Researchers have uncovered a remarkable discovery in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region: underground seed banks, dating back over 130 years, containing viable fynbos seeds. These natural storage systems in the soil have preserved seeds from fynbos—a unique plant community exclusive to South Africa, featuring iconic species like proteas, ericas, and restios—despite more than a century of pine plantation cover. This finding overturns previous assumptions that fynbos seed banks, when invaded by alien trees like pine, wattle, and eucalyptus, rarely survive beyond three generations, or roughly 24-36 years.

The study focused on the endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos at Tokai Park, part of Table Mountain National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Only 5% of this ecosystem remains conserved, with just 1% intact, largely due to urban development and invasive alien species introduced by colonizers in the 1800s for timber. These trees smothered native fynbos, yet beneath the plantations, dormant seeds persisted. An accidental fire in the 1990s at Tokai Park first hinted at this resilience, as fynbos regenerated from seeds triggered by heat and smoke—a natural mechanism for germination in this fire-adapted vegetation.

To confirm these observations, researchers examined soil samples from Tokai Park after pine removal, testing seed viability in nurseries using smoke treatments. The results were astonishing: a high number of live seeds from diverse fynbos species, including some thought extinct, others rare, and even one previously unknown to science, had endured over a century of suppression. This suggests the soil acts as a "time capsule," preserving a snapshot of historical fynbos ecosystems and offering hope for ecological restoration—reintroducing native species to degraded areas.

The Cape Flats Sand Fynbos at Tokai Park is globally significant, hosting 14 endemic species and over 42 Red List plants, including the Whorl Heath, now being revived. Yet challenges remain. Only 5% of this fynbos type is conserved, and South Africa’s goal to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 hinges on such efforts. Restoration at Tokai has progressed incrementally, with pine plantations felled in phases, but delays persist. The forestry company leasing the land has not met its 2024 harvest deadline, and some groups advocate keeping pines for shade, resisting fynbos recovery.

These ancient seed banks provide a cost-effective restoration opportunity, requiring only fire to spark spontaneous regrowth. However, their longevity is uncertain, and without urgent action—clearing aliens and initiating restoration burns—this ecological treasure could be lost forever.

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