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Cape Flats Sand Fynbos
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. 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. 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 cyclop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tokai Park
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 Southern Afrotemperate Forest, Afromontane Forest and noted for its diversity. Until recently, most of Tokai Park was under plantation. However the lease of Tokai Park by MTO Forestry expires in 2025, and the removal of the last of the commercial plantations has been followed by restoration efforts by South African National Parks and other conservation organisations. Today Tokai Park has over 110 plant species threatened with extinction or extinct in the wild and r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gazania Pectinata Botterblom
''Gazania'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Southern Africa.Per Ola Karis. 2007. "Arctotideae" pages 200-207. In: Klaus Kubitzki (series editor); Joachim W. Kadereit and Charles Jeffrey (volume editors). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VIII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. They produce large, daisy-like composite flowerheads in brilliant shades of yellow and orange, over a long period in summer. They are often planted as drought-tolerant groundcover. Taxonomic history The genus was first formally described by German botanist Joseph Gaertner in the second volume of his major work ''De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum'' in 1791. Gaertner named the genus after Theodorus Gaza, a 15th-century translator of the works of Theophrastus.Seranne Howis, Nigel P. Barker, and Ladislav Mucina. 2009. "Globally grown, but poorly known: species limits and biogeography of ''Gazania'' Gaertn. (Asteraceae) inferred from chlor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area
Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area is a 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. The reserve contains indigenous fynbos and wetlands – both permanent and seasonal. Among the hundreds of plant species that can be found here, at least 20 are threatened with extinction. There are also endemic species, and two plants (''Erica verticillata'' and ''Erica turgida'') are listed as extinct in the wild, but have recently been re-introduced here. The reserve is home to the critically endangered Micro Frog (''Microbatrachella capensis'') along with other small but healthy populations of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Invasive alien vegetation is a severe problem, especially Port Jackson willow (''Acacia saligna'') and domestic garden escapees. See also * Biodiv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protea
''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form at will, possibly because they have such a wide variety of forms. Linnaeus's genus was formed by merging a number of genera previously published by Herman Boerhaave, although precisely which of Boerhaave's genera were included in Linnaeus's ''Protea'' varied with each of Linnaeus's publications. Taxonomy The family Proteaceae to which ''Protea'' species belong is an ancient one among angiosperms. Evidence from pollen fossils suggests Proteaceae ancestors grew in Gondwana, in the Upper Cretaceous, 75–80 million years ago. The Proteaceae are divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwana that ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westridge Gardens
Westridge may refer to: Geography Canada *Westridge, British Columbia, a residential neighbourhood in Burnaby, British Columbia *Westridge (Edmonton), a residential neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta *Westridge Shopping Centre Pakistan *Westridge, Rawalpindi, a residential area in Cantonment board, Rawalpindi South Africa *Westridge, Mitchells Plain, a residential neighbourhood in Cape Town, Western Cape. United Kingdom *Westridge, Isle of Wight, a suburb and industrial area of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. *Aldworth neighbouring hamlet Westridge Green. United States *Westridge, Arizona *Westridge, California *Westridge Park, Arizona Schools * Westridge Elementary School * Westridge School (Pasadena), a girls' school * Westridge High School in Zimbabwe Sport * Westridge FC, a football team in Singapore {{disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve
Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve (also spelt "Sandvlei") is a nature reserve and recreational area located in Cape Town, South Africa. Background Entering the ocean in the suburb of Muizenberg, Zandvlei is the only functioning estuary on Cape Town’s False Bay coast, open to the Atlantic Ocean throughout winter and in summer the mouth is manually closed by a sand bar to contain the water, and is opened monthly for a few days at full moon to maintain salinity levels and then closed again. It is also one of the most important estuaries for recruitment of fish such as garrick, steenbras and two species of stumpnose. The surrounding wetland is an important habitat for birds and has 166 species on its official list. There are a number of bird hides available to the public. It is also a vital habitat for amphibians and about 20 species of reptile such as the angulate tortoise, marsh terrapin and mole snake. Porcupines, grysbok, otters and mongoose can also occasionally be spotted. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wolfgat Nature Reserve
