Patrick Lane, CapeNature Conservation Manager for the
Cederberg Wilderness Area,
demonstrating to scholars how to
plant cedar seeds.
Emerging Threats
Climate Change
Although we have little way of
predicting its consequences, climate change is quite literally
fuelling the frequencies and intensities of fires. As a consequence, as well as a result of
increasing summer temperatures, cedar trees are being
forced to higher altitudes (where
it is cooler) and are simply running out of space to which to
‘climb’.
Diseases and Pathogens
The Clanwilliam Cedar is naturally susceptible to the root fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi.
Little is currently known about
the increased susceptibility of
the Cedar Tree to pathogens in
light of the known effects on
pathogens from climate change.
Hessea breviflora (Vuurhoutjies,
Matchsticks) belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family of Cape bulbs.
The species flowers from Aril to
May and is typically found in sandy
pockets between rocks.
The 2014 Riel dance being performed by teenagers from in and around the
Heuningvlei and Wupperthal areas
in 2012. The planting of Cedar trees in suitable rocky areas has thus been
greatly emphasized as these are areas that are natural fire exclusion zones
within the mountains.
Despite the noticeable absence of the more familiar long-lived vegetation
due to fires, the all too familiar autumn and (early) winter vegetation is always a welcoming sight. Dotted across the rugged landscape, restios and
proteoids can be seen re-sprouting, autumn-flowering bulbs set seed, winter
-flowering bulbs begin to emerge, and several species of Oxalis (sorrels,
surings) add colour to seemingly lifeless soils. Even within blackened temporary seepages, carpets of sprouting reeds and insectivorous Sundews
(Drosera species) abound, all testimony to nature’s resilience.
However, despite Nature’s durability as seen in the ‘little’ things, it is evident
that for the majestic Clanwilliam Cedar Tree, all is not well. A new force of
nature – climate change – requires reckoning and we simply can no longer
ignore its consequences particularly in light of the fact that this cedar appears to be highly susceptible to increasing summer temperatures and all its
consequences. For this reason alone the annual Cedar Tree Planting Event is
proving even more important – the Clanwilliam Cedar simply will not survive
Syringodea longituba
(Blousterretjie, Karoo Crocus) is a
small, autumn flowering bulbous
species that is widespread
throughout Namaqualand, western
to little Karoo and from Caledon to
Potberg.
An initial spatulate basal leaf form of
Drosera cistiflora (Sundew, Snotrosie,
Snotblaar) that occurs in rosettes.
When the species flowers in August to
September, it produces the typical
form that it is commonly identified by.