Abstract
The grassland biome of the southern Drakensberg region of South Africa is characterized by a relatively rich floral biodiversity, including a high level of endemics. Land use in the area was traditionally dominated by livestock ranching based mainly on indigenous grassland that conserved biodiversity to some degree. Currently however, market demands and risk factors are shifting land use in the area to a matrix of beef, cropping, dairy and particularly, towards plantation forestry. A spreadsheet model was constructed to understand how expected land use conversion will likely influence the biodiversity, and consequently, the total economic value (TEV) of the area. Six scenarios of increasing dairy and forestry intensification were modelled that incorporated biophysical and legal constraints to development. Results indicate that enhanced development is likely to have significant negative biodiversity impacts including the reduction of the alpha diversity of the indigenous plants in the region, a diminished local invertebrate diversity, an increase in invasions, and could also jeopardize the long term survival of the rare Wattled Crane and Oribi. Furthermore, while the direct use value derived from agriculture and forestry increases with increasing development, its negative influence on the indirect value of water runoff, by far the greatest value of the area, is sufficient to potentially offset the benefits. Other major direct-use, indirect-use, option and existence values are also considered.
Highlights
Biodiversity conservation is of global concern, with increasing recognition of the importance of biodiversity for the sound functioning of ecosystems that ensure the provision of goods and services to society
Concern is heightened for regions subject to accelerated transformation of indigenous systems, especially where such systems are well endowed with biodiversity, including endemics and threatened species
The southern Drakensberg region is sought after for agricultural and timber production owing to a high mean annual precipitation (MAP) of about 900 mm in an otherwise semi-arid country (MAP of 450 mm; Schulze, 1997)
Summary
Biodiversity conservation is of global concern, with increasing recognition of the importance of biodiversity for the sound functioning of ecosystems that ensure the provision of goods and services to society. Whereas communal areas are in less use today, indigenous grasslands on commercial farms have, for the past 50 years, continued to come under threat from transformation to exotic vegetation used for production purposes. Stock theft and declining output prices for livestock have driven changes to afforestation, cropping, dairy extensification and intensification based mainly on winter pastures and the required irrigation dams, as well as tourism based mainly on trout fishing. These trends are of concern for biodiversity conservation. Whereas extensive livestock ranching maintained grasslands, transformed landscapes are expected to impact negatively on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, especially water supply, as well as promoting the spread of alien plants. How have current land-use patterns affected biodiversity and ecosystem services?
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