History, rationale, and lessons learned: Thresholds of potential concern in Kruger National Park river adaptive management

Abstract

The Kruger National Park’s (KNP) adopted system of management, called Strategic Adaptive Management (SAM), originated during the Kruger National Park Rivers Research Programme (KNPRRP) of the 1990s. An important concept in SAM is the thresholds of potential concern (TPCs), representing end-points in a continuum of change. TPCs within the KNP SAM system guide management if or when reached, ‘red-flagging’ possible negative biodiversity impacts and catalysing consideration of management options. TPC-related monitoring generates the strategic information for ongoing evaluation, learning and adaptation within SAM. Post- KNPRRP, although river flow and water quality TPCs have been implemented partly, those designed to detect undesirable changes in biodiversity have not been implemented, until recently. This paper describes the history, rationale, application and ongoing developments associated with the KNP river TPCs over the last decade, providing some key lessons for organisations utilising SAM. The paper concludes with an overview of new thinking and future directions envisaged for the KNP river TPCs, as part of the KNP SAM system. Conservation implications: This paper documents important concepts of strategic adaptive management associated with the KNP river systems. Understanding, related to the rationale and justification for use and development or refinement of the thresholds of potential concern, lays an important foundation for ongoing work in managing these rivers adaptively.

Using flow guilds of freshwater fish in an adaptive management framework to simplify environmental flow delivery for semi‐arid riverine systems

“…; McLoughlin et al . ). Monitoring is best conducted within an adaptive management framework to ensure that results are constantly being used to refine and adapt flow hydrographs and deliveries to ensure outcomes are optimized against objectives (Wilhere ).…”

“…; McLoughlin et al . ) which are more tangible to the general public. Fish responses are easily monitored and collecting data in a manner that complements expected outcomes is essential to start to inform adaptive management processes to provide stakeholders with confidence that biological information is being used to inform decision making (Richter et al .…”

“…Environmental flow programs using fish as indicators Fish are often valuable in a social sense and provide effective ecological indicators of ecosystem health (Hering et al 2006;McLoughlin et al 2011) which are more tangible to the general public. Fish responses are easily monitored and collecting data in a manner that complements expected outcomes is essential to start to inform adaptive management processes to provide stakeholders with confidence that biological information is being used to inform decision making (Richter et al 2006).…”

The case for embedding researchers in conservation agencies

“…They also solicit data analyses by external scientists, as with river (McLoughlin et al. ) and fire management (Van Wilgen et al. ) in Kruger National Park.…”

Integrative learning for practicing adaptive resource management

“…As scientific understanding improves, and/or human values change, TPCs should be refined, if and when appropriate (see Fig. 1; McLoughlin et al 2011b). However, management intervention may be required to avoid the system moving out of the tent boundary, or if the system is already outside of this boundary then for rehabilitation back.…”