New report reveals Sperrgebiet secrets

CLIMATE change is a threat to all types of vegetation found in Namibia’s prime biodiversity hotspot – the Sperrgebiet area – as the Succulent Karoo plant kingdom is expected to be severely affected.

Declining populations of key species such as the stem-succulent aloe dichotoma are a convincing indication of these impacts, says environmental consultant Antje Burke. Burke recently did a study on the biodiversity in the Sperrgebiet and how it can be managed, as momentum is gathering to investigate options for sustainable land uses other than mining in this envisaged new multi-use national park.A report on her findings, entitled ‘The Sperrgebiet – Managing It’s Biodiversity’, was recently launched by Environment and Tourism Minister Willem Konjore at the southern village of Aus.Burke highlighted another serious concern as the impact of illegal plant collecting.These activities, she said, targeted the rarest and hence most vulnerable species, which are usually found in the biodiversity hotspots in the Sperrgebiet.”Entire populations of Lithops and probably other sought-after species such as Conophytum and Crassula have already been removed by unscrupulous collectors where they are accessible,” says the 100-page report.FALL-OUT FACTOR It notes that although prospecting does not necessarily result in the development of new mines, the extensive nature of prospecting activities could nevertheless affect large areas by developing networks of access roads, tracks and drill lines.”Strict adherence to environment guidelines can, however, largely mitigate these impacts,” Burke advised.Burke identified 56 vegetation types in the Sperrgebiet and several vegetation types are of conservation importance.Burke found that many of the plant species are restricted to small areas and include most of the vegetation types on the Inselbergs, in mountain areas along the coast.Areas of high conservation importance that cover less than one per cent of the surface of the area are considered the most vulnerable.These, says the report, include the Aurus Mountains, Boegoeberg, Chamnaub, the Kowis Mountains, Rooiberg, Tsaukhaib, the Skorpion, Inselbergs, the Orange River valley and floodplain as well as the Luederitz peninsula.Last year, the Namibian Government proclaimed the Sperrgebiet as a National Park.The Sperrgebiet, which means “a forbidden area”, is located in the southern Namib Desert, lying along the Atlantic Ocean from Oranjemund and the Orange River north, to about 72 km north to Luederitz, encompassing an area approximately 97 km wide and 322 km long.ALIEN-FREE Namibia’s largest portion of the Succulent Karoo biome falls in the Sperrgebiet, an area that has not been accessible to the public for almost 100 years because of the highest level of security to protect Namibia’s diamond resources.Burke’s study also found that the majority of the Sperrgebiet was characterised by vegetation types free of invasive alien species.”This is an extremely important aspect which augments the conservation value of the vegetation in this area,” said the report.The Intruders-Kowisberge, Klinghardt mountains, Aurus-Heioab mountains, Skorpion, Abib-Schakalsber, Grillental and Baker’s Bay to Pomona area were found to be areas of greatest of plant endemism.One crucial pillar of developing sustainable land uses was good information on natural resources on which to base the planning.Burke’s work includes field surveys, literature reviews, analysis of accessible data and interactions with other specialists.The publication was supported by the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (Skep) of Namibia and South Africa.In Namibia, Skep is hosted by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF).Funding came from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).Skep is part of a global initiative in support of conservation and sustainable development in biodiversity hotspots around the world.In this initiative, the hotspot is the Succulent Karoo, which spans western parts of South Africa and southern Namibia.In Namibia, the programme is co-ordinated by NNF, which in 2004 was contracted by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to administer US$1 million Namibia received from CEPF, for a timeframe of up to December 2007 for Namibia’s Skep component.These funds were given to Namibia for the Sperrgebiet from CEPF’s US$ 8 million earmarked for the conservation of the Succulent Karoo Biome in Namibia and South Africa.CEPF is a joint initiative involving different donor partners: the Global Environment Facility, the government of Japan, the McArthur Foundation and the World Bank.Each region has its priority area and Namibia took the Sperrgebiet as its priority spot.The larger part of the Skep programme is co-ordinated in Cape Town by Conservation International (CI).Namibia’s Succulent Karoo Ecosystem covers the Sperrgebiet up to Luederitz in the north and extends east beyond the Sperrgebiet boundary to the Fish River Canyon area.Skep Namibia, amongst others, is aimed at improving knowledge on the biodiversity and Succulent Karoo ecosystem in critical areas for conservation management and to link improved livelihoods and