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Frontpiece. Response to the Proposed Site of the new Building Northern site: Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. Prepared by Richard Knight BCB Department. Photos: Tessa Oliver. Cape Flats: Part of World’s smallest Floral Kingdom. Cape Flats: Part of World’s smallest Floral Kingdom.
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Frontpiece Response to the Proposed Site of the new Building Northern site: Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Prepared by Richard Knight BCB Department Photos: Tessa Oliver
Cape Flats: Part of World’s smallest Floral Kingdom Cape Flats: Part of World’s smallest Floral Kingdom • Cape Flats and Lowlands are part of the Cape Floral Kingdom and is smaller and more threatened than any of the other Kingdoms. • Cape Floral Region – one of 34 Global Biodiversity Hotspots and first non-tropical one to be recognised
Cape Flats NR: Centre of the Cape Lowlands Sand Fynbos Dune Strandveld Ecotone Cape Flats NR: Centre of the Cape Lowlands • Cape Flats: human impacted, little remaining natural vegetation • Map shows Ecotone between two vegetation • The Cape Flats Nature Reserve, eighth most important site: due to size & floristics
Cape Flats Dune Strandveld Related to Sub-tropical Thicket of the east coast Cape Flats Dune Strandveld • Broad-leafed shrubs • Calcareous sand substrate • 50% transformed in Cape Town • Much disturbed (sand-mining) • False Bay/Blaauwberg • Meets the 10% IUCN conservation target
Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Cape Flats world highest species extinction rates! Cape Flats Sand Fynbos • Protea, fine-leafed and restio plants • High species richness • Deep, leached acid sands • > 75% transformed in Cape Town • Highly disturbed (invasives, mining) • One percent conserved • One percent conserved
3 ha Sand Fynbos 7 ha Dune Strandveld 23 ha 3 ha 6 ha Natural Vegetation: Area/Condition Natural Vegetation: Area/Condition 42 ha Natural vegetation Cape Flats Nature Reserve 1998
More Bare Ground Annual Plants Dune Strandveld – Heavily Disturbed/Restoring Dune Strandveld – Heavily Disturbed/Restoring Indicators of Disturbance Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002
Dune Strandveld –Slightly Disturbed/Original Site Original Reserve Least disturbed Dune Strandveld –Slightly Disturbed/Original Site Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Reserve Extension Some restoration
Sand Fynbos: Light and moderate disturbance Sand Fynbos: Light and moderate disturbance Area excavated for building fill Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Gum Trees draw of surface moisture Fairly disturbance Invasives & Ploughing
Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance Low Disturbance Species Rich High turnovers Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Hot Fire: slowish recovery
Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance Area Highly human modified Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance Fence/Main Road Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Invasives Buildings
Cape Flats Sand Fynbos: Light disturbance Proposed Site Alternative Site Cape Flats Sand Fynbos: Light disturbance Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002
Concerned over congested entrance Keep Existing Road System New Ring road Upgrade road Proposed New Development & Infrastructure Proposed New Development & Infrastructure New Entrance Proposed Site Alternative Site
X ? ? ? 9km Closest sites with Sandplain Fynbos all threatened 8km Closest 2 sites lost or under threat and are Dune Thicket X ? 8 km radius and only two other reasonable habitats 8 km radius and only two other reasonable habitats Cape Town Few and distant heighbours
Botanical Society: Assessment of core sites 1997 Botanical Society: Assessment of core sites 1997 • Cape Flats NR: rated 8th most important • Had the 8th most number of species • Most isolated and last viable site in the central Cape Flats area • Only one of two sites to have a transition between veg. types Other Consideration…
Events since Botanical Society site ratings Events since Botanical Society site ratings • #1 Milnerton RC been developed – small part reserved • #3 Macassar – sand mining/human pressure • #4 Kenilworth RC under threat of still more housing development • #7 N1-N7 brushcut by Eskom due to fire risks • #8 Cape Flats NR: development ? ? Only Rondebosch Com. & Rondevlei safe
UWC 150 ha Estate • Custodian of 42 ha of natural habitat heritage • 34 ha vacant disturbed space to develop The BCB request: Our new building is shifted 80 m The BCB request: Our new building is shifted 80 m A small step to the left… Visit: http://mapserver.uwc.ac.za/imf-aims50/imf.jsp?session=18868
Postscript Extinction is for Keeps!