Browsing by Author "Holness, Stephen"
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- ItemAdvancing coastal cross-realm integration for planning and assessment(NMU; Stellenbosch University; SANBI; DEA; Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife; CSIR, 2018-06-20) Harris, Linda; Bessinger, Mariel; Holness, Stephen; Kirkman, Stephen; Livingstone, Tamsyn; Amanda, Lombard; Luck-Vogel, Melanie; van Niekerk, LaraThe coast is one of South Africa’s most valuable national assets but has been poorly included in biodiversity plans because the realm has been split into its “land” and “sea” components. Even if planners intended to include the coast meaningfully, this has been impossible because the terrestrial and marine ecosystem type maps don’t align along the shore. Thus, a key step in progressing cross-realm integration for both planning and assessment is to generate a fine-scale coastal ecosystem-type map that is seamless among realms. We explicitly avoided controversial boundaries, rather choosing the most stable boundaries available that divide the ecotone into ecologically meaningful zones. We defined and mapped (at <1:3000) the “seashore” as the land-sea interface between the dune scrub/thicket break and the back of the surf zone. The seashore is divided at the dune base into a landward “backshore” (which replaces the seashore vegetation type) and seaward “shore”. Given the dynamic nature of the coast, temporal aspects were included in the boundary delineation and ecosystem type classification, where appropriate. The estuary delineation from the National Biodiversity Assessment 2018 was also embedded in the map. South Africa is now the first country with a wall-to-wall ecosystem type map for its territory and Exclusive Economic Zone.
- ItemBridging the research–implementation gap: Mainstreaming biodiversity into the South African mining sector(2018-05-30) Holness, Stephen; Stephens, Anthea; Ginsburg, Aimee; Botts, Emily; Wickens, Patti; Lutsch, Wilma; Mohasoa, Peter; Mudau, Stephinah
- ItemData needs for high-level biodiversity indicators: Is there a gap?(SANBI, 2017-08-13) Holness, Stephen
- ItemA detailed, field-based assessment: the wetlands methodology(SANBI, 2013-05-10)
- ItemDetermining wetland offset targets(SANBI, 2014-05-15)
- ItemEcologically or Biologicaly Significant Areas (EBSAs) in South Africa: Linking scientific information with marine planning and management(2018-06-20) Kirkman, Stephen; Holness, Stephen; Harris, LindaEcologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) are areas of the oceans that have special ecological or biological importance. South Africa currently has 14 EBSAs that have been endorsed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Assisted by the “Marine Spatial Management and Governance” project, which is implemented through the Benguela Current Convention, South Africa is in the process of determining gaps in its EBSA network, identifying new potential EBSAs and refining existing EBSA boundaries, based on up-to-date information and a systematic conservation planning approach. Further work will include undertaking status assessments of EBSAs and translating scientific information into recommended management protocols. Ultimately, the aims are to fully embed EBSAs into a robust, spatially explicit, Marine Spatial Planning process; and to secure tangible and improved management outputs for these key biodiversity assets. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are but one of the options available to secure appropriate management of EBSAs. In South Africa, focussed portions of most of the existing EBSAs were gazetted as proposed MPAs in terms of the Phakisa Initiative. EBSAs therefore potentially provide a means of identifying further key areas for South Africa’s MPA network, in line with the National Protected Areas Expansion Strategy and addressing CBD targets for protection.
- ItemEcosystem guidelines for environmental assessment in the Western Cape(The Fynbos Forum, 2016) de Villiers, Charl; Holmes, Patricia; Helme, Nick; Brown, Doug-Euston; Clark, Barry; Milton, Sue; Dean, Richard; Brownlie, Susie; Snaddon, Kate; Day, Liz; Ollis, Dean; Job, Nancy; Dorse, Clifford; Wood, Julia; Harrison, James; Palmer, Guy; Cadman, Mandy; Maree, Kerry; Holness, Stephen; Ralston, Sam
- ItemEcosystem Guidelines for environmental assessment in the Western Cape-2nd_Ed(Fynbos Forum, Cape Town, 2016) de Villiers, Charl; Holmes, Patricia; Rebelo, Tony; Helme, Nick; Brown, Doug-Euston; Clark, Barry; Milton, Sue; Dean, W. Richard; Brownlie, Susie; Snaddon, Kate; Day, Liz; Ollis, Dean; Job, Nancy; Dorse, Clifford; Wood, Julia; Harrison, James ; Palmer, Guy ; Cadman, Mandy; Maree, Kerry; Manuel, Jeffrey; Holness, Stephen; Ralston, Sam; Amanda , Driver
- ItemIndicators of change and changing the indicators: the National Biodiversity Monitoring Framework(2017-06-21) Holness, StephenThe South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is mandated to monitor and report on the status of biodiversity in South Africa. SANBI meets part of this mandate through the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA), which reports on the status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystems on a 5-7 year cycle. The NBA focusses specifically on high-level indicators such as threat status and protection level for species and ecosystems. SANBI is developing a biodiversity monitoring framework with the aim of linking the high-level biodiversity monitoring in the NBA with the wide range of biodiversity-related monitoring and reporting processes that exist nationally and internationally. The overall objective is to comprehensively address national-scale biodiversity monitoring and clarify the potential roles and responsibilities of the various partners and contributors. SANBI and the Department of Environmental Affairs have started the process by seeking alignment of the biodiversity indicators used in national and international reporting processes linked to the NBA, South Africa’s Environmental Outlook (SAEO), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (including the Aichi targets), the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This top-down approach will be balanced by a bottom-up survey of current and historical biodiversity monitoring programmes and projects; with the aim of identifying gaps in the biodiversity monitoring network. In 2018, a second phase of the project will focus on a plan to address the gaps.
