Conservation and Restoration
Sustaining biodiversity in unsustainable times
South Africa has the highest documented number of extinct plant species of any country in the world. Thirty-nine species are extinct and a further 64 are believed to be extinct as they have not been seen for over 50 years and very little of their habitat remains.
Parts of Tokai Park remain under pine plantation, but data collected by scientists indicate that pine harvesting and Fynbos restoration in other sections of Tokai Park has resulted in more than 320 plant species naturally emerging. A Master’s research project confirms that Fynbos recovers well in terms of species richness and structure after pine tree removal, with the exception of the protea over-storey which is easily replaced.
This exceptional recovery is largely due to seedbanks which are still intact after over 100 years of rotational plantations. These results are heartening as it means that Cape Flats Sand Fynbos can be relatively easily restored and conserved within Tokai Park. Furthermore, Tokai Park has been identified as one of the top 80 priority areas for active restoration in Cape Town, out of thousands of vegetation remnants.
Wildlife such as Cape Fox, Porcupine and Caracal are now recorded here and more animals are expected to move in as further restoration takes place. It is possible that close to 500 species of plants will establish naturally here – based on a historical study by Purcell in the Bergvliet area.
There are few places on earth outside the tropics that support such high levels of biodiversity. South Africa is a signatory to the Rio Convention and proposes to conserve a minimum of 17% of each veld type in perpetuity for future generations.
Only 4% of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos remains in good condition, and only 1% is conserved. Tokai Park contains a large proportion of this area that can be conserved and is home to two ongoing restoration stories, in the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Peninsula Granite Fynbos.
Essential Reading: 10 Golden Rules of Ecological Restoration
