Frontpiece
Photos:
Tessa Oliver
Where is the Cape Flats Nature Reserve?
The Reserve is situated
between 33o S latitude and 19o E
longitude.
Part of the University of the
Western Cape campus, Bellville
South, Cape Town.
Bordered by Modderdam Road
to the north, and the Cape Flats
railway line and Unibell station to
the south.
History of the Cape Flats Nature Reserve
 Conceived in the early 1960's by a group
of University academics.
 Planning continued to 1977 with the
official proclamation of the Cape Flats
Nature Reserve.
 In 1978 the Reserve was proclaimed a
National Monument.
 The Cape Flats Nature Reserve is a
private reserve and does not fall under the
administration of Cape Nature.
 The Curator liaises with Cape Nature to
control illegal activities such as poaching
harvesting of wild flowers.
Notice is hereby given in
terms of section 12 (4) of
the Nature Conservation
Ordinance, 1974
(ordinance 19 of 1974),
that the Administrator
has approved the
establishment of a nature
reserve in the municipal
area of Bellville by the
University of the Western
Cape, on land of which it
is the owner and which
will be known as Cape
Flats Nature Reserve.
History of the Cape Flats Nature Reserve
The Reserve was originally 20 ha of
Strandveld and Sand Plain Fynbos.
New Life
Science
Building
The area up to 1977 was
heavily infested by dense
stands of alien vegetation,
especially Acacia saligna
(Port Jackson)
A management
eradicated programme is
in place. Outbreaks of
these alien plants still
exists in areas adjacent to
the Reserve e.g. along the
railway line and the
entrance road.
Parts of the Reserve such
as sheltered areas between
dunes and alien infested
areas had informal
settlements up to 1976.
CFNR extended in 1987
 A southern Triangle area contributed 12 ha of
Reserve extension in compensation for loss of
habitat in constructing the new entrance to
UWC.
 This area was also infested by alien invasive
species such as Acacia saligna and
Eucalyptus calophylla.
 The entire area has been cleared of the alien
invasive plants (except for planted Eucalyptus
calophylla).
 Dune Thicket Species include Rhus crenata,
Rhus glauca, Rhus laevigata and Rhus
lucida, Olea exasperata, Euclea racemosa
and Nylandtia spinosa.
 Leonotis leonurus found in the Triangle but not
in the main Reserve area.
 CFNR endemic Euphorbia marlothii occurs in
both areas.
The Triangle was
formerly inhabited by
informal settlements
and additionally was
heavily infested with
Acacia saligna.
Originally this habitat
was similar to other
dune vegetation in the
reserve.
Part of CFNR was also removed
 Dog-leg section was removed from the
original Reserve after the construction of the
new entrance road.
 This area has mostly been developed with the
New Life Science Building.
 This vegetation was acidic sandy flatlands
between the dunes and a different vegetation
type.
 Former species found include Blombos
(Metalasia muricata), Dekriet (Thamnochortus
spicigerus) and Taaibos (Rhus laevigata).
This site was very rich in geophytes.
 The protea Leucospermum
hypophyllocarpodendron and the orchid
Herschelia lugens occurred nowhere else (not
been seen for a few years).
Animals occurring in the CFNR
 Amphibian include the sand rain frog
(Breviceps rosei).
 Reptiles include Mole Snakes (Psuedapsis
cara), Cape Cobras (Naja nivea), Dwarf
Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilus), and
the Angulate Tortoise (Chersina angulata).
 Bird species include Blacksmith Plover
(Vanellus armatus), Blackshouldered Kite
(Elanus caerulus), Lesser Double-collared
Sunbird (Nectarina chalybea) and Cape
Turtle Dove (Streptopelia capicola).
 Mammal species such as Cape Dune
Molerat (Bathyergus suillis), Cape Gerbil
(Tatera afra), Small Grey Mongoose
(Galerella pulverulenta) and Cape grysbok
(Raphicerus melanotis).
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 nontropical one to be
recognised
Cape Flats NR: Centre of the Cape Lowlands
Sand
Fynbos
Dune
Strandveld
 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
 Broad-leafed shrubs
 Calcareous sand
substrate
 50% transformed in
Cape Town
 Much disturbed (sandmining)
 False Bay/Blaauwberg
 Meets the 10% IUCN
conservation target
Related to Sub-tropical
Thicket of the east coast
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
Cape Flats world highest
species extinction rates!
Cape Flats Nature Reserve 1998
Natural Vegetation: Area/Condition
42 ha Natural
vegetation
23 ha
6 ha
More Bare
Ground
Annual Plants
Indicators of Disturbance
Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002
Dune Strandveld – Heavily Disturbed/Restoring
Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002
Dune Strandveld –Slightly Disturbed/Original Site
Reserve Extension
Some restoration
Original Reserve
Least disturbed
Cape Flats Nature Reserve 2002
Sand Fynbos: Light and moderate disturbance
Area
excavated
for building
fill
Fairly disturbance
Invasives &
Ploughing
Few and distant heighbours
8 km radius and only two other reasonable habitats
Cape Town
X
?
?
?
Closest sites
with Sandplain
Fynbos all
threatened
Closest 2 sites lost or under
threat and are Dune
Thicket
8 km
?
X
Botanical Society: Assessment of core sites 1997
 Cape Flats NR: rated 8th
most important
 Had the 8th most number
of species
Other Consideration…
 Most isolated and last
viable site in the central
Cape Flats area
 Only one of two sites to
have a transition
between veg. types
Events since Botanical Society site ratings
 #1 Milnerton RC been
developed – small part
reserved.
 #3 Macassar – sand
mining/human pressure.
?
Only
Rondebosch
Com. &
Rondevlei safe
 #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.