v

August 2018

Developing a long-term biodiversity

monitoring framework for the eThekwini

Municipality

L. van Rooyen, S. O’Donoghue, C. Downs, R. Boon, E. Douwes & R. Slotow

Durban Research Action Partnership

Durban Research Action Partnership

Why a monitoring programme?

1. ….based on baseline data and knowledge generated through D’RAP

Why a monitoring programme?

2. …. monitoring to track the effect of climate change on biodiversity

“.... the programme has started generating baseline biodiversity data to monitor the long-term effects of

climate change ...”

1. ….based on baseline data and knowledge generated through D’RAP

Broad steps followed

1. Literature review on existing monitoring programmes

2. Network building and stakeholder engagements.

Locating and exploring existing biodiversity monitoring

initiatives in the City

3. Workshops

4. Developing the framework

5. Specialist and focal group meetings

6. Prioritising focal areas of monitoring

7. Developing indicators

Long-term biodiversity monitoring – Process

2. Ecosystem processes 1. Biodiversity elements

Range shifts, community composition,

phenological changes, migration changes

•Ecosystem sensitivity, range shifts, threats;

temperature, water flow , sedimentation, invasive

encroachment,

Protected Areas PA’s, D’MOSS, Tribal land All

STEP 3: Data collection logistics ( WORKSHOP)

STEP 4: Housing (WORKSHOP)

STEP 2a: Evaluation of monitoring indicators (WORKSHOP)

STEP 2b: Site selection (WORKSHOP)

STEP 6: Implementation (November 2018)

3. Climate change tracking

•Weather station data •Plant species

•Mammal species

•Insects

•Avian species

•Aquatic ecosystems

•CO2 flux

•Biome ranges

•Invasive species

STEP 1: Defining the aim (WORKSHOP)

Agreement on an aim and objectives for the monitoring, by al stakeholders

Agreeing on the approach

Costs, intensity, periodicity

Viable methods?

Municipality technical assistant/university students/citizen science

STEP 5: Awareness raising (WORKSHOP)

Network building and stakeholder engagement

Aiming high

High level aim development: “To supply data ... on important biodiversity

trends relating to global change threats such as climate- and anthropogenic

environmental change ...”

Several parallel streams of data entering a centralized database

A visible platform, which collates various streams of data for users

Flexibility and adaptability

Must be embedded in the EPCPD by building monitoring staff capacity

Trend identification, with external partnerships driving the resulting research

Draw and build on various partnerships

Include citizen science, green job creation

Proper Data Management

Draft Framework

To supply data to the EPCPD ... on important

biodiversity trends relating to global change

threats such as climate- and anthropogenic

environmental change.

Recruitment

New species

identification

Extent

Reforestation success

Success of IAP removal

Species of

special concern

Habitat persistence

and health

Climate info &

indicators

Natural

Resource use Aquatic

resources

IAS Restoration

Red data sp, Keystone sp.

Species of conservation

concern

Number of

individuals/species

Species composition –

generalists versus

specialists

Urban exploiters vs urban

constrictors

Presence/absence data

for fauna (Wildlife Picture

Index) and flora

Genetic databank

(indigenous versus exotic)

Persistence and

recruitment related to re-

introduction of plant

species

Water quality (incl

estuarine)

Wetland extent and

condition (link to HP&H),

fauna data

Water flow,

Sedimentation rates

Aquatic biodiversity (in

relation to land use

changes)

Elevation model on

annual /bi-annual basis

(LIDAR of rivers)

Fish migration patters

Riverine and estuary use

and management

riverine and estuarine

ecosystem health -

biomonitoring

WWTP management and

discharges (non-

compliance with licenses

if they have one)

Weather station data:

Number of hot days, Daily

rainfall for quat. catchments,

Frequency of extreme

weather events

Climate projections as

analyses of trends

Data on the migration

patterns of common species

(e.g. swallow migration)

Data on climate sensitive

indigenous species (Range

expanders vs range

constrictors)

The impacts of climate

change adapted alien

invasive species on

indigenous biodiversity

Impact of climate change on

human livelihood

Pressure of woodification

(Nidhi Nepaul)

