Botanical Constraints Analysis for the proposed development of King David Country Club, Matroosfontein, City of Cape Town

Transcription

1 Botanical Constraints Analysis for the proposed development of King David Country Club, Matroosfontein, City of Cape Town Report by Dr David J. McDonald Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC. 14A Thomson Road, Claremont, 7708 Tel: Fax: Report prepared Chand Environmental Consultants February 2016

2 National Legislation and Regulations governing this report This is a specialist report and is compiled in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), as amended, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, Appointment of Specialist David J. McDonald of Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC was appointed by Chand Environmental Consultants to provide specialist botanical consulting services for the constraints analysis for development of King David Country Club, Matroosfontein, City of Cape Town. The consulting services comprise a high-level study of the vegetation to determine botanical and ecological Red Flags and other constraints to guide the planning process for possible development. Details of Specialist Dr David J. McDonald Pr. Sci. Nat. Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC 14A Thomson Road Claremont 7708 Telephone: Mobile: Fax: dave@bergwind.co.za Professional registration: South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions No /06 Expertise Dr David J. McDonald: Qualifications: BSc. Hons. (Botany), MSc (Botany) and PhD (Botany) Botanical ecologist with over 30 years experience in the field of Vegetation Science Founded Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC in 2006 Has conducted over 300 specialist botanical / ecological studies Has published numerous scientific papers and attended numerous conferences both nationally and internationally (details available on request) 2

3 _ Independence The views expressed in the document are the objective, independent views of Dr McDonald and the study was carried out under the aegis of, Bergwind Botanical Surveys and Tours CC. Neither Dr McDonald nor Bergwind Botanical Surveys and Tours CC have any business, personal, financial or other interest in the proposed development apart from fair remuneration for the work performed. Conditions relating to this report The content of this report is based on the author s best scientific and professional knowledge as well as available information. Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC, its staff and appointed associates, reserve the right to modify the report in any way deemed fit should new, relevant or previously unavailable or undisclosed information become known to the author from on-going research or further work in this field, or pertaining to this investigation This report must not be altered or added to without the prior written consent of the author. This also refers to electronic copies of the report which are supplied for the purposes of inclusion as part of other reports, including main reports. Similarly, any recommendations, statements or conclusions drawn from or based on this report must make reference to this report. If these form part of a main report relating to this investigation or report, this report must be included in its entirety as an appendix or separate section to the main report. Curriculum Vitae Appendix 1. 3

4 _ THE INDEPENDENT PERSON WHO COMPILED A SPECIALIST REPORT OR UNDERTOOK A SPECIALIST PROCESS I David Jury McDonald, as the appointed independent specialist hereby declare that I: act/ed as the independent specialist in this application; regard the information contained in this report as it relates to my specialist input/study to be true and correct, and do not have and will not have any financial interest in the undertaking of the activity, other than remuneration for work performed in terms of the NEMA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010 and any specific environmental management Act; have and will not have no vested interest in the proposed activity proceeding; have disclosed, to the applicant, EAP and competent authority, any material information that have or may have the potential to influence the decision of the competent authority or the objectivity of any report, plan or document required in terms of the NEMA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010 and any specific environmental management Act; am fully aware of and meet the responsibilities in terms of NEMA, the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2010 (specifically in terms of regulation 17 of GN No. R. 543) and any specific environmental management Act, and that failure to comply with these requirements may constitute and result in disqualification; have ensured that information containing all relevant facts in respect of the specialist input/study was distributed or made available to interested and affected parties and the public and that participation by interested and affected parties was facilitated in such a manner that all interested and affected parties were provided with a reasonable opportunity to participate and to provide comments on the specialist input/study; have ensured that the comments of all interested and affected parties on the specialist input/study were considered, recorded and submitted to the competent authority in respect of the application; have ensured that the names of all interested and affected parties that participated in terms of the specialist input/study were recorded in the register of interested and affected parties who participated in the public participation process; have provided the competent authority with access to all information at my disposal regarding the application, whether such information is favourable to the applicant or not; and am aware that a false declaration is an offence in terms of regulation 71 of GN No. R Note: The terms of reference must be attached. Signature of the specialist: Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC Name of company: 13 February 2016 Date: 4

