Cape Town - From a distance the Knersvlakte in Namaqualand looks like a barren stretch of pale gravel – but it hides one of the country’s richest botanical hot spots, home to some plants that occur nowhere else in the world.
This week 85 000 hectares of this region became formally protected when it was proclaimed a nature reserve, the first to be declared in the Western Cape in 20 years – in honour of Heritage Day.
WWF-South Africa, CapeNature and the Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust announced the declaration of the new reserve at an event on the historical Griqua farm, Ratelgat, near Vanrhynsdorp.
The Knersvlakte Nature Reserve, about a three-hour drive north of Cape Town on the N7, falls within the Succulent Karoo region. There are rolling hills with vast, stony plains scattered with tiny white quartzite pebbles and in among these pebbles are a range of the strangest succulents, some so small and well-disguised at first glance they appear to be stones. These rare dwarf succulents are one of the main characteristics of the Knersvlakte.
This botanical hot spot has 1 500 plant species, of which 190 are endemic. Of these, 155 are threatened with extinction, and are believed to be particularly vulnerable to climate change.
The little succulents have unusual common names: krapogies (crab eyes), bababoudjies (babies’ bottoms) and duim-en-vingers (thumb and fingers).
No one knows how the region got its name, which translated, mean gnashing plains. Some say this refers to the difficulty of crossing the plains in the old days, when Head of WWF-South Africa Morné du Plessis said at the declaration ceremony the land held “immense biodiversity” whose plants had adapted to a hot, arid climate, which had made them into unique species.
“We are celebrating an extremely vital moment in our country’s conservation history by protecting this seemingly desolate, largely under-appreciated area,” Du Plessis said.
Gail Cleaver-Christie, CapeNature’s executive director of conservation management, described the proclamation of the new nature reserve as a “truly wonderful achievement for conservation”.
“The diversity and high numbers of endemic plant species makes the Knersvlakte a region of international importance with research being done by both local and international botanists. In the last five years, the number of known endemic plant species has increased from 138 to 186, which is an indicator of active research and interest in the Knersvlakte. New species are still being discovered.”
MEC for Local Government, Environment Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell, who attended the event, said the provincial government gave their strong support to partnerships that worked to conserve biological heritage for future generations.
The reserve is owned by WWF-SA through funding from the Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust, and is managed by CapeNature and an advisory board, which includes local landowners.
Cape Times