Burning for Biodiversity:Decision support for burning grasslands in

eThekwini municipalityGlynn Alard (eThekwini Municipality) & Ross Goode (Munyawana Game Reserve)

8 May 2013

The driving purpose of the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD) in eThekwini Municipality is to speak out and take action on behalf of Biodiversity and Climate Protection in Durban, with a guiding vision to be an example to the world of how a city can protect and enhance biodiversity and respond positively to the challenges of climate change (Vision: 2013 – 2018 Strategy)

In support of the eThekwini Municipality vision , and to challenge the current development paradigm in a way that positively transforms existing systems, the EPCPD aims:  • To conserve and enhance biodiversity and the beneficial

ecosystem services it provides for all; • To plan for, and implement measures to address climate change

and its impacts; • To develop and build human and natural capital, as a means to

achieving a green economy that ensures well-being and that is embedded within planetary boundaries.

(Mission: 2013 -2018 Strategy)

Council adopted layer:

• Created in response to rapid

urbanisation

• Tool to inform conservation

and development planning

• Inclusive of areas important

for ecosystem services

• Updated by EPCPD

Systematic Conservation

Plan

Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’MOSS)

KZN vegetation types (Scott-Shaw 2011): past and present extent

(Map Source: EM Systematic Conservation Plan 2012)

KZN Vegetation Type1 SA Vegetation Type2 Conservation

Status EM3Conservation Status SANBI

Dry Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Endangered Vulnerable

Moist Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Critically

Endangered Vulnerable

KZN Sandstone Sourveld

KZN Sandstone Sourveld

Critically Endangered Endangered

North Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically

Endangered Endangered

South Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically

Endangered Endangered

1 (Scott-Shaw 2011)2 (Mucina & Rutherford 2006)3 Conservation status used for the EMSCP (Scott-Shaw 2011)

KZN vegetation types (Scott-Shaw 2011): past and present extent

(Map Source: EM Systematic Conservation Plan 2012)

KZN Vegetation Type1 SA Vegetation Type2 Conservation

Status EM3Conservation Status SANBI

Dry Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Endangered Vulnerable

Moist Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Critically

Endangered Vulnerable

KZN Sandstone Sourveld

KZN Sandstone Sourveld

Critically Endangered Endangered

North Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically

Endangered Endangered

South Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically

Endangered Endangered

1 (Scott-Shaw 2011)2 (Mucina & Rutherford 2006)3 Conservation status used for the EMSCP (Scott-Shaw 2011)

KZN vegetation types (Scott-Shaw 2011): past and present extent

(Map Source: EM Systematic Conservation Plan 2012)

KZN Vegetation Type1 SA Vegetation Type2 Conservation

Status EM3Conservation Status SANBI

Dry Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Endangered Vulnerable

Moist Ngongoni Veld Ngongoni Veld Critically

Endangered Vulnerable

KZN Sandstone Sourveld

KZN Sandstone Sourveld

Critically Endangered Endangered

North Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically

Endangered Endangered

South Coast Grassland KZN Coastal Belt Critically

Endangered Endangered

1 (Scott-Shaw 2011)2 (Mucina & Rutherford 2006)3 Conservation status used for the EMSCP (Scott-Shaw 2011)

• Design and implement large scale implementation programmes to protect biodiversity, adapt to climate change and optimise the creation of sustainable green jobs, in line with EPWP standards.

• Site selection is to a large degree be guided by research outcomes generated by the Biodiversity Planning branch and Climate Protection branch.

• Policy Implementation branch research findings help ensure that:• Implementation programmes foster partnerships• Operations will embrace communities as equal partners

• Conduct research into the full range of its projects to assess:• Biodiversity and climate protection• Improving the green economy and project sustainability (e.g. building SME’s and

providing training)• Stakeholder engagement to ensure that learnings are adopted and embedded

into best business practices

Biodiversity, Climate and Green Project Implementation Branch

EPCPD Implementation Programmes

eThekwini Region WoF WfE CRP

South 1

Central 3

North 2 2 2

Inner West 6 2 1

Outer West 17 2

Total sites 29 6 3

Restore grassland health and control Invasive Alien Plants through a combination of:• Scheduled burning of grassland in dry season• IAP control during wet growing season:

• Mechanical control (e.g. felling, hand-pulling, etc.)• Chemical control (e.g. foliar, ring-barking, cut-stump

application of herbicide, etc.)