5 _ CONTENTS 1. Introduction Scope Terms of Reference Assumptions and Limitations Project Area Locality Topography, Geology, and Soils Climate Evaluation Method The original vegetation of the study area General description Description of the vegetation as currently found in the study area Ecological processes Is the study area restorable to the original or near original natural state? Conservation status and legislation General assessment Conclusions References Appendix 1: Curriculum Vitae

6 _ 1. Introduction 1.1 Scope An investigation is underway to determine opportunities for developing King David Country Club, Matroosfontein, City of Cape Town. The scope of the original study is to determine the constraints and red flags pertaining to the botanical, vegetation and ecological attributes of the King David Country Club. Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC (Dr D.J. McDonald) was commissioned to survey the vegetation and habitat found at King David Country Club (the study area) and to reflect the results in a report that takes into consideration not only the biological / ecological attributes of the site but also takes careful note of the requirements and recommendations of CapeNature (Western Cape Province), City of Cape Town and the Botanical Society of South Africa for proactive assessment of biodiversity of sites where there is a proposed change of land use or potential impact (positive or negative) on natural vegetation. The study follows published guidelines for evaluating potential impacts on the natural vegetation in an area earmarked for some form of development (Brownlie 2005, De Villiers et al. 2005) as well as the guidelines for specialists in the Western Cape Province. The scope of the original brief was extended to determine the impacts of the proposed development on the 1.2 Terms of Reference Constraints analysis: Provide a broad, baseline description of the vegetation of the study area, placing it in a regional context. Provide reference to any sensitive plant species or vegetation identified (the principal objective). Identify any specific botanical or ecological red flags that would either inhibit development or indicate a complete No Go situation within the area studied Basic Assessment Provide an assessment of the anticipated impacts of the proposed development on any vegetation and flora at the King David Country Club. 6

7 Figure 1. Location of the study area, King David Country Club (red dot) east of the Central Business District of Cape Town and near the Cape Town International Airport. 7

8 1.3 Assumptions and Limitations The survey of the vegetation in the study area was undertaken in late October which may be considered to be too late for any spring-flowering plants. However, as discussed below, the environment is highly transformed so this was not a limitation. Access to the study area was straightforward and no other obstacles or limitations were encountered. 2. Project Area 2.1 Locality King David Country Club is located in Matroosfontein off Robert Sobukwe Road (M10). It consist of two properties, Erf Cape Town and Erf 1181 Matroosfontein. The Borcherd s Quarry Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) lies to the east and south and the Golden Arrow bus depot to the west. Industrial areas lie to the north, south and east, with the Cape Town International Airport in the near proximity further to the east (Figure 2). Figure 2. Topographical map of part of the City of Cape Town with King David Country Club, lying west of the Cape Town International Airport. (Base map: 1: Topographic map 3318 DC Bellville, Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information). 8

9 Figure 3. An aerial image (Google Earth ) of King David Country Club (Erf Cape Town; Erf 1181 Matroosfontein) within the red boundary, in relation to other landmarks in the area. 9

10 2.2 Topography, Geology, and Soils The study area has low topographical relief with the highest areas at 40 m above mean sea level (a.m.s.l.) and the lowest around 35 m a.m.s.l. The geology is uniform across the site with the substrate being grey regic sand (Figure 4) of Recent aeolian origin that has been deposited over much older Malmesbury Group shales. Figure 4. A generalised geology and soil map shows that the King David Country Club study area (red boundary) falls within an area (grey shading) of Recent aeolian grey regic sand. Soils are not welldeveloped. 2.3 Climate The study area falls within a Mediterranean-type climate with cool to cold, wet winters and hot, dry, windy summers. In summer desiccating winds blow from the south-east. Coupled with high summer temperatures the result is dry, hot conditions with little to no rain. The predominantly winter rain results from cold fronts and strong north-westerly winds that move from west to east across the southern sub-continent of Africa. 3. Evaluation Method The study area was visited on 27 October 2015 (early summer) in fine weather. The site was traversed in its entirety with the use of a golf-cart to facilitate easy access. A set of 10

