Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality

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Four different feeding classes are distinguished: Bulk or non- to low-selective grazers, generally large animals that sustain on coarse grasses with a high content in fibre; concentrate or highly selective grazers, generally small animals, which select for certain plant species that are high in nutritive value; mixed feeders that utilise grass as well as browse; and browsers that predominantly feed on leaves, fruit, flowers and other woody plant components. Species composition will influence interspecies interaction such as competition for food resources. Interaction can also be positive, such as facilitated feeding behaviour, where due to its feeding behaviour a species modify the environment or resource, making it more suitable to other feeders that can subsequently utilise the habitat. For instance elephants Loxodonta africana destroy tall trees when feeding, but this action stimulate coppicing of damaged trees, effectively lowering the tree height. Also buffalo Syncerus caffer with its preference for tall grasses reduce the effective height due to grazing action and trampling, making it more suitable to species such as blue wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus that exhibit preference for shorter grass species. Blue wildebeest will subsequently be followed by other species such as impala Aepyceros melampus melampus that exhibit preference for a short grassland habitat. High animal species diversity, as influenced by the plant species composition, makes a system more resilient and viable. All these different factors need consideration when managing for wildlife. However, management decisions will be directly influenced by Marloth Park’s visions and objectives. Specific goals set for Marloth Park are to ensure ecosystem viability, despite urban development; stocking animals for optimum game viewing, not to generate income from live sales and hunting, but the experience of viewing animal interaction in their natural environment. The advantage of implementing an ecological management plan is the indirect financial benefit derived from harvesting of excess animals for live sales. However, sporadic hunting or harvesting to correct sex ratios and age imbalances may also be required. The following are guidelines on game management decisions and actions on Marloth Park. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study are to: • Determine appropriate stocking rates for Marloth Park • To consider the implications of development on stocking rates • Recommend alternative stocking options © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 59
STOCKING RATES Current stocking The current stocking rate based on the latest game counts conducted during September 2005 and the grazing and browsing capacities calculated for Marloth Park are analysed using the ECOCAP 6 programme. This programme calculates the percentage contribution of Graze and Browse Animal Units based on the potential of Marloth Park to support animal stocking rates, without deterioration of the environment. The Graze and Browse Animal Units are based on the percentage of graze, browse and forbs in their diet as well as metabolic energy requirements of the different animal species. Three different scenarios are analysed; the first is based on the assumption that the whole of Marloth Park, excluding the current development footprint and actual road surfaces, is suitable for utilisation (Table 9). In this scenario only 38.15 percent of the ecological grazing capacity is being utilised, but 208.80 percent of the ecological browse capacity. Even though the giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis are not considered to be competing for the natural resources, as they can feed up to a maximum browse height of 5.5 m, the ecological browse capacity will still be exceeded by 25.44 percent. The recommended ratio of 1:1 between the low selectivity grazers and the remaining grazers is also skewed, with common impala Aepyceros melampus melampus being the dominating contributor at 95.95 percent of the ecological capacity. In the second scenario the current building footprints, actual road surfaces and landscaped gardens are subtracted from the available area (Table 10). Although the ratio of low selectivity grazers and other remaining grazers are still skewed, stocking rate is well below the ecological grazing capacity. However, the ecological browsing capacity, excluding the requirements of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, is now exceeded by 54.07 percent; with impala Aepyceros melampus melampus still being the dominating contributor. In the third scenario only the parkland and current road reserves are available for utilisation (Table 11). Although the ratio of low selectivity grazers and other remaining grazers are still skewed, the stocking rate is approaching the ecological grazing capacity. However, the ecological browse capacity, excluding the requirements of giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis, is exceeded by 195.29 percent of the ecological browsing capacity. 6 ECOCAP. Ecological Capacity computer database for the determination of stocking rates © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 60
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Ecological Associates Environmental
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THE ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE BROWSE
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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location
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LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: A li
Page 9 and 10:
Three different scenarios are analy
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Ecosystems disturbed by clearing op
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INTRODUCTION Although only a few ve
Page 15 and 16: Figure 1: Location of the Marloth P
Page 17 and 18: GEOMORPHOLOGY Looking down from the
Page 19 and 20: Figure 4: Geology of the Marloth Pa
Page 21 and 22: Tonalitic granite and gneiss A sect
Page 23 and 24: Figure 6: Soil depth of the Marloth
Page 25 and 26: Figure 7: Land Types of the Marloth
Page 27 and 28: Figure 8: Land use in the Marloth P
Page 29 and 30: A 610.1 B 104.0 C 7.4 D 19.9 E 39.8
Page 31 and 32: INTRODUCTION VEGETATION CLASSIFICAT
Page 33 and 34: METHOD For an initial and broad sca
Page 35 and 36: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Analysis and
Page 37 and 38: The dominant grass species are broa
Page 39 and 40: The characteristic tree species are
Page 41 and 42: VELD CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND THE C
Page 43 and 44: Degradation gradients are models th
Page 45 and 46: The nearest grass species to each s
Page 47 and 48: Calculation of grazing capacity The
Page 49 and 50: Table 2: Contribution of ecological
Page 51 and 52: Table 3: Grazing capacities for the
Page 53 and 54: THE ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE BROWSE
Page 55 and 56: X Y D1 Y Dimensional measurements:
Page 57 and 58: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The browsing
Page 59 and 60: Table 6: Browsing capacities for th
Page 61 and 62: INTRODUCTION ESTIMATION OF HERBACEO
Page 63 and 64: The resulting Large Stock Units are
Page 65: INTRODUCTION GAME MANAGEMENT ON MAR
Page 69 and 70: Table 10: The current stocking dens
Page 71 and 72: Recommendations on stocking rates C
Page 73 and 74: High selectivity grazers Blue wilde
Page 75 and 76: Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus Ogil
Page 77 and 78: Space requirements: Kudu have range
Page 79 and 80: Recommendation: The range requireme
Page 81 and 82: Food preference: Steenbok utilise A
Page 83 and 84: Table 12: The potential stocking de
Page 85 and 86: Table 14: The potential stocking de
Page 87 and 88: Table 15: The recommended stocking
Page 89 and 90: The proteins may be less available
Page 91 and 92: When urea is incorporated into a ph
Page 93 and 94: Recommended intake for game is 150
Page 95 and 96: Ticks The main parasite of concern
Page 97 and 98: Figure 12: Sketch of Cyphostemma /C
Page 99 and 100: NOXIOUS AND INVASIVE WEEDS An invas
Page 101 and 102: Management plans need to be reviewe
Page 103 and 104: Ricinus communis, Solanum sisymbrii
Page 105 and 106: Although soil treatment with chemic
Page 107 and 108: Planning errors must be expected, a
Page 109 and 110: To further reduce grazing pressure
Page 111 and 112: Lightning induced fires can also ca
Page 113 and 114: TIME OF BURNING Least damage is cau
Page 115 and 116: A low intensity fire will be achiev
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Recommendations for Marloth Park Ma
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Surface erosion will reduce water i
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Several different types of waterhol
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Stones Ground level Reinforced conc
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For safety reasons these requiremen
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Adaptive management Applying adapti
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Figure 15: Location of the monitori
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Appendix 1 (Continue) A list of tre
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Appendix 2 (Continue) A list of gra
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Appendix 3 (Continue) A list of for
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Appendix 3 (Continue) A list of for
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Appendix 4: Alien invaders found on
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Appendix 5: Frequency occurrence of
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Appendix 6: Photographs of each veg
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Appendix 6: Photographs of each veg
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Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality

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