Assessing availability of wetland ecosystem goods and services: a case study of the Blesbokspruit wetland in Springs, Gauteng province

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences. University of the Witwatersrand. Johannesburg, 2016.Wetland ecosystems cover approximately 6% of the Earth’s surface area and provide important ecosystems goods and services for the sustenance of human livelihoods. According to the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment, wetlands’ ecosystems goods and services cover the provisioning, regulating, support of biodiversity, and wider community cultural values. However, wetland ecosystems are threatened by human interference in combination with effects of climate change, both of which might compromise the functionality of these socio-ecological systems. The study used a combination of observations, interviews and remote sensing combined with GIS to investigate evidence of change and the possible effects on the Blesbokspruit wetland’s natural integrity, and thus availability of ecosystem goods and services in the wetland. Documented spatial changes in land uses were analysed to determine the extent to which land use and cover changes have affected the natural capital (i.e. ecosystem goods and services) for people. The interaction of local people with the wetland was assessed in order to establish how they use the wetland as a livelihood support system. The study found that people from the surrounding communities both in the upper (Putfontein) and lower catchments (Marievale) are interacting with the wetland in different ways. The provisioning services from the Blesbokspruit wetland to the surrounding communities include water used for both domestic and agricultural activities. Both subsistence and commercial farming are taking place along the wetland (crop farming and livestock rearing). The wetland is therefore providing a safety net to disadvantaged households who are able to supplement their food. The wetland is also able to regulate climate change (carbon sequestration and flood attenuation) and water quality due to the presence of vegetation. The wetland also supports high biodiversity (flora and fauna) such as within the Marievale Bird sanctuary. Recreational services of the wetland come from the scenic views noted at both Marievale (picnic spots) and Putfontein (evidenced by children playing and swimming). The integrity of the wetland is primarily threatened by population increase and urbanisation. Remote sensing analyses of land use/land cover patterns between 1998 and 2015 indicate that major changes of the wetland have been due to human encroachment. Subsistence agriculture in the wetland has increased, which fuels damage to the wetland. Direct observation and interviews with female farmers showed that they compete for plot size which is proportional to the respect one farmer earns in the community. Water quality of the wetland seemed to be compromised by industrial activities and use of fertilisers by farmers. Unlike the pristine upper part of the wetland at Putfontein, eutrophication downstream was evidenced by polluted water, algal blooms and change of water colour at Marievale – all suggesting loss of natural benefits such as high quality water. Despite the observed threats, it is concluded that the Blesbokspruit wetland ecosystem goods and services play a significant role in supporting the well-being and livelihoods of surrounding poor communities. It is suggested that activities threatening the wetland’s integrity may be managed effectively through community-based approaches for natural resource management. There is a need for all stakeholders to be equipped with proper conservation knowledge for them to appreciate the indirect (e.g. climate regulation and water quality control) as well as direct (agricultural and water provisioning) benefits of Blesbokspruit wetland. A better understanding of this socio-ecological system would benefit from comprehensive research on hydrological dynamics associated with agricultural practices within the catchment, and the development of an integrated model of natural resources management with a strong social component.LG201