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Grasslands in all their variations are currently one of South Africa’s most threatened biomes, with only 2.5% formally conserved and more than 60% already irreversibly transformed. The primary threats to grassland habitat include degradation and conversion mainly as a result of large scale agriculture development, urbanisation, prospecting and mining. The South African grasslands biome is the second largest biome in South Africa, covering an area of 339 237 km². It contains the economic heartland of South Africa and produces the bulk of water needed to sustain human life and underpin economic growth. Internationally, only 1.4% of grasslands are protected, the lowest of any terrestrial vegetation types. Similarly in South Africa, grasslands are one of the most threatened ecosystems, with only 2.5% formally conserved and more than 60% already irreversibly transformed. Our grasslands host over 3 300 plant species, 15 of South Africa’s 34 endemic mammals, 22% of our 195 reptile species and one-third of the 107 threatened butterfly species. In addition, grasslands are home to 10 of South Africa’s 14 globally threatened bird species, including the Yellow-breasted Pipit Anthus chloris, Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea, and the Denham’s Bustard Neotis denhami. As a consequence, grasslands have been assigned a high priority for conservation action. In addition to their biodiversity value, grasslands provide essential ecosystem services required to support human life and wellbeing. These services include food (grains), forage, livestock, game farming, nutrient cycling, soil stabilisation, carbon storage, energy supply, tourism and recreation and, arguably most importantly, fresh water resources. The grasslands biome also contains the economic nucleus of South Africa and is home to the majority of the South African human population. South Africa’s entire maize crop and a large proportion of its wheat and seed crops are produced in the grassland biome. The biome supports 6.4 million cattle, 13 million sheep, and a significant portion of South Africa’s commercial timber. It also holds great mineral wealth and is, therefore, under tremendous pressure from the ever-growing mining industry. These grasslands also contain 42 river ecosystems, including the catchments of some of South Africa’s largest rivers, the Gariep, Vaal, Crocodile and Tugela River catchments, are within South Africa’s grassland biome. Loss of grass cover results in siltation of rivers and dams and, therefore, reduced water quality. Intact grassland ensure long term provision of fresh water resources critical for sustaining human life and underpins the economic development of the country. Exotic vegetation releases more water into the atmosphere through transpiration than the natural grassland species would. This results in reduced replenishment of ground water supplies and less surface water for human use. Loss of vegetation cover also exposes the soil to the erosive forces of wind and rain, resulting in a loss of topsoil. The loss of topsoil leads to a reduction in soil nutrients and, subsequently, through the absence of effective nutrient cycling, biodiversity is reduced. The loss of biodiversity in turn reduces the rate at which new topsoil is formed, and so soil fertility is reduced and the ability to produce grazing and food is reduced. Linked to this, loss of grassland vegetation cover results in less carbon dioxide being sequestered and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air. These elevated levels are resulting in increased mean temperatures and changing seasons, commonly known as climate change, and this is impacting on crop production. Crop agriculture causes irreversible damage to grasslands and a vast majority of South Africa’s grassland biome has been ploughed and developed into crop farms. One of the highest demand crops, and which as a result covers the majority of the former grassland, is wheat. The demand for bread and other crops will never decrease is likely to increase in the near future and as a result the demand for ploughing more of the remaining patches of intact grassland will increase. This demand is real and conservationists accept and understand the need to sustain food resources for our people but in conjunction with this we need to maintain a balance in order to sustain the other natural resources provided by grassland systems such as water, ecotourism, carbon sequestration and flood attenuation. All of these factors illustrate how sensitive the grassland biome is to poor land-use management and the need for farmer co-operation centred on grazing densities and burning regimes, as well as alien plant control and no longer ploughing up native grassland areas no matter how small. The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s involvement in grassland conservation started with the Blue Swallow (BSWG) and Oribi Working Groups (OWG) which implemented conservation action for specific grasslands associated with these species. Conservation globally has moved away from the single species approach in favour of an ecosystems based approach. In order for the EWT to achieve an ecosystems approach to grassland conservation the intention was to implement conservation action for priority areas within the grasslands and for suites of priority species inhabiting them to be grouped under one programme. In 2009 the single species working groups, namely the BSWG and OWG as well as the KZN Biodiversity Programme became projects of a EWT-Threatened Grassland Species Programme (EWT-TGSP). Priority endemic, threatened and habitat specialist species in need of conservation attention and which can act as flagships for the conservation of priority grassland areas have been identified. These are: The Blue Swallow is Critically Endangered in South Africa and is very likely going to be the next bird species to go extinct in South behind if we don’t implement urgent conservation action to prevent this happening. This species is an intra-African migrant, they breed in South Africa in summer but fly to central Africa over the winter. Currently there are fewer than 100 birds left and less than 35 nests in the whole of South Africa, the biggest population is in the KZN midlands with a small population (<5 prs) remaining