by Nelisiwe Khusi and Xiluva Mathebula (Groen Sebenza/NRF-SAIAB Freshwater Taxonomy Intern) 1.1 The importance of Fish monitoring within the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve The GCBR has diverse freshwater ecosystems predominantly characterised by perennial headwater...
by Donovan Kotze Despite having made good inroads into the hakea infestation of the Bergfontein valley in our well-attended March and June 2021 hacks, there was still plenty more of the aggressive Australian invader, Hakea sericea, remaining. Black wattles, although...
Author: Boudine Kruger What do you think of when you hear the term “alien”? The first thing on your mind would probably be little green men with big heads. Now, while the aliens we will be learning about today are certainly green, they are nothing like the aliens...
Author: Boudine Kruger It can be challenging to tell them apart from our indigenous species when looking for invaders, especially if you aren’t sure what you’re looking at. These invasive species won’t necessarily look out of place, ugly or dangerous. In fact, you...
Author: Boudine Kruger Romanskraal, situated in the Langeberg mountains near Albertinia, is a beautiful farm with a wide variety of fauna and flora. Unfortunately, as with many other farms in the area, the indigenous flora on this farm seems to be battling to stay...
Can you identify the Honey Mesquite tree? Take a photo of this invasive alien plant and share it with our hashtag #badmesquite on social media platforms. Tag @gouritzbiosphere and tell us how you identified this IAP to stand a chance to win a R3000 bounty reward!...
Author: Boudine Kruger | Article adapted from Ken Coetzee’s "Prosopis, a Deadly Green Cancer” The invasion caused by the Prosopis tree damages the ecosystem by affecting resources like water supply and grazing. The diversity and biology of smaller animals like birds...
Author: Boudine Kruger | Article adapted from Ken Coetzee’s "Prosopis, a Deadly Green Cancer” The Honey Mesquite tree (or Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana) is an invasive alien plant (IAP) species that is taking over large tracts of overgrazed rangelands in South...
Invasive alien plants are defined as such when they are resistant to local diseases and have no natural enemies.