The Cape Floral Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa. It is the only floristic region of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, and includes only one floristic province, known as the Cape Floristic Province.
The Cape Floristic Region, the smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world, is an area of extraordinarily high diversity and endemism, and is home to over 9,000 vascular plant species, of which 69 percent are endemic.[1] Much of this diversity is associated with the fynbos biome, a Mediterranean-type, fire-prone shrubland.[1] The economical worth of fynbos biodiversity, based on harvests of fynbos products (e.g. wildflowers) and eco-tourism, is estimated to be in the region of R77 million (~US$5 million) a year.[1] Thus, it is clear that the Cape Floristic Region has both economic and intrinsic biological value as a biodiversity hotspot.[1]
The region occupies less than 0.5% of Africa's land area but supports approximately 20% of its plant life.
Home to the greatest non-tropical concentration of higher plant species in the world, the region is the only hotspot that encompasses an entire floral kingdom, and holds five of South Africa's 12 endemic plant families and 160 endemic genera. Covering 78,555 km2, Cape Floristic Region hotspot is located entirely within the borders of South Africa.
It is one of the five temperate Mediterranean-type systems on the hotspots list, and is one of only two hotspots that encompass an entire floral kingdom (the other being New Caledonia)[citation needed].
The Region covers the Mediterranean climate region of South Africa in the Western Cape in the southwestern corner of the country, and extends eastward into the Eastern Cape, a transitional zone between the winter rainfall region to the west and the summer-rainfall region to the east in KwaZulu-Natal.
Floraedit
Fynbos in the Western CapeA 360 degree photograph of fynbos in the Groot Winterhoek region of the Western Cape about 18 months after a fire. New plants can be seen in various stages of growth following the fire. The infertile white soil that fynbos tends to grow in can also be clearly seen.
Most of the region is covered with fynbos, a sclerophyllousshrubland occurring on acid sands or nutrient-poor soils derived from Table Mountain sandstones (Cape Supergroup). Fynbos is home to a diverse plethora of plant species including many members of the protea family (Proteaceae), heath family (Ericaceae), and reed family of restios (Restionaceae). Other vegetation types are sandveld, a soft coastal scrubland found mostly on the west-facing coast of the Western Cape Province, on tertiary sands. Renosterveld is a grassy shrubland dominated by members of the daisy family (Asteraceae), particularly renosterbos (Elytropappus rhinocerotis), graminoids and geophytes, occurring on the base-rich shaley soils of the coastal forelands. Small pockets of Afromontane forest (Southern Afrotemperate Forest) can be found in humid and sheltered areas.
This article incorporates CC BY-3.0 text from the reference[1]
^ abcdeOdendaal, Lizelle J.; Haupt, Tanya M.; Griffiths, Charles L. (10 December 2008). "The alien invasive land snail Theba pisana in the West Coast National Park: Is there cause for concern?". Koedoe. 50 (1): 93–98. doi:10.4102/koedoe.v50i1.153. ISSN 2071-0771.
^Тахтаджян А. Л. Флористические области Земли / Академия наук СССР. Ботанический институт им. В. Л. Комарова. — Л.: Наука, Ленинградское отделение, 1978. — 247 с. — 4000 экз. DjVu 5 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Google Books.
^Takhtajan, A. (1986). Floristic Regions of the World. (translated by T.J. Crovello & A. Cronquist). University of California Press, Berkeley, PDF, DjVu.
^. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
^. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
^South African Press Association (14 August 2014). "Cape is world's extinction capital". Retrieved 20 August 2014.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cape Floristic Region (Cape Floral).
May 01, 2024
cape, floristic, region, cape, region, redirects, here, region, delaware, cape, region, delaware, cape, floral, region, floristic, region, located, near, southern, south, africa, only, floristic, region, cape, floristic, kingdom, includes, only, floristic, pro. Cape Region redirects here For the region in Delaware see Cape Region Delaware The Cape Floral Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa It is the only floristic region of the Cape Floristic Kingdom and includes only one floristic province known as the Cape Floristic Province Cape Floral Region Protected AreasUNESCO World Heritage SiteLocationSouth AfricaIncludesTable Mountain National Park Cederberg Wilderness Area Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area Boland Mountain Complex De Hoop Nature Reserve Boosmansbos Wilderness Area Swartberg Complex Baviaanskloof Mega ReserveCriteriaNatural ix x Reference1007bisInscription2004 28th Session Extensions2015Area1 094 742 ha 2 705 170 acres Buffer zone798 514 ha 1 973 170 acres Coordinates34 10 00 S 18 22 30 E 34 16667 S 18 37500 E 34 16667 18 37500Location of Cape Floristic Region in South Africa The Cape Floristic Region the smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world is an area of extraordinarily high diversity and endemism and is home to over 9 000 vascular plant species of which 69 percent are endemic 1 Much of this diversity is associated with the fynbos biome a Mediterranean type fire prone shrubland 1 The economical worth of fynbos biodiversity based on harvests of fynbos products e g wildflowers and eco tourism is estimated to be in the region of R77 million US 5 million a year 1 Thus it is clear that the Cape Floristic Region has both economic and intrinsic biological value as a biodiversity hotspot 1 Contents 1 Location and description 2 Flora 2 1 Vegetation types 3 Ecology 4 World Heritage Site 5 References 6 External linksLocation and description editExtent of the Greater Cape Floristic Region nbsp nbsp The region occupies less than 0 5 of Africa s land area but supports approximately 20 of its plant life Home to the greatest non tropical concentration of higher plant species in the world the region is the only hotspot that encompasses an entire floral kingdom and holds five of South