Eradicating alien infestation delivers overwhelming benefits to the regional economy, to the people who live there, and its results create opportunities for a sustainable future in the longer term. The tourism potential of the mountain in the form of hiking trails, mountain bike routes, and accommodation can only be developed once a reasonable portion of the mountain is cleared of alien infestation.
Invasive alien vegetation is the greatest contributor to biodiversity-loss on the mountain. As the greatest destroyer of the mountain as a unique potential eco-tourism destination, we have been targeting this threat by Biological Control, Chemical Control, Manual Clearing and Controlled Burns.
Biological Control
Several factors enable invasive alien vegetation to become invaders, the most important of which are the absence of their natural enemies. This fact makes it possible to control invasive species by importing some of their natural enemies and in that way remove some of their competitive advantages over the indigenous vegetation. The Conservancy has introduced biological control on invasive species such as Hakea and Black Wattle with good results. The major threat remains the invasive Pine infestation, which cannot be biologically controlled due to the potential danger to the commercial forestry industry. Large patches of Hakea infestation in the Conservancy have been eradicated and the entire Black Wattle infestation has been rendered infertile by a natural insect-enemy that attacks the flower and prevents it from producing new seed. Although, the old seed may possibly remain in the ground for 25 more years and germinate some time in future, the momentum has been halted with no new seed being produced for future generations to fight against.
Chemical Control
The use of registered herbicides is a costly method of controlling alien infestation if used on large areas by aerial spraying. Combined with the potential danger to surrounding crops, livestock, fruit orchards or water sources, this method is only viable under dedicated management and control by suitably qualified people. Chemical control also holds some risk to the indigenous vegetation, which is the Conservancy’s aim to restore. Based on these factors, the Conservancy has to date been limiting chemical control only to specific local application on stumps of felled trees or dropped young seedlings to prevent regrowth. New knowledge and new technology may develop, but at this stage of pursuing our objectives, chemical control is not an option of priority.
Mechanical Control
Due to the topography of the mountain and the inaccessibility by clearing machinery to large areas of infestation, this method has never been a viable option for the Conservancy, and it is not foreseen to becoming an option soon.
Manual Control
The first and most important aspect of the manual control method, is to have an agreed plan. Without an agreed plan it is unlikely that the chosen destination will be reached.
The chosen destination of this conservancy is our Vision-2030: To have 80% of the Klein Swartberg Mountain cleared of invasive alien infestation by the end of 2030. To achieve this, an Alien Clearing Plan was developed with the assistance of valued collaborators: Endangered Wildlife Trust, Bionerds and Fynbos Trust. This plan demarcated the entire mountain into 41 Alien Clearing Units each with data on the type of alien infestation, the age and density of the growth and a set of priorities to direct the program of the manual clearing teams.

Controlled Burns:
Fynbos is dependent on fire to the extent that without fire, fynbos could not exist. Therefore, in the process of alien vegetation management, fire is inextricably linked to the success of ecosystem management.
Fire is the most effective way of eradicating an existing infestation of invasive alien vegetation provided that a controlled burn for this purpose is executed at the right time within the annual fire-season during the dry and hot summer months of February and March.
A controlled burn is costly to execute. It requires considerable planning, preparation and investment years in advance. In addition, it is always a give and take situation between the conflicting mandates of Cape Nature, the principles of Conservation, the Regional Economy and the Fire Protection Services of the local authority. But on a per hectare basis, it remains the most efficient and cost-effective way of controlling alien infestation. All controlled burns are executed in compliance with the National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998 with a fire-plan of the targeted block approved by the Fire Protection Agency and the Local Authority’s Fire Chief.
Since 2021 a total area of approximately 2 000 hectares of the mountain have been initially cleared by 4 separate controlled burns. A controlled burn area has to be followed up for about 4 consecutive years with manual clearing to control any regrowth and fell any trees that may have survived the fire to prevent new seeds developing.

The planning process and execution of a controlled burn.