’S UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY ENDEMIC ECOSYSTEMS

Geology and soils: Tertiary or Recent calcareous sands of marine 5. Dune Strandveld origin, mainly blown in as sand dunes. These cover various rock types, but mainly the Formation of the Malmesbury Group. Outcrops of limestone from the Sandveld Group occur at General: Cape Flats Dune Strandveld (CFDS) differs from both Silwerstroomstrand, on the Peninsula, and in the Macassar-Wolfgat and Renosterveld in that it does not normally burn as area. Soils may be deep, but can be very thin on the limestones. frequently; the fire cycle is typically 20-100 years. It is far more prone to browsing, and many species have thorny defences. It occurs on Climate: Winter-rainfall regime, with rainfall peaking from May to the more recent dunes, which still have an alkaline pH, and usually August, and varying from 350 mm per annum at Atlantis to 560 mm have shell fragments visible in the sands. It is therefore confined at Gordons Bay. The mean daily maximum temperature is 26.7°C in mainly to the coastal margins, only extending inland on dune fields. February, and the mean daily minimum is 7.5°C in July. Frost is not Historically, this was a series of dunes and dune slack wetlands, very common. Mists occur frequently in winter, especially on the inhabited by hippopotami and rhinoceroses. West Coast. Distribution: CFDS is endemic to Cape Town and occurs in two Vegetation: A short to tall, evergreen, hard-leaved and succulent nton Pauw

major blocks: on the western shoreline from Cape Town to Bokbaai shrubland, with abundant annual herbs and grasses in the gaps and A (including the Atlantis dune field), and on the shoreline understorey. After fire, it may have a ‘Fynbos’ phase dominated by from to Gordons Bay, being most extensive in the Fynbos elements, but most thicket species regenerate from Philippi to area. A very narrow fringe occurs on the Cape underground stems. The West Coast form tends to have more Candelabra in the back dunes Peninsula itself, mainly on the western side. For conservation succulent elements. The False Bay form occasionally has dense purposes, this veld type is considered as two separate units. North Milkwood Forests, such as those that historically occurred at occurs over large areas, with Port Jackson wattle being more of a of the , one finds the West Coast form, and south and east Noordhoek, Olifantsbos, Macassar and Gordons Bay. problem inland. Molerats can become a major problem in disturbed of the city bowl, the False Bay form. The altitude at which CFDS areas where overstorey plants are removed, converting the area to occurs is 0-80 m above sea level. grasslands. The vegetation is often used as illegal dumps for Landscape features: A flat, slightly undulating landscape, either as builder’s rubble, and animal hunting is also a problem. Too frequent steep, vegetated dune fields from a drier, windier recent past, or as a fires and year-round grazing of livestock degrade the vegetation, and more subdued landscape further inland. The dunes tend to run cause invasion by alien grasses. northwest to southeast in False Bay Dune Strandveld and southwest Conservation status: CFDS is Endangered. It is poorly conserved, to northeast in West Coast Dune Strandveld. The slacks are usually with 7% left in proclaimed reserves. Some 7% of the False Bay and winter wetlands or vleis, but are often dry in summer. 7% of the West Coast form are in proclaimed reserves, the latter also having 16% in the private Koeberg Nature Reserve, although without secure conservation status. This veld type contains 26 threatened Red List plant species. Where conserved? The West Coast form of CFDS is conserved in

Dalton Gibbs Blaauwberg Conservation Area. A large area also occurs in Koeberg

Hippopotami have been reintroduced to Rondevlei Private Nature Reserve. The False Bay form is conserved in TableClifford Dorse Mountain National Park and Driftsands, Wolfgat, Zandvlei and What is left? This is a relatively intact ecosystem, with 48% still Rondevlei nature reserves (as well as the Macassar and Swartklip remaining. As the national target is 24%, it is still possible to Denel Private Nature Reserve, although with no formal conservation conserve this veld type adequately. However, the False Bay form is status). rapidly approaching Critically Endangered status. Only 30% remains, with only 19% in a good condition. Of the West Coast form, 83% Endemic taxa: Only one species is endemic to CFDS: the Narrow- remains. leaf Brightfig (Lampranthus tenuifolius). Threats: Urban sprawl poses the biggest threat to CFDS. Dunes are What can be done to prevent CFDS from becoming more

Patricia Holmes flattened to fill in wetlands, and the False Bay form is situated on the threatened? As the biggest threat is urban sprawl, it is up to urban southeast growth axis of Cape Town. Sand mining is the second spatial planners to strike a balance between the conservation of this False Bay Dune Strandveld biggest threat. The invasive alien Rooikrans is a serious threat and veld type and urban development. Remnants are being lost through sheets, visitwww.capetown.gov.za/environment and posters”. and select“Brochures,booklets fact copies of and ofterms, For moreinformation,anexplanation ; go to “Publications”, ; goto“Publications”,

Clifford Dorse Muizenberg to theLourens River mouth. from thecoast city is in FalseBay Dune Strandveld along the corridors identifiedwithin One of the mostimportant ecological children to nature,and for teachingabout sustainabledevelopment. bothfor potential ofthese reservesisparamount, introducingyoung manytownships,theeducational sea and to the close Being site. important KelpGullbreeding isan Wolfgat Grysbok andPorcupine. other timesbysmaller animals,includingthestill presentSteenbok, herbivoresandgrazers, andat springbylarge heavily utilisedduring productive intermsofanimals.Itwaspresumably this isthemost when thesummersoutheasterblows. OftheCape Flatsveld types, protectspropertiesvegetation also andpeoplefromsandblasting The notnaturallysustainable. are that atlevels easily harvested are value, butthese andmedicinal species intermsofhorticulture Drive, traverse CFDS. This veldtypecontainsmanyimportant drives andtouristroutes,suchas forrecreation. scenic remote beachesthataresought-after Popular formingnatural a naturalambiencebetweenthe seaandthecity, creates spiritually, it Aestheticallyand sea-level rise. inundations and assuch,providesprotectionagainststormsurge communities, and, Benefits: developments. withbeachfront short-term financialassociated often waivedforgains However,thisis andstormsurge. sea-level rise potential effects of tomitigatethe between theseaandanydevelopmentisneeded 2 buffer ofupto a fact, sea; in the beachand to to liveclose km bypeoples’desire have tobecontrolled.CFDSishighlythreatened degraded.Dumpingandotherillegalactivities now vegetation is settledon,andtheReserve has,forexample,beenillegally of DriftsandsNature poor reservemanagement.Alargeportion CFDS is the barrier between the sea and inland inland barrierbetweentheseaand CFDS isthe Strandveld inspring after a fire Baden Powell and Otto du Plessis and OttoduPlessis BadenPowell

Patricia Holmes of Rooi Els, where Duneof RooiEls,where Strandveld occurs. of Yzerfontein,whereLangebaan DuneStrandveldeast occurs,and city. Dune Strandveldtypesinthe Other, similar : theonly the and the Hottentots Holland mountains Narrow-leaf Brightfig(Vygie Family) veld types in Cape Town: The nearest equivalents are north arenorth Thenearestequivalents natural link remaining between None. Therea

re nootherre Patricia Holmes Barrie Low Coastec

City of Cape Town