NABRO Ecological Analysts CC Natural Asset and Botanical Resource Ordinations Environmental Consultants & Wildlife Specialists ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE REPORT FOR HANS HOHEISEN WILDLIFE RESEARCH STATION Compiled by Ben Orban, PriSciNat. June 2013 NABRO Ecological Analysts CC. - Reg No: 16549023 / PO Box 11644, Hatfield, Pretoria. Our reference: NABRO / HHWRS/V01 NABRO Ecological Analysts CC Natural Asset and Botanical Resource Ordinations Environmental Consultants & Wildlife Specialists CONTENTS 1 SPECIALIST INVESTIGATORS ............................................................................... 3 2 DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ 3 3 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 3 4 LOCALITY OF STUDY AREA .................................................................................... 4 4.1 Location ................................................................................................................... 4 5 INFRASTRUCTURE ..................................................................................................... 4 5.1 Fencing ..................................................................................................................... 4 5.2 Camps ...................................................................................................................... 4 5.3 Buildings ................................................................................................................. 5 5.4 Roads ........................................................................................................................ 5 6 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 5 6.1 Rainfall .................................................................................................................... 5 6.2 Temperature ........................................................................................................... 5 7 TOPOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................. 5 8 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .............................................................................................. 7 8.1 Soil formations ....................................................................................................... 8 9 SURVEYS AND DATA COLLECTION .................................................................... 8 9.1 Field Surveys .......................................................................................................... 9 9.1.1 Flora Assessment ........................................................................................... 9 9.1.2 Alien Invasive Plant Species assessment .................................................. 9 9.1.3 Fauna Assessment ......................................................................................... 9 9.1.4 IUCN Red List Assessment........................................................................ 10 9.2 Sensitivity analysis ............................................................................................. 10 9.2.1 Floral importance ......................................................................................... 11 9.2.2 Faunal importance ....................................................................................... 11 10 RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 12 10.1 Flora Habitat Descriptions ............................................................................. 12 10.2 Avifauna ............................................................................................................ 26 10.3 Herpetofauna .................................................................................................... 28 10.3.1 Snakes and Lizards ...................................................................................... 28 10.3.2 Amphibians .................................................................................................. 30 10.4 Invertebrates ..................................................................................................... 30 10.4.1 Scorpions ....................................................................................................... 30 10.4.2 Spiders ........................................................................................................... 31 10.4.3 Butterflies ...................................................................................................... 31 10.5 Mammals ........................................................................................................... 33 10.6 Species of Conservation Concern ................................................................. 34 10.6.1 Flora ................................................................................................................ 35 10.6.2 Avifauna ........................................................................................................ 35 10.6.3 Herpetofauna ................................................................................................ 36 10.6.4 Invertebrates ................................................................................................. 36 10.6.5 Mammals ....................................................................................................... 36 11 SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ..................................................................................... 36 12 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 43 Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station 2013/07/17 Page i of 48 NABRO Ecological Analysts CC. - Reg No: 16549023 / PO Box 11644, Hatfield, Pretoria. Our reference: NABRO / HHWRS/V01 NABRO Ecological Analysts CC Natural Asset and Botanical Resource Ordinations Environmental Consultants & Wildlife Specialists LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Proposed layout zoning for animal holding enclosures on Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station .................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2: A climate diagram for Hans Hoheisen Wildlife Research Station .............. 7 Figure 3: Habitat units identified in the HHWRS study area ..................................... 13 Figure 4: Short Open Woodland habitat of Unit 1 ........................................................ 14 Figure 5: Short Open Shrubland habitat of Unit 2 ........................................................ 15 Figure 6: Tall Open Woodland habitat of Unit 3 ........................................................... 17 Figure 7: Short Open Shrubland habitat of Unit 4 ........................................................ 18 Figure 8: Short Open Woodland habitat of Unit 5 ........................................................ 20 Figure 9: Short Open Woodland habitat of Unit 6 ........................................................ 21 Figure 10: Short Open Woodland habitat of Unit 7 ...................................................... 23 Figure 11: Transformed habitat ......................................................................................... 24 Figure 12: Indicator species of ecosystem health ........................................................... 35 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Habitat units and their relative contribution to HHWRS ............................. 12 Table 2: Plant species identified in the Dalbergia melanoxylon – Short Open Shrubland .............................................................................................................................. 14 Table 3: Plant species identified in the Grewia bicolor – Short Open Shrubland ... 16 Table 4: Plant species identified in the Acacia nigrescens / Panicum Maximum - Tall Open Woodland ........................................................................................................... 17 Table 5: Plant species identified in the Acacia excuvialis / Panicum maximum – Short Open Shrubland ........................................................................................................ 19 Table 6: Plant species identified in the Acacia nigrescens / Grewia bicolor – Short Open Woodland .................................................................................................................... 20 Table 7: Plant species identified in the Combretum apiculatum / Combretum hereroense - Short Open Woodland ................................................................................... 22 Table 8: Plant species identified in the Combretum apiculatum / Grewia bicolor - Short Open Woodland ......................................................................................................... 23 Table 9: Plant species identified in the transformed habitat unit ............................... 25 Table 10: Confirmed sightings of Herpetofaunal species in the HHWRS study area 3 ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Table 11: Confirmed sightings of amphibians in the HHWRS study area ............... 30 Table 12: Confirmed sightings of baboon spiders in the HHWRS study area ......... 31 Table 13: Confirmed sightings of butterflies in the HHWRS study area .................. 32 Table 14: