PCU attends Cape Floristic Region Biodiversity Workshop on 24 January 2017

On 24 January 2017, a group of researchers interested in the biodiversity and environmental change of the Cape Floristic Region attended a workshop in Stellenbosch, Cape Town. The event was organised and facilitated by A/Prof Lindsey Gillson, Deputy Director of the Plant Conservation Unit (PCU) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The purpose of the workshop was to reflect on past research and to brainstorm ideas for future research collaboration within the UCT Department of Biological Sciences as well as with other organisations such as SANParks, SAEON, the University of Stellenbosch, and the University of Witwatersrand.

The day began with a field trip to Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, where the group was fortunate to visit three sites which showcased the effects of past fires and pine plantations on the hydrology and ecology of the landscape. Conservation-related investigations have been explored in the Reserve since the late 1800s and the area has a long historical record of past land-use, including hydrological experiments which were conducted to investigate the effects of pine plantations on water availability. The group then enjoyed a series of presentations and discussion sessions which reported back on a scoping project established by the same group last year. Lara Wootton and Ruan van Mazjik (UCT Department of Biological Sciences) presented on the Soils Atlas project; Cherie Forbes and Yolanda Chirango (PhD Candidate and research assistant at the PCU respectively) presented on the Focal Sites project; Yolanda Chirango also presented on the Evidence-based Conservation project; and Prof Les Underhill (Director of the Animal Demography Unit at UCT) presented on the Seasonality project. Mmoto Masubelele (former PhD student at the PCU) from SANParks presented on research gaps that could be investigated in a number of potential SANParks reserves.

The workshop and projects were funded by the UCT Science Faculty, who identified Biodiversity and Environmental Change in the Cape Floristic Region as an area of strategic impact. The hope is to have a synthesis workshop once all the projects have been completed and to encourage the continuation of such collaborative efforts in the future.

The group of researchers hiking through a stand of Protea nitida. The field trip was led by Dr David le Maitre from the CSIR.

Prof Timm Hoffman (PCU) illustrating that the Reserve has potential for a repeat photography project. Timm is holding a copy of a historical photograph of ‘Swartboschkloof from Eerste River’ taken by CS Hubbard in 1935. The photograph is one of many from the CSIR photographic collection, housed at the PCU.

One of the research sites at Jonkershoek Nature Reserve which measures the amount of water that passes through the weir downstream of the catchment. As evident by the charred tree skeletons, a recent fire had burnt most of the riparian vegetation.

Prof Les Underhill presenting on examples of seasonality data analysed by the Animal Demography Unit (UCT). The findings provided proof of concept and the feasibility of conducting research on the subject of “Seasonality in the Cape Floristic Region“.

~ Article written by Cherié Forbes & images supplied by Cherié Forbes & Adam West