Velddrift February 3 2011
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Transcript of Velddrift February 3 2011
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Velddrift February 3 2011
Biodiversity and Climate Change
The case of subtropical thickets and small local municipalitiesmitigation, adaptation, and resilience
Mike Powell Rhodes Restoration Research Group
RHODES UNIVERSITY, South Africa [email protected]
Ecological Restoration Capital Pty (Ltd) Nollen Group South Africa
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• Climate change and biodiversity loss
• Subtropical thickets , restoration, carbon farming and local authorities
• Conservation planning and local authorities
• Good news
• Suggestions
Structure
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Fundamental Assumptions
• Climate change is real, here, and inertial
• Habitat destruction is still 1O driver (biodiv)
• Ecological sustainability is the mantra
• Local Govt is the future
• Species (nature) right to exist
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WWW.WHRC.ORG/CARBON
Carbon Cycle
Petagram = 1015 g
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Patz et al. Nature November 2005
Mortalitypeople per million0-22-44-7070-120
Scales and perspective
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Global Climate Change
• Increase in greenhouse gases
• Trap solar radiation
• Steady increase in mean annual Global T 1-6OC in the next 100 years
• Change in climatic patterns
• Impaired ecosystems and threat to agriculture
• Severe threat to global species diversity
12 billion - 2050 – 109 hectares agric
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Where
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remnant of widespread global thicket biome – Eocene (Cowling et al. 2005)
Albany Thicket Biome
Data from: Mucina & Rutherford 2006
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Data source : unknown
~ 18% of GHG comes from land-use change
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CI Biodiversity Hotspot
Taxonomic Group Species Endemic Species Percent
EndemismPlants 8,100 1,900 23.5
Mammals 194 4 2.1Birds 541 0 0.0
Reptiles 209 30 14.4Amphibians 72 11 15.3Freshwater
Fishes 73 20 27.4
www.biodiversityhotspots.orgMittermeier et al. 2004
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Pristine subtropical thicket
112 distinct subtropical thicket types : Vlok et al. (2003)
30% endemism in plants
% endemism in invertebrates?
Diversity of soil microflora/fauna?
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• Vegetation cover intact
• Nutrient cycles functioning optimally
• Ecological process and evolutionary process proceeding
• Steady and reliable primary production (forage)
• High plant biomass
• High species diversity
• High levels of plant endemism
• Complex vegetation canopy structure
Pristine thicket
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Arid thicket – 811 000 haValley thicket – 587 000 ha
STEP data – Vlok et al. 2003, Lombard et al. 2002.
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Degradation – 800 000 ha +
STEP data Lloyd et al. 2002.
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• Vegetation cover largely lost
• Nutrient cycles seriously disrupted
• Ecological process and evolutionary processes arrested
• Erratic and marginal primary production
• Low carrying capacity
• Expensive to rehabilitate
• Canopy loss - harsh microclimates induced
• Wind and solar desiccation of topsoil
• Eventual loss of canopy dominants
• = Total desertification
“Smashed” thicket
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“Smashed” thicket
Abiotic and biotic barriers to natural regenerations
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Degraded Subtropical thicket
“Overgrazed” – Aucamp 1979, Acocks 1988
“Neglected and abused” – Hoffman & Everard 1987
“desertification” – Kerley et al. 1995, Kerley 1996,
“national tragedy” – Aucamp 1979
“unsustainable land-use practices” Kerley et al., 1999
POINT BEING : Still happening today
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“PUT BREAD ON THE TABLE” SYNDROME
Carbon leakage & Biodiversity loss
Where is the compliance monitoring?
Where are the advocacy groups?
“If you don’t like what I am doing on my farm, why don’t you buy it?” Howard Elliott – Failed Bathurst Pineapple Farmer 2010
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• Biodiversity loss• Soil nutrients leakage• Water use efficiency drop• Carrying capacity loss• Productivity loss• Water table drop• Carbon stocks leakage• Less jobs/ha• Less income per ha• Climate change adaptation
Climate Change Adaptation
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Ecologically bankrupt
LAND REFORMCarbon equity vs. carbon colonialism
e.g. Rockhurst Black Farmers Group in Makana Municipality
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Restoration RationaleWorking for Woodlands
Establish Carbon baselines
Establish Carbon baselines
Restore
Capture C
Mainstream restoration
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Old Lands Degraded Pristine
Carbon pool n=25 n=44 n=32
Litter C 0.66±0.25 1.39±0.31 4.85±0.99
Herb C 0.59±0.10 0.93±0.11 0.61±0.17
Woody & Succ C 5.40±1.58 4.00±0.72 29.00±3.32
Root C <25cm 3.34±0.78 2.62±0.63 3.60±0.58
Soil C <25cm24.06±2.3
4 21.56±1.67 49.68±6.21
TCS34.05±3.6
1 30.50±2.10 87.73±6.51
Carbon leakage along degradation gradient
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Protected Areas and Biodiversity
We need intact habitat = we need better land use decision making
Data from: Lloyd et al. 2002 and Lombard et al. 2002.
