We present new stable oxygen and carbon isotope composite records (δ18O, δ13C) of speleothems from Sandkraal Cave 1 (SK1) on the South African south coast for the time interval between 104 and 18 ka (with a hiatus between 48 and 41 ka). Statistical comparisons using kernel-based correlation analyses and semblance analyses based on continuous wavelet transforms inform the relationships of the new speleothem records to other proxies and their changes through time. Between 105 and ~70 ka, changes of speleothem δ18O values at SK1 are likely related to rainfall seasonality. Variations of δ13C values are associated with changes of vegetation density, prior carbonate precipitation (PCP), CO2 degassing in the cave, and possibly variations of the abundance of C3 and C4 grasses in the vegetation. The relationships of δ18O with other proxies shift between ~70 and 48 ka (Marine Isotope Stages 4–3) so that both stable isotope records now reflect CO2 degassing, evaporation, and PCP. Similar relationships also continue after the hiatus for the deposition phase between 42 and 18 ka. Our findings support modeling results suggesting drier conditions in the study area when the Southern Hemisphere westerlies are shifted north and the paleo–Agulhas Plain is exposed.

Knowledge of ecological patterns and processes is key to effective conservation of biodiversity hotspots under threat. Renosterveld is one of the most critically endangered habitats in the biologically unique Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. For the first time, we map and synthesize the current state of knowledge on renosterveld ecology and conservation. We investigated 132 studies for the themes, locations and taxa of renosterveld research and the fragmentation, threats, recommendations and barriers to renosterveld conservation. More studies focused on plants than any other taxa (48% of articles) and are conducted mostly in larger, intact renosterveld fragments. The most commonly identified threat to renosterveld was agricultural intensification; conservation recommendations spanned improved farming practices, formal protection and local patch management. Conservation implementation has been piecemeal and has depended largely on the goodwill of landowners, which can be constrained by costs of conservation measures and a lack of suitable restoration means. Citizen science is a promising potential solution to some barriers. Fragmented knowledge in such a transformed and relatively densely populated region highlights the scale of knowledge gaps for other biodiversity hotspots and has implications for ongoing conservation work.

Rose's mountain toad Capensibufo rosei survives in a few isolated montane populations in the south-western Cape of South Africa. It comprises several cryptic species but it is uncertain whether the lineage on the Cape Peninsula is distinct. We tested the hypothesis that toads from the Peninsula form a single genetic lineage but that different breeding sites are divergent at a population level as a result of limited dispersal abilities. Directed surveys were carried out to locate breeding sites and samples obtained were analysed in a phylogenetic and population genetic framework, using two mitochondrial markers. We found toads breeding at only one of five known historical breeding sites, although one new breeding site was also recorded. No toads were observed at 15 other non-breeding localities where they were historically observed. Toads from the two active breeding sites formed a single lineage that was sufficiently distinct to be given species status. However, these were discrete at a population level, with no shared haplotypes, suggesting no gene flow between sites. One site was particularly low in genetic diversity, implying increased vulnerability to stochastic events and elevated risk of extinction. These results, coupled with the failure to locate historically known sites on the Cape Peninsula, make this newly recognized Peninsula endemic a conservation priority. Efforts should focus on the protection and expansion of the two known surviving populations and the patches of habitat upon which they rely.

The Triglochin bulbosa complex (Juncaginaceae) from the Mediterranean region and Africa is revised. One new species, Triglochin buchenaui Köcke, Mering & Kadereit, and two new subspecies, Triglochin bulbosa subsp. calcicola Mering, Köcke & Kadereit and Triglochin bulbosa subsp. quarcicola Mering, Köcke & Kadereit, are described from South Africa. The only two Mediterranean taxa in the complex (Triglochin barrelieri, T. laxiflora) are elevated to species rank. Altogether seven species and four subspecies are recognised: Triglochin barrelieri, T. buchenaui, T. bulbosa subsp. bulbosa, T. bulbosa subsp. calcicola, T. bulbosa subsp. quarcicola, T. bulbosa subsp. tenuifolia, T. compacta, T. elongata, T. laxiflora and T. milnei. An identification key, detailed descriptions and accounts of the ecology and distribution of the taxa are provided. An IUCN conservation status is proposed for each taxon.

In terms of the persistence of biodiversity, the siting of conservation areas has traditionally been ad hoc. In the Cape Floristic Region, a hot-spot of plant biodiversity and endemism, past conservation interventions have led to the mountains being over-represented in the reserve network, while the lowlands have remained very poorly conserved. Ongoing threats to the lowlands such as the rampant spread of invasive alien plants, and land transformation for agriculture and resort development, continue to undermine biodiversity in these regions. A new conservation intervention, the Agulhas National Park, is in the process of being implemented on the coastal lowlands at Africa's southernmost tip. A flexible, reserve-selection design tool is being used to guide this process. The practical challenges in implementing a new protected area in a fragmented landscape, which has a high biodiversity and vulnerability, are examined. The role of different institutions, in partic-in particular state-private partnerships, and current investigations into conservation agencies' policies, legislation and funding mechanisms are dealt with. It is imperative that future conservation planning considers the threats to biodiversity first and foremost. Institutions such as South African National Parks and the Cape Nature Conservation Board must act strategically to avoid changes in land use that will compromise the biodiversity goals of retention and persistence. Conservation efforts will only succeed if institutional and socio-economic considerations are integrated with conservation plans aimed at ensuring the long-term persistence of biodiversity.