Conservation In South Africa Research Articles

Community responsibility as key to sustainable heritage conservation in South Africa: Potchefstroom case studies

Community responsibility as key to sustainable heritage conservation in South Africa: Potchefstroom case studies

The Paradox of Environmental Conservation in South Africa: Marginalising Indigenous Sustainability Practices and Ideologies

The Paradox of Environmental Conservation in South Africa: Marginalising Indigenous Sustainability Practices and Ideologies

Stakeholders’ perceptions of the conservation and management of elasmobranchs in South Africa

Global shark populations are in serious decline, especially due to overexploitation through fisheries, whose impact is often increased by a lack of proper management regulations and enforcement. South Africa’s population of chondrichthyan fauna is one of the most diverse in the world, with high rates of endemic and imperiled elasmobranch species. South Africa has been lauded as a global leader in shark conservation through progressive management legislation, such as the 2013 National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks I). However, South Africa’s shark populations have continued to decline. This study aimed to survey stakeholders’ (students, academics, government representatives, conservationists, recreational anglers, commercial fishers, and tourism-related stakeholders) perspectives on the efficacy of NPOA-Sharks I in managing and enforcing fisheries regulations and to advise the 2022 NPOA-Sharks II approach concerning the conservation of South African elasmobranchs. A total of 89 stakeholders participated in an online questionnaire survey launched in 2021. Most stakeholders viewed the NPOA-Sharks I as somewhat appropriate, South Africa’s current exploitation of shark stocks as unsustainable and management and enforcement of regulations as inadequate. Commercial fishing and lack of enforcement were ranked as the two most pressing issues facing South Africa’s sharks. Similarly, the expert review panel found limited progress (<50%) made in the implementation of the NPOA-Sharks I concerning regulatory tools and sustainable management and called for improved monitoring, surveillance and enforcement of compliance regulations across fisheries as one of the top recommendations for immediate implementation in NPOA-Sharks II. However, the majority of action items under the “Sustainable Management” issue cluster in NPOA-Sharks II suggest a reassessment or reestablishment of existing regulations or the development of new regulatory tools with few specifics provided, reflective of a disconnect between what the lead government agency responsible for the management of South Africa’s sharks, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), perceives to be effective and what stakeholders experience concerning shark conservation in South Africa. What was perceived by the national management agency as effective concerning shark conservation in South Africa was not necessarily experienced as such by the stakeholders. There is a need for increased collaboration among stakeholders and significant improvements in the practical management of South African fisheries for shark conservation, which is now also suggested in the NPOA-Sharks II.

Propagation of Medicinal Plants for Sustainable Livelihoods, Economic Development, and Biodiversity Conservation in South Africa.

South Africa is blessed with vast plant resources and unique vegetation types. Indigenous South African medicinal plants have been well-harnessed to generate income in rural communities. Many of these plants have been processed into natural products to heal a variety of diseases, making them valuable export commodities. South Africa has one of the most effective bio-conservation policies in Africa, which has protected the South African indigenous medicinal vegetation. However, there is a strong link between government policies for biodiversity conservation, the propagation of medicinal plants as a source of livelihood, and the development of propagation techniques by research scientists. Tertiary institutions nationwide have played a crucial role in the development of effective propagation protocols for valuable South African medicinal plants. The government-restricted harvest policies have also helped to nudge natural product companies and medicinal plant marketers to embrace the cultivated plants for their medicinal uses, and thus have helped support the South African economy and biodiversity conservation. Propagation methods used for the cultivation of the relevant medicinal plants vary according to plant family and vegetation type, among others. Plants from the Cape areas, such as the Karoo, are often resuscitated after bushfires, and propagation protocols mimicking these events have been established through seed propagation protocols with controlled temperatures and other conditions, to establish seedlings of such plants. Thus, this review highlights the role of the propagation of highly utilized and traded medicinal plants in the South African traditional medicinal system. Some valuable medicinal plants that sustain livelihoods and are highly sought-after as export raw materials are discussed. The effect of South African bio-conservation registration on the propagation of these plants and the roles of the communities and other stakeholders in the development of propagation protocols for highly utilized and endangered medicinal plants are also covered. The role of various propagation methods on the bioactive compounds' composition of medicinal plants and issues of quality assurance are addressed. The available literature, media online news, newspapers, and other resources, such as published books and manuals, were scrutinized for information.

