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ABSTRACTBiodiversity is the foundation of life-support systems on earth and underpins the delivery of ecosystem services (ES) important for human well-being. The loss of biodiversity worldwide, however, remains one of the most daunting challenges. Among the major causes of biodiversity loss is habitat loss due to transformation of land to agricultural, mining and urban areas. We applied the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) biodiversity modelling tool to assess the condition of habitats to support the delivery of ES in a biosphere reserve (BR) in South Africa. Results indicated that 72% of the surveyed habitats were of high quality to provide the necessary services. However, some of the habitats were found to be affected by threats as follows: low (0–20%) to moderate (20–32%) habitat loss was recorded in habitats adjacent to mining and plantation areas, and high (32–56%) to severe (56–95%) habitat loss was recorded in habitats in close proximity to urban and cultivated areas. At least 56% of the vegetation types found in the study area were threatened by transformation to agriculture, mining and urban areas. We strongly recommend that existing biodiversity policies and legislation should be enforced to avoid habitat loss and degradation.

ABSTRACTPeople living in the marginal areas of Southern Africa have relied on palm resources for subsistence for centuries and yet little is known about the impacts of their harvesting activities. This work aimed at providing data on the impacts of two forms of traditional exploitation, leaf harvesting and sap tapping on the palm, Hyphaene petersiana.Three experiments were carried out in southeastern Zimbabwe• leaf harvesting to evaluate its impacts on new leaf production and the availability of harvestable material,• sap tapping to assess amounts produced, and• evaluating the regeneration potential of tapped ramets.Findings from this research were that:∘ leaf harvesting reduced new leaf production, growth and the availability of harvestable material;∘ sap tapping did not necessarily kill the palm but the extent of meristem removal determined the likelihood and mode of regeneration.We conclude that leaf harvesting and sap tapping activities influence the subsequent development of the palm Hyphaene petersianaand that efforts should be made to adopt harvesting and tapping strategies that will ensure reliable raw material supply for the craft industry which is sustaining many lives in Southern Africa.