11 _ 152 photographs were taken of various aspects of the golf course (study area) but with specific reference to the vegetation found. The photographs were used in the constraints evaluation process. 4. The original vegetation of the study area 4.1 General description Biogeographically the study area falls within the Fynbos Biome (Rutherford & Westfall, 1994; Low & Rebelo, 1996; Mucina & Rutherford, 2006). According to the National Vegetation Map (Mucina, Rutherford & Powrie, 2005) and the description of vegetation types for the Fynbos Biome (Rebelo et al. 2006), two vegetation types would have originally been found in the study area namely Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Cape Flats Dune Strandveld (Figure 5). Cape Flats Sand Fynbos occurs on leached acid sand whereas Cape Flats Dune Strandveld occurs on alkaline sand that is not leached. Cape Flats Sand Fynbos is a shrubland formation compared with Cape Flats Dune Strandveld that is more typically a thicket formation. Figure 5. Portion of the Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland (Mucina et al updated in 2009) superimposed on a Google Earth aerial image indicating the study area (red boundary) that straddles Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Cape Flats Dune Strandveld (originally occurring vegetation). 11

12 4.2 Description of the vegetation as currently found in the study area The vegetation that originally occurred at King David Country Club has mostly been lost by dramatic transformation. Examination of aerial photographs (Figures 3 & 13 ) shows that most of the area now consists of grassed golf fairways and greens separated by lines of trees. The site visit revealed that the tree-lines are mostly tall, well-established Eucalyptus species (gum trees). Eucalyptus spp. generally inhibit growth of other plant species under their canopies by releasing growth-inhibiting compounds. Consequently the vegetation under them consists mostly of exotic grasses and only a few shrubs (Figures 6 & 7). The absence of shrubs under the trees is also no doubt promoted by management practices at the golf course to keep it clear of obstructive vegetation. Figure 6. Area on the north-eastern side of the King David Country Club showing a manicured fairway with line of exotic trees along the boundary. Figure 7. Tall Eucalyptus trees form well-established lines between the golf fairways. 12

13 Apart from the tall Eucalyptus trees, the majority of mid-high trees are also exotic species such as Acacia cyclops (rooikrans), Acacia longifolia (long-leaved wattle), Acacia saligna (Port Jackson Willow), Cestrum laevigatum (inkberry), Myoporum tenuifolium subsp. montanum (manatoka), Phoenix canariensis (Canary palm), Ricinus communis (castor oil plant), Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper tree), Yucca cf. madrensis. These trees are mostly along the edges of the site, particularly along the southern boundary (Figure 8). Exotic grass species dominate the field stratum where the site is not manicured. Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) is particularly invasive (see Figure 8). Figure 8. The area on the southern boundary of the site has a mid-dense to dense growth of mid-high exotic trees with aggressively invasive Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) understorey. Indigenous plant species, mainly shrubs, occur throughout the study area, either as individuals or clusters. The most prominent are species of Searsia (formerly Rhus), notably Searsia glauca, Searsia lucida and to a lesser extent Searsia laevigata. They represent remnants of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld thicket. Only a single patch of natural thicket was found in the southern part of the site as shown in Figure 13. This patch extends from an area formerly of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld into an area believed to be originally Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. However, there is no evidence of any Cape Flats Sand Fynbos now and the remnant consists of species typical of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld. It is therefore concluded that the original boundary between the two vegetation types is not as depicted in Figure 5. From observations at the site it appears that in the past Cape Flats Dune Strandveld extended further north at the location depicted in Figures 9 &

14 Figure 9. A remnant patch of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld thicket; the only fragment of this vegetation type found in the study area. Figure 10. Shrubby Gymnosporia buxifolia (with white flowers) is a species found in Cape Flats Dune Strandveld. A second area that appears on the aerial photographs (Google Earth ) to be a similar patch of natural thicket to that described above was found during ground-truthing to be a collection of exotic species. It gave a similar visual signature as natural thicket on the aerial imagery (Figures 11 & 13). Figure 11. A cluster of exotic mid-high trees that at first appearances was thought to be natural Cape Flats Dune Strandveld thicket. The red arrows indicate manatoka (Myoporum tenuifolium subsp. montanum); the yellow arrow indicates a Canary Palm (Phoenix canariensis); the blue arrow shows Port Jackson Willow (Acacia saligna); the green arrow shows a Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius) and the yellow dot a Eucalyptus cladocalyx tree. 14