The impacts of a global pandemic on the efficacy and stability of contemporary wildlife conservation: South Africa as a case study

Conservationists speculated on potential benefits to wildlife of lockdown restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic but voiced concern that restrictions impeded nature conservation. We assessed the effects of lockdown restrictions on biodiversity conservation in South Africa, a biodiverse country with economic inequality and reliance on wildlife resources. We solicited expert opinion using the IUCN’s Threats Classification Scheme to structure a questionnaire and illustrated responses with individual case studies from government parastatal and non-governmental conservation organisations. The most highly reported threats were biological resource use, residential/commercial developments, invasive species, and human intrusions. The trends reported by 90 survey respondents were supported by case studies using environmental compliance data from parastatal conservation organisations. Lack of tourism revenue and funding were cited as hindrances to conservation. Mechanisms to prevent environmental degradation in the face of global emergencies must be implemented and ‘ring-fenced’ to ensure conservation is not a casualty during future global crises.

An inventory of amphibian roadkill in the western Soutpansberg, Limpopo province, South Africa

ABSTRACT Increasing linear infrastructure development often impacts habitats and wildlife negatively. Roads, in particular, have numerous threats to wildlife with the most noticeable direct impact being roadkill, and this requires urgent conservation interventions. To assess amphibian roadkill, driven surveys were conducted on three regional roads around the western Soutpansberg in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, an important area for biodiversity conservation in South Africa. Six habitat types were identified along the monitored road stretches and their influence on the occurrence of amphibian roadkill was determined. The results comprised an inventory of 248 roadkill specimens, belonging to eight species and six families, and one unidentified specimen. Roadkill was strongly influenced by season, with the greatest roadkill rate recorded in the early wet season (0.051 roadkill km–1 day–1) compared to the late wet season (0.019 roadkill km–1 day–1). Amphibian roadkill patterns were related to roadside habitat. Of the roadside habitat types identified, road sections adjacent to waterbodies had the highest number of roadkill, followed by road sections closer to open savanna bushland. Roadkill frequency was low in areas that were partly located in human modified habitats (residential and agricultural areas) but highest in natural landscapes (near waterbodies and savanna bushland). The study provides baseline data that confirms the potential threat of roads and their users on the persistence of amphibians in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve and presents the first systematic inventory of amphibian roadkill in the western Soutpansberg, South Africa.

Community and Marine Conservation in South Africa: Are We Still Missing the Mark?

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in South Africa have a long history with currently 5% of the mainland’s ocean territory protected. The MPAs are celebrated and appreciated for their representative coverage of several habitat types and their ecological benefits. However, the story of correlational coastal community exclusion is not one that is often told in the ‘success’ story of South African MPAs. In this review we describe the history of marine conservation in South Africa and examine how the legislation and motivation has evolved since Apartheid. While legislation provides direction in terms of community inclusion, this is rarely the reality as we explore with five case studies. We go on to discuss how top-down governance continues to exclude communities and suggest key lessons drawn from our case-studies that could lead to a more community-involved approach to the ongoing protection and management of our marine habitats for greater conservation success.

Unravelling the perpetuated marginalization of customary livelihoods on the coast by plural and multi-level conservation governance systems

In various parts of the world, rural and indigenous coastal communities who have a long history of relying on land and coastal resources that predates colonial times are threatened by an ever-expanding conservation estate. In South Africa, such communities have been “conserving” resources for a long time through customary systems of governance. However, these systems of resource use have been undermined by state-led multi-scalar and plural conservation governance interventions. State-driven conservation in South Africa tends to focus primarily on biodiversity and ignores the rights and needs of rural people, with conservation governance in rural areas failing to recognize bona fide customary governance systems. Instead, the institutions of traditional authorities, which are not always representative of the needs and views of wider rural populations, are regarded as allies in promoting exclusionary and oppressive forms of conservation. Using a case study research approach, this study uses the case of Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa as a lens to demonstrate that plural conservation governance systems that ignore local customary systems of marine resource governance result in conservation governance perpetuating the disenfranchisement of coastal communities.

