engagement, and tolerance) depending on their real or perceived benefits and their
potential to generate negative impacts. Such approaches need to be implemented to
ensure that all relevant ecological and socio-economic dimensions influencing
invasive species management are addressed. Communication, education and use of
citizen science platforms should also be used to highlight and document the danger
of invasive species. Alternative, less harmful species could be proposed and
substituted for conflict or desirable invasive species.
Many urban centres around the country have recently grown to engulf natural
areas and surround existing conservation areas. Management of the latter (for
biodiversity conservation) may be compromised owing to social preferences for
invasive plants. Therefore, the management of conflict species in conservation areas
in and around urban areas may require different approaches compared to modified
sites in urban areas.
11.4.2 Socio-ecological Challenges
South Africa’s people are becoming increasingly urbanised (Anderson and O’Farrell
2012). The spatial arrangement of many urban centres around South Africa is
racially defined and aligned with significant wealth disparities (Swilling 2010).
Informal settlements (inhabited mostly by poorer communities) and townships
established during the previous century and enforced through apartheid planning,
are mostly located on the outskirts of cities. Major socio-economic challenges
include the provision of education, housing, nutrition and healthcare, and transport
infrastructure (Goodness and Anderson 2013). Pressure to address development
issues of unemployment, poverty, and the formal housing shortfall, all place significant demands on remaining patches of natural habitat, which are highly sought after
for conversion to housing or industrial development (Goodness and Anderson 2013).
Lower income areas such as informal settlements have smaller areas of public
green space (McConnachie and Shackleton 2010). These areas have fewer resources
than more affluent areas and rely heavily on ES provided by the natural resources of
the immediate environment (including those provided by invasive plants). However,
careful evaluation of the demands of the communities is required as there are likely
to be divergent viewpoints and competing objectives. Managing to reduce EDS in
the surrounding areas requires rigorous social assessments to avoid potential conflicts of interest. For example, clearing invasive alien trees close to informal settlements affects the livelihoods of residents who may rely on these species for firewood
or construction material.
The increase in biomass resulting from alien plant invasions close to urban
infrastructure increases the risk of severe fires. Fire management in and around
urban areas is challenging because conflicts often arise due to the need for prescribed
burning to achieve ecological goals, the need to ensure the safety of humans and
infrastructure by reducing fire risk at the urban edge, and the need to maintain
low-stature vegetation to reduce the risk of crime. Public safety becomes the primary
goal and not biodiversity conservation (van Wilgen and Richardson 2012; Kraaij et al.
11 Biological Invasions in South Africa’s Urban Ecosystems
299
potential to generate negative impacts. Such approaches need to be implemented to
ensure that all relevant ecological and socio-economic dimensions influencing
invasive species management are addressed. Communication, education and use of
citizen science platforms should also be used to highlight and document the danger
of invasive species. Alternative, less harmful species could be proposed and
substituted for conflict or desirable invasive species.
Many urban centres around the country have recently grown to engulf natural
areas and surround existing conservation areas. Management of the latter (for
biodiversity conservation) may be compromised owing to social preferences for
invasive plants. Therefore, the management of conflict species in conservation areas
in and around urban areas may require different approaches compared to modified
sites in urban areas.
11.4.2 Socio-ecological Challenges
South Africa’s people are becoming increasingly urbanised (Anderson and O’Farrell
2012). The spatial arrangement of many urban centres around South Africa is
racially defined and aligned with significant wealth disparities (Swilling 2010).
Informal settlements (inhabited mostly by poorer communities) and townships
established during the previous century and enforced through apartheid planning,
are mostly located on the outskirts of cities. Major socio-economic challenges
include the provision of education, housing, nutrition and healthcare, and transport
infrastructure (Goodness and Anderson 2013). Pressure to address development
issues of unemployment, poverty, and the formal housing shortfall, all place significant demands on remaining patches of natural habitat, which are highly sought after
for conversion to housing or industrial development (Goodness and Anderson 2013).
Lower income areas such as informal settlements have smaller areas of public
green space (McConnachie and Shackleton 2010). These areas have fewer resources
than more affluent areas and rely heavily on ES provided by the natural resources of
the immediate environment (including those provided by invasive plants). However,
careful evaluation of the demands of the communities is required as there are likely
to be divergent viewpoints and competing objectives. Managing to reduce EDS in
the surrounding areas requires rigorous social assessments to avoid potential conflicts of interest. For example, clearing invasive alien trees close to informal settlements affects the livelihoods of residents who may rely on these species for firewood
or construction material.
The increase in biomass resulting from alien plant invasions close to urban
infrastructure increases the risk of severe fires. Fire management in and around
urban areas is challenging because conflicts often arise due to the need for prescribed
burning to achieve ecological goals, the need to ensure the safety of humans and
infrastructure by reducing fire risk at the urban edge, and the need to maintain
low-stature vegetation to reduce the risk of crime. Public safety becomes the primary
goal and not biodiversity conservation (van Wilgen and Richardson 2012; Kraaij et al.
11 Biological Invasions in South Africa’s Urban Ecosystems
299