P166 Route and Alternatives Conservation-Important Fauna and Flora Walk-through Survey Report March 2015 Prepared for: Paul da Cruz Associate Royal HaskoningDHV PO Box 867, Gallo Manor 2052 Prepared by: ECOREX Consulting Ecologists CC PO Box 57 White River 1240 Author: Duncan McKenzie P166 Walk-through survey (ECOREX) Feb 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 5 2 TERMS OF REFERENCE .............................................................................................................. 6 3 APPROACH AND METHODS ........................................................................................................ 6 4 STUDY AREA ................................................................................................................................. 8 5 METHODS .................................................................................................................................... 11 5.1 Assumptions, Limitations and Knowledge Gaps ................................................................... 12 5.1.1 Seasonality .................................................................................................................... 12 5.1.2 Overlooked Species ...................................................................................................... 12 5.1.3 Access ........................................................................................................................... 12 6 RESULTS ...................................................................................................................................... 13 6.1 Flora ...................................................................................................................................... 13 6.1.1 Msholozi Route .............................................................................................................. 19 6.1.2 Phumlani Alternative Route ........................................................................................... 20 6.1.3 White River Route ......................................................................................................... 21 6.1.4 White River Alternative Route ....................................................................................... 22 6.2 Fauna .................................................................................................................................... 28 7 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 33 8 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................. 35 9 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 36 10 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................................... 38 10.1 Appendix 1: Co-ordinates and number of each plant species of conservation-importance recorded along the four routes surveyed .......................................................................................... 38 10.2 Appendix 2. Photographs of conservation-important fauna and flora confirmed along the routes .............................................................................................................................................. 52 1 ECOREX Consulting Ecologists CC PO Box 57 White River 1240 (013) 750-1893 (083) 231-5632 [email protected] P166 Walk-through survey (ECOREX) Feb 2015 List of Tables Table 1 : Start and end points and length of each of the four portions surveyed ................................... 8 Table 2: Potentially occurring conservation-important plant species within the study area ................. 14 Table 3: Summary of plant species located during fieldwork ................................................................ 17 Table 4: Summary of plant species located during fieldwork in the Msholozi Route ............................ 20 Table 5: Summary of plant species located during fieldwork in the Phumlani Alternative Route ......... 21 Table 6: Summary of plant species located during fieldwork in the White River Route ....................... 22 Table 7: Summary of plant species located during fieldwork in the White River Alternative Route ..... 22 Table 8: Potentially occurring conservation-important fauna species within the proposed P166 routes ............................................................................................................................................... 29 Table 9: Confirmed conservation-important fauna species recorded within the proposed P166 routes ............................................................................................................................................... 32 List of Figures Figure 1: Map of the study area showing the localities of the four survey routes ................................. 10 Figure 2: Map showing the localities of all conservation-important flora and fauna along the Msholozi Route ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 3: Map showing the localities of all conservation-important flora and fauna along the Phumlani Alternative Route ................................................................................................................... 24 Figure 4: Map showing the localities of all conservation-important flora and fauna along the White River Route ........................................................................................................................... 25 Figure 5: Map showing the localities of Aloe simii and Aloe kniphofioides plants as well as the recommended 200m no development buffer proposed for those two species ..................... 26 Figure 6: Map showing the localities of all conservation-important flora and fauna along the White River Alternative Route ......................................................................................................... 27 2 ECOREX Consulting Ecologists CC PO Box 57 White River 1240 (013) 750-1893 (083) 231-5632 [email protected] P166 Walk-through survey (ECOREX) Feb 2015 Abbreviations AOO Area of Occupancy CBA Critical Biodiversity Area DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Mamsl Metres Above Mean Sea Level MBSP Mpumalanga Biodiversity Sector Plan MNCA Mpumalanga Nature Conservation Act (No. 10 of 1998) MTPA Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency NEMBA ToPS National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act Threatened or Protected Species (No. 10 of 2004) NFA National Forests Act (No. 30 of 1998) PRECIS National Herbarium Pretoria Computerised Information System SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute Terminology Biodiversity The structural, functional and compositional attributes of an area, ranging from genes to landscapes. Degraded An ecosystem that is in a poor ecological state, usually through impacts such as invasion by alien plants, severe overgrazing, poor burning regimes, etc. These systems still contain a moderate proportion of indigenous flora. Geophyte Plants that produce their growth points from organs stored below the ground, an adaption to survive frost, drought and / or fire. Transformed Transformed ecosystems are no longer natural and contain little or no indigenous flora. Examples include agricultural lands, plantations, urban areas, etc. Acknowledgements Linda McKenzie of Digital Earth GIS Consulting compiled all the maps in this report. 3 ECOREX Consulting Ecologists CC PO Box 57 White River 1240 (013) 750-1893 (083) 231-5632 [email protected] P166 Walk-through survey (ECOREX) Feb 2015 Declaration of Independence We declare that we have been appointed as independent consulting ecologists with no affiliation with or vested financial interests in the proponent, other than for work performed under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010. We have no conflicting interests in the undertaking of this activity and have no interests in secondary developments resulting from the authorisation of this project. Remuneration for our services by the proponent is not linked to approval by any decision-making authority responsible for authorising this development. W.L.McCleland 24 February 2015 D.R. McKenzie 24 February 2015 4 ECOREX Consulting Ecologists CC PO Box 57 White River 1240 (013) 750-1893 (083) 231-5632 [email protected] P166 Walk-through survey (ECOREX) Feb 2015 1 INTRODUCTION ECOREX Consulting Ecologists was appointed by Paul da Cruz of Royal HaskoningDHV to conduct a walk-through survey on four routes for the proposed P166 by-pass road between Rocky Drift and White River, Mpumalanga Province. The survey was performed on recommendation from the MTPA as there are known populations and records of conservation-important plants and animals on or adjacent to the proposed routes. The study team was as follows: Duncan McKenzie – Field Ecologist. He has been involved in biodiversity assessments for ECOREX for seven years and countries of work experience include Lesotho, Swaziland, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Duncan has previously worked as a Regional Coordinator for the Mondi Wetlands Project and lectures on many aspects of conservation in Nelspruit