15 Some waterbodies are also found on the site but they appear to have been artificially constructed as part of the golf course. In these ponds the dominant plant species is Typha capensis (bulrush) (Figure 12). [The existence of waterbodies was not considered further in the constraints analysis in this report.] Figure 12. An artificial pond with bulrushes (Typha capensis) on the side (left in image). 5. Ecological processes Ecological processes are often subtle and cryptic. They also most often require extensive areas over which to function. Such processes have been severely impaired in the study area since the natural vegetation has mostly been lost and replaced by a different set of habitat conditions, with a consequent change in ecological processes. For the purposes of this study, even though there are numerous birds present and mole-rats active, the ecosystem in the study area is considered to be ecologically dysfunctional since the original plant community and habitat have been negatively transformed with very little resembling their original state. 6. Is the study area restorable to the original or near original natural state? The question central to the botanical / ecological evaluation of this site is whether the study area that formerly harboured Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, but which has now been considerably altered, could ever be restored to a natural or near-natural condition? 15

16 This question does not have a simple answer but since there has been fundamental change of the landscape and loss of the original vegetation including its seedbank, it would require considerable restorative intervention, at great cost, to re-instate natural habitat on the site. The site is currently not botanically or ecologically sensitive therefore there is no indication that attempts to restore the site would be beneficial from a conservation or biodiversity perspective. 7. Conservation status and legislation Both vegetation types that originally occurred in the area of the King David Country Club are listed in the National List of Threatened Ecosystems (Government Gazette, 2011). Cape Flats Sand Fynbos is listed as Critically Endangered A1 & D1 and Cape Flats Dune Strandveld is listed as Endangered D1. However, since there is only a small degraded remnant of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld remaining on the site and no Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, the area makes no contribution to the conservation of either of these two vegetation / ecosystem types. This is recognized in the City of Cape Town Biodiversity Network (BIONET) map (Holmes et al. 2012) (Figure 13) where the closest other natural vegetation is approximately 1 km north-east of the study area and separated from it by industrial buildings. 8. Layouts of Proposed Development Two layout proposals were presented in the preliminary phase but were not informed by the botanical constraints analysis (Figures 14 & 15). They were used as a model or concept proposal on which to base further layout and design proposals. Since the specialist studies were completed (inter alia the botanical constraints analysis) more definite layouts have been compiled and are presented as options A and B (Figures 16 & 17). They differ essentially in the northern area of the site where Option B (Figure B) accommodates residential development as opposed to Option A where there is no allowance for residential development. The impact assessment is based on options A and B. 16

17 Figure 13. A Google Earth aerial image showing the King David Country Club (red boundary) with the degraded remnant of Cape Flats Dune strandveld shaded yellow. The area with the mauve boundary was thought to be natural vegetation but on investigation was found to be a cluster of exotic mid-high trees and shrubs. The orange area represents other natural vegetation and the green area a CBA2 area (a restorable irreplaceable site) in the City of Cape Town BIONET. 17

18 Figure 14. Aerial image of King David Country Club with preliminary concept (Concept 1) overlay for development with only industrial plots. (Image supplied by Planning Partners) 18

19 Figure 15. Aerial image of King David Country Club with preliminary concept (Concept 2) overlay for development with industrial and residential plots. (Image supplied by Planning Partners) 19

20 Figure

21 Figure

22 9. Impact Assessment 9.1 The No Go Scenario If there was to be no development at King David Country Club the vegetation would remain much as it is at present. There has already been considerable transformation and it is unlikely that there would be any improvement or further degradation in the habitat condition. The No Go scenario would thus result in a neutral impact. 9.2 Direct Impacts Direct impacts would be those of the proposed development (either Option A or Option B) on (1) any natural plant communities and undisturbed habitat and (2) associated ecological processes. Given the extreme level of transformation over most of the King David Country Club study area the predicted impact on plant communities is rated as Very Low Negative (Table 1). The transformation has historically had a significant negative impact on ecological processes. However, some ecological processes persist albeit in a much-altered form. Birds in particular use the habitat offered by the open fairways and the densely wooded perimeter areas. These areas are no longer botanically well preserved and the general ecology has changed dramatically. Therefore the impact of the proposed development on ecological processes is conservatively rated as Low Negative (Table 2). 9.3 Mitigation for Direct Impacts Owing to the highly transformed nature of the King David Country Club, the very low botanical sensitivity and absence of any conservation-worthy habitat, no mitigation measures are advocated to compensate for loss of vegetation, flora and habitat in general. It is suggested, however, that the proposed open space areas should be appropriately landscaped and locally indigenous plants used to recreate some quasinatural habitat. 22

