The Tulbagh renosterveld Project

Ismail Ebrahim

The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot and has recently received World Heritage status. Renosterveld, which occurs in lowland areas, is the most threatened vegetation type in the CFR. Only 5% of this fragmented vegetation remains, predominately on privately owned land. The Tulbagh area has been identified as a priority for conservation of renosterveld in the threatened lowlands. There are 46 threatened plant species in the area. Little is known of their distribution and status. This project aims to involve local volunteers in mapping and surveying remaining renosterveld fragments for populations of threatened and endemic species. This information will be used to assess the Red List status of these species and to prioritize sites for conservation.