Fossilized conservation, or the unsustainability of saving nature in South Africa

This paper argues that the conservation sector in South Africa is fossilized – unsustainable, outmoded and resistant to change – in two integrated ways. First, it is completely dependent on and steeped in fossil fuels and mineral extraction. The historical development of the South African economy's reliance on fossil and mineral resources provides the basis for this dependency but has since tentacularized into the very fabric of conservation and associated wildlife economies in the country. This unsustainable basis of the sector places a major stain on the ways in which South Africa's biodiversity is ‘saved’ for posterity. Second and relatedly, the social and labour relations that make up conservation in South Africa are fossilized in particularly racialized and gendered ways. This is socially unsustainable, as most of these relations are unjust and exploitative. Building on theories of fossil energy and labour relations that emphasise their everyday character, we argue that confronting the fossilized state of conservation in South Africa is necessary in and of itself, and a prerequisite for a broader societal transformation to sustainability. We conclude that the effective chances for this to happen are low, especially given the massive conservation attention on combatting rhino poaching in the last decade. This seems to have reinforced rather than alleviated the status quo.

A big leap forward for Afrotheria conservation in South Africa: A new environmental screening tool ensures cryptic species of conservation concern are not overlooked during the environmental impact assessment process

Afrotheria is an ancient radiation of African mammals which includes the Chrysochloridae (Golden Moles), a highly specialized family of fossorial, range-restricted species, and the regionally endangered forest-dependent Dendrohyrax arboreus (Southern Tree Hyrax). South Africa is home to 17 of the 21 currently described Golden Moles, of which 16 are endemic and 10 listed as either Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered according to the IUCN regional Red List. As such, ensuring adequate conservation of Afrotheria within the country is paramount. Until recently, the legislation tasked with ensuring responsible infrastructure development in South Africa failed to adequately protect cryptic species such as Golden Moles and the Southern Tree Hyrax during the environmental impact assessment process. We detail how new legislation which requires the use of a web-based application, the Environmental Screening Tool, will improve the protection afforded to Afrotheria species of conservation concern. We describe the process by which 11 species of conservation concern are incorporated into the screening tool, what this tells us of our current knowledge of their distribution and discuss the potential impact the screening tool may have on Afrotheria conservation going forward.

African Wild Dog Movement Ecology in a Small Protected Area in South Africa

Dramatic population declines of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) led to a managed metapopulation approach for wild dog conservation in South Africa. Monitoring the survival and habitat use of packs reintroduced into protected areas (PAs) is an essential part of adaptive management and improving the health and, ultimately, the survival of the metapopulation. Our study describes the territoriality and habitat selection of a pack of wild dogs reintroduced into Manyoni Private Game Reserve (219 km2) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Despite being introduced into a small PA, the pack only utilized half their available space (121 km2) and avoided the central areas of the reserve. Post hoc analysis of African lion (Panthera leo) localities suggested competitive avoidance was a strong factor in shaping the habitat usage of the pack; however, further research is required. Habitat selection also varied seasonally and with denning. Ultimately, we showed that spatio-temporal analyses can help identify high-risk areas within wild dog territories, such as hotspots of activity along fencelines. These analyses can then be used to increase targeted management of these areas, such as improving the maintenance of well-used fencelines, which is an important consideration for the sustained success of the metapopulation across small PAs.

Cross-scale and social-ecological changes constitute main threats to private land conservation in South Africa

Conserving biodiversity in the long term will depend in part on the capacity of Protected Areas (PAs) to cope with cross-scale, social-ecological disturbances and changes, which are becoming more frequent in a highly connected world. Direct threats to biodiversity within PAs and their interactions with broader-scale threats are both likely to vary with PA spatial and management characteristics (e.g., location, dependence on ecotourism revenues, governmental support). Private Land Conservation Areas (PLCAs) are interesting case study systems for assessing cross-scale threats to PAs and their determinants. Despite the growing number of PLCAs around the world, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the long-term capacity of these privately owned areas to conserve biodiversity. Their potential impermanence is commonly raised as a key concern. To better understand the threats to which different types of PLCAs are likely to be vulnerable, we asked 112 PLCA landholders in South Africa what they perceived as the top threats to their PLCAs. Landowners identified direct threats to the biodiversity within their PLCAs (e.g., poaching, extreme weather, inappropriate fire regimes, alien species) as well as describing broader socio-economic threats (e.g., regional crime, national legislation and politics, global economic recessions), which were noted to interact across scales. We found support for the hypothesis that patterns in the perceived multi-scale threats to a PLCA correspond with its management and spatial characteristics, including its remoteness, dependence on ecotourism or hunting revenues, and richness of megafaunal species. Understanding the threats to which different PLCAs may be vulnerable is useful for developing more nuanced, targeted strategies to build PLCA resilience to these threats (for example, by strengthening the capacity of self-funded PLCAs to cope with the threat of economic downturns through more innovative financial instruments or diversified revenue streams). Our findings highlight the importance of considering interactions between broad-scale socio-economic changes and direct threats to biodiversity, which can influence the resilience of PAs in ways that are not anticipated by more traditional, discipline-specific consideration of direct threats to the biodiversity within their boundaries.

