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Abstract
The goal of preserving nature is often in conflict with economic development and the aspirations of the rural poor. Nowhere is this more striking than in native grasslands, which have been extensively converted until a mere fraction of their original extent remains. This is not surprising; grasslands flourish in places coveted by humans, primed for agriculture, plantations, and settlements that nearly always trump conservation efforts. The Umgano grassland conservation and poverty reduction project in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa uses community-based spatial planning to balance the conversion of its lower-conservation value grasslands to a timber plantation, while conserving higher-value grasslands for heritage purposes and managed livestock grazing. Ten years after project launch, we measured the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of the project using Normalized Differential Vegetation Index remote sensing data and over 500 household interviews, as compared with similar non-conserved areas. Zoned management of the Umgano area had resulted in between 9% and 17% greater average peak production in the grassland areas compared to control sites. There was also a 21% gain in incomes for the roughly one hundred people employed by the forestry efforts, when compared to others in their village. Community-based spatial zoning is an overlooked tool for balancing conservation and development but may require, as we found in Umgano, certain critical factors including strong local leadership, an accountable financial management mechanism to distribute income, outside technical expertise for the zoning design, and community support.
Highlights
Grassland ecosystems support livelihoods for nearly 800 million people worldwide, providing livestock forage, wildlife habitat, and a host of other resources [1]
1.6% of the grasslands in South Africa are formally protected, and fragmentation of grasslands by commercial timber plantations is of particular concern [7]
The ecological assessment draws on time-series data analysis using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor based on Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a measure of photosynthetic activity inside and outside the Umgano Project Area (UPA)
Summary
Grassland ecosystems support livelihoods for nearly 800 million people worldwide, providing livestock forage, wildlife habitat, and a host of other resources [1]. In South Africa, grasslands and savannas provide livelihoods for people and habitat for many threatened and endemic species but face increasing risk of transformation into pastures, farmland and timber plantations [3,4,5]. Among the WWF global 200 ecoregions, South African montane grasslands are listed as critically endangered [6]. 1.6% of the grasslands in South Africa are formally protected, and fragmentation of grasslands by commercial timber plantations is of particular concern [7]. Since 2004, approximately 11,500 km of grasslands (about 3.3% nationally) have been cleared and planted with non-native Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus spp. Since 2004, approximately 11,500 km of grasslands (about 3.3% nationally) have been cleared and planted with non-native Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus spp. [7]
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