Frontpiece Photos: Photos: Tessa Oliver

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: Part of World’s smallest Floral Kingdom

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 Dune Strandveld Dune Strandveld Sand Fynbos Sand Fynbos Ecotone Cape Flats NR: Centre of the Cape Lowlands

 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 Dune Strandveld Related to Sub-tropical Thicket of the east coast Cape Flats Dune Strandveld

PProtea, fine-leafed and restio plants HHigh species richness DDeep, leached acid sands >> 75% transformed in Cape Town HHighly disturbed (invasives, mining) OOne percent conserved OOne percent conserved Cape Flats world highest species extinction rates! Cape Flats Sand Fynbos

Cape Flats Nature Reserve ha 3 ha 3 ha 7 ha 7 ha 23 ha 6 ha Natural Vegetation: Area/Condition Sand Fynbos Dune Strandveld 42 ha Natural vegetation Natural Vegetation: Area/Condition

Dune Strandveld – Heavily Disturbed/Restoring Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Annual Plants More Bare Ground Indicators of Disturbance Dune Strandveld – Heavily Disturbed/Restoring

Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Dune Strandveld –Slightly Disturbed/Original Site Original Reserve Least disturbed Reserve Extension Some restoration Dune Strandveld –Slightly Disturbed/Original Site

Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Area excavated for building fill fill Gum Trees draw of surface moisture Fairly disturbance Invasives & Ploughing Sand Fynbos: Light and moderate disturbance

Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Hot Fire: slowish recovery Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance Low Disturbance Species Rich High turnovers Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance

Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Invasives Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance Area Highly human modified Fence/Main Road Buildings Cape Flats Dune Strandveld : Light disturbance

Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002 Cape Flats Sand Fynbos: Light disturbance Proposed Site Alternative Alternative Site Cape Flats Sand Fynbos: Light disturbance

Proposed New Development & Infrastructure New Entrance New Ring road Upgrade road Concernedovercongestedentrance KeepExistingRoadSystem Proposed Site Alternative Alternative Site Proposed New Development & Infrastructure

Landscaping around the development

Natural Vegetation around the development

8 km radius and only two other reasonable habitats 8km8km Few and distant heighbours X ? Closest 2 sites lost or under threat and are Dune Thicket 9km9km Closest sites with Sandplain Fynbos all threatened ? ??X Cape Town 8 km radius and only two other reasonable habitats

Botanical Society: Assessment of core sites 1997  Cape Flats NR: rated 8 th most important  Had the 8 th 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… Botanical Society: Assessment of core sites 1997

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 ? Events since Botanical Society site ratings

 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 Visit: A s m a l l s t e p t o t h e l e f t … The BCB request: Our new building is shifted 80 m

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