in Mpumalanga. The TGSP has been working with this species for over ten years but only recently has the urgency led to a new approach focussing on identifying the cause of recent and dramatic localised population crashes. Oribi are a type of small antelope that occur in temperate grasslands, they are recognised as Endangered in South Africa and their numbers are declining as a result of further habitat destruction but their greatest threat currently is poaching. Hunting with dogs has grown exponentially in recent years and is now a substantial gambling industry with large hunts organised by taxi groups reaching numbers of up to 60 dogs. The industry is extensive an the value of bets reaches in to the tens of thousands of rand. This form of hunting is illegal and in most cases prey is caught on private land. While specific species are targeted (indiscriminate hunting) Oribi are particularly susceptible to this form of hunting and this along with conserving Oribi habitat are the focus of the Oribi working group (which falls under the auspices of the EWT TGSP). The Yellow-breasted Pipit is recognised as Vulnerable (IUCN - global and national), however this status is in need of review. They are endemic and occur only in moist highland grasslands (the most threatened grassland biome in South Africa) of the Drakensburg, endemic to South Africa in a strip from Mpumalanga near Dullstroom to the northern Eastern Cape and a small population extends in Lesotho. They breed at altitudes above 1 500 meters above sea level. Their threatened status is largely due to habitat loss and range contractions suggesting that their small populations are undergoing declines, which is expected to accelerate given projected rates of habitat loss. Furthermore, they are particularly sensitive to disturbance and even slight habitat degradation through poor land management is a significant threat. This species is therefore considered an important indicator of the condition of Moist Highland Grasslands and has been identified as an umbrella species for grassland habitat conservation. Sungazers / Ouvolk are endemic to the central grasslands of South Africa occurring predominantly in the north-eastern Free State, with a small population extending into south-western Mpumalanga. They are classified as Vulnerable (IUCN) based on distribution data from 1978. However, the species is likely to be at a greater risk of extinction than is suggested by its IUCN status, given that these data are now out-dated. Sungazers are also listed on CITES Appendix II. Current population estimates and the extent of the species distribution are unknown within these relatively arid grasslands dominated by crop and livestock agriculture. The entire distribution of the Sungazer falls within the Highveld Agricultural Region. The Sungazer is unusual as it does not live among rocks, but rather shelters in self-excavated grassland burrows that extend up to 420 mm below the soil surface and are prone to destruction during crop cultivation. Agricultural practises are therefore a major and direct threat to the species, destroying large tracts of habitat and creating fragmented, isolated populations. Golden moles are a group of highly endangered subterranean mammals endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Few people are aware that of the ten most endangered mammals in South Africa, five are golden mole species (according to the IUCN red data mammal assessment of 2010). There are currently 21 described species of golden mole within nine genera, all of which are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, and 18 of which share a distinctly southern African centre of diversity. These species are morphologically very similar and it is quite possible that cryptic species exist among them. The IUCN Red Data List (2007) states that of the 21 species of golden mole two are critically endangered, five are endangered, four are vulnerable and three are near threatened. We aim to identify the remaining intact populations of the above mentioned species, using these as flagship and umbrella species for the conservation of priority remaining intact grasslands within each of their specific grassland types. The presence of these five priority species indicate healthy, ecologically functioning grassland systems that sustain ecosystem processes such as water production and carbon sequestration. The functionally intact areas identified using the presence of functional and healthy populations of these species will be highlighted and the TGSP will promote and assist the development of species specific conservation areas (nature reserves) for each of these species. This will be followed by formal stewardship agreements and proclamation to secure future habitat for these species and to complement and capacitate the existing stewardship efforts in the provinces where these species occur, with a target of at least 10 000ha per species by December 2015. These species distributions cover the moist highveld and mistbelt grasslands of South Africa, covering the country’s water catchment and thus by focussing on these areas we will secure and conserve the production of fresh water for South Africa. The inset map (above) shows the priority water catchment areas with Yellow-breasted Pipit (green), Priority Golden Mole species (purple), Blue Swallow (red) and Sungazer (blue) distributions overlayed, Oribi occur throughout this region. The Threatened Grassland Species Programme (TGSP) proposes to take a more proactive approach to grassland conservation, by: • basing its projects on a sound spatial analysis of the grassland biome overlaid with a spatial analysis of threatened faunal and floral species • protecting ecological processes and in turn natural resources (especially water) • using species as indicators of habitat intactness/condition and ecological integrity • collaborating with other NGOs and relevant role-players in grassland conservation • the development of grassland management guidelines • assisting with stewardship programmes in South African grasslands for the conservation of remaining intact grasslands in the form of Nature Reserves and Protected Environments • collaborating with the relevant provincial authorities around grassland conservation • developing species (and potentially ecosystem) Biodiversity Management Plans (BMPs); and • commenting on and advising all relevant development applications within the grasslands (within the bounds of our capacity). This programme aims to use multiple conservation tools to identify, prioritize and conserve grasslands, grassland species and the natural resources that they provide in South African. This will be achieved through the use of direct conservation tools in collaboration with landowners. Through conservation and public awareness using species as indicators of effective, conservation friendly land-use management we aim to improve the farming ethic in the region and to alter burning and grazing policy in the grasslands. Along with this through stewardship (and in future BMP-S) agreements we will encourage landowners to manage conservatively aided by fiscal incentives and management support. In this way we hope to secure long term fresh water resources in South Africa along with other ecosystem services. Appendix 1: The benefits of conserving grasslands Production of good-quality surface and ground water The catchments of some of South Africa’s largest rivers, the Gariep, Vaal, Crocodile and Tugela Rivers, are within South Africa’s grassland biome. Loss of grass cover results in siltation of rivers and dams and, therefore, reduced water quality. Exotic vegetation releases more water into the atmosphere through transpiration than the natural grassland species would. This results in reduced replenishment of ground water supplies and less surface water for human use. Soil protection Loss of vegetation cover exposes the soil to the erosive forces of wind and rain, resulting in a loss of topsoil. The loss of topsoil leads to a reduction in soil nutrients and, subsequently, through the absence of effective nutrient cycling, biodiversity is reduced. The loss of biodiversity in turn reduces the rate at which new topsoil is formed, and so soil fertility is reduced and the ability to produce grazing and food is reduced. Carbon sequestration Loss of grassland vegetation cover results in less carbon dioxide being sequestered and ultimately more carbon dioxide in the air. These elevated levels are resulting in increased mean temperatures and changing seasons, commonly known as climate change, and this is impacting on crop production. Grazing Less grassland means less grazing for both indigenous species and livestock. Supporting services for harvestable products Reduced vegetation cover and loss of topsoil and the resultant reduction in soil fertility compromises our ability to cultivate grain and other crops. Fewer grasslands also mean less grass is available for harvesting thatch grass for the building industry, and fewer grasses and sedges are available for use in producing and selling a wide range of arts and crafts. Eco-tourism value Birding is currently the fastest growing eco-tourism sector in South Africa. The tourism industry provides employment for one in 20 South Africans. Much of this tourism is based on South Africa’s scenic beauty and unique wildlife, to which the grasslands contribute significantly. Appendix 2: Background information on biodiversity stewardship The Stewardship Programme has been identified as one of the key tools in addressing the threats to our grasslands, as only 2.5% of grasslands are formally protected and the majority of this biome is privately/ communally owned. Any efforts to conserve threatened grassland areas, therefore, need to involve private landowners and communities, and the support of provincial stewardship efforts is crucial in this respect. Nationally the Stewardship Programme is run by the Department of Environmental Affairs and was launched in the Western Cape in 2001. The Stewardship Programme aims to make conservation more attractive and to encourage effective conservation commitment in exchange for concrete and periodic benefits. Biodiversity Stewardship offers four basic options / categories for participating landowners (see figure 1) with legislative backing. The different categories offer different levels of security and require different levels of commitment. The various categories will attract different incentives and benefits. All options are voluntary and the landowner retains title and ownership. country’s biodiversity on private and communal land. Furthermore it will improve the management of natural systems and biodiversity outside of state‐managed protected areas, by providing strategic direction to biodiversity conservation activities within these areas and ensuring that essential ecosystem services continue to operate and deliver benefits to society. Figure 1 Diagram of the four basic options for the KZN Stewardship Programme, this model approach has been adopted by the other provinces. Some of the financial benefits currently offered include support from National Treasury and fiscal incentives such as property rates exemptions / rebates (see Appendix 3), NGO support e.g. Conservation International and carbon trading (rangeland management). Some of the non‐financial support includes assistance in the development of a management plan, Working for Water (alien clearing & herbicide assistance), Working for Wetlands on wetland rehabilitation, conservation management advice, support, expertise, assistance with law enforcement, etc., reintroductions of species, training – providing the skills for conservation managers / field rangers, and marketing. Stewardship is essential in securing representative samples of the Member of For further information or contacts for local conservation officers please contact us Oribi Working Group Sungazer Working Group Blue Swallow Working Group WAZA (BirdLife South Africa, PFIAO, WWF South Africa, WITS, Wildlands, UP, WESSA, TUT, UCT, SANBI, UFS, EKZNW, UKZN, MTPA, Johannesburg Zoo, FSEDTEA, Pretoria Zoo, ECP, DETEA, CAP, DEA, SA-CAN, CSA.) Conservation Supporters Ian Little TGSP Manager [email protected] Samson Phakathi TGSP Senior Field Officer [email protected] Bradley Gibbons TGSP Field Officer [email protected] ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST Physical Address: Ardeer road, Building K2, Pinelands Office Park, Modderfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa Postal Address: Private Bag X11, Modderfonetin, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1645 Te:l: +27 11 372 3600 Fax: + 27 11 608 4682 www.ewt.org.za