Page 6 - LandscapeIssue133

FEATURE

RENOSTERVELD HABITAT PROTECTION

An area set aside for the protection of renosterveld has been increased. This is one
of the world’s most threatened vegetation types which can be found within the

Cape Floral Kingdom, and is also an important breeding area for Black Harrier birds,
whose remaining world population is only 1300.

n influential partnership between
conservation organisations and the
AOverberg Renosterveld Conservation
Trust (ORCT) has secured the protection of
500 hectares of globally important and
endangered habitat in the Overberg district
of the Western Cape, providing a lifeline for
species that would otherwise be at risk of
extinction.
Renosterveld is the smallest and richest
of the six plant kingdoms in the world
but faces extinction, with only 5% of the
original extent remaining on the planet.
This landscape has been shaped by
decades of large-scale agriculture, meaning
that most of what’s left untouched occurs
as tiny fragments on outcrops, steep hills
and valleys in the Overberg Ruens. Despite
this, renosterveld still provides a haven for
an abundance of biodiversity.
The remaining islands of virgin
renosterveld are however threatened by
overgrazing from livestock, inappropriate
fire regimes, illegal damming, ploughing The critically endangered pink iris was discovered on Plaatjieskraal in 2012, and has since been found only
and invasive alien plants. Without a decisive on one single additional property which is not protected. It is pollinated by a single butterfly species.
strategy to secure and connect these
remnants, renosterveld will be lost forever.
The recent purchase of a key portion have now been added to the 500 hectares nevertheless houses huge levels of plant
of property represents a major milestone of Haarwegskloof, and these two reserves diversity: over 560 plant species have been
achievement within the ORCT’s greater together now make up the most extensive recorded to date, nearly ten percent of which
strategic plan. The conservation team area of protected renosterveld left on Earth. are species of conservation concern. The
that collaborated with the ORCT to buy high proportion of endemic and threatened
the Plaatjieskraal property, situated 40km Home to plant and bird species species can be attributed to the localised
south of the town of Swellendam, included While the habitat is highly threatened, it quartz outcrops found only on renosterveld
WWF South Africa, UK-based World Land
Trust, the IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund,
and Wild Landscapes International, USA.
The property will be managed by the ORCT,
in partnership with WWF South Africa and
the World Land Trust.
According to Dr Odette Curtis-Scott,
director of the ORCT, this is a powerful
collaboration of like-minded organisations
around the world and significant because
it shows that renosterveld is finally being
recognised internationally. Negotiations to
secure the Plaatjieskraal property took 16
years, until a deal was finally reached with
the landowner. The acquisition is essential
because the farm is home to nearly 500
hectares of intact renosterveld.
The acquisition also doubles the size
of the existing Haarwegskloof Reserve,
purchased in 2013 through a joint initiative
by WWF South Africa and the ORCT.
Plaatjieskraal will be declared a nature
reserve and managed together with
Haarwegskloof. Five hundred hectares Above and right: Plaatjieskraal

4 Landscape SA • Issue 133 2024 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za