TImber Species Grown
CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8.4. PROPERTY SIZE AND LAND USE TYPES
The study has found that as a result of extensive subdivision of agricultural land, property numbers have increased, whilst property sizes have decreased between 1944 and 1999. Small farm sizes were seen prior to 1970 to be a threat to the viability of cornniercial farms and the future national food security in South Africa. In response the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act (Act 70 of1970) was promulgated and was intended to combat thecreation of uneconomic farming units, which in their turn;could give rise to over-utilisation of the land, resulting in higher levels of soil erosion (Fuggle & Rabie 1992).The repeal of this Act is currently being proposed.
It has been stated that supplementary legislation in the form of the proposed Planning and Development Act and the Environmental Conservation Act (Act 73 of 1989) as amended will offer adequate legal protection against land degradation due to uneconomic small farming units (Anon. 2000a). The implementation of these Acts and the judgement values of those assessing applications may however be of concern.Further reduction in farm sizes is expected to affect land use and land management accordingly and may exert even greater pressure on natural resources. The type of land use found on small properties influences the severity of this pressure.Intensive farming systems, such as exotic afforestation, crops, dairy, pigs, poultry and the breeding of pedigree livestock often result in maximisation of land use and rely heavily on production from arable land.This puts considerable pressure on the natural resources.Scotney (1970) states that intensive farming systems, however provide the best economic possibilities. Extensive farming systems such as beef and / or sheep rely almost entirely on production from the natural grassland (Scotney 1970).However, these systems exert less pressure on natural resources. Intensive farming systems although exerting greater pressure on natural resources, are more able to provide a living from smaller property sizes than extensive farming systems, which require greater expanses ofland to be profitable. Extensive farming on small pieces of land may result in the need to over stock in order to be economic, thus resulting in overgrazing and degradation of natural grassland areas.In recent years land use within the catchment has moved away from these traditional farming practices towards tourism, recreational and residential land uses.Such uses may exert less pressure on natural resources and make the use of smaller property sizes more economical.
A distinction needs to be made between future land use types and property size. It is recommended that restrictions be placed on the further subdivision of properties, which are to be used for farming practices, as further reductions in farm sizes will exert greater pressure on natural resources and place considerable economic pressure on farmers to make a living.
Subdivision of properties for alternative land use types such as, tourism, recreation and residential activities should be evaluated on a 'case-by-case' basis. Although these land use types require less land to be economic and place less pressure on natural resources, the cumulative impact of large groupings of these in close proximity to one another could be considerable.
The Karkloof Catchment is a valuable natural asset with high visual appeal. Care should be taken not to destroy this with over development of the area as has happened in many other parts of South Africa, for example the Cathkin Valley, in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg.
Studies which may include an overall visual analysis; visual and environmental impact assessments of individual proposals; investigation of the overall carrying'capacity and agricultural and environmental potential of the catchment, should be undertaken. This will inform decision making, ensuring that the best use is made of the land, and that sensitive high value areas are protected.
8.5. CONSERVAnON RECOMMENDATIONS
The study has shown that there is a need for various conservation strategies within the catchment. Three of the most important strategies are, the creation of corridors / linkages between vegetation patches, the conservation of remaining grassland patches,the improvement of these patches and the removal of 'Invasive Alien Vegetation' from riparian and other sensitive areas.
8.5.1. Corridors / Linkages
Observation ofFigure 6.2. (p.58) show that forest woodland and grassland areas have become highly fragmented.The extent and nature of this fragmentation was not investigated as it was considered beyond the scope ofthe study. Preliminary observation ofFigure 6.2. does however highlight the need for the creation of corridors / linkages between vegetation patches.
East to west linkages in the upper catchment appear to be sufficient, whilst east to west linkages in the lower catchment and north to south linkages are lacking.It is recommended that the GIS database produced from this study be utilised to further investigate habitat fragmentation. Only then may detailed linkages between patches as well as other conservation strategies be proposed.
8.5.2. Grassland Conservation and Improvement
The significant loss of grasslands in the catchment and the KwaZulu-Natal Mistbelt as a whole is cause for much concern.
The moratorium on any further transformation (where new ground is to be broken) of Mistbelt Grasslands, which was accepted by the KwaZulu-Natal Plantation Permit Review Panel on the 29 September 1999 is fully supported. Grasslands once lost may never be re-established in their former state.
Efforts to improve grassland grazing quality are recommended. This will not only improve biodiversity in the area, but will also provide improved grazing for livestock and game, which will ultimately benefit farmers. Poor grazing quality is often associated with increases in Aristidajunciformis and decreases in the more palatable grass species, Themeda triandra. One of the ways of improving grazing quality is to re-introduce T. triandra back into grassland areas.This in the past was most problematic, mainly due to the poor germination rate of seed.
