Box 21.1 Co-ordinating Alien Plant Control Across Jurisdictions: Three
examples from Biosphere Reserves in South Africa
Implementing effective alien plant control projects is difficult enough on
individual protected areas or farms, but the complexity increases exponentially
when an invasion occurs across multiple land parcels, owned or managed
by different individuals or organisations, each with different purposes and
levels of capacity. For the management of invasive alien plants to be effective,
collaboration across different land parcels is needed. Biosphere reserves are a
good model for how this can be achieved. Biosphere reserves are areas of
terrestrial and coastal ecosystems that are internationally recognised within the
framework of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO’s) Man and Biosphere programme. Biosphere Reserves
have core, buffer and transition zones that cater for strict conservation, limited
sound ecological use, and ecologically-friendly development respectively.
South Africa has eight Biosphere Reserves, and within some of these there
have been attempts to co-ordinate alien plant control projects. An examination
of three of these Biosphere Reserves (table below) reveals some common
features:
• It is essential to have a dedicated and committed co-ordinator to provide
direction and continuity;
• The disbursement of funds across multiple organisations increases the
levels of bureaucracy, significantly slowing progress;
• There are no examples of comprehensive control plans that cover entire
biosphere reserves, although there are attempts to foster collaboration;
• The funds required to address the problem over large areas are typically
inadequate;
• The relative importance of different species differs according to land use,
resulting in differences in priority across the area being managed; and
• Private landowners are obliged in terms of law to control invasive alien
species, but the capacity to enforce the regulations is inadequate.
• The bulk of the funding comes from the government’s Working for Water
(WfW) programme.
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B. W. van Wilgen et al.
examples from Biosphere Reserves in South Africa
Implementing effective alien plant control projects is difficult enough on
individual protected areas or farms, but the complexity increases exponentially
when an invasion occurs across multiple land parcels, owned or managed
by different individuals or organisations, each with different purposes and
levels of capacity. For the management of invasive alien plants to be effective,
collaboration across different land parcels is needed. Biosphere reserves are a
good model for how this can be achieved. Biosphere reserves are areas of
terrestrial and coastal ecosystems that are internationally recognised within the
framework of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO’s) Man and Biosphere programme. Biosphere Reserves
have core, buffer and transition zones that cater for strict conservation, limited
sound ecological use, and ecologically-friendly development respectively.
South Africa has eight Biosphere Reserves, and within some of these there
have been attempts to co-ordinate alien plant control projects. An examination
of three of these Biosphere Reserves (table below) reveals some common
features:
• It is essential to have a dedicated and committed co-ordinator to provide
direction and continuity;
• The disbursement of funds across multiple organisations increases the
levels of bureaucracy, significantly slowing progress;
• There are no examples of comprehensive control plans that cover entire
biosphere reserves, although there are attempts to foster collaboration;
• The funds required to address the problem over large areas are typically
inadequate;
• The relative importance of different species differs according to land use,
resulting in differences in priority across the area being managed; and
• Private landowners are obliged in terms of law to control invasive alien
species, but the capacity to enforce the regulations is inadequate.
• The bulk of the funding comes from the government’s Working for Water
(WfW) programme.
604
B. W. van Wilgen et al.