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Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation Plan Handbook - bgis-sanbi

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CHAPTER 5 - PROTECTED AREA ASSESSMENT<br />

WHO IS THIS ASSESSMENT FOR?<br />

The specific aim of this assessment is to provide insight for MTPA decision makers into how well their current PA network is<br />

meeting biodiversity objectives. The assessment is intended to be of value to all current and potential PA owners and managers,<br />

and their local stakeholders. In a wider context it is relevant to all members of the public who have an interest in the future of<br />

biodiversity, protected areas and tourism in <strong>Mpumalanga</strong>.<br />

METHODS<br />

The PA assessment methodology is similar to that of the analysis of biodiversity priority areas (Chapter 4). It is based on the same<br />

terrestrial database of 340 biodiversity features and their targets. The same 118 ha hexagonal planning units are also used but<br />

this time they extend right through all PAs, partitioning the entire Province into planning units regardless of the location of<br />

protected areas. The conservation planning software C-<strong>Plan</strong> (Pressey, 1999) was used to conduct the irreplaceability analysis.<br />

C-<strong>Plan</strong> (which is slightly simpler than Marxan) was used because all that is required is for it to quantify the irreplaceability of<br />

each planning unit throughout the Province, based on its contribution to the targets of the 340 biodiversity features. C-<strong>Plan</strong> was<br />

also used because it is able to process a larger number of planning units than Marxan.<br />

Once irreplaceability was calculated for each planning unit and an irreplaceability map produced (Figure 5.2a), a map of the<br />

extended PA network was overlaid (Figure 5.2 b,c,d). The Province’s 12 PA types were sorted into three groups based on their<br />

legal protection status (taken as a proxy for resource allocation). Group 1 PAs, as listed in Table 5.2, are areas managed by the<br />

MTPA or SANParks. Group 2 PAs are privately owned and managed for biodiversity, but are not necessarily proclaimed in the<br />

legislation. Group 3 PAs are more informally managed areas with diverse and uncertain futures.<br />

TABLE 5.2 Summary of the numbers and types of PAs in <strong>Mpumalanga</strong> and the percentage<br />

of the total PA network contained within each category. The size of Kruger NP dominates the Province’s<br />

PAs and has a substantial influence on our analysis. As a result, the data are shown both with and<br />

without Kruger NP included in the PA network.<br />

GROUP TYPE OF PA ABBR. NUMBER AREA (HA) % OF PA % MINUS<br />

Group 1 National Park NP 2 968 643 50.0 5.2<br />

Provincial Nature Reserve PNR 25 178 298 9.1 17.4<br />

MTPA Flora Reserve MTPA FR 5 95

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