Wolfgat Nature Reserve is a coastal nature reserve in Mitchells Plain on False Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. This conservation area consists of of endangered dune vegetation and majestic limestone cliffs, extending along a portion of the False Bay coastline. The Cape Flats Dune Strandveld vegetation in this reserve contains over 150 plant species. These include evergreen shrubs, flowering succulents, arum lilies and a variety of daisy species. Birds such as kelp gulls and black oystercatchers nest here. A major threat to the reserve is the invasive alien ''Acacia cyclops'' (“rooikrans”) tree. This weed has spread across large parts of the coastline, smothering and killing local vegetation and upsetting coastal ecosystems. Wolfgat Nature Reserve is managed by the city of Cape Town, in partnership with the local communities of Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plein. The name ''Wolfgat'' means "wolf cave", and refers to the brown hyena or ''strandwolf'' which existed h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Witzands Aquifer Conservation Area
Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve is a 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. It is adjacent to the Koeberg Nature Reserve. Biodiversity The conservation area consists of two priority nature sites, the Silwerstroomstrand Conservation Area and the Atlantis Dunefields. They protect a patch of Atlantis Sand Fynbos vegetation type, as well as Cape Flats Dune Strandveld. Both vegetation types are endangered. The local landscape consists of sandy beaches, rocky shorelines and outcrops, as well as mobile dunes. Among the many animals that can be found in this reserve is the globally threatened black harrier, the caracal, the steenbok, the Cape grysbok and a variety of other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Vegetation The endemic and vulnerable ''Leucospermum parile'' is found in the Atlantis Sand Fynbos regio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rondevlei Nature Reserve
The Rondevlei Nature Reserve is located in Grassy Park, Zeekoevlei and Lavenderhill, suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa. The bird sanctuary covers approximately 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve
The Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve is a lowland conservation area located in the City of Cape Town, South Africa. It forms part of the greater Table Bay Nature Reserve, proclaimed in June 2012. Location The Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve, formerly also known as Royal Ascot Conservation Area, is situated in Royal Ascot, Milnerton, South Africa.Planning in Balance environmental management & consulting. 2007. Royal Ascot Environmental Management System, January 2007. It consists of the land inside the tracks of the former Milnerton Racecourse and is now managed by the City of Cape Town's Environmental Resource Management Department. History The land inside the track of the Milnerton Racecourse has remained relatively untouched by development as well as free of invasive alien plants due to the removal of tall alien trees that would obstruct views of the running horses. Management The Milnerton Racecourse Nature Reserve comprises two non-contiguous natural areas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macassar Dunes Conservation Area
Macassar Dunes Conservation Area is a coastal nature reserve in Macassar, within the City of Cape Town, South Africa. Biodiversity This conservation area conserves the unique local “Cape Flats Dune Strandveld” vegetation with its dense evergreen thickets, flowers, shrubs and trees. The last remaining forest of the endangered White Milkwood tree (''Sideroxylon inerme'') on the Cape Flats is found on this reserve, and it is also home to the largest and highest dune system on the Cape Peninsula. Many of the 178 plant species that can be found here burst into flower in spring time, covering the dunes with colour. Animal species found here include buck, tortoises, porcupine, hares, mongoose and a variety of bird species. History The area was originally inhabited by the Khoi-khoi people who had lived at the Cape for centuries. In the 1600s under colonial rule, the first Muslim community in South Africa was founded here by Sheikh Yusuf of Indonesia, who named the area after his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Princess Vlei Conservation Area
Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality * ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record * "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014 *Greater Bank, an Australian bank *Greater Media Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, was an American media company that specialized in radio stations. The markets where they owned radio stations included Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey. The compa ..., an American media company See also * * {{Disambiguation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
