Following British occupation, the country’s population expanded and settlements
developed in what are now the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (Deacon 1986).
With the discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1870), the population expanded
further and moved into the interior of the country (Deacon 1986). Roads were built
to link the mines to main ports and the large-scale construction of railways began
(Mitchell 2014a, b). The development of settlements in new areas and the building of
transport infrastructure meant that the introduction of alien taxa was no longer
confined to the Western Cape, and the increased movement of goods and people
around the country likely facilitated the within-country dispersal of alien taxa (see
Box 12.1 for an example).
Many of the taxa introduced through the pathways that arose, or became more
important during this period, have become invasive and have had major impacts. For
example, Opuntia ficus-indica, which was introduced by the Dutch (Henderson 2006),
as well as many of the taxa introduced for forestry [like Acacia mearnsii (Black
Wattle), Hakea drupacea (Sweet Hakea) and Pinus halepensis (Aleppo Pine) (Richardson et al. 2003)], horticulture [like Lantana camara (Lantana) (Henderson 2001;
Bromilow 2010)], fishing [like Salmo trutta (Brown Trout) (Weyl et al. 2017)] and to
‘improve’ the local flora and fauna [like Sturnus vulgaris (European Starling) and
Sciurus carolinensis (Grey Squirrel) (see Measey et al. 2020, Chap. 5, Sect. 5.3)].
12.2.2.3 Post-colonial Period (1910–1994)
Global trade continued to increase gradually in the first half of the twentieth century,
but from 1950 began to accelerate (Hulme 2009). This increase was facilitated by
important technological developments, including containerisation and aviation,
which allowed for increasing amounts of goods and people to be rapidly transported
around the world (Hulme 2009). Globalisation and the increasing intensity and speed
of trade and travel had a large impact on the introduction of alien taxa (Hulme 2009).
Although during the first half of the twentieth century the global rate of introduction
gradually increased, with temporary declines during the world wars, after 1950 there
was an exponential increase in the rate at which alien taxa were introduced around
the world (Seebens et al. 2017). Similar to what was seen globally, and mirroring
trends in South Africa’s commodity imports (Fig. 12.6), the rate at which taxa were
introduced to South Africa increased during the twentieth century, with a particularly
large increase after 1950 (Fig. 12.5). Technological developments also affected the
pathways through which taxa were introduced to South Africa (for an example see
Box 12.3). Further development of transport networks, and increasing traffic along
them, led to some existing pathways becoming more important in the introduction of
alien taxa. These pathways included those that facilitate the introduction of stowaway and contaminant organisms (Fig. 12.3). For instance, Mytilus galloprovincialis
(Mediterranean Mussel), a widespread marine invasive species, was detected in the
late 1970s and was likely introduced as a stowaway by ships, either through
biofouling or in ballast water (Branch and Nina Steffani 2004; Robinson et al.
2020, Chap. 9). However, new technologies also led to the development of new
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K. T. Faulkner et al.
developed in what are now the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (Deacon 1986).
With the discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1870), the population expanded
further and moved into the interior of the country (Deacon 1986). Roads were built
to link the mines to main ports and the large-scale construction of railways began
(Mitchell 2014a, b). The development of settlements in new areas and the building of
transport infrastructure meant that the introduction of alien taxa was no longer
confined to the Western Cape, and the increased movement of goods and people
around the country likely facilitated the within-country dispersal of alien taxa (see
Box 12.1 for an example).
Many of the taxa introduced through the pathways that arose, or became more
important during this period, have become invasive and have had major impacts. For
example, Opuntia ficus-indica, which was introduced by the Dutch (Henderson 2006),
as well as many of the taxa introduced for forestry [like Acacia mearnsii (Black
Wattle), Hakea drupacea (Sweet Hakea) and Pinus halepensis (Aleppo Pine) (Richardson et al. 2003)], horticulture [like Lantana camara (Lantana) (Henderson 2001;
Bromilow 2010)], fishing [like Salmo trutta (Brown Trout) (Weyl et al. 2017)] and to
‘improve’ the local flora and fauna [like Sturnus vulgaris (European Starling) and
Sciurus carolinensis (Grey Squirrel) (see Measey et al. 2020, Chap. 5, Sect. 5.3)].
12.2.2.3 Post-colonial Period (1910–1994)
Global trade continued to increase gradually in the first half of the twentieth century,
but from 1950 began to accelerate (Hulme 2009). This increase was facilitated by
important technological developments, including containerisation and aviation,
which allowed for increasing amounts of goods and people to be rapidly transported
around the world (Hulme 2009). Globalisation and the increasing intensity and speed
of trade and travel had a large impact on the introduction of alien taxa (Hulme 2009).
Although during the first half of the twentieth century the global rate of introduction
gradually increased, with temporary declines during the world wars, after 1950 there
was an exponential increase in the rate at which alien taxa were introduced around
the world (Seebens et al. 2017). Similar to what was seen globally, and mirroring
trends in South Africa’s commodity imports (Fig. 12.6), the rate at which taxa were
introduced to South Africa increased during the twentieth century, with a particularly
large increase after 1950 (Fig. 12.5). Technological developments also affected the
pathways through which taxa were introduced to South Africa (for an example see
Box 12.3). Further development of transport networks, and increasing traffic along
them, led to some existing pathways becoming more important in the introduction of
alien taxa. These pathways included those that facilitate the introduction of stowaway and contaminant organisms (Fig. 12.3). For instance, Mytilus galloprovincialis
(Mediterranean Mussel), a widespread marine invasive species, was detected in the
late 1970s and was likely introduced as a stowaway by ships, either through
biofouling or in ballast water (Branch and Nina Steffani 2004; Robinson et al.
2020, Chap. 9). However, new technologies also led to the development of new
332
K. T. Faulkner et al.