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University of the Western Cape
Overstrand Municipality
Proposed development to address food
security and protect biodiversity
Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Experimental Farm
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley,
Hermanus,
Hi my name is Qarbon. I am a Second
Western Cape, Life Avatar representing the Qarbon
Qampus Virtual World. Today we will
South Africa
be doing a real world assessment for a
development. My Role is that of the
Co-ordinator of the Environmental and
Sustainability Studies at the University
of the Western Cape and I am looking
to build an experimental facility to
assess new foods we can grow in the
Western Cape given the anticipated
impacts of climate change.
Qarbon Qampus Experimental Farm:
An innovative new way of family farming for health and wealth!
Description of the Experimental Farm
What is the Qarbon Campus Experimental Farm and why is it different?
We will use Ecological Niche Models to identify foods that have high retail value (so as to best provide our labourers
with a livable income together with full retirement benefits), to popularise “Superfoods” to help city-dwellers eat a
more healthy diet and to produced food at massively reduced ecological costs by growing what food is best suited to
prevailing conditions. In short to address the triple bottom-line PROFIT, PEOPLE and the PLANET.
Persimons
Pesticide-free Almonds. Almonds are California’s biggest agricultural export. Almonds are used
as subsitute flour and milk for gluten and lactose intolerant people or people wishing to follow the
Paleo-diet. Most of the almonds purchased locally are imported form California ( which has a
similar Mediterranean climate to our Valley but are grown using high inputs of pesticide).
Locally-grown “boutique” Coffee. Coffee is the most traded commodity after oil , it is also one
of the most expensive food items with considerable scope for “value added” benefits. In
California various research has focussed on growing coffee in climate conditions similar to that
found in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Popularise Pomegranate the sweet superfruit . Pomegranate products such as concentrates,
salad dressings and fruit juices. Eating raw pomegranate seeds with their pulp will help people
with diabetes as it contains high quantities of antioxides . The juice specifically can reduce the
development of fatty deposits in our arteries as it inhibits LDL (bad) cholesterol absorption.
Increase production of Macadamia nuts. Pomegranate products such as concentrates, salad
dressings and fruit juices. Eating raw pomegranate seeds with their pulp will help people with
diabetes as it contains high quantities of antioxides . The juice specifically can reduce the
development of fatty deposits in our arteries as it inhibits LDL (bad) cholesterol absorption.
Qarbon Campus Experimental Farm
Where will it be located!
A potential property for the location of the Qarbon Campus Experimental Farm has been
identified in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. This valley is well known for its alternative life style
communities which exists in total contradiction to the valley’s exclusive Wine Estates and the
South African Rivera town of Hermanus just over the seaward-side mountians..
Use climate similarities to identify better food
to grow for local consumption
Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
http://en.climatedata.org/location/9058/
Agoura Hills
http://en.climatedata.org/location/16058/
Location Experimental Farm for our
Environmental and Sustainability
Experimental Farm in this exercise.
Location of University of Farmers
Campus
Riebeek-Kasteel (Goedgedacht)
http://en.climatedata.org/location/189781/
Potential real farm that UWC
could network with in the future –
specifically its Poverty Alleviation
Programme (POP).
“POP is building confidence and
skills in rural youth and offering
opportunities for self
advancement and for making a
real contribution to their own
communities.”
Conservation of the Overstrand
Overstrand Municipality
Profile
Description
Overstrand Municipality is a local
municipality located within the
Overberg District Municipality, in the
Western Cape province of South Africa.
Its unique offerings of the ultimate
experience in land-based whale
watching and shark cage diving, pristine
Blue Flag beaches, excellent wine
industry and top-class restaurants and
accommodation make it an attractive
tourist destination with a variety of
activities.
General statistics
Area: 1,708 km2
Total Population 2011: 80 432
Population density: 47/km2
Summary of Overberg Integrated
Development Plan IDP
Put text here
Information and maps from our data portal
Overstrand Municipality
Transformation and protection
Total area: 170750.5ha
Landscape transformation
Protected areas
One third of the municipal area has been
altered to a state where not natural
habitat remains.
