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Managing wilding pines in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa: Progress and prospects

Published Article

South Africa

Publication date: February 1, 2025

File format: URL

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Wilding pines threaten water resources, biodiversity and fire regimes in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region (CFR). Reviewing 12 years of research and management since the last major assessment, the authors document continued spread, shifting funding patterns, and emerging control strategies. Private investment has increased—especially in priority catchments near Cape Town—while government funding has declined. Progress includes renewed biological‑control research, forestry trials using lower‑fecundity species and hybrids, and more efficient herbicide‑application methods. Remaining challenges require broadening funding sources, integrating management techniques, balancing forestry needs, prioritizing high‑risk areas and raising public awareness. Effective wilding‑pine management is essential to prevent severe ecological and hydrological impacts.

Subject Tags

  • Forest
  • Ecosystem management
  • Invasive Species

Abstract

The occurrence and continuing spread of wilding pines (genus Pinus) in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa, impacts negatively on water resources, threatens the region's rich biodiversity and increases the damage caused by uncontrolled wildfires. The invasive potential and threat of wilding pines has been regularly reported since the 1940s, leading to the development and implementation of various control strategies. The last substantial review of pine invasions and their management in the CFR (in 2012) recommended several actions, including securing more sustainable funding and adopting alternative control methods. We review the last 12 years of wilding pine research and management in the CFR, and provide updates on spread and impact, government funding, payments for ecosystems services initiatives and contributions of the South African Forest industry. We note an increase in private funding, specifically to address invasion in priority catchment areas in the Greater Cape Town region, as well as a recent decline in government funding. Steps have also been taken to revive research aimed at biological control of pines originating from the Iberian Peninsula. The forest industry has deployed species with lower fecundity in some parts of the CFR and has also started experimenting with hybrids that could potentially be less invasive. New methods for applying herbicides may prove to be more efficient than currently used methods. We discuss five opportunities for addressing current shortcomings in the management of wilding pines, namely broadening sources of funding to increase sustainability, effectively integrating all available management techniques, accommodating the need for commercial forestry, focusing scarce funds on priority areas, and raising awareness. We stress that failure to contain rampant invasions by wilding pines will have far-reaching consequences for conservation in the CFR.

Citation

Martin, G., Canavan, K., Chikowore, G., Bugan, R., De Lange, W., Du Toit, B., ... & Van Wilgen, B. W. (2025). Managing wilding pines in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa: progress and prospects. South African Journal of Botany, 177, 377-391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.011

TNC Authors