City of Cape Town to conduct ecological burns at various nature reserves

Posted by Tsoku Maela on 10 January 2023

The staff at the Biodiversity Management Branch of the City of Cape Town will carry out their annual ecological burns at various nature reserves during the months of February, March, and April, with the exact dates determined by weather conditions.

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Picture: Getaway gallery

Ecological burns are essential for maintaining natural vegetation and other important ecological processes. The City of Cape Town urged residents to take note of the planned burns for the upcoming season:

  • Botterblom Nature Reserve, 2.9ha, February or March.
  • Table Bay Nature Reserve, Parklands Fynbos Corridor, 5.3ha, February or March.
  • Haasendal Conservation Area, 6ha, February or April.
  • Helderberg Nature Reserve, 20ha, March or April.
  • Meadowridge Common Conservation Area, 1.5ha, February or March.
  • Steenbras Nature Reserve, 100ha, February.
  • False Bay Nature Reserve, Rondevlei section, 1.14ha, March or April.
  • Zandvlei Nature Reserve, 5 to 10ha, March or April.
  • Uitkamp Nature Reserve, Durbanville, 15ha, March.
  • Aurora Park Conservation Area, West Coast, 0.9ha, February or March.
  • Ariesfontein Conservation Area, Tygerberg, 25 to 30ha, February or March.

According to Eddie Andrews, the City’s deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, controlled burns are crucial for achieving a high level of biodiversity.

There are many advantages to conducting burns, one of which is the removal of the thick canopy formed by mature vegetation. This allows sunlight to reach the ground, which helps promote the germination of seeds. Additionally, fire provides the necessary cues of smoke and heat for the germination of many of the region’s unique plant species.

Fires that occur too frequently can result in a decrease in slow-growing plant species and lower seed production. Conversely, fires that happen too infrequently, with an interval of more than 20 years, can cause bush overgrowth and lead to the loss of certain species.

Another benefit of burning old vegetation is that it decreases the amount of available fuel, which reduces the likelihood of wildfires.

The process will be carried out by trained and qualified staff from the Environmental Management Department (EMD), in collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Service, Working on Fire and Volunteer Wildfire Services. The EMD staff will guarantee that the burn is done in a safe and effective manner.

 

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