Fight for the Light: Fynbos vs Invasive Alien Plants

Silent battles rage on slopes and in valleys of the Walker Bay area. A race for light, nutrients and space is underway within the ever-changing landscape. 

This mosaic consists of pristine vegetation, anywhere between 5 and 20 years old, mixed with swathes of young veld undergoing ecological succession after the fires gave the landscape a blank slate. Whether they are resprouters or reseeders, fynbos plants are stimulated to restart life cycles within these open patches that have been on hold for many years. 

One of the conservancy’s most treasured plants, Gladiolus overbergensis, is in full flower seven months after fires swept through the landscape. 

A plant listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List that flowers exclusively after fire, this plant’s greatest threat is the encroachment of invasive alien vegetation on their suitable habitat. More than a decade may pass between flowering events, where many never get to see this plant in all its splendour. Surrounded by a particularly nasty invasive alien plant, Stinkbean (Paraserianthes lophantha), these Gladioli reflect the dire situation facing many fynbos species after the recent fires in the Overberg.

Peppered throughout the landscape are intimidating amounts of invasive alien vegetation, in direct competition with fynbos, as is evident in these Babiana nana being overtaken by Port Jackson (Acacia saligna). A fight that is unbalanced, as invasive alien plants are usually adapted to colonise favourable areas quicker than indigenous fynbos, leaving our native flora at a disadvantage.

However, the persistence of fynbos in the face of competition with invasive species is a reminder of its resilience. An encouraging indication that, if we act now to remove these competitors, we can even out the odds.