Determining drivers of dragonfly diversity patterns and the implications for conservation in South Africa

Knowing where species occur is essential for conservation planning. In South Africa, regional climatic variation is subject to effects of oceanic current systems, which in turn, determine species diversity patterns. We hypothesize that regional climates and topography are important drivers of aquatic insect species richness, endemism, and assemblage composition, and expect strong assemblage-turnover boundaries to be concurrent with topographical features. We also expected that current conservation networks do not represent aquatic insect species richness and endemism. We used generalized linear mixed models and generalized dissimilarity models to determine drivers of South African dragonfly (Odonata) species richness and assemblage-turnover, as well as to investigate the extent of assemblage-turnover boundaries. We found that climate gradients were significant drivers, and found significant variation in assemblages between sub-regions. Turnover boundaries were gradual but concurrent with topographical features and/or areas with spatial changes in sub-regional climate. Modern-day climate and topography partially explained dragonfly diversity patterns, but other local factors and past geological events likely both contribute to current dragonfly diversity patterns. The existing conservation network in South Africa represents areas of high dragonfly species richness and endemism. We recommend additional conservation efforts in areas outside of protected areas with high species richness and endemism levels, but importantly also in areas with high assemblage-turnover rates to ensure protection of as many species as possible. We also propose further searches in areas with high endemism and high assemblage-turnover for possible discovery of unknown species, and further searches in under-represented areas to improve distribution data for known species.

A 20-Year Review of the Status and Distribution of African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) in South Africa

South Africa is one of only seven countries with a viable population of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). The national population in 2017 was 372 adults and yearlings and comprised three subpopulations: 1) Kruger National Park (Kruger), 2) an intensively managed metapopulation established through reintroductions into isolated, fenced reserves, and 3) a free-roaming population that occurs naturally outside protected areas. We assessed the long-term (four wild dog generations, ∼20 years) trends in population size and growth rate within each of these three subpopulations. We found that Kruger supports a substantial population, which has declined over time. The metapopulation is the only subpopulation that has increased significantly over time (both in population size and number of packs), likely due to intensive conservation efforts and the reintroduction of wild dogs into 15 additional reserves since 1998. The free-roaming subpopulation has remained small but stable, even though the number of packs has declined due to anthropogenic threats. The overall national population has remained stable even though the number of packs has increased. Kruger has consistently supported the highest proportion of the national population over the last two decades. However, the contribution of the metapopulation has increased significantly over time. It is clear that despite differences in survey effort among the three subpopulations, South Africa has a small (∼500) but stable population of wild dogs, with the metapopulation contribution becoming increasingly important. The circumstances in the country necessitate, and demonstrate the benefit of, intensive, adaptive management for the national population of wild dogs. While this assessment provides baseline information for the three subpopulations, wild dog conservation in South Africa would benefit greatly from equal survey effort and standardized methods to accurately assess long-term population trends.

Stakeholder perspectives on the value and challenges of private rhinoceros ownership in South Africa

ABSTRACTThe value of private sector rhinoceros conservation in South Africa is a topic of much debate, often fueled by controversies surrounding trade in rhinoceros horn. We used semi-structured interviews (n = 16) to assess perceptions of private rhinoceros owners and other stakeholders regarding the value of the industry and its challenges. All stakeholders attested to the conservation value of privately-owned rhinoceroses and identified poaching as the main challenge. Most of the private owners identified the lack of legal international horn trade as driving the escalation in poaching, whereas other stakeholders perceived a wider range of contributing factors. The rhinoceros owners mostly favored international trade in rhinoceros horn, whereas non-governmental organization representatives were broadly opposed. Other stakeholders noted both positive and negative outcomes. Our results suggest greater collaboration between private sector stakeholders and government agencies will be essential for consensus around future management policies, especially concerning divisive options such as trade.

Horizon scanning for South African biodiversity: A need for social engagement as well as science

A horizon scan was conducted to identify emerging and intensifying issues for biodiversity conservation in South Africa over the next 5-10years. South African biodiversity experts submitted 63 issues of which ten were identified as priorities using the Delphi method. These priority issues were then plotted along axes of social agreement and scientific certainty, to ascertain whether issues might be "simple" (amenable to solutions from science alone), "complicated" (socially agreed upon but technically complicated), "complex" (scientifically challenging and significant levels of social disagreement) or "chaotic" (high social disagreement and highly scientifically challenging). Only three of the issues were likely to be resolved by improved science alone, while the remainder require engagement with social, economic and political factors. Fortunately, none of the issues were considered chaotic. Nevertheless, strategic communication, education and engagement with the populace and policy makers were considered vital for addressing emerging issues.

