Balancing agricultural and ecological needs : biodiversity, land use and ecosystem services in the Koedoes River Catchment, Limpopo.
Abstract
A major topic in natural science research is land degradation and unwise land use resulting in
biodiversity loss and impact negatively on ecosystem functioning. In addition, an increasing
human population trend leads to food security concerns. Some commercial farmers are ideally
placed on the interface between agricultural and natural systems to investigate these issues. In
this thesis we investigate the quaternary catchment-scale biodiversity, land-use patterns and
interactions between conservation, restoration and agricultural activities in an agriculturally
productive valley. The 40,000ha Koedoes River Catchment in Limpopo Province produces
high numbers of tomatoes, avocados and mangoes. Most of this catchment is managed by
ZZ2, a farming conglomerate that practice an environmentally sensitive approach to
commercial farming. In the first two chapters a fine-scale vegetation map is created for the
catchment, accompanied by detailed descriptions of the eleven mapped vegetation units. Over
a 1300m altitudinal range, three biomes, 49 red-listed plant species, fifteen protected tree
species and more than 500 species of vascular plant are represented in the catchment. In a
subsequent chapter, the catchment-wide land-use patterns were mapped and related to
vegetation patterns. The most expansive vegetation type appears to be one of the most
threatened because large areas have been converted to croplands, while one of the most biodiverse
vegetation units is severely threatened by degradation and invasive plants. Using this
information, in addition to stakeholder feedback regarding the relative supply and demand for
ecosystem services, a map of high priority biodiversity, ecosystem services and agricultural
use areas was created to serve as a strategic management tool for stakeholders and land
managers. In the final chapter the fine-scale effects of land use practices on biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning are investigated. Using invertebrate community data from three
adjacent headwater sub-catchments, invertebrate diversity and downstream biological water
quality (measured by SASS5) was related to upstream land use. Ultimately, this thesis serves
to illustrate some of the complex interactions and inter-dependencies between conservation
and agriculture, and to offer evidence for mutually beneficial synergies between both these
important sectors.
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