Page 46 - UGU Dstrct Mun IDP Report '21-22

towards Kokstad. Transformation has significantly impacted in the extent of remaining natural habitat, particularly along the coast and in higher lying inland regions High levels of transformation in the study area have contributed to five vegetation types being classified as critically endangered and a further three vegetation types of the study area while 24% of vegetation types are vulnerable, while only 17% are classified as least threatened.
A national process has also been undertaken to identify and list threatened ecosystems. Threatened Ecosystems are those ecosystems (in this case defined as a vegetation type) that are currently under threat of being transformed by other land uses. The first national list of threatened terrestrial ecosystems for South Africa was gazetted on 9 December 2011 (National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act: National list of ecosystems that are threatened and in need of protection, G 34809, GoN 1002, 9 December 2011). The Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004) provides for listing of threatened or protected ecosystems, in one of four categories: critically endangered (CR), endangered (EN), vulnerable (VU) or protected.
Table 3.2.3.1: KZN Vegetation Type
KZN Vegetation Name
Historical Area (Ha)
Extent (%) of DM
Extent Remaining (Ha)
% lost within DM
Critically Endangered
177 755
35.5%
67 310
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland
124 673
24.9%
45 294
63.7%
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Forests: Southern Mesic Coastal Lowlands Forest
4 467
0.9%
3 830
14.3%
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Forests: Southern Moist Coastal Lowlands Forest
1 882
0.4%
1 646
12.5%
KwaZulu-Natal Dune Forests: East Coast Dune Forest
286
0.1%
192
32.9%
KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld
9 202
1.8%
2 375
74.2%
Pondoland - Ugu Sandstone Coastal Sourveld
37 245
7.4%
13 973
62.5%
Endangered
115 459
23.0%
450 81
Eastern Mistbelt Forests
3 005
0.6%
2 353
21.7%
Midlands Mistbelt Grassland
32 948
6.6%
5 494
83.3%
Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland
79 506
15.9%
37 234
53.2%
Vulnerable
122 010
24.4%
83 019
Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland
4 869
1.0%
4 003
17.8%
Dry Coast Hinterland Grassland
63 896
12.8%
38 935
39.1%
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Thornveld
53 245
10.6%
40 081
24.7%
Least Threatened
85 828
17.1%
77 847
Eastern Scarp Forests: Southern Coastal Scarp Forest
3 110
0.6%
2 952
5.1%
Eastern Valley Bushveld
65 870
13.1%
59 629
9.5%
KwaZulu-Natal Highland Thornveld
11 152
2.2%
9 764
12.4%
KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld
474
0.1%
466
1.7%
Pondoland Scarp Forests
4 888
1.0%
4 712
3.6%
Subtropical Seashore Vegetation
334
0.1%
324
3.0%
Total
501 052
100.0%
273 257
45.5%
Source: Draft EMF, 2013
44 UGU DISCTRICT MUNICIPALITY