Africa s 12 endemic plant families and 160 endemic genera Covering 78 555 km2 Cape Floristic Region hotspot is located entirely within the borders of South Africa It is one of the five temperate Mediterranean type systems on the hotspots list and is one of only two hotspots that encompass an entire floral kingdom the other being New Caledonia citation needed The Region covers the Mediterranean climate region of South Africa in the Western Cape in the southwestern corner of the country and extends eastward into the Eastern Cape a transitional zone between the winter rainfall region to the west and the summer rainfall region to the east in KwaZulu Natal Flora edit nbsp Fynbos in the Western Cape nbsp A 360 degree photograph of fynbos in the Groot Winterhoek region of the Western Cape about 18 months after a fire New plants can be seen in various stages of growth following the fire The infertile white soil that fynbos tends to grow in can also be clearly seen Most of the region is covered with fynbos a sclerophyllous shrubland occurring on acid sands or nutrient poor soils derived from Table Mountain sandstones Cape Supergroup Fynbos is home to a diverse plethora of plant species including many members of the protea family Proteaceae heath family Ericaceae and reed family of restios Restionaceae Other vegetation types are sandveld a soft coastal scrubland found mostly on the west facing coast of the Western Cape Province on tertiary sands Renosterveld is a grassy shrubland dominated by members of the daisy family Asteraceae particularly renosterbos Elytropappus rhinocerotis graminoids and geophytes occurring on the base rich shaley soils of the coastal forelands Small pockets of Afromontane forest Southern Afrotemperate Forest can be found in humid and sheltered areas According to Takhtajan 1978 the following families are endemic or subendemic to the region Grubbiaceae Roridulaceae Bruniaceae Penaeaceae Greyiaceae Geissolomataceae Retziaceae Retzia and Stilbaceae 2 3 Rooibos is produced out of this region Vegetation types edit See also List of vegetation types of South Africa List of vegetation types of the Cape Floristic Region 4 5 Atlantis Sand Fynbos Vegetation type from north of Cape Town in the Western Cape South Africa Boland Granite Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape South Africa Cape Flats Dune Strandveld Endangered vegetation type endemic to the coastal areas around Cape Town Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the City of Cape Town Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland Vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape South Africa Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos Vegetation type in Western Cape South Africa Hangklip Sand Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the southern coastal portion of the Western Cape South Africa Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the far south of the Western Cape South Africa Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos Vegetation type that is endemic to Cape Town South Africa Peninsula Granite Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the city of Cape Town South Africa Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the Cape Peninsula in Cape Town South Africa Peninsula Shale Renosterveld Vegetation type found only in South Africa Southern Afrotemperate Forest Main indigenous forest type in the south western part of South Africa Swartland Alluvium Fynbos Vegetation type endemic to the high plains and mountains in the Western Cape South Africa Swartland Alluvium Renosterveld Swartland Granite Renosterveld Swartland Shale Renosterveld Vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape South Africa Swartland Silcrete RenosterveldEcology editThe World Wide Fund for Nature divides the Cape floristic region into three ecoregions the Lowland fynbos and renosterveld Montane fynbos and renosterveld and the Albany thickets The fynbos ecoregions are designated one of the Global 200 priority ecoregions for conservation Conservation International declared the Cape floristic region to be a biodiversity hotspot It is thought that the Cape Floristic Region is experiencing one of the most rapid rates of extinction in the world due to habitat loss land degradation and invasive alien plants 6 World Heritage Site edit nbsp Biodiversity hotspots of the world showing the Cape Floristic Region number 12 In 2004 the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas were inscribed as a World Heritage Site The site includes eight representative protected areas Table Mountain National Park Cederberg Wilderness Area Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area Boland Mountain Complex Limietberg Nature Reserve Jonkershoek Nature Reserve Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve Kogelberg Nature Reserve De Hoop Nature Reserve Boosmansbos Wilderness Area Swartberg Complex Swartberg Nature Reserve Gamkapoort Nature Reserve Towerkop Nature Reserve Baviaanskloof Mega ReserveReferences editThis article incorporates CC BY 3 0 text from the reference 1 a b c d e Odendaal Lizelle J Haupt Tanya M Griffiths Charles L 10 December 2008 The alien invasive land snail Theba pisana in the West Coast National Park Is there cause for concern Koedoe 50 1 93 98 doi 10 4102 koedoe v50i1 153 ISSN 2071 0771 Tahtadzhyan A L Floristicheskie oblasti Zemli Akademiya nauk SSSR Botanicheskij institut im V L Komarova L Nauka Leningradskoe otdelenie 1978 247 s 4000 ekz DjVu Archived 5 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Google Books Takhtajan A 1986 Floristic Regions of the World translated by T J Crovello amp A Cronquist University of California Press Berkeley PDF DjVu Vegetation Types Archived from the original on 24 August 2013 Retrieved 24 February 2014 Vegetation Types Archived from the original on 4 April 2012 Retrieved 7 January 2011 South African Press Association 14 August 2014 Cape is world s extinction capital Retrieved 20 August 2014 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cape Floristic Region Cape Floral Conservation International Cape floristic Region biodiversity hotspot Cape Action the Cape floristic Region Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cape Floristic Region amp oldid 1207351386, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
