The process of restoring the forest at Suni-Ridge

Dr. Theodorus Hendrik Cornelis Mostert

The land parcel associated with Suni-Ridge used to be covered by pristine Sand Forest vegetation. During the 1950’s large sections of Sand Forest, including the Farm that was to be renamed Suni-Ridge, were cleared for pineapple cultivation. Due to this extensive clearing for agricultural purposes, Sand Forests have been classified as Critically Endangered of becoming extinct if drastic intervention steps are not taken by conservation authorities to prevent further degradation to the remaining forest patches and to restore degraded sections.

In 1991 Janet and Rob Cuthbertson bought what is now known as Suni-Ridge with the aim of restoring the natural order and to rehabilitate this pineapple farm back towards its original state of Sand Forest. With their eyes fixed on the long-term goal and dogged determination they diligently cleared all the exotic vegetation and fought the never-ending battle against invasive alien plant species within the confines of their property. This gave nature the chance to start and continue the slow process of succession back towards the original Sand Forest vegetation state. The fact that this property is directly adjacent to pristine Sand Forest sections within the world-renowned iSimagaliso Wetland Park played a very important role in the success of this rehabilitation process.

The neighbouring pristine ecosystem acted as a source of seed and propagules to repopulate Suni-Ridge with Sand Forest plant species. In addition, iSimagaliso Wetland Park also contains all the necessary seed dispersers (insect, bird and mammal species) to help transfer viable seeds to Suni-Ridge. Over the years, Suni-Ridge has transformed from a monoculture of pineapples to a highly diverse nature reserve, comprising of a mosaic of Sandy Bushveld and some early-stage Sand Forest patches. Although the rehabilitation process is still in progress, some successional climax species of mature Sand Forest vegetation such as Newtonia hildebrandtii and Dialium sclechteri) have in place, the ecological processes needed for their return.

Many areas on the game reserve have now entered the closed-canopy phase of ecological succession. It is especially in these patches of closed-canopied forest that there has been a dramatic increase in slow-growing hardwood Sand Forest tree species. These include Cleistanthus schlechteri, Hymenocardia ulmoides, Ochna arborea, Pappea capensis, Ptaeroxylon obliquum, Schotia brachypetala, Sideroxylon inerme, Trichilia emetica and Vepris reflexa.

The process of Suni-Ridge rehabilitation and protection of its habitat, continues with ongoing dedication.