The status of habitat of great white and pink-backed pelicans in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: A review

Habitat change, mainly through the actions of humans, poses a threat to great white (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and pink-backed (P. rufescens) pelicans in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, the southernmost distributions of these species on Africa’s eastern seaboard. This study assessed the relative importance and state of the potential pelican habitat in the northeastern KwaZulu-Natal region, focusing particularly on Lake St Lucia and the Phongolo River floodplain. Great white pelicans breed on islands in Lake St Lucia. Should these islands be lost through falling water levels or their becoming joined to mainland by deposits of silt, or by flooding, no suitable habitat for their breeding will remain in the region. By contrast, the pink-backed pelican nests in trees, and there appears to be plentiful alternative habitat. Lake St Lucia and, to a lesser extent, the Phongolo River floodplain, are important  foraging areas for both pelican species. The hydrology of both these systems has been affected by human activities.Key words: breeding site, foraging, habitat assessment, Lake St Lucia, Pelecanus spp., pelicans, Phongolo River floodplain

Numbers and distribution of the Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus and the Pink-backed Pelican P. rufescens in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, is the most southerly area in Africa in which the Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens breeds. This area also boasts the most southerly breeding colony on the eastern seaboard of Africa for the Great White Pelican P. onocrotalus. Considerable amounts  of data relating to the distribution and numbers of these two species in  north-eastern KZN have been collected in a variety of ways by a number  of people. These data were collated to estimate the distribution and status of the two pelican species and to evaluate any trends. There is no evidence of contraction or expansion in the distribution of either species. Numbers in south-eastern Africa are estimated to be 6 000–9 000 for  the Great White Pelican and 600–900 for the Pink-backed Pelican. Numbers of both species were highly variable at the main locality, Lake  St Lucia. For their long-term conservation it is necessary to take into account that neither population is restricted to the study area and that  there are fluctuations in their distributions and numbers.OSTRICH 2010, 81(3): 179–18

Species composition, distribution and habitat types of Odonata in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and the associated conservation implications.

Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany, South Africa has been identified as a biodiversity hotspot and centre for endemism. Odonata make good indicators of freshwater ecosystem health. Consequently we compiled a list of Odonata species recorded to date in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. We then detailed important species in terms of endemism, conservation status, and potential as indicator species. Finally, we compared Odonata assemblages of different sites sampled within the park to illustrate habitat importance. Species identified during two formal surveys and incidental observations made during the study period were combined with an existing database to compile an accurate and up to date species list for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Data from this study were then analyzed to determine which water bodies had the most similar species composition. The Dragonfly Biotic Index (DBI) value of each study area was also determined. We recorded 68 odonate species in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, adding 13 species to the Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife database for the area. This brings the total number of Odonata species for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to 86. Eight species are red-listed, 12 are restricted in South Africa to the coastal plains of northern KwaZulu-Natal, and the remainder occurs widely across the southern African savanna. Analyses indicate that species odonate assemblages were most similar in water bodies with comparable habitats. iSimangaliso Wetland Park is identified as an important area for Odonata diversity and endemism, a trend also reflected by the DBI values. Shifts in the existing species assemblages would indicate changes within the ecosystem and thus this species account provides necessary baseline data for the area. Species Conservation efforts should thus target water bodies of varying habitat types to protect greater species diversity

Species presence in each region and the number of sites at which they were recorded.

<p>Previous records from other sources are also presented.</p><p>Species names are based on Samways <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0092588#pone.0092588-Samways2" target="_blank">[27]</a>, where full names including authors are given.</p

Study areas' similarity in species composition.

<p>Multidimensional scaling of study areas namely: Kosi Bay, Eastern and Western Shores, Mkuze, Neshe Pan, Samango Crossing, and Lake Sibaya, based on their Jaccard index similarity matrices using presence/absence data for all Odonata species observed.</p

Map of study area.

<p>Grey shaded areas indicate the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.</p

Description of study sites in each area surveyed.

<p>Site numbers refer to site positions marked on <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0092588#pone-0092588-g001" target="_blank">Fig 1</a>. ‘*’ indicates a second reading or count for the same site.</p

Map of the southern section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

<p>The numbers 28–50 represent the positions of sample sites described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0092588#pone-0092588-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>.</p