Zandvlei Trust

Zandvlei Inventory and Monitoring Programme   (ZIMP)

Botany group report  12 September 2005

1. STRESSING about the City Council mowing all the grass whenever flowers appear in the spring! This prevents pollination and viability of populations of plants all over the place. I know that Robin Burnett has discussed this problem in the Lakeside area with Gavin and the relevant authorities are being approached.

2. Mounting of field specimens is down to the last few families, Fabaceae and Poaceae. We are now trying to collect only where we have gaps in the record relevant to the checklist. Flowering times are being monitored carefully to catch things at the right time. The photography is proving to be a challenge as we have lost a few members from the group too.

3. Several of us have been watching with great interest to see what has flowered on the burnt sections of Steenberg above Boyes Drive and on the Plateau itself. Both Robin and I have recorded some of the findings.

4. Our latest trip was into the Bath Road area which is particularly good at this time of the year and there are several species there which do not occur elsewhere in the GZENR. We have also collected some of the more succulent growth forms of particular species from the dune area near the Zandvlei mouth.

photograph by Steve Davis

Saltera sarcocolla at the Bath Road site.

5. In line with requests from Timm and Gavin to produce a “State of Zandvlei” report at the end of the year, we are currently working on the Botanical input for this and will submit our proposals and framework by the end of September.

6. I am preparing a disc with some interesting photos of the ZIMP botany group at work and will contact Gavin when I have it done so that it can go onto the website perhaps? This will probably be at the talks next week or so, as my time is taken up with poster preparation this week.

7. We will be contacting Vicky at Working for Wetlands as she has been approached by Erica to look at sensitive areas to be excluded from controlled burns etc. within the reserve. I have tried contacting Erica on a few occasions but she is obviously very busy. This type of project must take account of Doug’s bird ringing sites and toad monitoring as well so maybe the ZVT can facilitate all party’s concerns being addressed before this goes ahead?

8. Lastly, we are looking for a suitable cupboard in which to house the herbarium at the Reserve. We have seen some good designs being used elsewhere but these have all been custom built and obviously expensive. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. We don’t want to jeopardize four year’s worth of work! In terms of curatorship, it is important that the specimens remain dry and free from insect attack! Els Dorrat is handling this procurement so she is the best one to talk to on  (021) 788 9038.

Steve Davis.