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Limpopo West Mine – Biodiversity and Impact AssessmentThe disturbed nature of the site;The inconspicuous nature of the species; or simplyLack / low level of species presence andLimited sample size due to extent of the area and financial constraints.Specific limitations applicable to the LWM were due to the large size of the study area andthe controlled access to the various farms. Specifically:The overall LWM study area is approximately 12 000 ha. Although the team isconfident that the biodiversity of the area has been recorded accurately, there isalways the possibility that some entities may have been omitted due to the size ofthe study area.Although some farms are already owned by Sasol and site access to these farmswas uncomplicated, access too many of the farms required formal priorarrangement, and even then sometimes caused delays or restrictions.6.3. Wetland Assessment6.3.1. Desktop SurveyPrior to any field investigations being undertaken, the area was surveyed at a desktop levelusing SID images of the LWM study area, Google Earth TM imagery and 1:50 000topographical maps as reference material to determine the layout of potential wetlands onthe site.6.3.2. Wetland ClassificationWetlands can be classified according to different classification methods, based on thehydrological functioning, fauna and / or flora composition or diversity, soils or a combinationof these features. The classification method used mostly depends on the purpose forclassification, for example botanical purposes, ornithological purposes etc. An ecologicalclassification is based in the interaction of different biotic and abiotic features within a systemand will therefore use the functioning of the entire system as the fundamental part of theclassification (Ward & Lambie 1999, Allan et al. 1995). The most popular wetlandclassification method used in South Africa is the classification of wetlands into hydrogeomorphicunits developed by Kotze et al. (2008) in WET-EcoServices. This classificationsystem is based on a Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) method, i.e. rather than being biologicallybased, the system focuses on the HGM determinants of wetlands and incorporatesgeomorphology; water movement into, through and out of the wetland; and the landscape /topographic setting. The hydro-geomorphic types include floodplain, valley bottom withchannel, valley bottom without channel, hillslope seepage feeding a water course, hillslopeseepage not feeding a water course and depressions (pans) as illustrated and described inTable 6-3. The system excludes artificial wetlands from the classification.50
Limpopo West Mine – Biodiversity and Impact AssessmentTable 6-3 Characteristic wetland hydro-geomorphic types supporting inlandwetlands in South AfricaHYDRO-GEOMORPHIC WETLAND TYPESFloodplainValley bottom with a channelValley bottom areas with a well-defined streamchannel, gently sloped and characterised by floodplainfeatures such as oxbow depressions and naturallevees and the alluvial (by water) transport anddeposition of sediment, usually leading to a netaccumulation of sediment. Water inputs occur from themain channel (when the channel banks overspill) andfrom adjacent slopes.Valley bottom areas with a well-defined streamchannel but lacking the characteristic floodplainfeatures. May be gently sloped characterised by thenet accumulation of alluvial deposits, or may havesteeper slopes and be characterised by the net loss ofsediment. Water inputs occur from the main channel(when channel banks overspill) and from adjacentslopes.WATER SOURCETO MAINTAINWETLANDSurface ***Subsurface*Surface ***Subsurface*/***Valley bottom without a channel Surface ***Valley bottom areas with no clearly defined streamchannel, usually gently sloped and characterised byalluvial sediment deposition, generally leading to a netaccumulation of sediment. Water inputs occur mainlyfrom the channel entering the wetland and also fromadjacent slopes.Subsurface*/***Hillslope seepage linked to a stream channel Surface *Slopes of hillsides which are characterised by colluvial(transport by gravity) movement of materials. Waterinputs are mainly from sub-surface flow and outflow isusually via a well-defined stream channel connectingthe area directly to a stream channel.Subsurface***Isolated hillslope seepage Slopes of hillsides which are characterised by thecolluvial (transported by gravity) movement ofmaterials. Water inputs mainly from sub-surface flowand outflow either very limited or through a diffuse subsurfaceand/or surface flow, but no direct surface waterflow connection to a stream channel.Depression (includes pans) A basin-shaped area with a closed elevation contourthat allows for the accumulation of surface water (i.e. itis inward draining). It may also receive sub-surfacewater. An outlet is usually absent, and therefore thistype is usually isolated from the stream channelnetwork.Key: * = Contribution usually small; *** = Contribution usually important;*/*** Contribution may be small or important depending on circumstancesSource: Kotze et al. (2008)Surface *Subsurface***Surface */***Subsurface*/***6.3.3. Assessment of Present Ecological State (PES)The Riparian Vegetation Response Assessment Index (VEGRAI) model was used in thisstudy to assess the PES (Present Ecological State) of wetlands in the LWM study area. TheVEGRAI developed by Kleynhans et al. (2007) is designed for qualitative assessment of theresponse of riparian vegetation to impacts in a way that qualitative ratings translate into51
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12.1. Floral AppendicesLimpopo West
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