Corridors and MegaConservancy Networks – Knight & Cowling 2003.
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Data from: Lloyd et al. 2002 and Lombard et al. 2002.
Significant Biodiversity interests
Bioregional Cons Plans
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Provincial Biodiv Conservation Plan
Berliner et al. 2007.
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CBA map category Code BLMC
Protected areas PA1
BLMC 1 Natural landscapes PA2
Terrestrial CBA 1(not degraded) T1
Terrestrial CBA 1(degraded) T1
BLMC 2 Near-natural landscapesTerrestrial CBA 2
T2
C1
C2
Other Natural Areas
ONA T3
BLMC 3 Functional landscapes ONA
Transformed areas TF BLMC 4 transformed landscapes
Provincial Biodiv Conservation Plan
Berliner et al. 2007.
CBA = critical biodiversity areaBLMC = biodiv land management class
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Land use Management Class Type
Landuse Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4
Conservation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Game farming No Yes Yes Yes
Communal livestock No Yes Yes Yes
Commercial livestock ranching No No Yes Yes
Dry land cropping No No Con Yes
Irrigated cropping No No Con Yes
Dairy farming No No Con Yes
Timber No No Con Yes
Low density rural settlement No No Con Yes
Low density urban settlement No No Con Yes
High density urban No No Con Yes
Berliner et al. 2007.
Provincial Biodiv Conservation Plan
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October 2010
Should we not legislate that every farm must retain at least 25% of the habitat
intact? = “equity” investment from landowner
Irrigated cropping No No Con Yes
Land use Management Class Type
Landuse Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4
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Directions: To remove carbon just add water
What Ecological Reserve Determination?
NB – Wealth Gap
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Natural capital and inter-generational equity
Replace this with oranges?
Irrigate them with water we don’t have….
Send them to China with the end of oil in sight….
Climate Crime????
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Suggestions
VCS REDD
VCS Spekboom restoration
Bundling = carbon equity
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Local Govt, Carbon Farm, REDD+ real opportunity 1NBSAPs
LBSAPsLEAPsSDFsIDPsEMFCons Plans
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EGS
EGS
EGS
Commonages – real opportunity 2 “Tragedy
of the commons” (Hardin 1968)
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Good news section!
Carbon Farm No 1 – Somerset East
2400 hectares30 years contractVCS accreditation
CBD + UNFCC + UNCCD
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Good news section!
Carbon Farm No 2? Baviaanskloof
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• Farm size, vegetation condition, landuse type
• Optimal land use decisions (intergen equity)
• Sustainability (monitor, report, accredit)
• Empower local authorities
• Legislate Conservation Plans
• Capacitate and grow NGOS
If we are serious about biodiversity conservation in thicket……..
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Ecological Support Zone (municipal boundary) Urban
Buffer Zone
+
Suggestions
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Suggestions
Pilot small “thicket” city in LAB family
Cons NGOs need unity and tackle thorny issues
Monitor thicket farm by farm
Employ economic leverage (EU, carbon
footprint)
Challenge water rights and land-use decisions
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Thank you
Only economists and madmen believe
in unlimited growth
James Blignaut undated (and he stole it from some other guy)
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Acknowledgements:
Christo Marais, Guy Preston, Patrick Marsh, Richard Cowling, Saskia Fourie, Ayanda Sigwela, Andrew Knipe, Anthony Mills, Charlie Shackleton, Derek Clark, Brad Fike, Edwil Moore, Yolande Vermaak, Sharon Wilson, Graham Kerley, Aniela Halliday, James Blignaut, Andrew Skowno, Bool Smuts, Rhodes University, Gamtoos Irrigation Board, Wayne Erlank, Wilderness Foundation, Eastern Cape Parks Board, Bob Scholes, James Blignaut, Alan Southwood, Bas Verschuuren, Dieter van den Broeck, Matt Zylstra, Silvia Weel, Earth Collective, and Dr. Mike Cohen.