Invasive Alien Species Monitoring, Control and Eradication Plans for SANRAL properties, firebreaks and road reserves

Location:
Properties stretching from Nature’s Valley to west of Heidelberg (Western Cape), and road reserves in and around Gqeberha (Eastern Cape).

Year:
2024 – 2025

Summary:

Apex has completed three Invasive Alien Species Assessment projects for SANRAL properties, firebreaks and road reserves in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape. Apex was subcontracted by Q&A Consulting, Masututsa Consulting, and Lathiso Consulting Engineers, on SANRAL’s behalf, to undertake these projects.

Each of the projects had wide ranging extents and many sites to assess. On each site the IAS were identified and relevant information recorded, such as density, age class, treatment method determination, efficiency of previous control efforts, habitat type and condition. The extent of the SANRAL properties and road reserves included:

• Project 1: 261 properties and nine fire breaks spanning from Nature’s Valley to Groot Brakrivier in the Western Cape, representing 640 ha.
• Project 2: 30 properties and two firebreaks spanning from Groot Brakrivier to west of Heidelberg in the Western Cape, representing 35 hectares.
• Project 3: 463 sites in the road reserves aligned to sections of the N2, R75, and R335, in and around Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, representing 1110 ha.

The field assessment and compilation of the invasive alien species monitoring, control and eradication plans (IASMC&EPs) were undertaken in compliance with relevant legislation, including:

• The National Environmental Management Act (107 of 1998)
• National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (10 of 2004)
• National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (10/2004): Alien and Invasive Species Regulations (No. R 1020 of 2020)
• The Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (43 of 1983)
• The National Veld and Forest Fire Act (101 of 1998)

The project spatial areas were defined through the development of management units which clustered sites together to allow for a systematic control and eradication approach. Guidelines were provided in the IASMC&EP for different methods of IAS control, and relevant control methods and control objectives for each species were identified. The plan also provided guiding principles to ensure the effective and sustainable implementation of IAS control measures, and to ensure that environmental impacts are avoided or reduced.

These IASMC&EPs quantify the estimated workload and the required budget to implement the identified actions. These plans also provide work schedules which indicate when initial and follow up control and eradication treatments are required and set out comprehensive monitoring programmes indicating the type, frequency and responsibility of the identified monitoring requirements of each of the properties.

The IASMC&EPs provide a well-structured, practical and timelined approach to ensure that SANRAL’s properties are compliant with national legislation and that sustainable results are reached when implementing the IAS control programme.