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Gavin W. Maneveldt & Richard S. Knight Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape P. Bag X17, Bellville 7535, RSA [email protected] ; [email protected] Conference on Biodiversity, Science and Governance … part of the ongoing global effort to curb the loss of biodiversity by 2010 … ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of our biological diversity. … to sensitize public opinion about scientific and social issues connected to biodiversity. The greatest concern expressed was … we are still loosing species at an unprecedented rate … estimated at 100 to 1000 times the ‘natural’ extinction rate. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (core report – Mar. 2005; foundation report – Jan. 2006) … human actions are depleting Earth’s natural capital, putting such strain on the environment that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted … … the assessment shows that with appropriate actions it is possible to reverse the degradation of many ecosystem services over the next 50 years … … BUT, the changes in policy and practice required are substantial and not currently underway. (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005) What is Special about South Africa’s Biodiversity? 3rd most biologically diverse country (after Indonesia & Brazil) occupies ~ 2% of the world’s land area but is home to ~ 10% of the world’s plants ~ 5% of the world’s reptiles ~ 8% of the world’s birds ~ 6% of the world’s mammals 3 biodiversity hotspots (Cape Floristic Region, Succulent Karoo, Maputaland-Pondoland) our seas straddle 3 oceans (Atlantic, Indian & Southern Oceans) ~ 16% of known coastal marine species (Endangered Wildlife Trust, 2002) History Pre-1994 Democratic election > 16 local and regional bodies … A plethora of apartheid legislation that has clearly had disastrous ecological and social consequences … indirectly responsible for large scale loss of, and denied access to biodiversity. Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize - 2004) Assistant Minister for Environment & Natural Resources in Kenya – “… without direct intervention, third world countries may be unable to meet the millennium goals …” History With just over ten years of democracy it is difficult to effect significant change, … yet South Africa has accomplished significant strides in both its political and biodiversity arenas. Post-Apartheid 1994 to present Dept. of Environmental affairs & Tourism (DEAT). South African National Parks (SANParks) + Provincial parks Marine & Coastal Management Dept. of Water Affairs & Forestry (DWAF). Dept. of Science & Technology (DST). Dept. of Arts & Culture (DAC). A. Research and Development Policy Context (relevant Acts, research frameworks etc) Conventions and Agreements International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), 2000 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 2000 The Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International Importance), 2000 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 2000 World Heritage Convention (Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage), 2000 Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), 2000 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought, 2003 The Kyoto Accord, 16 February 2005 Intent to designate Makuleke Wetlands and Prince Edward Islands as Wetlands Of International Importance, March 2006 A. Research and Development Policy Context (relevant Acts, research frameworks etc) Policy & Legislation 1996 – present (197 policy, legislations, national assessment docs, etc.) • National Environment Management Bill, 1998 • • • • • • • • • • • • Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 World Heritage Convention Act, 1999 National Parks Amendment Bill, 2001 Environment Conservation Act, 2002 SoE Report (State of the Environment Report), 2002 National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2004 National Environmental Management: Air Quality Bill, 2004 National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Bill, 2004 SABI (South African Bio-systematics Initiative),2004 NSBA (National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment), 2004 Various Fisheries legislation, March 2005 Regulations For The Proper Administration Of Special Nature Reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites, March 2005 • White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development in South Africa, Sept. 2005 • Marine Living Resources Amendment Bill, May 2005 A. Research and Development Policy Context (relevant Acts, research frameworks etc) National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Bill (31 May 2004) provides for … management and conservation of SA’s biodiversity (incl. ambiguous groups); the protection of threatened ecosystems & species; the control of alien & invasive species; the regulation of bioprospecting; fair & equitable benefit-sharing; the regulation of permits; and the establishment of the SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) B. Current National Research Activities/Programmes DEAT (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism) • • • • • • • • • • • • • Global Climate Change: web pages providing information and documents on climate change Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity Roster of Experts National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan South African National Waste Management Strategy Implementation Project + The Cleanest Town Competition Wild Coast Spatial Development Initiative Pilot Programme Socio-Economic Impact of Poverty Relief Funded Projects