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Evaluating the potential for natural ecosystem recovery in cut-and-fill wetlands: case study of Pietersielieskloof palmiet wetland, South Africa

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Abstract

Cut-and-fill processes, characteristic of many valley-bottom wetlands, present a major challenge to practitioners planning wetland restoration. It is not clear whether the current synchronicity and spatial scale of incision is ‘natural’, and whether these wetlands will naturally recover without intervention during the ‘fill’ phase. The aim of this study, focussed on a Prionium serratum dominated valley-bottom wetland in South Africa, was to evaluate the potential for natural ecosystem recovery in the context of current catchment constraints. Historical rainfall records, aerial photography and a DGPS survey were used to contextualise geomorphic processes. The sedimentology of alluvial fill was investigated by sampling sediment profiles. Samples were analysed for particle size and organic content, five were dated using radiocarbon. Sedimentology and radiocarbon dates were used to ascertain phases of incision and aggradation along wetland reaches. While several phases of incision are represented in the record, none were represented in more than one location, suggesting phases of erosion and subsequent deposition were spatially and temporally segregated. The current synchronous phase of incision across the wetland is therefore unprecedented. Analysis of sedimentation rates indicate that infilling of the gully decreases exponentially over time. Infilling of a 3m deep gully in the Pietersielieskloof wetland under natural catchment conditions is estimated to take ~ 5000 years. Analysis suggests that there has been a reduction in wetland resilience over the last century, and that a change in catchment hydrology and sediment supply has altered this system such that it has crossed a geomorphic threshold.

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Acknowledgements

This work is based on research supported by the South African National Biodiversity Institute in collaboration with Department of Environmental Affairs, Natural Resources Management Programmes - Working for Wetlands by funding a bursary for MFM and covering the majority of the research costs. The remaining research costs were supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant Number: 126382). We would like to thank the landowners of the Overberg region for their hospitality, as well as students and colleagues who helped in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    S. E. Grenfell

  2. Department of Geography, Environmental Studies and Tourism, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

    M. F. Mamphoka

  3. Institute for Water Studies, Department of Earth Science, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

    M. C. Grenfell

  4. Freshwater Biodiversity Unit, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Rhodes Avenue, Cape Town, South Africa

    N. Job

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  1. S. E. Grenfell
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  2. M. F. Mamphoka
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  3. M. C. Grenfell
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  4. N. Job
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Correspondence to S. E. Grenfell.

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Grenfell, S.E., Mamphoka, M.F., Grenfell, M.C. et al. Evaluating the potential for natural ecosystem recovery in cut-and-fill wetlands: case study of Pietersielieskloof palmiet wetland, South Africa. Wetlands Ecol Manage 28, 863–882 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-020-09756-7

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