A Major Conservation Victory: Acquisition of 'Plaatjieskraal' Farmland to Safeguard Precious Renosterveld
Photo by Odette Curtis-Scott, ORCT
In a tremendous conservation stride, we have moved closer to the preservation of one of Earth's most at-risk ecosystems – the Critically Endangered Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld in South Africa.
In collaboration with the Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust and WWF South Africa, with additional funding from the World Land Trust and the IUCN, we have successfully acquired the farm 'Plaatjieskraal.' This purchase adds 1,425 acres to the existing Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve – doubling its size – and brings heightened protection to the globally imperiled renosterveld.
Renosterveld is a vegetation type of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest and richest (by area) of the world’s six floral kingdoms. Situated in South Africa and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this region is a veritable treasure trove of biodiversity. With over 9,000 vascular plant species (a diverse group of plants that have specialized tissues for conducting water, minerals, and photosynthetic products), 69% of which are endemic, this area boasts unparalleled biodiversity. The wealth of unique species in this region outstrips that of Alabama – the most biodiverse state in America – even though it is just half its size. Within the Cape Floral Region, Renosterveld is one of the primary plant communities, yet it remains one of the world's rarest. Many species are endemic to single hillsides, reinforcing the urgent need for conservation.
The dominant vegetation, 'fynbos,' consists of fire-dependent shrubs adapted to grow on nutrient-poor soils. These plants often rely on highly specific pollinators, whether mammal, insect, or bird. Proteas, an integral part of fynbos and highly sought-after in global flower markets, are amongst the most well-known species in this biome. In such a highly specialized ecosystem, rare species and vegetation types are not unusual. Yet, even in this setting, the Renosterveld plant community stands out due to the massive loss of 95% of its former habitat range.
Photo by Odette Curtis-Scott, ORCT
Renosterveld, an Afrikaans term meaning "rhinoceros-field," owes its name to the 'renosterbos' shrub – a preferred food source for the black rhinoceros. Prior to the widespread influence of industrial agriculture, several megafauna, including the rhinoceros, roamed the region enjoying fynbos bulbs and other favourite foods found amongst its nutrient clay soils. Alas, no rhinos remain today, and due to severe habitat destruction, are highly unlikely to return here either.
The fertile conditions of the Renosterveld's ecoregion have led to the conversion of 95% of this landscape into agricultural land over the past 50 to 100 years, resulting in the critical endangerment of this irreplaceable ecosystem. Once rich in bulb diversity and fertile soils, the Renosterveld has almost entirely disappeared from the Cape Floral region due to industrial monoculture stripping the soil of the nutrients and fragmenting the landscape. The acquisition of 'Plaatjieskraal,' a property brimming with Renosterveld and close to the Haarwegskloof Reserve, is a significant step towards saving the last of the Renosterveld.
This new addition to the nature reserve presents opportunities for the potential reintroduction of the vulnerable Cape mountain zebra and bontebok to the ecosystem. It also offers the possibility of creating a wildlife corridor that connects to De Hoop National Park. Work in underway to acquire two adjoining farms to further expand and secure this remarkable ecosystem for future generations.
This new addition to the nature reserve presents opportunities for the potential reintroduction of the bontebok to the ecosystem.
Biodiversity is the foundation of healthy ecosystems. It provides us with resources, purifies our air, filters our water, and regulates our climate. In conservation, we not only protect the manifold species, including those yet undiscovered, but we also uphold the balance of our planet. For every highly specialised plant, there's likely to be a specialised pollinator, thus the preservation of Renosterveld protects the myriad unique species of insects, small mammals, birds and bats that depend on this ecosystem for their survival.