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Afrikaanse Inligting
Sand to Namib
Sending in SRS done in the
Swartberg is like carting sand to the Namib .... Please note the fate of the two Au
cancellata reported in AWA 950204 01 - the mother tree is dead and the baby has been
chopped off by hackers. We pointed out to them that this is not a Pine. Kitty Williams,
George
This particular case is instructive. Although Kitty and Austin Williams have atlassed Aulax cancellata once before, it has only been atlassed in the area on one other occasion. But even so, we have no more data on when it flowers or grows for the entire Groot Swartberg. Two records do not tell us much about what this species in this unusual habitat is doing. We desperately need such data. Please, never assume that other people have atlassed a site! Furthermore, it is incorrect to assume that if you have atlassed it once, then it is superfluous to atlas it again. We ideally want data for every month from every site over the 10 years that the atlas project will run for. Thus, especially with rare species, or plants at the edges of their species' distribution ranges, or plants in unusual habitats, we do need more data. It is for this very purpose that the Repeat Sight Record Sheet was developed. Details are provided on page 58 of the Protea Atlas Manual. Please make use of them if you visit the same area repeatedly (for holidays, hacks or the hell of it).
The problem is that we are not in the Namib, and we need the sand! As it turns out we have only 9 SRS for the whole of the Groot Swartberg for April. A few more SRS would have been gratefully appreciated.
Tony Rebelo
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