African Wildlife andEnvironment Issue 71

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

P roviding natural shelter is essential in the wildlife garden. It not only persuades creatures to stay longer, rather than visiting for just a short while, but also attracts a greater diversity of creatures to use the garden. The word ‘shelter’ refers to the provision of a safe place to rest or live – protected from bad weather and dangers of attack or being eaten, or both. In the wildlife garden, natural shelter may be provided in several forms. Plants, rocks, wood, mulch and watery places all provide some form of shelter for various creatures. To provide the most effective shelter, consider the different creatures that might access and use the garden, focusing on their habits and how they might go about their daily business. Outlined below, are various ways in which different garden wildlife could make use of shelter provided for them.

PLANTS (particularly indigenous plants) A good variety of plants forms the backbone of any aesthetically pleasing garden. The beauty of the garden needn’t be compromised when providing shelter for wildlife. It simply means that the choice of plants and how they are grouped together can significantly increase the quality of habitat that these plants provide. It goes without saying that indigenous plants, having long associated relationships with indigenous fauna, will be most suitable in providing shelter. These plants provide shelter through excellent backdrops for camouflage, canopies of leaves to shelter from wind, rain, cold and heat, as well as a barrier to being observed for shy species and those that are easy prey. They also provide thorny refuges for nesting birds and sheltered corridors, both horizontally and vertically in and out of the garden. Camouflage Some creatures, insects in particular, use camouflage to blend in with and resemble their surroundings through colour and pattern. In this way, they gain even further shelter from the plants on which they are found. Camouflage by pigmentation and by structures that are part of the creatures body, is used mostly to avoid predation, but some creatures, such as praying mantis and spiders benefit from their camouflage in being able to ambush their unsuspecting prey. Camouflage is often observed in creatures that are associated with specific types of plants, although this is not always the case. Clumps of plants Clumping plants together, particularly indigenous species, creates structurally complex shelter. The greater the variety in height and diversity of species, the more effective the shelter. Shy creatures have opportunities to move both horizontally and vertically without being detected, and if plants that they can feed off of are included in this diversity, these creatures have very little need to move out of the garden. Thorny plants These are an important shelter for small birds in particular, that can nest in the centre of these plants, or dash into the thorny branches if being chased by a larger predator. Thorns not only provide shelter with their external structure, but some thorns in themselves, provide shelter. The Bastard Umbrella Thorn Acacia luederitzii , found in bushveld, in north eastern KwaZulu Natal and up into Mpumalanga, has some thorns that are abnormally swollen into a gall, with a hole at their base. Ants and other insects inhabit this hole, and these ants give protection to the plant against herbivores by crawling onto them and biting them when they try and browse on the tree.

Gardening for wildlife: PROVIDING SHELTER

Slipping quietly into the indigenous wildlife garden and just observing can be a wonderful experience. It comes alive with the movements and sounds of creatures, some easy to spot and others only visible to the patient and trained eye. The garden becomes a giant ‘find the missing creatures’ puzzle. This is for one reason only – gardens that cater for the local wildlife provide shelter for them to stay longer than just stopping in for food.

Heather Balcomb

A spider wasp using a man made shelter

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