Companionship like no other (Part 3) – a twist by Alheit du Toit
June 23, 2021
Creating a positive company culture – by Mieke Schoeman
July 23, 2021
Invasive Alien Plants (IAP)…. what are they? Where do they come from?
We have slightly ventured into the unknown of the extra-terrestrial Alien Invasive Species in Part 3 – Companionship like no other. We investigated the mutual relationship between Gum trees (Eucalyptus sp) and Honey bees.
Well, the venture into what a IAP is starts now.
Invasive alien plants are plants that are non-native to an ecosystem, to simplify it this means they are plants that do not occur naturally in the natural areas of your surroundings. These plants may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human health.
As they are invasive to the natural surroundings, they can have a detrimental impact on biodiversity, including decline or elimination of native species (plants which naturally occur in the area). This could be due to competition, disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions, faster growth, higher seed counts etc. They also have a negative impact on the environment by decreasing both surface water runoff and groundwater recharge, causing direct habitat destruction, intensify flooding, and increasing the risk and possibly intensify wildfires.
Now what are these unknown aliens?
It is stated in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 that landowners are under legal obligation to control invasive alien plants occurring on their properties. Landowners must identify all invasive alien plants on their property and make use of the correct methods to control or remove these plants. Some of the most common IAP which you probably know other than the Eucalyptus sp are Port Jacksons, Black Wattle, Rooikrans, Silky Hakea and many more. The regulations identify 383 plant species as invasive in four different categories. These categories are as follow:
- Category 1a and 1b: Must be removed and destroyed immediately.
- Category 2: May be grown if a permit is obtained and the landowner ensures that the invasive species do not spread beyond his/ her property.
- Category 3: May not be planted.
As landowner are obligated to identify and manage these plants according to the category which they fall under, and an Invasive Alien Clearing Plan should be developed to manage these plants. The general guide to develop a clearing plan should include the following information:
3.1 Compile a list of Invasive Species for the Area
3.2 Describing the parts of the relevant land that are infested with Listed Invasive Species
3.3 Assessing the extent of infestations. Including a map.
3.4 Reporting on the efficacy of previous control or eradication measures
3.5 The current measures to monitor, control or eradicate Listed Invasive Species
3.6 The measurable indicators of progress and success, and indications of when the Control Plan is to be completed.
Do you need assistance with the monitoring and identification of these plants? Do you need to develop a clearing plan? Or apply for demarcation permits? Contact us at Skyvines (Info@skyvines.co.za or quality2@skyvines.co.za) if you require any assistance in this
A quick quiz for those who would like to challenge their knowledge on Invasive Alien Plants:
