FOREST BIOME (SAND, COASTAL AND AFRO-MONTANE)

Total area in KwaZulu-Natal: 1185km2
Total area protected: 298km2 (25%)
Forest areas on private land with limited past commercial harvest: 260km2
Area already intensively harvested (communal land): 629km2
Potential area available for plant harvest: 889km2

Almost 50% (approx. 2107 tonnes) of the approximately 4 400 tonnes of medicinal plant material traded annually in KwaZulu-Natal, is sourced from the forest biome. In addition to the already overexploited communal forest areas, forest areas on private land with limited past commercial harvest are the only areas potentially available for medicinal plant harvest. To meet the current market demand for forest sourced medicinal plant material, 8.1 tonnes per km2 would be required. Existing forest resources cannot meet this demand. It is clear that forest derived medicinal plant species will need to be cultivated on a large scale if wild populations of these plants and the forests in which they occur are to be conserved. Many of these species are slow growing and difficult to propagate. It is a matter of time before communal and private forest areas are overexploited and increased pressure will be exerted on forests under formal protection. This pressure is already being experienced. Reports are being received from field staff of gatherers using chain saws to remove Ocotea bullata trees from the Karkloof to strip bark for the medicinal plant trade. Gatherers have been recently apprehended in the Karkloof area in possession of numerous bags of Ocotea bark and Scilla bulbs. Both of these species are specially protected. In addition to this, poachers were recently apprehended in Ithala Game Reserve in possession of
approximately 700 Haworthia plants worth approximately R4000. This species is also
specially protected and is rapidly declining. Few localities outside protected areas are known.

Data for the grassland and savanna biomes are given below (Mander 1998).

GRASSLAND AND SAVANNA BIOMES

Total area in KwaZulu-Natal: 85 415km2
Total area protected: 7 687km2 (9%)
Area not protected and undeveloped: 72 000km2
Land area already developed (timber, crops): 17 000km2
Potential area available for harvest: 55 000km2
Communal area already intensively harvested: 26 000km2
Area available for potential future harvest with limited past commercial harvest: 29 000km2

Approximately 2 200 tonnes of medicinal plant material is sourced from grassland and
savanna biomes. The potential area for supply is, however, far larger than forest. If the area available for potential future harvest were to be used to supply the medicinal plant trade at current demand, approximately 80kg per km2 of medicinal plants would need to be harvested. Numerous grassland medicinal plant species are declining in numbers as shown by the effort required by gatherers to find adequate stocks. For some species eg Alepidea amatymbica, this has doubled since 1988. Many grassland medicinal plant species and most forest species are now being sourced outside KwaZulu-Natal. Indicators for the future point to management of wild populations of grassland/savanna medicinal plants on private land for sustainable use.

What is KZN Wildlife doing?

The roots of this problem are socio-economic. Enforcement of conservation legislation
prohibiting the collection and sale of certain species without a permit has done little to
remedy the situation. Conservation authorities cannot provide the solutions but can certainly contribute to finding them. One of the ways of doing this is "conservation by cultivation". To take pressure off dwindling wild stocks, medicinal plants need to be actively grown by the people who rely on them. This is common sense one would think, but there are obstacles to its implementation. The largest of these is the lack of available land on which medicinal plant gatherers and traditional healers could grow the plants. Other problems are apathy, lack of knowhow, inadequate security against theft and the need to protect the plants from damage by domestic animals. In contrast to most traditional healers, there is little sense of urgency, and little incentive, among many gatherers to ensure that medicinal plant species are available in the wild for future generations.

Many of these problems can easily be overcome. KZN Wildlife is collaborating with the KZN Department of Agriculture in establishing cultivation trials of the priority species. These trials will enable sound advice to be given to prospective growers, be they commercial farmers, small scale farmers or traditional healers or gatherers. Research is aimed at enabling medicinal plants to be efficiently cultivated using appropriate technology to the prospective growers. This work will also give information on the costs involved and the potential for income generation.

Wild populations are decreasing. Harvest pressure needs to be diverted from wild
populations onto cultivated stock. Apart from ongoing research, KZN Wildlife has numerous programmes in place to facilitate cultivation of medicinal plants. Staff are involved in raising awareness among traders at the Durban markets, ensuring traders are correctly permitted and in enforcing permit conditions. In order to conserve these species in the long term, their value needs to be recognised by land owners, who are being encouraged to propagate priority species and to use medicinal plant populations on their properties sustainably. Species recovery plans are being formulated for all priority medicinal plant species. These plans aim to ensure survival of viable wild populations of each species. These plans are species specific and include aspects such as artificial propagation for re-introduction into the wild and formulating strategies for sustainable wild harvest.

References
Hardin, G. (1968) The tragedy of the commons. Science 162: 1243 - 1248
Mander M (1998). The marketing of indigenous medicinal plants in South Africa: A case study in KwaZulu-Natal. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Rome. 151pp

Steve McKean
Resource Ecologist