Working on FireProgramme

Working on Fire – initiated 2009

Total Training Courses: 12 20 11

Total Training Person Days: 1254 549 579

IAP control - follow-up (Ha): 564 655.5 331

Total Area of Burning (Ha): 38 98.4 230

Total Jobs Created: 52 61 49

IAP control – initial (Ha): 114 48 12

Total Person Days: 14042 17119 11914

Female employment 37% 38% 37.8%

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

WoF Budget: R4,7mil R4,9mil R5,3mil

• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control

Fire control grassland sites

• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special

Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)

51

4

20

State ownedNUCS ServitudePrivate

Fire control grassland sites

• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special

Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)

• Sites burned biennially/triennially

Fire control grassland sites

• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special

Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)

• Sites burned biennially/triennially• Sites cover most regional grassland veld

types

Fire control grassland sites

• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special

Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)

• Sites burned biennially/triennially• Sites cover most regional grassland veld

types• Burns have reduced IAPs, but no

monitoring relating to grassland health or levels of service

Fire control grassland sites

• 29 sites, comprising 75 blocks• 953 hectares under fire control• Most private land for part of Special

Rating Areas (e.g. Giba Gorge Environmental Precinct)

• Sites burned biennially/triennially• Sites cover most regional grassland veld

types• Burns have reduced IAPs, but no

monitoring relating to grassland health or levels of service

• Biodiversity (specifically graminoid diversity)

• Soil stability• Water retention for flood attenuation• Water quality within the catchment

Fire control grassland sites

Veld condition assessment (VCA) and Fixed-point photography for WoF grasslands were planned, under consultation of Prof. Winston Trollope in Dec 2012. • Surveys conducted by Ross Goode• A subset of 25 sites were surveyed in 2013 & remaining 16 in 2014• Methods used according to simplified, adapted method developed in 2012.

• Trollope, W S W., 1990. Development of a technique for assessing veld condition in the Kruger National Park.J.Grassld. Soc. South. Afr.7, 1:46-51.

• Trollope, W.S.W., 2012. Assessment of veld condition using the adapted point centre quarter method. Special Report, Working On Fire International, Nelspruit, South Africa: 1-20.

Veld Condition Assessment

Veld Condition Assessment:Sampling design

Veld Condition Assessment:Fixed-point photography

The grass surveys comprised:

• Recording the species and point to tuft distance (PTTD) of the nearest rooted grass or herbaceous plant to 100 point quadrats at appropriate intervals that traverse the length of WoF fire control grasslands.

Veld Condition Assessment:Methods

cm100 xGrass sp. &

The grass surveys comprised:

• Estimating the herbaceous fuel load with a Disc Pasture Meter using 100 disc meter readings recorded at appropriate intervals along the same transects

• The grass fuel loads were estimated using the calibration equation developed for the Kruger National Park (Trollope & Potgieter 1986) and recommended for general use in African grasslands and savannas:

Veld Condition Assessment:Methods

• DECREASER SPECIES (D) - Grass & herbaceous species that decrease when veld is under burnt or over burnt;

• INCREASER I SPECIES (I) - Grass & herbaceous species that increase when veld is under burnt;

• INCREASER II SPECIES (II) - Grass & herbaceous species that increase when veld is over burnt.

• BASAL COVER PTTD (Hardy & Tainton 1993) provide an index of basal cover and therefore its potential to resist accelerated soil erosion. A mean (PTTD) distance of < 3 cm indicated low erosion potential, and > 10 cm a high erosion potential

• FUEL LOAD Above-ground phytomass < 4000 kg/ha indicates a low fuel load, those swards > 4000 kg/ha indicate high fuel loads

and readiness for a burn

• FUEL SCORE y = -3019 + 2260 √x : Where: y = mean grass fuel load kg/ha; x = mean disc height (cm)

Veld Condition Assessment:Interpretation

Veld Condition Assessment:Outputs

Veld Condition Assessment:Outputs

Veld Condition Assessment:Decision support to burn

• All sampled sites qualified for burning in the 2013 dry season

• Of the 41 scheduled blocks, 40 were successfully burned, though some blocks were only partially burned due to a relatively wet winter, and sward greenness.

• An area exceeding 300 ha was burned in the 2013 fire season

• 2013 marks the first year were our burns were mapped to develop a detailed fire history

2013 Fire Season

• All sampled sites qualified for burning in the 2014 dry season (very high fuel load)• 91 grass spp.

2014 VCA Outcomes

Veld Condition Assessment:Outcomes

Bridging the divide between SCIENCE and PRACTICE:

Use of VCAs for the Working on Fire Programme in the eThekwini Municipality is an excellent example of the use of good ecological science to support decision-making at the local government level

Acknowledgements:

• Working on Fire crew• Rael Hughes – images and operations efficiency• Cameron McClean & Preshen Banwari – mapping• Jessica Cockburn & Aerisha Ramkalawan – mapping

and images• Prof. Trollope – Fire Ecology, images, methodology• Ross Goode – Data collection and analysis, images