area. Meticulous records were kept of
quantities and types of plants removed.
An arduous task. In one area alone, 195 300
plants were removed in three and a half hours.
“It’s important to understand that a huge
amount of the original fynbos seedbed
remained after the fire, and these seeds
germinated without any help from us,
except for our removal of the alien-invasive
competition,” Martin says. “We have very little
Port Jackson here which is fortunate. It's
tricky to remove, so often requires poison.”
Fortunately, rooikrans is much easier and
I watch as he deftly extracts a plant.
However, not all the rooikrans was
removed. After a visit by an entomologist,
professor John H Hoffman of the biocontrol
research programme at the University of Cape
Town Plant Control Unit, John advised that it
would be best to leave some rooikrans to act as
host plants for a multivoltine midge (Dasineura
dielsi) commonly known as a gall midge,
which is specific to the rooikrans.
The larvae lay their eggs in the flower
buds, and live in the florets, creating galls
or swellings with a substance they secrete.
The development of the gall stops seeds from
forming, rendering the rooikrans infertile.Martin points out a rooikrans covered in these
galls. The gall midge will ensure that any
plants that do germinate will be unable to
produce more seeds. It’s a natural solution
to the problem.
“After the fire, we were left with sandy
slopes that needed to be stabilised,” he says.
“To hold the soil, we tried a combination of
mats and ‘sausages’ made of photodegradable
plastic net filled with poplar shavings, but
the mats made the soil too hot, and prevented
germination of ground seeds and those sown by
hydroseeding. It also caused those plants that
did germinate to become chlorotic [yellowed]TOP: On our walk, we come across the lovely little beach Coffin Bay where at spring low tide experienced stand-
up paddlers can explore The Heads and Coffin Bay with Knysna Forest Tours. LEFT: One of many sour figs planted
on the slopes to stabilise the sand. BELOW: New growth rises in Featherbed Reserve.