Working for Water A decade in Biocontrol Implementation. Debbie Sharp DEA: EP

Transcription

1 Working for Water A decade in Biocontrol Implementation Debbie Sharp DEA: EP

2 Twenty million hectares of South Africa were found to be invaded an area twice as large as previous estimates (i.e. the 1997 rapid reconnaissance using an expert-knowledge approach).

3 The estimated distribution of invasion (1,839,667 condensed hectares ) 82,852 ha 207,894 ha 26,986 ha 70,795 ha 327,547 ha 91,379 ha 359,077 ha 460,185 ha 212,952 ha

4 Projected cost (R35.6bn) to control existing biomass (mechanically & chemically) R2,8bn R3,6bn R0,9bn R1,2bn R6,4bn R1,9bn R6,9bn R8,0bn R3,9bn

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6 Background Biocontrol implementation commenced in earnest in WfW BCO BCO Original budget R Current budget R 35m, with R18.9m for implementation Emphasis on job creation & monitoring

7 Biocontrol agents releases 2011

8 Working for Water Expenditure on Biological Control R, / / : Biological Control Research Mass rearing of Bio-control Agents Distribution of Bio-control Agents Capacity-building for Biological Control * * 15.6 Total spent on Biological Control Percentage of Working for Water Budget The Working for Water budget includes aligned programmes (e.g. Working for Land). To this should be added the contributions from other sources: R8m quarantine facility at Cedara, from KZN Invasive Alien Species Programme R2.8m additional support from the KZN Invasive Alien Species Programme R8m contribution by the Agricultural Research Council (Plant Protection Research Institute) R3m contribution by the CSIR, tertiary institutions and private sector interests R0m from the Wattle Growers Association

9 Roodeplaat dam

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11 Roodeplaat dam currently, thanks to Biocontrol and chemical control

12 Plants under biocontrol

13 Western Cape Biocontrol Sites No. sites Established Biocontrol agents

14 Acacia mearnsii biocontrol releases

15 Biocontrol monitoring team

16 Eastern Cape Biocontrol sites No. sites Established Biocontrol agents

17 S. subsuturalis sites

18 Northern Cape Biocontrol sites No. sites Established

19 Biocontrol area until the rains came. Vaalharts weir

20 C. fulgida var. mammillata and C. cactorum

21 Freestate Biocontrol sites No. sites Established M. maculatus C. cactorum C. salviniae Lysathia sp. C. cactorum L. texana E. catarinensis Neochetina sp. N. albugittalis O. terebrantis

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23 North West Biocontrol sites No. sites Established

24 Large amount of data missing Emphasis on arid species O. salminana

25 KZN biocontrol sites No. sites Established

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27 Gauteng Biocontrol sites No. sites Established E. catarinensis Neochetina sp. N. albuguttalis O. terebrantis H. pungens M. maculatus Lysathia sp. C. cactorum N. affinis O. camarae C. salviniae

28 Mpumalanga Biocontrol sites No. sites established

29 Limpopo Biocontrol sites No. sites Established

30 F. Intermedia release site Pop up MRC C. visendi Community project H. pungens

31 Biocontrol sites Biocontrol agents in South Africa A. cyclops A. mearnsii A. podylirifolia A. filiculoides C. odorata H. sericea L. laevigatum O. ficus-indica O. inerme O. stricta P. aculeata S. molesta S. eleagnifolium S. sysimbrifolium E. crassipes M. aquaticum S. molesta A. mearnsii C. decapetala E. crassipes M. unguis-cati P. aculeata S. molesta C. jamacaru M. aquaticum P. stratiotes A. baileyana A. decurrens A. mearnsii A. podyrilifolia C. jamacaru E. crassipes L. camara M. unguis-cati O. aurantiaca O. ficus-indica P. stratoites S. punicea E. crassipes P. stratoites E. crassipes O. fulgida A. dealbata A. podyrilifolia A. saligna M. aquaticum S. molesta Eastern Cape Freestate Gauteng KZN Limpopo Mpumalanga North Northern West Cape Western Cape

32 So what s interesting?

33 Data sets not complete releases from into 6000 sites Only 4420 sites have complete data sets Gaps in data where no data for years in some provinces Release data, monitoring data Presense/absense monitoring Post release evaluation monitoring Regional limits where agents established Regions were agents released but not found

34 REGION TARGET WEED COMMON NAME BIOCONTROL AGENT NUMBER RELEASED SITE LOCATION GPS CO-ORDINATES LONGITU LATITUDE DE Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 250 Weevils Hadeco - Paardeplaats 1st S E Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 250 Weevils Fins Estates S E Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 250 Weevils Little Joker S E Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 250 Weevils Rod's Place - Blyde River Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 250 Weevils O'Keef's Ruin - Blyde River S E Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 600 Weevils Lydenburg - MP Parksboard Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 450 Weevils L. Smith - Roossenekal S E Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 400 Weevils Blaauwboschkraal 1st S E Mpumalanga Acacia dealbata Silver Wattle Melanterius maculatus 200 Weevils Hadeco - Paardeplaats 2nd S E DATE RELEASED MONITORING STATUS Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Harefield Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Die Flakje Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Kommieskraal Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Spitskop Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Windy Ridge Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Waterfall Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Primeston Eastern Cape Opuntia aurantiaca Jointed cactus Dactylopius austrinus Mountain Zebra National Parks

35 So now? Ensure data completion and assessment National database on all biocontrol data All parties to submit data Release, selection, monitoring data forms upgraded Database of BC agents against plants

36 PAM teams to get baseline data Templates developed to use Information, including photo s downloaded Forms basis of NBD Baseline data available online, but GPS coordinates hidden

37 Melanterius Melanterius Melanterius Trichilogaster Melanterius Trichilogaster Melanterius Uromycladium Aphanasium Erytenna Carposina Cydmaea Chrysolina Parectopa Dasineura rubiformis maculatus servulus* Dasineura dielsii ventralis acacialongifoliae acaciae signiventris compactus tepperianum australe consputa autologa binotata Dicomada rufa quadrigemina Zeuxidiplosis giardi thalassias Dasineura sp. NONE, plant only Acacia baileyana Acacia cyclops Acacia dealbata Acacia decurrens Acacia longifolia Acacia mearnsii Acacia melanoxylon Acacia podalyriifolia Acacia pycnantha Acacia saligna Hakea gibbosa Hakea sericea Paraserianthes lophanta* Hypericum perforatum Leptospermum laevigatum Plants and their BC agents Example Fynbos weeds

38 Future candidates for WfW and biocontrol?

39 So what are the questions that need answering?

40 Can we use the data of where agents are to predict which agents prefer what environments? Can we use the substantial spread as indication of success? Will the PAM be indicative of where the agents have gone? Can we use PAM to pick up gaps in dispersal? Will a national database be beneficial? And to whom? How does this link in with other programmes SANBI (Cybertracker) Will the app for biocontrol be used? Can this system talk to cybertracker data?

41 Sometimes it is quite difficult to implement Biocontrol.. Dankie Thank you Siyabonga