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Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural
shrubland or
heathland
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
vegetation located in the
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
and
Eastern Cape provinces of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
and rainy winters. The fynbos
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
is within the
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome
A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
. In fields related to
biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
and
endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
, consisting of about 80% (8,500 fynbos) 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.
Overview and history
The word fynbos is often confusingly said to mean "fine bush" in
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
, as "bos" means "bush". Typical fynbos foliage is
ericoid rather than fine. The term, in its pre-Afrikaans, Dutch form, ''fynbosch'', was recorded by Noble as being in casual use in the late 19th century.
In the early 20th century, John Bews referred to: "South-Western or Cape Region of Macchia or Fynbosch". He said: "In this well-known region where the rain occurs in winter and the summers are more or less dry, the dominant vegetation is of a
sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...
ous type and there is little or no natural
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
, though there are many kinds of grass..."
He also refers to a high degree of
endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
in the grasses in that region. Elsewhere he speaks of the term as "...applied by the inhabitants of the Cape to any sort of small woodland growth that does not include timber trees"; in the current vernacular, this still is the effective sense of the word.
[ However, in the technical, ecological sense, the constraints are more demanding. In the latter half of the 20th century, "fynbos" gained currency as the term for the "distinctive vegetation of the southwestern Cape".][
]
Cape Floral Kingdom
Fynbos – which grows in a 100-to-200-km-wide coastal belt stretching from Clanwilliam on the West coast to Port Elizabeth on the Southeast coast – forms part of the Cape floral kingdom, where it accounts for half of the surface area and 80% of the plant species. The fynbos in the western regions is richer and more varied than in the eastern regions of South Africa.
Of the world's six floral kingdom
A phytochorion, in phytogeography, is a geographic area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species. Adjacent phytochoria do not usually have a sharp boundary, but rather a soft one, a transitional area in which many species from both r ...
s, this is the smallest and richest per unit of area. The Holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical reg ...
kingdom, in contrast, incorporates the whole of the Northern Hemisphere north of the tropics. The diversity of fynbos plants is extremely high, with over 9,000 species of plants occurring in the area, around 6,200 of which are endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
, i.e. growing nowhere else in the world. South Africa's Western Cape has the vast majority of species with one estimate finding 8,550 species in 89,000 km2, which is higher than that estimated for the Malayan forests, 7,900 species in 132,000 km2. It has been claimed that it exceeds even the richest tropical rainforest in South America, including the Amazon. Of the ''Erica
Erica or ERICA may refer to:
* Erica (given name)
* ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus
* Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America
* ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game
* ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus
* E ...
s'', over 600 occur in the fynbos kingdom, while only two or three dozen have been described in the rest of the world. This is in an area of 46,000 km2 – by comparison, the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, with an area of 33,000 km2, has 1,400 species, none of them endemic. Table Mountain
Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...
in Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
supports 2,200 species, more than the entire United Kingdom. Thus, although the fynbos covers only 6% of the area of southern Africa, it has half the species on the subcontinent – and in fact has almost 1 in 5 of all African plant species so far described.
Five main river systems traverse the Cape floral kingdom: the Oliphants River of the Western Cape; the Berg River which drains the West Coast Forelands plain stretching from the Cape Flats
The Cape Flats ( af, Die Kaapse Vlakte) is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. The Cape Flats is also the name of an administrative region of the City of Cape Town, which lie ...
to the Olifants; the Breede, which is the largest river on the Cape; the Olifants River (Southern Cape)
Olifants River ( af, Olifantsrivier) is a river in the Klein Karoo area of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Course
It has its origins in the Traka and Kalkwal Rivers north of the Swartberg, becoming the Olifants River after flowing through the ...
