Pondoland C.R.E.W. Blog: Updating survey of plants at Fairview NR

Sunday 12 February 2023

Updating survey of plants at Fairview NR

After a request from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to reassess the status of the plant diversity in this recently acquired small nature reserve, we met on site with Dr. Yvette Ehlers-Smith, the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Ecologist for southern KZN and proceeded to find our way onto the property - a fairly difficult task as there are no formal entrances and much of the perimeter is forested.

We found a way in the western corner just coastward of the bridge over the N2 highway, where there was evidence of someone trying to develop (and possibly build) on the site. In this cleared patch were some impressively tall trees, including a massive Cassipourea gummiflua and a Trichilia dregeana.

A very substantial Cassipourea gummiflua in an area cleared of invasive Tithonia diversifolia

Trichilia dregeana at the edge of the cleared area

Once we pushed our way through the undergrowth we reached the grassland. The grass was surprisingly tall given that the reserve undergoes annual arson burns to stimulate the grass for the illegal grazing that is an unfortunate reality for this reserve.

A view across the Fairview grassland to the forested perimeter looking southward.

We worked our way across the grassland and around various small bush clumps recording the species we found on the way. We were gratified to find plenty of ripe fruits on the many Salacia kraussii, a geoxylic suffrutex. We had recorded these plants on previous visits but had only seen them in flower. This gave us an opportunity to taste the fruits - a very interesting and unexpected taste reminiscent of caramel but not as sweet.

Salacia kraussii fruits

Salacia kraussii

While we found some evidence of muthi plant collection, this was not extensive. It was unclear what had been dug up. The population of invasive Choreopsis lanceolata recorded previously had already flowered and was mostly presenting seed heads. We found, in the same area, a plant we think might be an invasive Crotalaria, but that still requires verification. There were scattered Chromolaena odorata and Lantana camara but apart from the patch of Tithonia diversifolia at the cleared area on the western corner, the impact of alien invasive species is unexpectedly moderate. These comments exclude the area near the mouth of the Umzumbe river in the eastern corner of the property, which is more accessible by vehicle and is apparently far more impacted by invasive plants, as well as illegal dumping and sand mining.

An updated plant species list was made available to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and has been added to the species lists available on this website.