Most of South Africa's fresh water is produced by the Great Escarpment – especially the Drakensberg Mountains in the east, and the Cape Fold range in the south-west.
Most of South Africa's fresh water is produced by the Great Escarpment – especially the Drakensberg Mountains in the east, and the Cape Fold range in the south-west.
These mark the transition from the high central plateau that dominates most of the country, and the surrounding coastal lowlands.
Not only is the Great Escarpment our biggest source of fresh water; it also hosts a large proportion of the country's unique plants and animals – key to its biodiversity.
The research that botanist and mountain ecologist Dr Ralph Clark does takes him to interesting places in southern Africa. The biodiversity research he is involved in there is used to assist conservation-based decisions, advise landowners, and as part of other forms of research (eg systematics and climate change).
Clark's research made him realise what a massive problem alien invasive species are, not only in mountain areas but across the South African landscape.
Alien Invasives:
* Reduce agricultural productivity – for example, jointed cactus makes valuable grazing land unusable.
* Use up valuable water – for example, a single bluegum tree can consume 250 litres of water a day.
* Because they pose a high fire risk, they can also affect your insurance premiums.
* They can be expensive: land owners are liable to prosecution in terms of environmental regulations if they fail to clear or control alien invasives on their property.
So over and above his academic research, Clark was spurred to do something practical.
Enter the Alien SWAT Team, which offers advice, property assessments and practical assistance in alien control.
Clark also writes a bi-weekly column in Grocott's Mail advising land owners how to recognise and deal with alien invasive plant species.
To contact The Alien SWAT Team call Clark at 072 439 8981 or Timothy Mattison at 060 527 7816.
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