; Gourits and the Groot Rivers which drain the Little Karoo
The Karoo ( ; from the Afrikaans borrowing of the South Khoekhoe !Orakobab or Khoemana word ''ǃ’Aukarob'' "Hard veld") is a semi- desert natural region of South Africa. No exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo is available, so its ...
basin and the South Coast Forelands; and the Baviaanskloof
Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve is a protected area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Characteristics
The Baviaanskloof - (Dutch for "Valley of Baboons") - lies between the Baviaanskloof and Kouga mountain ranges. The easternmost point of ...
and Gamtoos River
Gamtoos River or Gamptoos River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Kouga River and the Groot River and is approximately long
with a catchment area of .
Course
The Gamtoos river system ...
s to the east.
Flora
The most conspicuous components of the flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...
are evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...
ous plants, many with ericoid leaves and gracile habit, as opposed to timber forest. Several plant families are conspicuous in fynbos; the Proteaceae are prominent, with genera such as ''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 a ...
'', ''Leucospermum
''Leucospermum'' is a genus of evergreen upright, sometimes creeping shrubs that is assigned to the Proteaceae, with currently forty-eight known species. Almost all species are easily recognised as ''Leucospermum'' because of the long protrudin ...
'' (the "pincushions"), and ''Leucadendron
''Leucadendron'' is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa, where they are a prominent part of the fynbos ecoregion and vegetation type.
Description
Species in the genus ''Leucadendron' ...
'' (the silver tree
''Leucadendron argenteum'' (silver tree, silver leaf tree, af, Witteboom, or af, Silwerboom) is an endangered plant species in the family Proteaceae, which is endemic to a small area of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Most grow in and around ...
and "cone bush
Cone bush, conebush, or cone-bush is a common name for various plants, usually dicotyledonous shrubs that bear their flowers and seeds in compact, cone-shaped inflorescences and infructescences. The plants that the name most frequently applies to ...
es"). Proteas are represented by many species and are prominent in the landscape, generally with large striking flowers, many of which are pollinated by birds, and others by small mammals. Most of these do not have anything like ericoid leaves, and nor do most Rhamnaceae, Fabaceae, or Geraniaceae
Geraniaceae is a family of flowering plants placed in the order Geraniales. The family name is derived from the genus ''Geranium''. The family includes both the genus ''Geranium'' (the cranesbills, or true geraniums) and the garden plants called ...
. Fynbos Ericaceae
The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c.4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it th ...
include more species of ''Erica'' than all other regions combined. They are popularly called heaths and are generally smaller plants bearing many small, tubular or globular flowers and ericoid leaves. Restionaceae
The Restionaceae, also called restiads and restios, are a family of flowering plants native to the Southern Hemisphere; they vary from a few centimeters to 3 meters in height. Following the APG IV (2016): the family now includes the former famil ...
also occur in greater variety in fynbos than anywhere else; their species are superficially grass-like. Many of them grow in wet areas such as seasonal marshes and spongy basins in the sources of mountain streams, but others grow in decidedly arid conditions.
Depending on the locality and the aspects under discussion, several other families have equal claim to being characteristic, including Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
, Rutaceae
The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rue[RUTACEAE](_blank)
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...
, and Iridaceae
Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016). It include ...
.[ More than 1400 bulb species occur among the fynbos, of which 96 are '']Gladiolus
''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae).
It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''g ...
'' and 54 ''Lachenalia
''Lachenalia'' is a genus of bulbous perennial plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, which are usually found in Namibia and South Africa. Most of them have a dormancy period, but new roots will always grow every year.
''Lache ...
''. Areas that are dominated by "renosterbos", ''Elytropappus rhinocerotis
''Elytropappus rhinocerotis'' (commonly known as renosterbos or "rhinoceros bush") is a species of flowering plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae, endemic to South Africa. It is a very obvious component of the unique Renosterveld Vegetation Typ ...
'', (Asteraceae) are known as Renosterveld
Renosterveld is a term used for one of the major plant communities and vegetation types of the Cape Floristic Region (Cape Floral Kingdom) which is located in southwestern and southeastern South Africa, in southernmost Africa. It is an ecoregion ...