Tourism Governance and Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa

ABSTRACT Inclusiveness that improves tourism governance is significant for development if benefits from tourism are distributed equitably. Declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism and adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have seemingly brought tourism to the forefront of development even where the SDGs have limited tourism focus. This paper examines how tourism governance is poorly applied in Africa. It interrogates the challenges of integrating tourism governance, mining, and conservation within the SDGs framework in Africa. Sustainable tourism governance frameworks have not comprehensively inculcated trust, justice, social capital, power, and participation. Using mining and conservation in South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively, it analyses how mining affects sustainability, as actors in tourism are unable to conserve and protect tourism sites. Achieving the SDGs requires collaboration between international actors, governments, the private sector, and locals in an inclusive governance based on justice, inclusion trust and equitable power relations. Highlights Improvement in tourism governance is important for development Challenges of integrating tourism in the SDGs in Africa Tourism governance is however poorly applied in Africa Sustainable tourism governance neglects trust, justice, power and participation. Mining and poor conservation undermines sustainable tourism To achieve the SDGs, collaboration among varied actors is critical

Incorporating evolutionary history into conservation assessments of a highly threatened group of species, South African Dioscorea (Dioscoreaceae)

In an era of increasing threat most species of plant still lack an assessment of extinction risk or an understanding of priority for conservation. Evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) has been used in conjunction with extinction risk to prioritise species for conservation. We apply this approach to an economically important group of plants in Africa; South African Dioscorea (yams), focusing on the Africa clade that contains species used mainly medicinally with a distinct evolutionary history. The results of IUCN Red List assessments for these species were used in subsequent EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) analysis. Species distribution models were produced for Africa clade species using MaxEnt, which were then combined together with the EDGE scores to produce species richness (SR), extinction risk (ER), ED and EDGE diversity maps. Five out of the 15 South African Dioscorea species (all nested in the Africa clade) were found to be in a Red List threat category, and this category was shown to be the main determinant of its EDGE ranking. The spatial distribution of SR, ER, ED and EDGE were compared, and we use these maps to prioritise important areas for conservation in South Africa with hotspots identified as priorities for future conservation of Africa clade Dioscorea.

Zoogeography of a South African Province: A framework for management

AbstractState‐level conservation in South Africa is structured around distinct political entities (i.e. municipalities). This is problematic because an ecological approach that considers species distribution is required to delineate meaningful management units. To do so, vegetation types can be used as management units—however, it is uncertain whether vertebrate communities are associated with vegetation types as defined by the national vegetation map. Here, we investigate mammal diversity patterns within and among biomes (savannah and grassland) and bioregions and test whether different mammal communities were associated with different vegetation types. We used an extensive database of species occurrences in the North West Province. We found that species richness was higher in the savannah than grassland biome. Beta diversity was higher within the savannah than grassland biome, due to greater environmental heterogeneity, though one grassland bioregion was similar to the savannah bioregions. Mammal communities were significantly different among bioregions, but not biomes, suggesting mammal communities are congruent with vegetation type at finer scales (i.e. bioregional), but not at coarser scales (biomes). It thus makes sense to use a bioregional framework to design mammal management strategies. The invasion of grasslands by savannah species should be monitored, specifically given the predicted changes in climate.

When Race and Social Equity Matters in Nature Conservation in Post-apartheid South Africa

Current academic literature examining race and nature conservation in South Africa has relied mainly on secondary data analysis while neglecting the voices of local communities. This article draws on empirical experience to assess the extent of the impact of race and social equity in conservation, with the aim of promoting sustainable and more inclusive conservation practices in South Africa. Empirical results are drawn from different cases to examine racial equity in conservation. The findings suggest that conservation practices in post-apartheid South Africa are still exclusionary for the majority black population. Promoting more inclusive conservation is complex and requires a broader conservation agenda for more inclusivity and to genuinely tackle issues of poverty. There is a need for conservation groups to also include the previously marginalised in leadership structures and to incorporate indigenous knowledge systems. This will assist in changing the perception of marginalised people that particular persons dominate conservation. The paper further makes specific recommendations on how conservation can become more inclusive across social and race lines.