Alien Invasive Pine Tree Eradication

Invasive pines have been identified as a serious threat to the resilience of Drakensberg rangelands.
Considered a landscape modifier, pines replace indigenous grassland and shrubland leading to severely
altered fire and hydrological regimes. Experimental pine plantations established at Cathedral Peak in the
1950s are regarded as the source of the invasion. However, the increase in commercial plantations,
particularly in the 1990s, along the boundary of the World Heritage Site is likely to be an important source
feeding the invasion. First reported in the early 1990s, no formal control strategy was implemented by the
management authority, a situation that persisted to 2010 when members of the Drakensberg hiking
community (www.vertical-endeavour.com), in response to a highly visible burgeoning pine population,
initiated hikes to control pines in the Cathedral Peak area. Since that time, voluntary clearing operations have
expanded to include Monks Cowl and Injasuthi.

At present, we are a group of loosely organised volunteers that aim to meet once a quarter to chop down pine
trees. There are about 22 active members but participants on any one pine hike vary from four to about ten.
In our experience, we find three-day (two nights) hikes are most productive because this provides the
opportunity for one full day of work. However, being volunteers, we place no performance pressure on
participants; everyone works at a pace they are comfortable with. Caves are used wherever possible because
of their convenience and they are much more sociable than tents! We have found that a cave guard is a
helpful team member (baboons can be a menace) while the rest of us are out hunting aliens. If someone
wants join a pine hike and read a book at camp during the day, please join us. There are a good bunch of
dedicated people on the hikes, and camp life is always a lot of fun.

Depending on their size, we use a number of methods to treat pine trees. Seedlings are generally small
enough to handpull. Saplings and poles, to about 10 cm diameter, are cut at ground level with a machete.
Anything larger, to about 20 cm diameter, is felled using a bow saw. It is really rewarding to see these bigger
trees come crashing down! The oldest and largest pine trees, referred to as “Big Mamas” because they are
now the principal source of seed for further invasion, are ring-barked. We find this is best done using a bow
saw to cut through the bark around the stem in two places about 400 mm apart, and as close to the ground as
possible. The bark and underlying cambium (the fleshy pinkish material beneath the bark responsible for
growth) is then peeled away using a machete. It is important that all the cork cambium is removed; one tiny
slither and the tree will not die. Once this is done a topical herbicide endorsed by EKZNW is applied in two
rings at the top and bottom of the cut. In our experience, these large trees die within six to twelve months.
Treating these “Big Mamas” receives priority because they are the source of the next generation of pines.

The current program is progressing well. The Vaalribbokkop catchment area has been cleared completely of
pines in just over two years. Ad hoc work has also been carried out in the Mhlwazini, Garden Castle,
Cobham and Bushman’s Nek areas. However, the scale of the pine invasion in the Drakensberg is enormous.
The second generation trees, which prompted the voluntary action by the hiking community, are now
beginning to produce cone. Easily treated now, within five years these trees will be too large to fell using
bow saws. We need more people to join this worthy cause. Our core team comes from KwaZulu_Natal but
we have a dedicated group that travels down from Gauteng for most hikes. This is a fun program that brings
together people of all ages and walks of life to deal with a serious problem that threatens the Drakensberg.

If you would like to get involved with this worthwhile work, please contact me on