23 Table 1. Impact and Significance Loss of natural vegetation CRITERIA WITHOUT MITIGATION WITH MITIGATION Extent Local Local Duration Long-term Long-term Intensity Very Low negative Very Low negative Probability Highly likely Highly likely Confidence High High Significance Very Low negative Very Low negative Cumulative impact Very Low negative Very Low negative Nature of Cumulative impact Degree to which impact can be reversed Degree to which impact may cause irreplaceable loss of resources Degree to which impact can be mitigated There would be negligible loss of any viable natural vegetation therefore there would be no cumulative impact. It would be extremely difficult to successfully reverse the impacts of the historical transformation of habitat Negligible The only mitigation possible would be to use locally indigenous plants in the landscaping of the proposed open spaces. Table 2. Impact and Significance Loss of ecological processes CRITERIA WITHOUT MITIGATION WITH MITIGATION Extent Local Local Duration Long-term Long-term Intensity Low negative Low negative Probability Highly likely Highly likely Confidence High High Significance Low negative Low negative Cumulative impact Low negative Low negative Nature of Cumulative impact Degree to which impact can be reversed Degree to which impact may cause irreplaceable loss of resources Degree to which impact can be mitigated There would be minimal loss of functional ecological processes in the King David Golf Course study area since the habitat is largely transformed, therefore there would be no cumulative impact of loss of ecological processes. Reversal of the impacts of historical transformation on the full suite of ecological processes in the study area would be virtually impossible. Negligible Mitigation for any remaining ecological processes would not be necessary since these processes are already largely compromised. 23

24 10.4 Indirect Impacts Indirect impacts are those that are not a direct result of a given project, often produced away from the project or as a result of a complex impact pathway. Indirect impacts are also known as secondary or tertiary impacts. No indirect impacts of the proposed development of the King David Country Club on plant communities were identified Cumulative Impacts Owing to the highly transformed nature of the receiving environment at King David Country Club, there would be negligible loss of natural plant communities. The loss would principally be of transformed areas within the golf course area. Consequently cumulative impacts would be Low to Very Low Negative on vegetation and ecological processes. 10. General assessment The current condition of the King David Country Club in terms of botanical and ecological attributes is poor. Only one degraded patch of Cape Flats Dune Strandveld (thicket) was found and no Cape Flats Sand Fynbos was encountered. In addition, no plant species of conservation concern (Red List species) were recorded. There is a very low probability that there would ever be any motivation to restore this area to natural habitat and if there ever was it would be costly and timeconsuming. Although there is local activity of some bird species, even within the habitat created by the exotic plant species, the habitat is fragmented and has no connectivity with other areas of natural or semi-natural habitat, being surrounded by industrial or semi-industrial infrastructure. Ubiquitous dune mole-rats (Bathyergus suillus) are active in the sandy soil. The study area is not classified as having any conservation / biodiversity importance in the City of Cape Town BIONET. 24

25 There is no indication, should the site be developed, that there is would be any need to conserve any sensitive natural habitat. However, development would remove the element of the King David Country Club acting as a green lung within the built environment. It is therefore recommended that in the event of development, serious attention should be given to green building principles and landscaping that would mimic natural habitat as far as possible. Assessment of the potential impact of the proposed development indicates that for both options A and B (see Figures 16 & 17) the impact on natural vegetation would be Very Low Negative and on ecological processes, Low Negative. 11. Conclusions The original vegetation found at King David Country Club has been all but lost due to the long-term existence of the golf course and the resultant transformation of the environment. No red flags in terms of species of conservation concern or sensitive vegetation and habitat were identified. Although the area acts as a green lung in an otherwise well-developed built environment, from a botanical perspective it does not offer the opportunity to meaningfully conserve any natural habitat or biodiversity. The result is that there are very low constraints applicable to development of the site for mixed-use as proposed. The impact assessment reflects this in that the proposed development would have Low to Very Low Negative impacts. Consequently the development as proposed, where the whole site except for four open space areas, would be developed is supported from a botanical perspective. 12. References Brownlie, S Guideline for involving biodiversity specialists in EIA processes: Edition 1. CSIR Report No. ENV-S-C C. Provincial Government of the Western Cape: Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. De Villiers, C.C. Driver, A. Clark, B. Euston-Brown, D.I.W. Day, E.G. Job, N. Helme, N.A. Holmes, P. M. Brownlie, S. and Rebelo, A. G Fynbos Forum Ecosystem 25

