1. Mike Powell Rhodes Restoration Research Group mpowell@ru.ac.za Ecological Restoration Capital Pty (Ltd) Nollen Group South Africa mike@nollengroup.com Kirstenbosch November 11 2010 Preventing thicket degradation through, monitoring, advocacy and compliance How serious is this Climate Action Partnership?

2. Pristine subtropical thicket 112 distinct subtropical thicket types : Vlok et al. (2003) 30% endemism in plants % endemism in invertebrates? CAP Talk Oct 2009

3. Degraded Subtropical thicket “Overgrazed” – Aucamp 1979, Acocks 1988 “Neglected and abused” – Hoffman & Everard 1987 “desertification” – Kerley et al. 1995, Kerley 1996, “national tragedy” – Aucamp 1979 “unsustainable land-use practices” Kerley et al., 1999 CAP Talk Oct 2009

4. Restoration Rationale Pastoralism – R75-150/ha/year gross - Kirkman (2006) Establish Carbon baselines Restore Capture C Mainstream restoration CAP Talk Oct 2009

5. STEP Corridors and remaining pristine thicket Data from: Lloyd et al. 2002 and Lombard et al. 2002.

6. URGENT NEED FOR REDD Or new policy Or compliance monitoring CAP Talk Oct 2009

7. Carbon Farm No 1 – Somerset East

8. Data source : unknown ~ 18% of GHG comes from land-use change

9. The case of Alexandria Forest Data from: Lloyd et al. 2002 and Lombard et al. 2002.

10. The case of Alexandria Forest Data from: Mucina & Rutherford 2006. 94.3% remaining? Least threatened? Berriman 2010. The effect of herbivory on survivorship and growth rate of subtropical thicket species following restoration plantings.

11. “The full restoration of degraded subtropical thicket is going to require considerable financial and institutional resources, as well as a significantly long time line (with no guarantee of full ecosystem recovery). Society cannot allow the continued mining of natural capital through overstocking of livestock. The relevant authorities urgently need to start monitoring and controlling the unsustainable harvesting of agricultural resources in order to make land users accountable for their actions.” Forests and Woodlands Symposium PE 2006 The case of Gamtoos Valley Thicket

12. Forests and Woodlands Symposium PE 2006 The case of Gamtoos Valley Thicket Data from: Lloyd et al. 2002 and Lombard et al. 2002.

13. The case of Gamtoos Valley Thicket October 2010

14. The case of Gamtoos Valley Thicket Directions: To remove carbon just add water What Ecological Reserve Determination?

15. The case of Kowie Valley Thicket Carbon credits from bulldozing thicket to plant pineapples?

16. The case of non-valley thickets read sheep, goats and over-stocked game farms Carbon leakage Minimum farm size issues Natural Capital speculators Domestic herbivore feeding patterns

17. Fair trade : natural capital for a mohair scarf? EP Herald October 21 October 2010 General: Businessman gets precedent- setting sentence for destroying bushveld: “A businessman has received a precedent- setting two-year suspended prison sentence and fines totalling R300 000 for ‘causing irreparable damage to the environment ” The case of non-valley thickets read sheep, goats and over-stocked game farms

18. “Providence meant to spoil our farmers in placing the spekboom on the hills of the Karroo” – anonymous in Palmer & Pitman pg 111, (1961). Intergenerational Equity and Natural Capital “If you don’t like what I am doing on my farm why don’t you buy it from me” Howard Elliot 2010: failed pineapple farmer

19. Natural capital and inter-generational equity Replace this with oranges? Irrigate them with water we don’t have…. Send them to China with the end of oil in sight…. Climate Crime????

20. THMs Moratorium on further habitat transforming Paradigm shift: Intergenerational equity is inviolate (Dis-my-plaas syndrome has to go) Agric Sector (e.g. Mohair) demonstrate sustainability (farm by farm analysis) Challenge water rights and land-use decisions SA Annual Soil Conservation Talkshop You cant trust humans : make rules

21. Suggestions Reduce emissions = reduce emissions Habitat intact>restoration (1ha = ~ 600 + CO 2 e) Cons NGOs need unity and tackle thorny issues Capacitate the Green Scorpions Monitor thicket farm by farm (RS and impimpis) Employ economic leverage (EU, carbon footprint) Spatially explicit stewardship plans (conectivity)

22. Suggestions VCS REDD VCS Spekboom restoration Bundling = carbon equity

23. Thicket Monitoring Group (TMG) Information Collation Networking Thicket Action Group (TAG) Advocacy Awareness Litigation Rhodes. Department of Environmental Science Research Capacity Building Networking Suggestions

24. Thank you Only economists and madmen believe in unlimited growth Blignaut undated (and he stole it from some other guy)