021. Strategic Management Plan, version 1, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. STATUS The Pleroma Nature Reserve has been declared as a Section 23 Nature Reserve, under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (No. 57 of 2003). Declaration Date: Government Gazette Notice: 22 February 2021 REF NO. 2394 Pleroma Nature Reserve i CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of the plan ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Structure of the plan ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Adaptive Management ................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 3 1.5 Key values of Pleroma Nature Reserve ......................................................................................... 4 1.6 Summary of management challenges and opportunities ............................................................. 5 2. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ................................................................................. 8 2.1 Purpose of Pleroma Nature Reserve ............................................................................................. 8 2.2 Vision of Pleroma Nature Reserve ................................................................................................ 8 2.3 Management Objectives under Key Performance Areas .............................................................. 9 3. DESCRIPTION OF PLEROMA NATURE RESERVE ......................................................................... 14 3.1 Legislative basis for the management of Pleroma Nature Reserve ............................................ 14 3.1.1 Proclamation status of the Pleroma Nature Reserve ........................................................... 14 3.1.2 Invasive species control in terms of the Biodiversity Act ..................................................... 14 3.2 Regional and local planning context of Pleroma Nature Reserve .............................................. 15 3.2.1 The protected area expansion strategy and implementation plan ...................................... 15 3.3 History of Pleroma Nature Reserve ............................................................................................ 16 3.4 Ecological Context of Pleroma Nature Reserve .......................................................................... 17 3.4.1 Climate and Weather ........................................................................................................... 17 3.4.2 Topography, geology & soils ................................................................................................ 18 3.4.3 Soil interfaces ....................................................................................................................... 19 3.4.4 Hydrology ............................................................................................................................. 19 3.4.5 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................ 21 3.4.6 Fire regime ........................................................................................................................... 26 3.4.7 Invasive species .................................................................................................................... 26 3.4.8 Mammals ............................................................................................................................. 26 3.4.9 Avifauna ............................................................................................................................... 27 3.4.10 Herpetofauna & Invertebrates ........................................................................................... 27 3.5 Cultural Heritage Context of Pleroma Nature Reserve (Namaqualand) ..................................... 28 3.6 Socio-Economic Context ............................................................................................................. 29 4. ZONATION PLAN .................................................................................................................... 30 5. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE ................................................................................................ 33 6. OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK .......................................................................... 34 Pleroma Nature Reserve ii 6.1 Biodiversity Management ........................................................................................................... 34 6.1.1 Vegetation Management ..................................................................................................... 34 6.1.2 Riparian Systems .................................................................................................................. 35 6.1.3 Wildlife Management .......................................................................................................... 35 6.1.4 Alien Invasive Plant Control ................................................................................................. 37 6.1.5 Rehabilitation and Restoration ............................................................................................ 38 6.1.6 Illegal Harvesting ................................................................................................................. 40 6.1.7 Connectivity and Expansion ................................................................................................. 41 6.2 Sustainable Utilization of Natural Resources .............................................................................. 41 6.2.1 Grazing and Browsing by Game ........................................................................................... 41 6.3 Socio-economic and Heritage ..................................................................................................... 42 6.3.1 Socio-economic Development Initiatives ............................................................................. 42 6.3.2 Heritage Features ................................................................................................................. 43 6.4 Management Authority Effectiveness ........................................................................................ 43 6.4.1 Legal Compliance ................................................................................................................. 43 6.4.2 Infrastructure and Equipment .............................................................................................. 44 6.4.3 Stakeholder Engagement ..................................................................................................... 45 6.4.4 Security and Access Control ................................................................................................. 45 6.4.5 Monitoring and Evaluation .................................................................................................. 45 6.4.6 Financial Management ........................................................................................................ 46 6.4.7 Management Effectiveness and Reporting .......................................................................... 47 7. MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, REVIEW AND ANNUAL PLAN OF OPERATIONS .......... 48 7.1 Annual Plan of Operations .......................................................................................................... 48 7.2 Management Plan Review .......................................................................................................... 48 7.3 Five-year Costing Plan ................................................................................................................. 49 8. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 50 9. APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 52 9.1 APPENDIX A: List of statutes to which the Nature Reserve is subject ........................................ 52 9.2 APPENDIX B: Copy of Pleroma Nature Reserve proclamation .................................................... 55 9.3 APPENDIX C: Species Lists ........................................................................................................... 58 9.3.1 Plant species list for Pleroma Nature Reserve ..................................................................... 58 9.3.2 Bird species list ..................................................................................................................... 60 9.3.3 Mammal list ......................................................................................................................... 62 9.3.3 Reptile list ............................................................................................................................