Jane Turpie

Economic value of terrestrial and marine biodiversity in the Cape Floristic Region: implications for defining effective and socially optimal conservation strategies

Abstract The rich biodiversity of the Cape Floristic Region makes a substantial contribution to the regional (particularly the Western Cape) and national economy. Harvesting of marine resources, such as linefish, rock lobster, abalone and bait species, is worth over R1300 million year −1 , or R1.12 million km −1 year −1 . Harvests of fynbos products such as wildflowers and thatching reed, and forest products, timber and ferns, are worth R27 and R26 ha −1 year −1 on average, respectively, and a total of R78 million year −1 . Natural resource-based tourism is one of the greatest income generators in the region, which is renowned for its beauty and floral diversity as well as other nature pursuits such as whale watching and angling. The natural resources of the CFR also contribute indirectly to the regions economic output: fynbos bees contribute to commercial fruit production, and fynbos mountain catchments provide the regions main water supply. Less tangible values include the option, or future use, value of the regions rich biodiversity, and existence value, for which estimates have been made on the basis of contingent valuation studies. The total economic value of the CFR is estimated to be at least R10 000 million per year (US

The existence value of biodiversity in South Africa: how interest, experience, knowledge, income and perceived level of threat influence local willingness to pay

1=R7 in 2000), equivalent to over 10% of the regional Gross Geographic Product. However, invasion of aliens, transformation of natural vegetation and overexploitation of resources threaten the sustainability of this value. Invasive alien plants, which are the greatest proximate threat to floral diversity, already intercept significant water supplies. However, clearing is costly, and while government has an incentive to clear publicly owned mountain catchment areas, private land-owners do not. Similarly, private benefits of conserving fynbos areas do not provide sufficient incentive to protect against transformation to more lucrative farming activities, including monoculture of indigenous species. Current values of marine resources are unlikely to be upheld due to the overexploited status of most stocks, a problem which is compounded by poorly defined property rights, open access and inadequate law enforcement. It will be necessary to provide incentives to private landowners and resource users if optimal levels of protection are to be achieved to maximise benefits to society.

The Value of Avitourism for Conservation and Job Creation— An Analysis from South Africa

Abstract South Africa is rich in biological diversity, but measures to conserve this heritage are under-funded and are of relatively low priority at national level. Part of the problem is that the social value of biodiversity is unknown, and thus the potential impact of a loss of biodiversity on social wellbeing is not recognised. Some of these threats, particularly climate change, are predicted to have major impacts on biodiversity within the next 50 years. This study investigates the public interest, experience and knowledge of biodiversity and uses contingent valuation methods to estimate its existence value, with emphasis on the internationally significant fynbos biome in the Western Cape. More than half of respondents classified themselves as actively or passionately interested in nature, and a high proportion had recently visited major nature reserves. Interest was correlated with knowledge, and both were positively correlated with willingness to pay (WTP) for biodiversity conservation, though WTP was constrained by income level. WTP for conservation was relatively high (

Potential impact of viticulture expansion on habitat types in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa

3.3 million per year for fynbos,

Implications of co-management for benefits from natural resources for rural households in north-western Zimbabwe

58 million for national biodiversity), and comparable with government conservation budgets. WTP increased dramatically (to up to

SPECIAL SECTION: LAND USE OPTIONS IN DRY TROPICAL WOODLAND ECOSYSTEMS IN ZIMBABWE: Implications of co-management for benefits from natural resources for rural households in north-western Zimbabwe

15 million and

The impact of climate change on net revenue and food adequacy of subsistence farming households in South Africa

263 million per year, respectively) when respondents were faced with the predicted impacts of climate change on biodiversity. The latter is probably a better estimate of the full existence value of biodiversity, since respondents were faced with absolute losses rather than, say, the reduction in species diversity.

