Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
24 March 2025 | 13:00 CAT
2 min read

A groundbreaking discovery in South Africa’s Cape floristic region has revealed underground seed banks that have remained viable for over a century, offering a rare opportunity for ecological restoration. Despite decades of alien tree invasion, these dominant seeds have survived, holding the potential to revive the country’s endangered fynbos ecosystems.

Dr Alanna Rebelo, Senior Researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, explained the concept of underground seed banks and their significance in preserving biodiversity in an interview with Radio Islam International. “It is just like a bank that stores your money, and that is why they call it seed banks. It is a bank that stores seeds. Some of these seed banks are above the ground in cones, while others are below the ground in the soil. It is like having different vaults within the bank,” she said.

She highlighted the Cape’s ecological richness, emphasising its global importance. “We are one of the biodiversity hotspots and the smallest floral kingdom. To become a floral kingdom, you need enough species to be of global importance. We have that, but not only that, it is the smallest one,” she said.

Dr Rebelo noted that just in the Cape floristic region, we have possibly more plant species than the whole of Africa. However, the restoration of fynbos faces significant challenges, primarily due to invasive species such as pine and eucalyptus trees. “These trees totally outcompete the fynbos. They invade, grow tall, and shade out the fynbos, causing it to die,” she said. In addition to invasive species, urban expansion has also led to the loss of crucial fynbos habitats, particularly in the Cape Flats.

The discovery of viable seeds from species once thought extinct provides new hope for conservation efforts. “It is basically like having a time capsule that got buried a hundred years ago before the commercial plantations came in. Now we get to unwrap it,” Dr Rebelo explained. She highlighted one example, Tokai Park, where pine plantations have been slowly removed. “We have been making new discoveries all the time, including new populations of species we did not know about and even a new species to science,” she added.

South Africa has committed to restoring 30% of its degraded ecosystems by 2030, but urgent action is needed. “Cape Flats Sand Fynbos has only 5% conserved. That is another 25% we need to go out and find, conserve, and restore,” Dr Rebelo said.

She emphasised the urgent need to protect the last remaining patches of fynbos and clear invasive alien trees, as well as the need for immediate efforts to meet global biodiversity targets. “Even if we do all of that, we are going to be struggling to make our 30% So we need to get cracking,” she said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Muallimah Annisa Essack and Dr Alanna Rebelo – Senior Researcher, Agricultural Research Council, here.