In this essay I will be exploring
the environmental issue that is the threat against our biodiversity, and
specifically fynbos, due to the presence of invasive species in The Western
Cape of South Africa. The Western Cape is unique due to the endemic presence of
fynbos and holds a rich array of flora and fauna. These alien animals and
plants pose a great threat in destroying this ecological balance and therefore
causing a great loss to our environment. I will be discussing the various
threats that fynbos face and organisations that deal with the issue. I will also
be looking at various contrasting media campaigns about fynbos and invasive
species and analysing them against an alternative argument which has been
presented by scientists.
South Africa is one of the
world's six floral kingdoms and is the smallest and richest per area unit.
The vegetation spanning the country holds over 9000 species of plants with
around 6200 being endemic.[Wild Cliff] Fynbos is known for its exceptional
level of biodiversity and therefore attracts a lot of tourists interested in
visiting The Cape, to experience it. Tourism is a large source of income for
the South African economy and the scenic beauty of Table Mountain and its
natural essence plays a large role in this attraction.
Table Mountain was the focus
of a recent campaign to promote it being named one of the 7 wonders of nature. Table
Mountain in many ways symbolises the centre of biodiversity and rich Cape Flora
and Fauna for many. The campaign teamed with various South African celebrities
such as Conrad Jantjes and Soli Philander and encouraged many to vote. This
campaign drew a lot of attention and media coverage and with this tourism. In
order to maintain tourism and the beauty of Cape Town, Table Mountain and the
Floral Kingdom alike, research, investigation and measures have to be put in
place in order to protect it. [IOL TRAVEL 2011]
[Enviropedia]
Threats against Fynbos
The first major threat to fynbos
is the invasive alien species of vegetation. With the increase of global travel
there is an evident increase of these foreign plants, being brought into South
Africa. These invasive plants are highly adaptable and take root in countries
with similar climates to their originating country. 198 species of alien plants
have been identified in South Africa [David J McDonald] “Less than 20% of this
region is pristine area which exists in disconnected fragments that cannot
maintain the ecological processes required for species survival. This region
has therefore obtained the dubious global recognition as a leading site for
species extinctions. ” [WWF South Africa]
The natural occurrence of
the relocation of natural organisms across happens naturally because of various
reasons. In history many plans were shipped from Europe to North America, both
for agriculture and ornamental uses. Invasive species also travel by accident,
through clothing, packing and shipping. These relocated species then both
survive and begin to adapt and grow while others do not.[TIEE]
When these invasive alien
plant species are introduced into our environment they spread rapidly and begin
to remove and take the place of the indigenous vegetation. The pests and
parasites that would control these species of plants are not present and
therefore they continue to grow and spread with very few obstacles. (Cape Town Gov)
The first threat these alien
plants present to the fynbos is the fact that they are not as well adapted to
the dry and sandy soil conditions of the Western Cape and therefor use up the a
large amount of the available water. [David J McDonald. 2004]
The second threat is that specific
alien species burn at a much higher temperature than the fynbos. Therefore the
fynbos seeds, found in the soil very near to the surface, are destroyed. This
leaves the alien seeds ready and free to grow once the fire is over. The most
recent South Africa Yearbook states that alien plants have to this date invaded
8% of the country, over 10 million hectares with their number, over the next 15
years, projected to double.[Enviornment. 2010]
[DEMOTIX]
Fynbos is also home to many
species of small mammals that require it to survive. These mammals include
chacma, baboons, grysbok and dassies. It also presents six endemic bird species,
is also home to the world’s second rarest tortoise, the geometric tortoise and
hosts 29 endemic species of frogs.[UWC] These animals, many found in Cape Town
exclusively, face a great threat as their natural food and environment is
slowly being destroyed.
There is a lack of data
about these alien plants. “Invasive alien plants are concentrated in the
Western Cape, along the eastern seaboard, and into the eastern interior, but
there is a shortage of accurate data on abundance within this range.” (Richardson,
DM and Van Wilgen, BW. 2004) A recently media article talks about Michelle van
der Bank, who is the project leader at Johannesburg University, who is setting
out across the Western Cape with a team of team of botanists and zoologists, in
April 2012, to identify alien animal and plant species in biodiversity
hotspots. She stated that “South Africa faces one of the largest problems with
invasive plant species in the world, with the fynbos biome being a particular
vulnerable vegetation type.” [IOL NEWS 2012]
More information on invasive
species’ threat to fynbos needs to be gathered and over time organisations and
campaigns have been formed to gather this information in order to provide the
public with up to date and accurate information. “It is therefore critical that
such assessments be expanded and methodological tools disseminated in order to
provide the basic data and information necessary for informed decision-making
regarding the prevention, eradication and control of invasive species.”[GISP]
Organisations
There are various
organisations looking at the issue of alien vegetation, doing research and
creating awareness. An organisation was launched in 1995 which is generating a
lot of attention when it comes to fynbos research, education and conservation
is the Working for Water Programme led by the Department of Water Affairs and
Forestry and the Alien Vegetation Clearing Programme of the Table Mountain
National Park.