World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) + World Parks Congress (WPC) SADC Regional Environmental Education Programme National Environmental Education Programme (NEEP) Transfrontier Conservation Areas Poverty Relief Programme Waste Management Programme National Environmental Indicators Project NRF (National Research Foundation) • • • • • SABI (South African Bio-Systematics Initiative) SAIAB (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity) SANAP (South African National Antarctic Programme) SAEON (South African Environmental Observation Network) SEAChange (Society, Ecosystems and Change) SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) Working for Water Programme - DWAF (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry) CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) MCM (Marine and Coastal Management - South African fisheries authority - directorate of DEAT) MISA (Mariculture Institute of South Africa) – unit within MCM A million bicycles over 10 yrs. C. International Programmes where SA Involved International Conventions and Agreements: • • • • • • • • Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) Bonn Convention on Migratory Species RAMSAR Wetlands Convention Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Convention on Combating Desertification (CCD) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (and GMOs), September 2003; Roster of Experts 2005/6 The Kyoto Accord/Protocol, February 2005 Global biodiversity inventory initiatives: All Species Project, GBIF, GISP, Tree of Life, Species 2000. Global bio-systematics imperatives: BioNET-International, British Government Systematics Initiative, Diversitas, GTI, Systematics Agenda 2000. Ongoing global assessments: 2010 Biodiversity Target; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. International conservation agencies: Conservation International, IUCN, WWF Aquatic ecosystem programmes: GIWA (Global International Waters Assessment), SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research), BCLME (Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem), BENEFIT (The Benguela Fisheries Interaction Training Programme). Museums across the world that hold South African material and bio-systematists across the world who have expertise not represented in South Africa. The Convention on Biological Diversity and Protected Areas TARGETS •Terrestrial • ecosystems - 10% of land surface Marine ecosystems - 20% of coastline Terrestrial Environment TYPE 1 – 479 (77%) TYPE 2 - 471 ~ 6% of land in SA TYPE 3 - 66 Biome % in Western Cape % in Type 1 & 2 TPA % in Type 3 TPA Mountain Fynbos ~ 50%* Fynbos Western 78 ~Cape 20 ~9 Coastal37Fynbos Succulent ~ 2 ~ 3%* ~5 Karoo 19% (~ 11 + 8) Thicket *Cowling 13 & Hilton Taylor ~ 9 1994 ~ 31 Figure 1. Type 1, 2 and 3 protected areas in South Africa (NSBA, 2004). Terrestrial Environment – Species richness Endemic Plant Species Threatened Plant Species Figure 2. Species richness for known endemic and threatened plant species (NBSA, 2004). Terrestrial Environment – endangered Critically endangered Endangered Vulnerable Least threatened Need to provide some form of conservation action for the remaining 90% Figure 3. Spatial distribution of critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and least threatened vegetation types (NSBA, 2004). Marine Environment Figure 4. The inshore bioregions defined for the Southern African coast (NSBA, 2004). Marine Environment . . . .. Figure 4. Oceanography and biogeographic provinces of South Africa (Adapted from Bolton & Anderson, 1997). Marine Environment 1964 - June 2004 … June 2004 … 18 MPA’s (incl. 3 islands) ~ 11% of the SA coastline + 4 MPA’s (incl. 1 island) ~ 18% of the SA coastline Immediate future … + Namaqualand MPA ~ 19% of the SA coastline . Figure 5. South African Marine Protected Aeas (NSBA, 2004; Colin Attwood, pers. comm.). Dilemma ! How do we: … conserve, or provide conservation status to the remaining 90% & 80% of our terrestrial surfaces and coastlines respectively? … continue to obtain and understand our biodiversity issues? … convey their importance to society? Agenda 21 (Rio Declaration on Environment and Development) Explains that population, consumption and technology are the primary driving forces of environmental change. It lays out what needs to be done to reduce wasteful and inefficient consumption pattern It offers policies and programmes to achieve a sustainable balance between consumption, population and the Earth’s life-supporting capacity. It describes some of technologies and techniques that need to be developed to provide for human needs while carefully managing natural resources. One Solution ! Biodiversity Web Map Services … provide for the distribution of current biodiversity information; … have the ability to integrate local or desktop information; …have the ability to make your own information … have the ability to distribute combinations of these information layers to third parties through map views; and … because they are web-based, they are accessible to just about anyone. GISP The Global Invasive Species Programme aims to address global threats caused by Invasive Alien Species (IAS) providing support to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It does this by: Raising awareness of the IAS problem; Creating linkages among governments and the private sector and across disciplines; Networking databases and providing a gateway for information on IAS issues and expertise; Designing and co-hosting workshops; Summarizing scientific and technical information in order to make it readily available to policy makers, scientists, educators, and other audiences; and Supporting Partners in the design