SiVEST ENGINEERING CONSULTING VEGETATION ASSESSMENT FOR THE DANNHAUSER BULK WATER AND SANITATION FOR DANNHAUSER HOUSING, AMAJUBA MUNICIPALITY Issue Date: November 2018 Revision No.: 1 Project No.: 13362 SPECIALIST REPORT DETAILS This report has been prepared as per the requirements of Section 32 of Government Notice No. R. 326 dated December 2014 (Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations) under sections 24(5), 24M and 44 of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act 107 of 1998). I, declare that this report has been prepared independently of any influence or prejudice as may be specified by the Department Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA). Signed: Date: 21 February 2018 Date: February 2018 Vegetation Assessment For The Dannhauser Document Title: Bulk Water And Sanitation for Dannhauser Housing, Amajuba Municipality Authors: Liandra Scott-Shaw Revision Number: 1 Checked by: Tarryn Curtis Approved: Liandra Scott-Shaw Pr. Sci. Nat Signature: For: SIVEST ENGINEERING CONSULTING "COPYRIGHT IS VESTED IN SiVEST IN TERMS OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT (ACT 98 OF 1978) AND NO USE OR REPRODUCTION OR DUPLICATION THEREOF MAY OCCUR WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE AUTHOR" SiVEST Engineering SiVEST Environmental Division Dannhauser Housing Development Bulk Water And Sanitation Revision # 1 February 2018 Page | i VEGETATION ASSESSMENT FOR THE DANNHAUSER BULK WATER AND SANITATION FOR DANNHAUSER HOUSING, AMAJUBA MUNICIPALITY FINAL REPORT Contents Page 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 2. SITE OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................... 2 3. TERMS OF REFERENCE .............................................................................................. 3 4. SITE VISIT ..................................................................................................................... 3 5. ASSUMPTIONS & LIMITATIONS .................................................................................. 3 6. REGULATIONS GOVERNING THIS REPORT & LEGISLATION ................................. 3 National Environmental Management Act, Act No. 107 of 1998 (NEMA) ......................... 4 National Forests Act (Act No. 84 of 1998) ........................................................................... 4 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Act No. 10 of 2004) ................ 4 Conservation of Agricultural Resources (Act No. 43 of 1983) as amended in 2001 ...... 5 Permit / Licence requirements ............................................................................................. 5 7. DESKTOP ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................ 5 Ezemvelo KZN wildlife C-Plan & SEA Database ................................................................ 6 7.1.1. Irreplaceability Analysis ................................................................................................... 6 7.1.2. Critical Biodiversity Areas ............................................................................................... 7 7.1.3. Ecological Support Areas ................................................................................................ 8 7.1.4. Landscape Corridors ....................................................................................................... 8 7.1.5. Local Corridors ................................................................................................................ 8 Bio Resource Units (BRU) .................................................................................................... 8 Environmental Potential Atlas ............................................................................................. 9 Mucina and Rutherford National Vegetation Types........................................................... 9 KwaZulu-Natal Vegetation Types (KZN VT) ........................................................................ 9 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) ............................................... 10 8. RESULTS OF THE DESKTOP ASSESSMENT ........................................................... 11 C-Plan Biodiversity Features / Species within Project Area ........................................... 11 Bio Resource Units (BRU) .................................................................................................. 13 8.3 Environmental Potential Atlas ........................................................................................... 14 8.4 Mucina and Rutherford’s Vegetation ................................................................................ 15 SiVEST Engineering SiVEST Environmental Division Dannhauser Housing Development Bulk Water And Sanitation Revision # 1 February 2018 Page | ii 8.5 KZN Vegetation Types ........................................................................................................ 17 8.6 National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) ............................................... 17 9. SITE SAMPLING METHOD ......................................................................................... 18 10. VEGETATION DESCRIPTIONS .................................................................................. 18 10.1 Site Overview ....................................................................................................................... 18 10.1.1. Grassland and Rocky Outcrop vegetation ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 10.1.2. Riparian areas ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 10.1.3. Plantations and Community Vegetable Gardens ............ Error! Bookmark not defined. 11. VEGETATION ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 22 11.1 Biodiversity Assessment ................................................................................................... 22 11.1.1. Biodiversity noteworthiness ........................................................................................... 23 11.1.2. Functional Integrity and Sustainability........................................................................... 24 12. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ........................................................................................... 24 13. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................ 24 14. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 26 Tables Page Table 1. Summary of CBA Categories (from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Biodiversity Spatial Planning Terms). .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Table 2. SEA Data taken from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ........................................................................ 12 Table 3. C-Plan Data taken from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ..................................................................... 12 Table 4. Bioresource Unit is Ya15 – Braemar climate table ................................................................. 13 Table 5. Biodiversity maintenance services score sheet (Template and Description) ......................... 23 Table 6. Rating Scale for Biodiversity Maintenance services based on Assessment scores ............... 23 Table 7. Biodiversity noteworthiness for the Grassland and Rocky Outcrop vegetation. ............... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 8. Biodiversity noteworthiness for the Riparian Vegetation. ....................................................... 23 Table 9. Future Integrity and viability of the Grassland and Rocky Outcrop vegetation. ................ Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 10. Future Integrity and viability of the Riparian Vegetation. ...................................................... 24 Figures Page Figure 1: From left in clockwise direction- Psidium guajava, Lantana camara and Solanum mauritianum. ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 2: Overview of the gum trees lining the road with the grassland and rocky out crops in the foreground and background. ................................................................................................................. 19 Figure 3: There was evidence of overgrazing and fire management in some areas, and mismanagement of burning regimes in other areas. .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 4: Extensive grasslands scattered with gum tree in the background. ........ Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 5: From left to right- Crassula expansa and Agapanthus praecox on the rocky areas. ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 6: Rangaeris muscicola (orchid) growing on rocky outcrop. ........ Error! Bookmark not defined. SiVEST Engineering SiVEST Environmental Division Dannhauser Housing Development Bulk Water And Sanitation Revision # 1 February 2018 Page | iii Figure 7: The indigenous species found under and bush clumps included Kniphofia cf. coddiana, Albuca sp., both protected and Tecoma capensis (Top to bottom). ....... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 8: Riparian area. .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 9 Cassine peduncularis,