Rondebosch Common is an open common of about 40 hectares (100 acres) in Rondebosch, Cape Town in South Africa. It contains one of the only surviving pockets of the critically endangered “Cape Flats Sand Fynbos” vegetation type, which exists nowhere else in the world. [1]
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Rondebosch Common is a National Monument and an important conservation area for the critically endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos vegetation. This type of fynbos exists only in Cape Town, and has become critically endangered due to the urban development which has covered most of the Cape Flats. The common also conserves a few patches of Renosterveld and a seasonal wetland, giving it a hugely varied biodiversity for such a small area. Of the hundreds of plant species that occur here, at least nine are on the Red Data List. This stretch of land also protects 110 species of bird, as well as small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The local biodiversity is threatened by invasive plants such as Kikuyu grass.[2]
In the past, Rondebosch Common was used as a military camp (hence the name of Camp Ground Road, which borders the common on the west). In 1805, the local Dutch farmers rallied here before the decisive Battle of Blaauwberg, and troops were regularly stationed here, even up until the Second World War. The open area has steadily decreased over time, as piece after piece was taken for housing, so that today only 40 ha remain. The remaining land was proclaimed a National Monument in 1961, and today it is used as a recreational area for the surrounding communities. [3]