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Harmony Flats Nature Reserve is a piece of protected land, located between
Strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline *Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa *Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street, ...
and
Gordon's Bay Gordon's Bay ( af, Gordonsbaai) is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hottentots Holland). It is ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. It protects a surviving fragment of critically endangered
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos 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. ...
vegetation. Harmony Flats was originally established to preserve a habitat for the rare and declining
geometric tortoise The geometric tortoise (''Psammobates geometricus'') is a critically endangered species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus ''Psammobates''. It is found in a very small section in the South-Western Cape of South Africa. Identific ...
(''Psammobates geometricus''). This tortoise is now locally extinct, but the reserve still protects about 220 species of plants (many of them
endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
) as well as a range of animal species, such as the tiny parrot-beaked tortoise (''Homopus areolatus''), various snakes and a large variety of birds. This is one of the few remaining spots of the critically endangered vegetation type
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos 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. ...
. Local volunteers and community organisations are now heavily involved in protecting and managing the reserve.


See also

*
Biodiversity 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 m ...
*
List of nature reserves in Cape Town The City of Cape Town, South Africa has numerous nature reserves within the city limits. City of Cape Town The City of Cape Town manages the following nature reserves in the Cape Town metropolitan area: Temp North region * * * * * * * ...
*
Geometric tortoise The geometric tortoise (''Psammobates geometricus'') is a critically endangered species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus ''Psammobates''. It is found in a very small section in the South-Western Cape of South Africa. Identific ...
*
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos 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. ...


References

{{Reflist Nature reserves in Cape Town Protected areas of the Western Cape