Supporting

info Human population

growth

GDP

Novel ecosystems,

conditions and threats

Cross-cutting themes

Human sprawl

development growth

How has the eThekwini

Municipal Area

transformed over time

•Patch size viability – research

project

•D’MOSS health

•Landscape types- and sensitive

habitat extent –already being

collected by BPB

•Landscape types- and sensitive

habitat condition–already being

collected by BPB

•Levels of protection by

vegetation/ecosystem type -

already being collected by BPB

•Rates of bush encroachment in the

city into grassland (Nidhi Nepaul)

•The role of Ecological

Infrastructure in climate change

adaptation, e.g. extent of forest for

carbon storage and the role of

vegetation cover along river banks

to improve human resilience to

climate change (links to human

health)

•PA management effectiveness

•Waterbirds. Existing – Durban Bay

Harbour bird monitoring

•Veld condition assessment,

burning regimes

Social

People’s attitudes towards and value

for their their

environment and

natural resource use

– use data to

effectively engage

with people and

assess changes

Has well-managed

open spaces

benefitted citizens

Has the loss of

biodiversity and

ecosystems impacted

on the citizens of

Durban

How social change

occurs and how that

affects management

Grazing effects on

KZNSS

Data relating to

resources use and

impacts, especially

medicinal plants/animal

products? For this

indicator we need

Sustainable utilisation

thresholds, determined

by a research project?

Threat, Opportunity and Investment

Sustainability, Resilience, Integrity of Biodiversity, Ecol. Inf., and Ecol. Services

Human outcomes, Human use/benefits

Veld management and

fire regimes

EPCPD Biodiversity Strategy

Focal group meetings: Restoration Branch

Goal Objective Data to support this

objective

Potential Indicator What does this measure?

GO

AL

3:

MA

NA

GE

ME

NT

To increase

the area

under

management

and

management

effectiveness

of areas

identified for

biodiversity

conservation

and the

supply of

ecosystem

services.

Undertake effective control of

biological invasions by preventing

new invasions and managing

existing invaded areas as per the

Invasive Alien Species Strategy.

- Prioritised site surveys

- CRP site data

(Buffelsdraai)

- FISC site data

- WfE site data

Nr. of, and nature of responses to, identified emergent species

per year

The rate of emergent species per

year, and the REB’s response to it. Amount of budget (finances) secured from Municipal Treasury,

allocated to IAS control, factored against levels of invasions on all

managed sites, in a financial year

The realistic IAP control

capabilities of the branch

Amount of cleared invaded areas per year as a % of invaded

areas on managed sites Success of REB’s clearance strategy

Rate of invasion vs rate of clearance/control.

Undertake fire management of

prioritised land parcels every

financial year.

- VCA data.

-Prioritised site surveys

- Historical burn data

Change in veld condition (grass condition, fuel potential, erosion,

veld states, and woody and -grass densities) over time with

adapted fire application

The condition of grasslands under

IAP invasions, woodification and

urbanization pressures.

Rates of woody encroachment. Densification pressure under CO2

increase

Strive to restore habitat types for

which targets are not likely to be

met due to high levels of

transformation.

Data on this is collected

through the all the

programmes: invasive

clearing, fire

management, CRP

Amount of managed sites as a % all D’MOSS sites, per habitat type

The realistic management of

habitats with the resources

available in a municipality.

The integration of biodiversity,

social accountability, and

economic development will be

promoted through supporting

"green economy" projects and

programmes.

Job creation, training

and small business

development KPIs as

recorded in each of the

programmes:

CRP, WfE, FISC

In each programme:

- Amount of jobs created

- Amount of training given

- Small businesses developed, supported and/or mentored

-Amount of awareness raising material/events

The integration of biodiversity,

social accountability, and

economic development

Way forward and learnings

• Combining the ‘strategy monitoring’ and the larger framework

• Aligning the indicators to existing global indicators: Biodiversity

Indicators Partnership, Convention of the Biological Diversity,

NBSAP, GEOBON Essential Biodiversity Variables and SANBI’s NBAs and monitoring

• For it to be embedded capacity (data manager) has to be

developed in the EPCPD

• Identifying the requirements for database infrastructure and

capacity

• More capacity – budget, expert support, personnel, partnerships.

How to find the path of least resistance

• TD processes take time - be realistic