[RAINHARVEST]
When they launched they
focused on dealing with both the issue of alien plants and unemployment by
utilising social development. They focus on taking this environmental issue and
creating jobs around it for woman, the youth and the disabled. They not only conduct
research on the alien vegetation but also deal with the root of the problem and
create awareness campaigns surrounding the issue and therefore educate the
population. They also work towards creating stricter border security measures
to introduction of new of alien plants into the country.
The fact that this
organisation is creating employment is important especially in South Africa
where the level of unemployment is high. Taking something like fynbos
conservation and restoration and training people to be sustainable and protect
the environment is a great initiative and will have a positive impact on social
structures and communities involved.
Another of these
organisations is Cape Town Green Map who is an organisation dedicated to
providing tourists and locals a map with eco-friendly information and hotspots
to visit. They supply maps with information about where to recycle and many
other “green” topics with regards to our country. They keep up to date on what
the city is doing and feed back to the public on environmental prospects. They
stated that “The City is working towards a future invasive alien animal and
plant-free city.”[Cape Town Green Map]
[CAPE TOWN GREEN MAP]
Cape Town Green Map is a
highly useful tool to be on the market in South Africa, a lot of people aim to
be more environmentally conscious but do not know what to do and how to do it.
This map helps the average person find the tools and training to live a more
environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle.
Global Thoughts
Invasive species are a
problem not only in South Africa but all over the globe. They present a threat
against the biodiversity and ecosystems in many countries. “On average, around
50 non-native species are having a negative impact on existing plants and
animals in each country, ranging from nine in Equatorial Guinea to a massive
222 in New Zealand.” [Guardian UK]
These species in turn kill
out and overcrowd the areas where the native species grow. They do this through
predation, parasitism, disease, and competition [Chornesky and Randall 2003].
Another large issue that we
face with invasive species is the transportation of diseases. “Many non-native
species can act as reservoirs for disease, including insects, rodents, and
birds, which carry diseases such as yellow fever and malaria.”[Environmental Governance]
Climate change, which is a
very large topic in the media in recent times, is also effected by the invasion
of species. “Biological changes caused by heightened levels of carbon dioxide
and variations in temperature and precipitation patterns will have major
impacts on the distribution and population levels of species, in addition to
the composition and relationships between species in ecosystems.” [Environmental
governance] Climate change supposedly poses a large threat to the environment,
earth and humans as a whole, and this is why it is a highly debated issue in
recent media. After the film documentary “The Inconvenient Truth” was widely
received across the globe, many are now concerned about global warming and its
effect on the environment.
Economic development is also
put under threat by invasive species; countries spend millions of dollars on
eradicating and managing the issue that often puts their crops and forests
under threat. “Introduced plant, animal, and microbe species cause
from US$ 55 billion to 248
billion per year in losses to world agriculture.” [Bright, 1999] Therefore economic
hardship is present in many countries as a result and economic growth and
sustainable development are greatly hindered. [GISP]
Advert and Media Campaigns
The Fynbos Land Protection Campaign
The first large media
campaign is The Fynbos Land Protection Campaign which was launched by The Table
Mountain Fund, started by WWF South Africa, at their annual gala evening on 1
October 2010. [Cape Action] The Fynbos Land Protection Campaign’s main aim is
to raise funds and awareness to preserve and expand the Cape’s remaining
pristine fynbos areas. Their focus is on reclaiming Cape Town’s scenic beauty
and flourishing ecosystem.
