Cape Flats Sand Fynbos

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A surviving remnant of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos at Rondebosch Common. Gazania pectinata botterblom.JPG
A surviving remnant of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos at Rondebosch Common.
Heath (Erica spp.), cone-bush and restio specimens. Cape Flats Sand Fynbos Cape Town endangered vegetation.jpg
Heath ( Erica spp.), cone-bush and restio specimens.

Cape Flats Sand Fynbos (CFSF), previously known as Sand Plain Fynbos, is a critically endangered vegetation type that occurs only within the city of Cape Town. Less than 1% of this unique lowland fynbos vegetation is conserved. [1]

Contents

Description

This is the richest and most diverse type of Sand Fynbos. It also has the highest number of threatened plant species. It is the wettest and coolest of all West Coast Sand Fynbos, growing primarily in deep, white, acidic sands. It is dominated by Proteoid and Restioid fynbos, but Ericaceous fynbos also occurs in wetter areas and Asteraceous fynbos in drier spots. In winter, seasonal wetlands appear in many areas, and mists often cover the landscape. [2]

Threats and conservation

Lying as it does entirely within the limits of Cape Town, over 85 percent of what was once Cape Town's commonest vegetation type is now destroyed and covered by urban sprawl. Half of what remains is badly infested with invasive alien plants (Acacia saligna, Acacia cyclops, Pinus, Eucalyptus and Kikuyu grass), and less than 1 percent is actually statutorily conserved.

Surviving pockets exist in several small nature reserves within the city, such as Rondevlei, Kenilworth Racecourse, Rondebosch Common and Tokai Park. These are identified as “Core Conservation Sites”. However, these sites alone are too small to preserve this vegetation type, and they themselves are threatened by invasive alien plants and the destructive practise of mowing (which eliminates all the tall and serotinous species).

Habitat preserves

Nature preserves with Cape Flats Sand Fynbos habitat include:

Historically, areas of Cape Town that were not developed for housing were often planted with commercial plantations of invasive European Pines. A fire at Tokai Park in 1998 revealed that this pine plantation is located on top of intact CFSF seed beds from its original vegetation. [3] To date over 340 indigenous plants have emerged from the seed bank, and 22 threatened plant species and 2 threatened amphibian species are present. [4]

Cape Flats Sand Fynbos is particularly rich in Protea and Erica species, many of which are endemic to this vegetation type and occur nowhere else. This was also the habitat of several species of plant which are now extinct, such as the Aspalathus variegata (the Cape Flats Capegorse), Erica pyramidalis (the Pyramid Heath), Erica turgida (the Showy Heath), Erica verticillata (the Whorl Heath) and Liparia graminifolia (Grass Mountainpea). [5] [6]

Erica verticillata is completely endemic to Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. However, it is now classed as extinct in the wild. Erica verticillata - Cape Town 5.jpg
Erica verticillata is completely endemic to Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. However, it is now classed as extinct in the wild.


Endemic flora

The Strawberry Spider head (Serruria aemula) is a critically endangered within the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos ecosystem. Serruria aemula (Spiderhead) from coastal fynbos (8294003017).jpg
The Strawberry Spider head (Serruria aemula) is a critically endangered within the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos ecosystem.
Some plant species that are endemic to this vegetation type include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fynbos</span> Shrubland and heathland ecoregion of southwestern South Africa

Fynbos is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate and rainy winters. The fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. In fields related to biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic. This land continues to face severe human-caused threats, but due to the many economic uses of the fynbos, conservation efforts are being made to help restore it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rondevlei Nature Reserve</span> Protected wetlands in Cape Town, South Africa

The Rondevlei Nature Reserve is located in Grassy Park, Zeekoevlei and Lavenderhill, suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. The bird sanctuary covers approximately 290 hectares of mostly permanent wetland and consists of a single large brackish lagoon. The nature reserve is among the most important wetlands for birds in South Africa despite being situated directly alongside the Zeekoevlei. A number of islands on the vlei act as vital breeding sites. Rondevlei is home to about 230 bird species, a variety of small mammals and reptiles like caracal, porcupine, Cape fox, grysbuck, steenbuck and mongoose, as well as a hippopotamus population which was re-introduced in 1981 as a means to control an alien grass species from South America, which had covered the shoreline and was threatening to engulf the vlei itself. It boasts unusual and threatened ecosystems like strandveld, sand plains fynbos, Cape lowland wetland vegetation and indigenous coastal fynbos vegetation with unique plants found nowhere else in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Floristic Region</span> Smallest of the six recognised floral kingdoms of the world

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newlands Forest</span> Conservancy area in Cape Town, South Africa

Newlands Forest is a conservancy area on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, beside the suburb of Newlands, Cape Town. It is owned and maintained by the Table Mountain National Parks Board, along with the City Parks Department of Cape Town, and includes a Fire Station, Nursery and Reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rondebosch Common</span> Conservation area in Cape Town

