Ecosystem Guidelines for Environmental Assessment

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SCEPS those characterised by mosaic thicket types. Vegetation boundaries associated with mosaic vegetation units often contain locally adapted endemic species. Spatially fixed components of ecological processes include: - Soil (edaphic) interfaces, - Upland-lowland interfaces, - Sand movement corridors, or - Riverine corridors. SPATIALLY FLEXIBLE COMPONENTS OF ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES Spatially flexible components of ecological processes capture ecological processes that can persist in various spatial configurations, such as the migration of plants and animals along upland-lowland gradients where the precise migration route is not well defined. In such cases, several spatial options could exist, especially where there are still large tracts of substantially intact habitat. Spatially flexible components of ecological processes include: - Upland-lowland gradients, and - Macro-climatic gradients (east-west and north-south) between upland and lowland areas. In general, the less natural habitat there is across a landscape, the fewer options exist for meeting the spatial requirements of flexible ecological processes. The functions of spatial components of ecological processes can be summarised as: SPATIAL COMPONENT ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION SOIL INTERFACES Drive ecological plant diversification FLEXIBLE FIXED ENTIRE SAND MOVEMENT CORRIDORS WHOLE RIVERINE CORRIDORS UPLAND-LOWLAND INTERFACES UPLAND-LOWLAND GRADIENTS MACRO-CLIMATIC GRADIENTS Promote plant species diversification Facilitate animal movement and plant dispersal across inland-coastal gradient Ecological diversification of plant and animal lineages; support seasonal migration Support seasonal movement of animals and local-scale adjustment of plant species distribution to climate change Important for diversification of animal and plant lineages, dispersal events, species distribution adjustment in response to climate change 82 : SPATIAL COMPONENTS OF ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
SCEPS 4 Which spatial components of ecological processes have been mapped For reasons of scale and prioritisation of regional conservation actions, not all spatial components of ecological processes are mapped in biodiversity plans. In general, only those large-scale ecological processes deemed to be important for achieving biodiversity targets at the broad, biome level have been mapped; numerous ecological corridors or vegetation boundaries that represent more localised but equally important processes at the scale of landscapes and catchments have not been mapped in most biodiversity plans. Spatial components of ecological processes have been mapped as follows: The C.A.P.E. plan mapped selected fixed processes, e.g. edaphic interfaces, sand movement corridors and riverine corridors. Flexible processes, such as upland-lowland gradients and macro-climatic gradients, were mapped by finding the most efficient routes or paths for these gradients through intact natural habitat. The STEP Conservation Priority Map captures fixed processes as "Process areas" and flexible processes as "Conservation paths" that provide the core areas for the proposed Mega-conservancy Network. The SKEP project mapped a separate layer of fixed processes, which includes quartz and gravel patches, sand movement corridors, and soil interfaces. Flexible processes are shown as arrows representing upland-lowland gradients and climatic gradients. The Cape Lowlands Renosterveld Plan mapped a number of ecological processes at 1:50 000 scale, namely soil type transitions, river corridors, upland-lowland gradients, upland-lowland transitions (interfaces) and coast-interior gradients. 5 Table 4 (see overleaf) summarises the fixed processes recognised by the CAPE and STEP projects and provides some examples of their location. The majority of spatial components of ecological processes can be mapped either as an ecological corridor, or as a boundary between two ecosystems or vegetation types. We suggest that for the purposes of environmental assessment, it may be more useful to think in terms of "ecological corridors and vegetation boundaries" rather than "spatial components of ecological processes", which can be difficult to conceptualise. Spatial components of ecological processes are surrogates for depicting ecological processes such as pollination. The conservation of important ecological corridors and vegetation boundaries At landscape level, environmental assessment practitioners, biodiversity specialists and spatial planners need to: BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA Refer to existing systematic biodiversity plans in order to determine which important fixed or flexible ecological processes have been identified and mapped in the affected area. Where these areas have been mapped, it is essential to ensure that sufficient habitat is set aside and/or managed to support those ecological processes for which each spatial component was identified. SPATIAL COMPONENTS OF ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES : 83
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ECOSYSTEM GUIDELINES FOR ENVIRONMEN
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CHARL DE VILLIERS (EDITOR) Conserva
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CONTENTS 7 : 8 : 10 : 14 : 22 : 24
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“Environmental Assessment provide
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PREFACE Charl de Villiers These gui
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INTRODUCTION Susie Brownlie Purpose
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The drafting process, which was co-
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INCLUDING BIODIVERSITY CONSIDERATIO
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UNEP's voluntary guidelines on biod
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Breede River valley: CAPE and SKEP
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STEP 4: WHEN SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS AR
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A NOTE ON FIRE All fynbos types req
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COASTAL ESTUARIES COASTAL ECOSYSTEM
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COASTAL non-linear manner over wide
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COASTAL SANDY BEACHES & DUNE SYSTEM
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COASTAL What are the “bottom line
Page 34 and 35: COASTAL INCORPORATING WEST AND SOUT
Page 36 and 37: COASTAL Strandveld is also increasi
Page 38 and 39: What are the critical things to mai
Page 40 and 41: LOWLAND FYNBOS INCORPORATING SAND F
Page 42 and 43: LOWLAND FYNBOS Veld clearance for r
Page 44 and 45: NICK HELME LOWLAND FYNBOS Leipoldtv
Page 46 and 47: MIDLAND & MOUNTAIN INCORPORATING AL
Page 48 and 49: MIDLAND & MOUNTAIN Altered fire reg
Page 50 and 51: MIDLAND & MOUNTAIN What are the cri
Page 52 and 53: MIDLAND & MOUNTAIN will move in fro
Page 54 and 55: RENOSTERVELD INCORPORATING COAST &
Page 56 and 57: RENOSTERVELD Urban expansion is a p
Page 58 and 59: RENOSTERVELD What, if any, reliable
Page 60 and 61: SUCCULENT KAROO INCORPORATING VYGIE
Page 62 and 63: SUCCULENT KAROO Quarrying for grani
Page 64 and 65: MAINLAND THICKET INCORPORATING THIC
Page 66 and 67: MAINLAND THICKET appear to recover
Page 68 and 69: MAINLAND THICKET What are the criti
Page 70 and 71: FRESHWATER FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS: W
Page 72 and 73: FRESHWATER What are the key issues,
Page 74 and 75: FRESHWATER exotic garden escapees i
Page 76 and 77: FRESHWATER INCORPORATING MINOR DRAI
Page 78 and 79: FRESHWATER Introduction to the syst
Page 80 and 81: SCEPS SPATIAL COMPONENTS OF ECOLOGI
Page 82 and 83: JAN VLOK SCEPS Quartz patches can s
Page 86 and 87: TABLE 4: EXAMPLES OF SPATIAL COMPON
Page 88 and 89: SCEPS ecosystems (e.g. Granite Fynb
Page 90 and 91: REFERENCES & RESOURCES There is a w
Page 92 and 93: APPENDIX 1 SOUTH AFRICAN VEGETATION
Page 94 and 95: APPENDIX 2 RECOMMENDED TERMS OF REF
Page 96: SALDANHA CAPE TOWN VANRHYNSDORP CER
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Ecosystem Guidelines for Environmental Assessment

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