Formal land-based protected areas
23 reserves covering 40959.8ha (24%)
Marine Protected Areas (MPA's)
1 adjacent to municipality
Overstrand municipality
Vegetation types – original extent
Main vegetation types ( >10% of municipal area)
Agulhas Limestone Fynbos 12.11%
Elim Ferricrete Fynbos 14.88%
Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos 17.76%
Overberg Dune Strandveld 11.24%
Overberg Sandstone Fynbos 32.36%
Other vegetation types (<10% of municipal area)
Agulhas Sand Fynbos 1.59%
Cape Coastal Lagoons 1.32%
Cape Estuarine Salt Marshes 0.06%
Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetlands 1.9%
Cape Seashore Vegetation 0.16%
Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos 0.09%
Elgin Shale Fynbos 0.57%
Hangklip Sand Fynbos 3.27%
Ruens Silcrete Renosterveld 0.44%
Southern Afrotemperate Forest 0.06%
Southern Coastal Forest 0.51%
Western Coastal Shale Band Vegetation 1.37%
Western Ruens Shale Renosterveld 0.03%
Overstrand Municipality
Nationally listed threatened ecosystems
Percentage of municipal area now covered by threatened ecosystem shown
Critically Endangered (EC)
Elgin Shale Fynbos 0.01%
Elim Ferricrete Fynbos 2.49%
Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos 15.2%
Overberg Sandstone Fynbos 26.19%
Ruens Silcrete Renosterveld 0.02%
Western Ruens Shale Renosterveld 0.02%
Endangered (EN)
Agulhas Sand Fynbos 0.48%
Hangklip Sand Fynbos 1.41%
Western Cape Milkwood Forest 0.42%
Vulnerable (VU)
Agulhas Limestone Fynbos 6.44%
Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos 0.08%
Overstrand Municipality
Nationally listed threatened ecosystems
Map showing the original extent of the ecosystems which are now threatened
Experimental Farm site assessment
Overberg District Conservation Plan Assessment
Assessment location and Conservation Plan
Assessment location
The map to the left shows the assessment area
which was run for the identified potential location of
the Qarbon Campus Experimental Farm in the Hemel
–en-Aarde Valley
Assessment results
The assessment report is a compilation of data of
various spatial biodiversity data sets and planning
production. These are:
1. National terrestrial or aquatic spatial data sets
and protected area boundaries and
2. The most relevant Biodiversity Conservation Plan
BCP for the municipality in which the assessment is
located . in the case the the most relevant SCB is the
Overberg District Conservation Plan.
Overberg District Conservation Plan Assessment
National Terrestrial data sets
Ecosystems, forests and soils
Threatened Ecosystems
Soils
Section 1.1.1 of the report lists two national
threatened ecosystems which occur with the
assessment area. Although this information is
extracted from the original extents of these
ecosystems both the SCP results discussed below
and examination of imagery confirm that natural
vegetation may well exists within the area of the
assessment. If this is the case it is critically
endangered CR. The ecosystems in question are:
The soil classes encountered (section 1.1.4) are
probably associated with the two ecosystems.
Further investigation into their properties revealed
that
1. Elim Ferricrete Fynbos (FFf 1)
1. Association of Classes 7 and14: Undifferentiated
texture contrast soils may have favourable physical
properties, somewhat high natural fertility; relative
wetness favourable in dry areas but can get water
logged.
2. Overberg Sandstone Fynbos FFs 12
2. Non soil land classes has limit value for
agriculture.
Note the results for the National vegetation types
section 1.1.2 confirms that the only vegetation
types (ecosystems) which may occur are these two
CR ecosystems.
Indigenous Forest Patches
There were no indigenous forest patches (section
1.1.3)
Overberg District Conservation Plan Assessment
National Aquatic data sets and PAs
Rivers, wetlands and protected areas
National Fresh Water Priority
Areas (NFEPA)
Wetlands
Seven wetlands occur in the analysis area (section
2.1.1) , five of these are artificial with condition Z3
where the percentage natural land cover <25% and
two natural with condition Z1 classed as artificial
by Surveys and Mapping. All these wetlands have
the lowest FEPA rank of 6.
Rivers Units Sub-quaternary catchments
The analysis area intersected a single unit of the
Onrus river (section 1.2.2) with a condition of C
moderately modified. The analysis area was only
located in this river units sub-quaternary
catchment both have a NFEPA status of Fish
Sanctuary. NFEPA fish sanctuaries are important
areas for the support of indigenous fish species.
Protected Areas (NBA 20011)
The analysis area intersected a formal protected
area Fernkloof Local Nature Reserve (Section 1.3)
It should be redrawn to avoid this intersection.
Note: The analysis area was not located in one of
the focus areas for Protected Area.
Critical Biodiversity Areas Map
Overberg District Conservation Plan Assessment
CBAs and ESAs
In the Overberg District Conservation Plan a lookup
layer is provided which divides the area of the plan
into units each of which gives biodiversity feature
information responsible for the classification of the
unit’s CBA map category CBA, ESA or PA. The
analysis area intersected 63 such units (section 2).
In the report each unit is listed separately rather
than in a table due to the amount and complexity
of information it contains.
Critically Endangered ecosystems
(CBAs)
Most of the analysis area intersected with lookup
up layer units which were classified as Critical
Biodiversity Areas 33 on natural or 16 degraded
land 49 units in total. The biodiversity features
responsible for this classification indicated
potential occurrence of both endangered species
and national threatened ecosystems. These units
corresponds with the two critically endangered
ecosystems which were listed above.
Ecological Support Areas (ESAs)
The analysis area intersected six CBA map lookup
layer units which were classed as ESA or important
for maintaining aquatic processes and may be
transformed from natural e.g. farmland.
Protected Areas (PAs)
The analysis area intersected seven CBA map
lookup layer units which were classed as Protected
Area and corresponds with the Fernkloof
intersection mentioned above although the SCP
does not include the PA name.
Recommendations, amelioration & offsets
Prepared by your Second Life Ambassador
Biodiversity &
Conservation Biology
Environmental &
Sustainability Studies