Dealing with Madeira vine

The most effective method of controlling this weed is to introduce the South American leaf-feeding beetle.

Madeira vine ( Anredera cordifolia) is a branched climber with semi-succulent, heart-shaped leaves and stems. Fragrant white flower spikes are produced in late summer and autumn. Plants reproduce from aerial tubers in the axils of the leaves, which fall to the ground and take root.

Madeira vine is native to subtropical South America and a Category 1 alien weed in South Africa. It was introduced here as a garden ornamental, and was first recorded as having escaped cultivation in 1894. It is now fairly widespread in the country.

Although the vine is found in many habitats, riparian ecosystems are especially vulnerable to invasion. It is fast-growing and quickly drapes itself over surrounding vegetation, eventually climbing into the canopy, where it may reach as high as 40m. The weight of the dense covering of foliage sometimes causes the canopy to collapse.

When horizontal growth develops into a dense ground cover, the vine inhibits the growth and regeneration of surrounding plants.

control

Both mechanical and chemical control methods can be used to control Madeira vine, but these are time-consuming, costly, and require regular follow-up treatment. Mechanical control may be effective in new infestations, but eradication of the tubers, which grow both above and below ground, is difficult.

Special care must be taken to ensure that all fragments of vine are removed from the canopy, as these may survive, unrooted, for up to two years.

Although a herbicide has been registered for use on Madeira vine, there is the risk of other plants being affected due to the

make these known via signs and/or leaflets at access points. • Will you be providing accommodation facilities? If so, you will need to decide which form these will take. Will they be campsites, for example, or chalets? Before developing the facilities, carefully consider their ecological footprint as well as their access to services. • Roads might need to be built or existing ones improved. Frequently used roads will require ongoing maintenance to prevent erosion.

• Depending on the activities, health and safety precautions might have to be considered. This is particularly important where water sport activities are allowed. • If you are considering stocking the area with game, waterholes and feeding stations may need to be installed. These might affect where your other developments are located. You will also have to plan stocking rates.

Infrastructure

Before any building or developing can take place, you will need to develop a tourism and recreation management plan or a conservation development framework. This has to include the design of the development, as well as the position of access routes, infrastructure and other facilities. It should also outline the potential effects and how to manage these.

Certain uses and facilities might trigger listed activities under the National Environmental Management Act and thus require an environmental impact assessment, for which you will need to contact an environmental assessment practitioner.

For advice or guidance on any of these issues, visit capegateway. gov.za, or consult CapeNature, or your local municipality.

• Source: ‘Tourism & Recreation Use’. Retrieved from conservationatwork. co.za/conservation-guidelines.

Denene Erasmus RIGHT: Where a farmer decides to use a natural area on the property for tourism or recreational use, care must be taken to ensure that biodiversity is not compromised.