Everson (1994) states that from analysis of the fate of seeds ofT. triandra between their production and establishment, the main constraints for seedling establishment were predation, low viability and poor germination. Research aimed at determining the feasibility of using seedlings, raised as 'grass plugs' (small grass plants) of various indigenous grass species including T. triandra for revegetating disturbed sites was undertaken by Dr J. E. Granger, School of Applied Environmental Sciences, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg (Granger 1999). This research commenced in 1992. Success in improving the germination rate and in re- establishing T. triandra into disturbed sites has been achieved. Seeds are harvested and later germinated under controlled nursery conditions. Seedlings are then transplanted into seedling trays and allowed to grow.into'grass plugs'. These 'grass plugs' once sufficiently established, are planted out directly into the degraded grassland areas, without removing other grass species. The density of planting is dependent on the degree of degradation and the required coverage (lE. Granger, 1999, pers. comm.). Only areas suited to T. triandra are planted. The availability of grass plugs was previously limited, however stock quantities are approaching sufficient numbers for commercial release. A trial, in a degraded grassland area was planted in January 2000 on the farm 'The Forest' located to the north-east of the catchment (Plate 13.
(P123)) and (plate 14. (P123)). Strips within the degraded grassland were sprayed with the herbicide 'RoundupR, and burnt only once the grass had died. This practise ensured that there was no root or canopy competition. The strips were positioned 1.5 metres apart from one another and 'grass plugs' were then planted into the strips with 30 cm planting spacings.
'Grass plugs' were mostly planted directly into the strips, whilst others were planted into a furrow within the strip that had been ripped with a tractor tine. After only two months,plants had grown to an average height of 30 cm and it is anticipated that these plants will produce seed this Spring (lE.Granger, 1999, pers. comm.).
8.5.3. Removal of 'Alien Invasive Vegetation' and Rehabilitation
As discussed in Section 7.2.4. the presence of 'Alien Invasive Vegetation' poses numerous threats to indigenous ecosystems.Its removal from invaded areas is recommended. Macdonald and Jarman (1985) state that the Phillips' bioclimatic region: 'Mist Belt (3)', into which category the Karkloof Catchment falls has various habitats that are more prone to invasion of alien vegetation. These habitats include riverine habitat, forest gaps, forest ecotones and grassland.Taking these as well as other factors, as noted in this study into consideration, priority areas for removal within the catchment,ranked in order of importance are as follows: 1. Riparian areas, starting in the upper catchment. Failure to remove 'Alien Invasive Vegetation' from these areas first will render any eradicationundertaken downstream useless, as the source of seeds will not have been removed.
2. Riparian areas, close to timber plantations, particularlyAcacia spp. and Pinus patula plantations. These areas are seed sources andAcaciaspp.andPinus patulaare known to be more invasive than other timber species.
3. All other riparian areas.
4. Disturbed areas, starting with those areas closeto natural habitats, such as forest, woodland and grassland.These disturbed areas may include erosion gullies and abandoned plantations, fields and homesteads.
5. Disturbed areas, which may include any newly felled or planted timber plantation or any newly cultivated fields.
6. Roadside areas.
The Karkloof Catchment 'Working for Water' project, which functions to remove 'Alien Invasive Vegetation' from the catchment was initiated in 1998.Itforms part of the National 'Working for Water' initiative which came about in September 1995, under the direction of Professor Kader Asmal, the then Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry (J.Symons,2000, pers.comm.).
Work has since been undertaken in the following areas of the catchment:
• MrEdwards's andMrPlumley's properties (Mount West) - to the north-west;
• Mr M Neilsen's,Mr 1.Elliott's andMrFolker's properties (Curry's Post) - to the north- west;
• KarkloofNature Reserve - to the north;
• MbonaEstate - to the north-east;
• P. Goble's property - centre of the catchment, near 'Loskop' hill;
• Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve - to the south.
Whilst the removal of'Alien Invasive Vegetation' is highly advantageous, often cleared areas are not rehabilitated, which leads to soil erosion. No rehabilitation has as yet taken place in the Karkloof Catchment (A. Govender, 2000, pers. comm.). Rehabilitation often involves the sowing of Eragrostis curvula 'Ermelo' seedto re-establish a vegetative cover(Granger 1999).
Trials in the early 1970s demonstrated that E. curvula 'Ermelo' could be used to rapidly revegetate disturbed areas at low cost, also producing a dense cover. However, recent reassessments of several areas sown 25 years ago with E. curvula 'Ermelo' reveal negligible invasion of other grass species, while in some instances E. curvula 'Ermelo' is invading undisturbed grassland (Granger undated in Granger 1999). As stated in Section 8.5.2., research aimed at determining the feasibility of using seedlings, raised as 'grass plugs' (small grass plants) of various indigenous grass species including Themeda triandra for revegetating disturbed sites was undertaken by Dr1. E. Granger. These disturbed sites included cleared Wattle, Pine and Eucalyptus areas. A trial in the Kamberg Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, where T. triandra 'grass plugs' were planted into an areawhich had beencleared of self-sown Wattle, Pineand Eucalyptus, showed that after sixmonths since planting in March 1995, 'grass plugs' were alive and had produced tillers following one of the coldest winters in that decade (Granger 1999). Further assessment in February 1998 revealed no significant change in survival with all plants having produced culms. It is recommended that methods described in Section 8.5.2.be applied to rehabilitating areas that have been cleared of 'Alien Invasive Vegetation'.
Plate 13. Location of the trial planting (ringed) of Themeda triandra 'grass plugs' on the farm 'The Forest' located in the north-east of the catchment
(Source:J. E.Granger) (Mar. 2000)
Plate 14. Themeda triandra 'grass plugs' (arrow) were planted into treated strip areas (left). After only two months, plants had grown to an average height of30 cm (right) (Source:J.E.Granger) (Mar. 2000)