Page 36 - State of Biodiversity Report 2022/2023

Table 5: Historical and Current Areas for EM Vegetation Types.
Vegetation Types
Historical Area (ha)
Area Remaining (ha)
Target
Target (ha)
Percent Remaining (%)
Shortfall (ha)
Coastal forest and grassland mosaic
20 690
1698
0.72
14 833
8
-13 135
Dune forest
2 039
591
0.69
1 411
29
-820
Eastern scarp forest above 450
1 692
2940
0.62
1 042
174
1898
Eastern scarp forest below 450
3 872
9250
0.62
2 386
239
6 864
Eastern valley bushveld
76 340
40294
0.25
19 085
53
21 209
Grassland other geology above 450
6 569
1538
0.25
1 642
23
-104
Grassland other geology below 450
48 020
1123
0.25
12 005
2
-10882
KZNSS above 450
35 730
6807
0.25
8 933
19
-2126
KZNSS below 450
37 220
3227
0.25
9 305
9
-6 078
Mangroves
492
81
1
492
17
-411
Sub-tropical dune thicket
199
200
1
193
101
7
Sub-tropical seashore vegetation
17
17
1
16
97
1
Swamp forest
55
28
1
55
51
-27
Footnote: The change in area remaining for some vegetation types from the 2021/2022 State of Biodiversity Report could be a result of vegetation reclassification.
4.5.1. Invasive Alien Species (IAS)
Invasive alien species are plants, animals, pathogens, and other organisms that are not indigenous to an ecosystem, and which are capable of spreading naturally (often rapidly) into natural or semi-natural habitats. They can cause economic or environmental harm or can adversely affect human health. In particular, they impact adversely upon biodiversity, causing the decline or elimination of indigenous species through competition, predation or transmission of pathogens, and the disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions.
4.5.1.1. An Audit of the eThekwini Parks and Nurseries
An audit was performed on all EM parks as well as various nurseries within the EMA to determine the number of National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEM: BA, Act 10 of 2004) listed species present. These park and nursery audits have been performed from 2005 with the only exception in 2020 due to the National Covid Lockdown. Table 6 shows listed species present in nurseries between 2012 and 2022, Dashes indicate that the nursery was not operating in a given financial year or years when no audits were conducted. Counts reflect species assessed on nursery grounds. Table 7 shows Listed IAPs Commonly Observed across Nurseries from 2013 to 2022.
34 STATE OF BIODIVERSITY REPORT 2022/2023