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Cape Town’s Table Mountain Range, with a view of old plantation blocks on the granite slopes. Alien gum invasions are visible in the ravines. Johan Lourens/Getty Images

Lost fynbos seeds from underground ‘time capsules’ in South Africa can grow again – new study

Alanna Rebelo, Agricultural Research Council; Karen Joan Esler, Stellenbosch University; Patricia Holmes, Stellenbosch University, and Tony Rebelo, South African National Biodiversity Institute

Hundreds of ancient fynbos species could regrow and restore a former pine plantation on Cape Town’s Table Mountain, but only if the remaining pine trees are removed.
Acquired land was used mostly for raising livestock rather than growing fruit, vegetables or field crops. Peter Titmuss/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The South African government has been buying farmland for black farmers. It’s not gone well

Johann Kirsten, Stellenbosch University; Aart-Jan Verschoor, Agricultural Research Council, and Colleta Gandidzanwa, University of Pretoria

The government’s approach to redistributing farmland has been mostly ineffective. Failure can be attributed to limited implementation, poor institutional capacity and corruption.
Alien trees threaten biodiversity, increase the risk of wildfires and also guzzle water. Photo courtesy Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve

Removing alien plants can save water: we measured how much

Alanna Rebelo, Agricultural Research Council; Karen Joan Esler, Stellenbosch University; Mark New, University of Cape Town, and Petra Holden, University of Cape Town

Clearing alien trees from mountain catchments is a more cost-effective approach to providing water than building and maintaining desalination plants.
Alien pine trees, which use substantially more water than the native vegetation of the Cape Mountains, reduce river flows to dams that supply the city’s water. Martin Kleynhans

Clearing alien trees can help reduce climate change impact on Cape Town’s water supply

Petra Holden, University of Cape Town; Alanna Rebelo, Agricultural Research Council; Joyce Kimutai, University of Cape Town; Kamoru Abiodun Lawal, University of Cape Town; Mark New, University of Cape Town; Piotr Wolski, University of Cape Town; Romaric C. Odoulami, University of Cape Town, and Tiro Nkemelang, University of Cape Town

Clearing alien trees before the drought hit could have reduced the impact of climate change on water supply during the ‘Day Zero’ drought.
The well-being of pollinators like bees have a direct impact on our lives. Vida van der Walt

How barcoding is helping South Africa track its precious pollinators

Dirk Swanevelder, Agricultural Research Council; Annemarie Gous, Agricultural Research Council; Connal D. Eardley,, Agricultural Research Council, and Sandi Willows-Munro, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Pollination in South Africa’s ecosystems is extremely complex. However new advances such as pollen metabarcoding help us understand interactions between pollinators and pollen.

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