Articles
THE FLOWER PICKING INDUSTRY IN RELATION TO MOUNTAIN CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT IN THE FYNBOS
Article number
185_19
Pages
181 – 188
Language
Abstract
Private land in proclaimed catchment areas must be managed to ensure an optimum sustained yield of high quality water through maintainance of the vegetation.
Wildflower picking is a form of landuse practised in many catchment areas.
Current restrictions call for the removal of not more than 50% of the blooms of a plant each year, provided that no picking is carried out for one year prior to a planned fire.
This paper presents data on the utilization levels of Proteaceae on private land in the western Cape.
These levels are often well above the recommended 50%. The viability of canopy stored seeds declines at varying rates depending on the species.
More realistic rules should prescribe different levels of utilization for different species to ensure sustained yields, but the problem is complicated by the effects of season of fire which cause considerable variation in seedling recruitment.
Unplanned fires burn 60% of the mountain areas, and heavy picking followed by unplanned fires can result in very poor regeneration.
The lack of a sound understanding of seed biology and an inability to prevent unplanned fires currently make the picking of wild populations of serotinous Proteaceae risky.
The practice should therefore be discouraged in favour of cultivation.
Wildflower picking is a form of landuse practised in many catchment areas.
Current restrictions call for the removal of not more than 50% of the blooms of a plant each year, provided that no picking is carried out for one year prior to a planned fire.
This paper presents data on the utilization levels of Proteaceae on private land in the western Cape.
These levels are often well above the recommended 50%. The viability of canopy stored seeds declines at varying rates depending on the species.
More realistic rules should prescribe different levels of utilization for different species to ensure sustained yields, but the problem is complicated by the effects of season of fire which cause considerable variation in seedling recruitment.
Unplanned fires burn 60% of the mountain areas, and heavy picking followed by unplanned fires can result in very poor regeneration.
The lack of a sound understanding of seed biology and an inability to prevent unplanned fires currently make the picking of wild populations of serotinous Proteaceae risky.
The practice should therefore be discouraged in favour of cultivation.
Publication
Authors
B.W. van Wilgen, A.J. Lamb
Keywords
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