They support a system of
“natural corridors” selected through scientific research processes. They have
taken on a very systematic and well thought out plan to support the ecosystem
and address the areas facing the most threat. “Our targeted and scientific
approach ensures that every Rand spent through the Campaign provides the most
effective conservation outcome in the Western Cape.”[WWF South Africa]
The campaign has two main
processes. The first involves the purchase of land in these corridors to
maintain pristine fynbos ecosystems or areas that are facing major threat. This
involves large upfront capital and often appealing to selling landowners with
environmental concerns. This process has great rewards and the improvements and
restorations of the ecosystem are substantial.[Table Mountain Fund]
The second is their
Stewardship Approach in which a contract is signed by both the landowners and Cape
Nature. Once this agreement is signed the landowner is then responsible for
monitoring and protecting the biodiversity on their land. They remove all alien
vegetation and protect against erosion and fires. This in turn also has a
positive effect on social structure in rural areas and employment as farmers
often take on more labourers to monitor and work on the fynbos. [Table Mountain
Fund]
The positive effect on the
community and influence on society to not only let someone else take over and
do it, but the training of farmers and workers to do it themselves adds to
greater social environmental growth. South Africans can learn to be sustainable
and productive while ensuring that biodiversity and a natural regular ecosystem
remains.
The campaign manages an
active Facebook and Twitter page, they aim to keep in touch with the community
and create awareness. They recently had an idea that raised funds as well as
the international media spot light. An online auction was held for the winner
having the privilege of naming a blue iris flower which grows on the coast of
Saldahna Bay which flowers once a year in August. It gained wide media focus
and a large amount of coverage. “London newspapers even recommended that naming
the iris after Kate Middleton would be an ideal gift from Prince William to his
soon to be bride.” Mike and Rose Hainebach from Cape Town were the winning
bidders with R550 000 being the paid amount. The money went towards the fund
and to protecting the Cape floral kingdom. [South Africa Portfolio Travel Blog
. 2011]
This initiative was
extremely clever; through this whole auction awareness was raised as to why the
right of title for this flower was being sold. Funds are needed to protect the
fynbos ecosystem and people where exposed to this fact across the globe. The
fact that R550 000 was the winning bid shows the public that it is important to
care about the environment and put our money to good use when it comes to
giving back to nature.
This auction also allowed
the public to feel that sense of ownership and know that it is for the good of
the public and that fynbos belongs to the earth and to the people of Cape Town.
This sense of ownership and feeling like you can actually do something and make
a difference is often the driving factor for people to be productive and
proactive.
Pick n Pay and Flower Valley Conservation Trust
In a recent 2012 Pick n Pay
advert Flower Valley Conservation Trust is mentioned. Flower Valley
Conservation Trust goal is to improve the way that wild fynbos is harvested for
selling. They do this in order to maintain and protect the ecosystem and in
turn sustain business for years to come. Wild Fynbos harvesting supports
natural systems and the sales and exports of the flora is economically valued
at R10 000 per year. [Fynbos Hub]
In this very uplifting and
feel good advert released by Pic n Pay, the message is “looking for goodness”
by where they show where they source their products to sell to the consumer.
Having environmentally sustainable production is a very popular topic and the
average person is becoming more and more aware of branding. Brands with a
transparent production chain are favoured and people like to know what they are
purchasing.
[Flower Valley Conservation Trust]
The lighting, angles and
music gives the viewer that feeling of warmth and security of home. The use of
the Protea, being the national flower, added a recognisable element that
everyone can connect with. The filming, lighting, actors and various other
techniques used when making the advert are done in a way to create a specific
mood and setting. These techniques work in manipulating the viewer to feel a
specific way about what they are discussing. It is not straight forward, it is
adapted and edited for the viewer to have the desired response. A response, for
this video in particular, of care and love for the environment and the community
and in turn leading you to associate that with the way you think and feel about
Pic n Pay. Therefore increasing brand loyalty and good associations with
consumer brand acknowledgment
The fact that the advert
highlights the correct care and harvesting of this threatened biome is important
and it generates the much needed attention to the topic. The way in which it
was placed alongside products that promote social development, training and
growth, constructs it in a positive light.
Hungry Pests
The third media campaign I
want to talk about is an international Public Service Announcement campaign
which was generated to draw attention to the issue of invasive species,
specifically pests, in The United States of America. The campaign was launched
by The United States Department of Agriculture in April 2012.[Hungry Pests]
The advert shows a human
alien figure whose body is made up of millions of pests. He is hitchhiking on
the side of the road and talks to the camera like a human. The advert gives
these pests a voice and shows them in a very odd and unusual figure. He speaks
about “sampling the local fair” and how he wants “just a taste of your fields
and forests.” He is constructed to look
scary and alien, in order for the viewer to be scared and realise that it is
not natural for pests to be outside of their designated areas. They also make
it very clear in the advert that it is human’s fault that these invasive
species travel to unwanted destinations through the way we pack and move our
personal belongings. It frames the issue in a way for the viewer to want to
take responsibility and the fact that we need to be careful of this issue in
our own personal capacity.