26 Guidelines for Environmental Assessment in the Western Cape. Fynbos Forum, Cape Town 94pp. Government Gazette No Threatened Terrestrial Ecosystems in South Africa. Holmes, P., Stipinovitch, A. & Purves, A City of Cape Town Biodiversity Network: Methods and Results Technical Report (C-Plan & Marxan Analysis). City of Cape Town Municipality Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning Directorate Environmental Resource Management Department. Low, A.B. & Rebelo, A.G (eds.) Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland: A companion to the Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria. Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C., & Powrie, L.W. (Eds.) Vegetation map of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland 1: scale sheet maps. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. ISBN Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C (eds.)the Vegetation of South Africa. Lesotho & Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Rebelo, A.G., Boucher, C., Helme, N., Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C Fynbos Biome. In: Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C. (eds.) The Vegetation of South Africa. Lesotho & Swaziland. Strelitzia 19. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Rutherford, M.C & Westfall, R.H Biomes of southern Africa and objective categorization, edn. 2. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Afr. No. 63: Report submitted: Constraints analysis, 27 November 2015; impact assessment, 13 February

27 Appendix 1: Curriculum Vitae Name of Firm: Dr David Jury McDonald Pr.Sci.Nat. Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC. (Independent consultant) Work and Home Address: 14 A Thomson Road, Claremont, 7708 Tel: (021) Mobile: Fax: dave@bergwind.co.za Website: Profession: Date of Birth: 7 August 1956 Botanist / Vegetation Ecologist / Consultant / Tour Guide Employment history: 19 years with National Botanical Institute (now SA National Biodiversity Institute) as researcher in vegetation ecology. Five years as Deputy Director / Director Botanical & Communication Programmes of the Botanical Society of South Africa Ten years as private independent Botanical Specialist consultant (Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC) Nationality: South African (ID No ) Languages: English (home language) speak, read and write Afrikaans speak, read and write Membership in Professional Societies: South Africa Association of Botanists International Association for Impact Assessment (SA) South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (Ecological Science, Registration No /06) Field Guides Association of Southern Africa Key Qualifications : Qualified with a M. Sc. (1983) in Botany and a PhD in Botany (Vegetation Ecology) (1995) at the University of Cape Town. Research in Cape fynbos ecosystems and more specifically mountain ecosystems. From 1995 to 2000 managed the Vegetation Map of South Africa Project (National Botanical Institute) Conducted botanical survey work for AfriDev Consultants for the Mohale and Katse Dam projects in Lesotho from 1995 to A large component of this work was the analysis of data collected by teams of botanists. 27

28 Director: Botanical & Communication Programmes of the Botanical Society of South Africa ( ), responsible for communications and publications; involved with conservation advocacy particularly with respect to impacts of development on centres of plant endemism. Further tasks involved the day-to-day management of a large non-profit environmental organisation. Independent botanical consultant (2005 to present) over 300 projects have been completed related to environmental impact assessments in the Western, Southern and Northern Cape, Karoo and Lesotho. A list of reports (or selected reports for scrutiny) is available on request. Higher Education Degrees obtained and major subjects passed: B.Sc. (1977), University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg Botany III Entomology II (Third year course) B.Sc. Hons. (1978) University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg Botany (Ecology /Physiology) M.Sc - (Botany), University of Cape Town, Thesis title: 'The vegetation of Swartboschkloof, Jonkershoek, Cape Province'. PhD (Botany), University of Cape Town, Thesis title: 'Phytogeography endemism and diversity of the fynbos of the southern Langeberg'. Certificate of Tourism: Guiding (Culture: Local) Level : 4 Code: TGC7 (Registered Tour Guide: WC 2969). Employment Record : January 2006 present: Independent specialist botanical consultant and tour guide in own company: Bergwind Botanical Surveys & Tours CC August : Deputy Director, later Director Botanical & Communication Programmes, Botanical Society of South Africa January 1981 July 2000 : Research Scientist (Vegetation Ecology) at National Botanical Institute January 1979 Dec 1980 : National Military Service Further information is available on website: 28