of projects and programmes to minimize the spread and impact of IAS. Screen Shot GISP portal Seaweed Africa SeaweedAfrica is a multi-national project to expand AlgaeBase, a biodiversity database of seaweed information, to include additional information for the seaweeds of the whole of Africa. The additional information includes: Ecological information Present and potential useful information Harvesting information Aquiculture information Legal information The project involves scientists from 8 European and African countries – South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden and is funded by the European Union. We scripted the web database together with the Irish team at the Martin Ryan Marine Science institute. SACIC The South Africa Coastal Information Centre (SACIC) is a project funded by the Coastal Management Office of the Department of Enviromental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). SACIC aims to Create public awareness about environmental issues along our coast Help decision makers at local governmental level make better informed decisions for coastal management. The web portal developed by IOISA and BCB contains databases of coastal projects, educational material, and online GIS maps of the South African coast. The project has entered a second phase of funding during which greater emphasis will be placed on the needs of decision makers. SA Coast Examining Examiningd data layers and adding mark ups Ukuvuka – Fire stop Ukuvuka aims to educate the public about the dangers of wild fires on the Cape Peninsula mountain chain and in informal settlements. There is particular emphasis on the dangers of large stands of invasive alien trees which were responsible for the intensity of the 2000 fires. We have been responsible for the development of the Ukuvuka website which contains educational material for the public including up-to-date news, information on identifying and eradicating alien invasives trees and interactive games. The experiences and lessons learnt during the campaign is available as a knowledge asset. CPU maps The CPU was a core C.A.P.E project aimed at 1. Generating and distributing environmental sensitivity maps 2. Guide sustainable development and planning 3. Highlight important areas for the conservation of biodiversity. The CPU was established to ensure that high quality, up-to-date biodiversity maps based on data from a variety of reputable institutions are easily accessible are freely available via a portal for viewing and downloading. The CPU has been taken over by SANBI and become the Biodiversity GIS (BGIS) portal. Screen Shot SANBI Biodiversity GIS portal Integrating Algorithm Approaches Biodiversity Web Map Services … use genetic algorithms to optimise conservation solutions … integrate conservation planning into other land use. On Conservation Areas…. “… they have not drawn us into a more thoughtful relationship with our habitat, They have not taught us that land is to be used frugally and with good sense. They have encouraged us to believe that conservation is merely a system of trading environmental write-offs against large protected areas. They more than failed; in fact they have become a symptom of the problem (Van Tighem 1986).…” What is a Genetic Algorithm? Selection…..usually a randomly selected pair Crossover Parent A Parent B Mutation For Reserve Selection a group of sites will represent a chromosome More on Genetic Algorithms Genetic Algorithms GAs allow both forward and backward processing whereas iterative technique is a forward only process ` Candidate Sites Forward Direction GAs are far faster to process Forward and Reverse Direction Web-based Conservation Planning & Decision Making: City of Cape Town To identify the minimum number of remnant sites that conserve a group of plant species within the City of Cape Town Includes Genetic Algorithms and user defined targets From insular protected areas to prioritised biodiversity networks at a landscape level Once Candidate sites are selected… Integrate to form a network (connection & climate change) 45 land uses identified and ranked on compatibility to maintain biodiversity Arbitrary scores attached to each landuse with most biodiversity compatible areas have the lowest scores. Friction Surface of biodiversity compatibility developed Biodiversity Network Corridors of lowest friction (highest biodiversity value) iteratively identified National Information Society Learnership Ecological Informatics Purpose The Level 7 certificate in Ecological Informatics Practice has, as its purpose statement: ’A learner who has achieved this qualification will have achieved a basic competence in gathering data, mining databases, organising, analysing and assessing data and using information to produce useful reports in support of decision-making within the field of Biological Resource Management.’ Designed in the Workplace for the Workplace What is NISL-EI? Its an Honours-level Learnership delivered using distancebased resources and through a cooperation of University and public sector organizations. CSIR is the managing agent and UWC does curriculum certification. Arid River/wetland Integrated Ecosystems Ecosystems Coastal Management Management Area Management Information Systems Management GIS Remote Sensing Open-Source tools Environmental Management Practice IEM & Tools for Sust. Dev. Conservation Planning Env. Resource Economics Policy Development Conservation Biology Climate Change Sustainable Livelihoods Invasion Biology Societal Issues Gavin W. Maneveldt & Richard S. Knight Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape P. Bag X17, Bellville 7535, RSA [email protected] ; [email protected]