Rondebosch Common is an open common of about 40 hectares in Rondebosch, Cape Town in South Africa. A common is defined as "A piece of open land for public use, esp. in a village or town." It contains one of the few surviving pockets of the critically endangered “Cape Flats Sand Fynbos” vegetation type, which exists nowhere else in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiversity of Cape Town</span> Diversity of the natural environment of Cape Town

The Biodiversity of Cape Town is the variety and variability of life within the geographical extent of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, excluding the Prince Edward Islands. The terrestrial vegetation is particularly diverse and much of it is endemic to the city and its vicinity. Terrestrial and freshwater animal life is heavily impacted by urban development and habitat degradation. Marine life of the waters immediately adjacent to the city along the Cape Peninsula and in False Bay is also diverse, and while also impacted by human activity, the habitats are relatively intact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Flats Dune Strandveld</span> Endangered vegetation type endemic to the coastal areas around Cape Town

Cape Flats Dune Strandveld is an endangered vegetation type. This is a unique type of Cape Strandveld that is endemic to the coastal areas around Cape Town, including the Cape Flats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos</span> Vegetation type that is endemic to Cape Town, South Africa

Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos is a critically endangered vegetation type that is endemic to Cape Town. Though closest to Fynbos, it has characteristics of both Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation and is thus actually a unique hybrid vegetation type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peninsula Granite Fynbos</span> Vegetation type endemic to the city of Cape Town, South Africa

Peninsula Granite Fynbos is an endangered Fynbos vegetation type which is endemic to the city of Cape Town and occurs nowhere else. It is a unique type of tall, dense and diverse scrubland, scattered with trees. It can be found all along the belt of granite that encircles Table Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swartland Shale Renosterveld</span> Vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa

Swartland Shale Renosterveld is a critically endangered vegetation type of the Western Cape, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area</span> Nature reserve in Cape Town, South Africa

Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area is a 52-hectare (130-acre) nature reserve, situated in the centre of Kenilworth Racecourse, in Cape Town, South Africa. Due to its location, it has been left undisturbed for more than 100 years, making it now the best preserved patch of “Cape Flats Sand Fynbos” in the world.

Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve is a 3,000-hectare (7,400-acre) protected natural area in Cape Town, South Africa, located on the city’s northern outskirts. This reserve protects an important part of Cape Town’s natural and cultural heritage, including the Atlantis Aquifer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durbanville Nature Reserve</span> Piece of protected land next to the Durbanville Racecourse

Durbanville Nature Reserve is a 6-hectare (15-acre) piece of protected land, located next to the Durbanville Racecourse in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Blaauwberg Nature Reserve was proclaimed a local and provincial nature reserve in 2007. The reserve has views down fynbos slopes, across the city, to seven kilometres of rocky and sandy coastline and the ocean and beyond. The reserve presents itself as one of the few viewpoints in the world from where you can see two proclaimed world heritage sites, namely Table Mountain and Robben Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kogelberg Nature Reserve</span> Protected area in the Western Cape province of South Africa

Kogelberg Nature Reserve is a nature reserve of 3,000 ha comprising the Kogelberg Mountain Range, to the east of Cape Town, South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland</span> Vegetation type endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa

Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland is a critically endangered vegetation type of the Western Cape, South Africa.

<i>Erica verticillata</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica verticillata is a species of Erica that was naturally restricted to the city of Cape Town but is now classified as Extinct in the Wild.

<i>Erica turgida</i> Species of flowering plant

Erica turgida, the showy heath or Kenilworth heath, is a species of Erica that was naturally restricted to the city of Cape Town, South Africa, but is now classified as Extinct in the Wild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tokai Park</span> Small section of Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa

Tokai Park, previously known as "Tokai Forest", is a small wing, about 600 ha, of the greater Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa. Tokai Park is made up of two sections: upper and lower Tokai Park. Lower Tokai Park is flat, and characterized by the threatened Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. Upper Tokai Park is on the slopes of Constantiaberg Mountain, and consists of conservation area as well as the Tokai Arboretum. Upper Tokai Park is characterized by Peninsula Granite Fynbos, Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos and Afromontane Forest and noted for its diversity.

References

  1. "Cape Town. List of Vegetation Types". Archived from the original on 2013-08-24.
  2. "Description of Cape Towns major vegetation types".
  3. "Flora | KRCA".
  4. "Tokai Park Section of the Table Mountain National Park".
  5. "Cape Flats Sand Fynbos. City of Cape Town Environmental Resource Management Department" (PDF).[ permanent dead link ]
  6. "Cape Town's unique biodiversity - Endemic ecosystems: 6. Cape Flats Sand Fynbos" (PDF). resource.capetown.gov.za. City of Cape Town. March 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.