FORAGING BEHAVIOUR OF CRAB PLOVERS DROMAS ARDEOLA AT MIDA CREEK, KENYA

Tourism directed at bird watching (avitourism) has become increasingly popular. In many lower and middle-income countries, including South Africa, avitourism is being applied in an effort to simultaneously achieve community development and biodiversity conservation. This paper presents the results of an exploratory investigation of 11 community-based avitourism projects in South Africa. Conservation benefits were measured with the Threat Reduction Assessment tool. We calculated the Gamma (G) correlation coefficient to explore the relationship between conservation and income benefits and project characteristics. The projects were successful at reducing threats to sites where conservation was an explicit objective (n=11, G=0.609, P=0.03). The level of income benefits did not correlate with success in reducing threats to conservation. Once involved in avitourism projects, the average monthly income earned by local bird guides increased from USD 114 to USD 362. The extent of income benefits was positively related to the extent of support to projects (n=10, G=0.714, P=0.01). Participants in the projects reported substantive capacity building and empowerment benefits. Success in delivering conservation, income and empowerment benefits was challenged by the local guides limited previous exposure to tourism and business, the guides lack of self assurance, cultural differences, and a requirement for sustained mentorship and support to overcome these barriers. We conclude that with adequate long-term support, avitourism projects can be a cost-effective way to create jobs and deliver conservation and human development benefits.

Climate change and South Africa’s commercial farms: an assessment of impacts on specialised horticulture, crop, livestock and mixed farming systems

The wine industry in the Western Cape, South Africa has expanded over the past decade, particularly since the lifting of trade sanctions in 1992. Wine grapes are cultivated on fertile soils upon which threatened biodiversity habitat units of the Cape Floristic Region occur naturally. There is a concern as to whether further expansion of the wine industry, which would benefit the economy through increased foreign exchange, would encroach on the little remaining vegetation in vineyard-producing areas. Predictive land use modeling using logistic regression techniques was applied to determine suitable areas for vineyard cultivation according to climatic, topographic, and soil/geology variables. Of the most threatened habitats, 14 849 hectares are particularly suitable for vineyards. Breede fynbos/renosterveld mosaic was the habitat most likely to be converted, and was considered 89.3% irreplaceable to current conservation goals. Also vulnerable are Ashton inland renosterveld and Boland coast renosterveld, the latter being 100% irreplaceable. Although the high rate in vine replanting suggests that the need for untransformed land will not be great immediately, an economic analysis showed that protection of these areas against future ploughing will be vital if targets of adequately representing each habitat in the Cape Floristic Region are to be met. Land use change modeling, especially if done in a spatially explicit and integrated manner with expert input, was shown to be an important technique for the extrapolation of historical patterns to understand the forces that shape landscapes, allowing for the assessment of management alternatives, and testing our understanding of key processes in land use changes that effect conservation planning.

Greening Africa’s Cities : enhancing the relationship between urbanization, environmental assets and ecosystem services

Abstract Addressing issues of resource management in sub-Saharan Africa has prompted the consideration of joint management policies that incorporate the needs of several stakeholder groups. This study examines the short and long-term use of natural resources in north-western Zimbabwe in a complex ecological–economic setting using a simulation model. Land and resource ownership in the model is divided between communal lands, which are managed by local inhabitants, and State Forest, which is managed by the Forestry Commission. Three different resource users rely on the stock of resources that the woodlands and grasslands (dambos) produce: the Zimbabwe Forestry Commission, communal land residents and illegal occupants of the State Forest. Net benefits to each of the three user groups are estimated under four different management scenarios, two of which advocate for the expulsion of illegal forest dwellers from the State Forest, and two of which involve a degree of joint management of the State Forest by the Forestry Commission and inhabitants neighbouring the forest. If the status quo is maintained, or if access by local people to the forest is severely limited, forest quality will decline due to the impacts of increased fires (which are limited when livestock are in abundance). Eviction of the forest dwellers results in a serious loss of benefits for that stakeholder group, but does not result in a significant increase of benefits for other stakeholder groups. The economic impacts of the different management scenarios are not very different because of the low values of the forest resources. Compared to the status quo, co-management provides for slightly greater net benefits, but the transaction costs associated with the establishment of co-management may be too high to justify this option.