In comparison to the other
adverts highlighting natural diversity and protection of the environment and
plants, the Hungry Pests advert takes on a more direct and confrontational
approach with their alien pest figure. This scares the viewer and gives the
problem a recognisable and relatable form, whereas the other two South African
media campaigns, namely The Fynbos Land Protection Campaign and the Pick n Pay
advert take on a more conservative approach. This is probably due to the fact
that the only way to deal with the invasive species, destroying fynbos, is to
restore the land that is under threat.
Through my research I
discovered that South Africa could benefit from creating more hands on and
direct campaigns for the conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom, this could
lead to attention and in turn funding. Cape Town’s biodiversity is by far the
richest and therefore we should have strong campaigns boosting the awareness of
its conservation. South Africa should have stricter boarder control policies
and monitor what enters the county. They should create videos to train the
people who work on the boarders to correctly check the fresh produce and plants
getting transported. This is a difficult thing for a poorer country to focus on
and this is why the problem has escalated so rapidly.
Alternative Argument
A journal posted in the
Environmental Conservation by a cultural scientist Dr. Jeanine Pfeiffer
stirred up a debate around whether there is adequate research on the cultural
impact of invasive species. They set out on a scientific study and were
expecting to only discover negative impacts due to previous research. “In
reality the exact nature of the impact of an invasive species depends on many
factors, most of which haven’t been systematically studied.” [Digital Journal
2009]
Through this study they
unpacked that invasive species help cultures which have been displaced to
survive. Asian immigrants in the United States and West African descendants in
Latin America rely on foreign species to maintain the traditions of their
homelands. They use the invasive species in their food, rituals and medicine,
which allows for the rituals of their homelands to continue in their new
location. [Digital Journal 2009]
This in turn shows us that
all the media and information we hear about invasive species is claims making.
The lack of scientific evidence and research leaves one to know that there are
definitely holes in what we know about the environmental issue. The Hungry
pests advert campaign is therefore a form of claims making, stating only the
disastrous facts that these pests have, when this is not actually 100% scientifically
proven. The advert is framed in a way to only highlight the negative and not
the possible positive impacts.
Although the majority of the
impacts of invasive species are negative in South Africa, one in particular
does have a positive effect on the economy by creating jobs and employment. The
muscle, which brings in revenue for local fishermen and fishing communities
when sold, is an invasive species. “From an economic perspective, the invasion of
M.galloprovincialis has had considerably positive impacts, because the entire
mussel culture industry in South Africa is based on this alien species.” [Robinson,
TB. 2005]
As with any argument there
are two sides to the effect of invasive species on the environment of South
Africa as well as globally. Only with more research and studies will we get
closer to the truth. The problem is so large, broad and in some cases
microscopic and hard to trace that it becomes something that we just watch
unravel before our eyes. This is why what the organisations in connection with
the community who are doing work for the preservation of fynbos are a great aid
to country ensuring economic growth through tourism remains.
A team of scientists, Tomás
Carlo, Jason Gleditsch, at Penn State University have discovered that certain
invasive plants that are introduced by humans can have positive ecological outcomes.
Proving opposite to prevailing ideas, in some cases invasive species can be
beneficial to a specific ecosystem.[Science Daily 2011]
Clearly an alternative
argument can be drawn up, as with any story. We can base our opinion on what
the media tells us but it is crucial to look at both sides of the argument and
then form an opinion. Everything we are told is framed and constructed to
convey the intended opinion and message of the teller. One has to conduct their
own research in order to form a well-rounded opinion on any topic.
In conclusion, fynbos faces
great threat whether we agree with the current scientific facts presented or
not. More research does have to be done to paint the whole picture and many
organisations, taking a hand on approach, are in the process of doing so. For
the sake of South Africa’s economy, fynbos needs to be maintained and
preserved. Species across the globe have gone extinct because of ignorance and
lack of action before it was too late. The action needed to preserve this biome
is crucial as it is endemic and could one day be non-existent. The media in
South Africa need to create better awareness and create campaigns focused on
making sure that everyone has knowledge of the problem that fynbos faces with
regards to invasive species as well as other factors. Before I wrote this
essay, I myself just thought of fynbos as a dry bush that grows everywhere. I
have become desensitised and through this essay I was exposed to information
about fynbos that I never knew about. This is interesting and clearly depicts
that more people should discover the true facts about fynbos for themselves.
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