- ItemIterative mapping of marine ecosystems for spatial status assessment, prioritization, and decision support(2023-03-31) Harris, Linda R.; Karenyi, Natasha; Porter, Sean; Kirkman, Stephen; Pfaff, Maya; van Niekerk, Lara; Atkinson, Lara J.; Bernard, Anthony; Cawthra, Hayley; de Wet, Willem; Filander, Zoleka; Green, Andrew; Herbert, David; Holness, Stephen; Lamberth, Stephen; Livingstone, Tamsyn; Lück-Vogel, Melanie; Mackay, Fiona; Makwela, Mapula; Palmer, Ryan; van Zyl, Wilhem
- ItemKey Ingredients, Challenges and Lessons from Biodiversity Mainstreaming in South Africa: People, Products, Process(OECD Publishing, 2016-04-29) Botts, Emily; Holness, Stephen; Nel, Jeanne
- ItemThe Kruger National Park buffer zone: Planning from the outside in(2018-06-21) van der Merwe, Wehncke; Coetzee, Marisa; Holness, StephenKruger National Park (KNP) spans two provinces, four district municipalities and nine local municipalities, and borders two different countries. In its current extent it is nestled within a vast landscape, meaning it has an extremely complex ‘buffer zone’. In this broader landscape the land use and land tenure systems are extremely varied. These systems all impact on the ability to ensure effective management of the KNP. Through the review of their Management Plan (2018), KNP has emphasised an innovative focus on integration of park management processes with that of key partners and entities in its buffer zone. The process highlighted a number of areas of interest on which the Park will engage with key entities over the next ten years. These include land use, catchment management, safety and security, and socio-economic development. The Global Environmental Facility Protected Area Programme has supported the development of a spatial prioritisation tool for the buffer to identify priority areas from a biodiversity, climate change, ecological infrastructure and socio-economic perspective. The information generated was used, amongst others, to kick-start the development of an ‘intelligent’ land-use buffer for the Park, which has been used to inform and collaborate more strongly on, and with, reactive and pro-active land use planning tools and mechanisms. This presentation will give an overview of the land use work engaged on in the buffer of the Park until this point and will highlight how the spatial prioritisation tool was used to inform this.
- ItemMainstreaming biodiversity priorities: A practical guide on how to integrate spatial biodiversity products into national policy, planning and decision-making(South African National Biodiversity Institute, 2022) Botts, Emily; Holness, Stephen; Mapendembe, Abisha; Cunningham, Cleo; Child, Matthew
- ItemMaking the case for Protected Areas in Limpopo(ECOSOL GIS, LEDET, 2014-05-15) Desmet, Phillip; Cloete, Julia; Mphapuli, Dzivhu; Skowno, Andrew; Holness, Stephen
- ItemMapping biodiversity priorities: A practical approach to spatial biodiversity assessment and prioritisation to inform national policy, planning, decisions and action(2024) Botts, Emily; Driver, Amanda; Holness, Stephen; Arnell, Andy; Bezeng, Simeon; Dayaram, Anisha; Desmet, Philip; Grantham, Hedley; Ling, Matthew; Monyeki, Maphale; Pence, Genevieve; Poole, Carol; Raimondo, Domitilla; Skowno, Andrew; Sink, Kerry; Tayleur, John; von Staden, Lize; Valderrábano, Marcos
- ItemMapping biodiversity priorities: A practical, science-based approach to national biodiversity assessment and prioritisation to inform strategy and action planning(2016) Botts, Emily; Driver, Amanda; Holness, Stephen; Ling, Matthew; Arnell, Andy; Tayleur, John
- ItemMapping Biodiversity Priorities: A practical, science-based approach to national biodiversity assessment and prioritisation(SANBI, 2016-06-07) Botts, Emily; Holness, Stephen; Ling, Matthew; Arnell, Andy; Tayleur, John
- ItemMapping ecological infrastructure for the greater uMngeni Catchment(2013-05-08) Holness, Stephen; Skowno, Andrew; Corcoran, Brent
- ItemMapping ecological infrastructure in the Mzimvubu catchment(2014-05-14) Holness, Stephen