improved natural resources management in the Succulent Karoo.Copies of the report are available at the NNF offices in Windhoek and those who need some can contact Kauna Schroder or Jonas Nghishidi at (061) 24 8345.Burke recently did a study on the biodiversity in the Sperrgebiet and how it can be managed, as momentum is gathering to investigate options for sustainable land uses other than mining in this envisaged new multi-use national park.A report on her findings, entitled ‘The Sperrgebiet – Managing It’s Biodiversity’, was recently launched by Environment and Tourism Minister Willem Konjore at the southern village of Aus. Burke highlighted another serious concern as the impact of illegal plant collecting.These activities, she said, targeted the rarest and hence most vulnerable species, which are usually found in the biodiversity hotspots in the Sperrgebiet.”Entire populations of Lithops and probably other sought-after species such as Conophytum and Crassula have already been removed by unscrupulous collectors where they are accessible,” says the 100-page report.FALL-OUT FACTOR It notes that although prospecting does not necessarily result in the development of new mines, the extensive nature of prospecting activities could nevertheless affect large areas by developing networks of access roads, tracks and drill lines.”Strict adherence to environment guidelines can, however, largely mitigate these impacts,” Burke advised.Burke identified 56 vegetation types in the Sperrgebiet and several vegetation types are of conservation importance.Burke found that many of the plant species are restricted to small areas and include most of the vegetation types on the Inselbergs, in mountain areas along the coast.Areas of high conservation importance that cover less than one per cent of the surface of the area are considered the most vulnerable.These, says the report, include the Aurus Mountains, Boegoeberg, Chamnaub, the Kowis Mountains, Rooiberg, Tsaukhaib, the Skorpion, Inselbergs, the Orange River valley and floodplain as well as the Luederitz peninsula.Last year, the Namibian Government proclaimed the Sperrgebiet as a National Park.The Sperrgebiet, which means “a forbidden area”, is located in the southern Namib Desert, lying along the Atlantic Ocean from Oranjemund and the Orange River north, to about 72 km north to Luederitz, encompassing an area approximately 97 km wide and 322 km long.ALIEN-FREE Namibia’s largest portion of the Succulent Karoo biome falls in the Sperrgebiet, an area that has not been accessible to the public for almost 100 years because of the highest level of security to protect Namibia’s diamond resources.Burke’s study also found that the majority of the Sperrgebiet was characterised by vegetation types free of invasive alien species.”This is an extremely important aspect which augments the conservation value of the vegetation in this area,” said the report.The Intruders-Kowisberge, Klinghardt mountains, Aurus-Heioab mountains, Skorpion, Abib-Schakalsber, Grillental and Baker’s Bay to Pomona area were found to be areas of greatest of plant endemism.One crucial pillar of developing sustainable land uses was good information on natural resources on which to base the planning.Burke’s work includes field surveys, literature reviews, analysis of accessible data and interactions with other specialists.The publication was supported by the Succulent Karoo Ecosystem Programme (Skep) of Namibia and South Africa.In Namibia, Skep is hosted by the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF).Funding came from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).Skep is part of a global initiative in support of conservation and sustainable development in biodiversity hotspots around the world.In this initiative, the hotspot is the Succulent Karoo, which spans western parts of South Africa and southern Namibia.In Namibia, the programme is co-ordinated by NNF, which in 2004 was contracted by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to administer US$1 million Namibia received from CEPF, for a timeframe of up to December 2007 for Namibia’s Skep component.These funds were given to Namibia for the Sperrgebiet from CEPF’s US$ 8 million earmarked for the conservation of the Succulent Karoo Biome in Namibia and South Africa.CEPF is a joint initiative involving different donor partners: the Global Environment Facility, the government of Japan, the McArthur Foundation and the World Bank.Each region has its priority area and Namibia took the Sperrgebiet as its priority spot.The larger part of the Skep programme is co-ordinated in Cape Town by Conservation International (CI).Namibia’s Succulent Karoo Ecosystem covers the Sperrgebiet up to Luederitz in the north and extends east beyond the Sperrgebiet boundary to the Fish River Canyon area.Skep Namibia, amongst others, is aimed at improving knowledge on the biodiversity and Succulent Karoo ecosystem in critical areas for conservation management and to link improved livelihoods and improved natural resources management in the Succulent Karoo.Copies of the report are available at the NNF offices in Windhoek and those who need some can contact Kauna Schroder or Jonas Nghishidi at (061) 24 8345.