(Afrikaans for "rhinoceros veld").[
]
Vegetation types
Fynbos vegetation types, code FF:
* Agulhas Limestone Fynbos (FFl 1)
* Agulhas Sand Fynbos (FFd 7)
* Albertinia Sand Fynbos (FFd 9)
* Algoa Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 29)
* Atlantis Sand Fynbos (FFd 4)
* Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 1)
* Boland Granite Fynbos
Boland Granite Fynbos is a vulnerable fynbos vegetation type that occurs in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Located in the Boland region of the Western Cape, to the north-east of the city of Cape Town, this fynbos has 23 known endemic spec ...
(FFg 2)
* Breede Alluvium Fynbos (FFa 2)
* Breede Quartzite Fynbos (FFq 4)
* Breede Sand Fynbos (FFd 8)
* Breede Shale Fynbos (FFh 4)
* Canca Limestone Fynbos (FFl 3)
* Cape Flats Sand Fynbos (FFd 5)
* Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos (FFh 5)
* Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 4)
* Central Coastal Shale Band Vegetation (FFb 4)
* Central Inland Shale Band Vegetation (FFb 3)
* De Hoop Limestone Fynbos (FFl 2)
* Eastern Coastal Shale Band Vegetation (FFb 6)
* Eastern Inland Shale Band Vegetation (FFb 5)
* Elgin Shale Fynbos (FFh 6)
* Elim Ferricrete Fynbos (FFf 1)
* Garden Route Granite Fynbos (FFg 5)
* Garden Route Shale Fynbos (FFh 9)
* Graafwater Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 2)
* Greyton Shale Fynbos (FFh 7)
* Grootrivier Quartzite Fynbos (FFq 5)
* Hangklip Sand Fynbos (FFd 6)
* Hawequas Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 10)
* Hopefield Sand Fynbos (FFd 3)
* Kamiesberg Granite Fynbos (FFg 1)
* Kango Conglomerate Fynbos (FFt 1)
* Knysna Sand Fynbos (FFd 10)
* Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos is a critically endangered vegetation type occurring in the far south of the Western Cape, South Africa.
This type of mountain fynbos contains an extremely high number of threatened species and a great number of the ...
(FFs 11)
* Kouebokkeveld Alluvium Fynbos (FFa 1)
* Kouebokkeveld Shale Fynbos (FFh 1)
* Kouga Grassy Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 28)
* Kouga Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 27)
* Leipoldtville Sand Fynbos (FFd 2)
* Loerie Conglomerate Fynbos
The turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae ( "banana-eaters"), which includes plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. In southern Africa both turacos and go-away-birds are commonly known as loeries. They are semi-zygodactylous: the fourth ( ...
(FFt 2)
* Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos (FFa 4)
* Matjiesfontein Quartzite Fynbos (FFq 3)
* Matjiesfontein Shale Fynbos (FFh 2)
* Montagu Shale Fynbos (FFh 8)
* Namaqualand Sand Fynbos (FFd 1)
* North Hex Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 7)
* North Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 25)
* North Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 15)
* North Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 18)
* North Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 21)
* North Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
(FFs 13)?
* North Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 23)
* Northern Inland Shale Band Vegetation (FFb 1)
* Olifants Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 3)
* Overberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 12)
* Peninsula Granite Fynbos
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 ...
(FFg 3)
* Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos
Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos is a unique and endangered vegetation type that is endemic to the Cape Peninsula in Cape Town. This type of Mountain Fynbos occurs on very poor, acidic soils but is incredibly rich in biodiversity with an enormous numb ...
(FFs 9)
* Piketberg Sandstone Fynbos
Piketberg (also sometimes spelt Piquetberg in the past) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, located about 80 km east of Saldanha Bay. The original spelling of the name was "Piquetberg". The town is in the foothills of the Piketberg mounta ...
(FFs 6)
* Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos (FFf 2)
* Potberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 17)
* Robertson Granite Fynbos (FFg 4)
* South Hex Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 8)
* South Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 26)
* South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 16)
* South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 19)
* South Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 22)
* South Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 14)
* South Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
(FFs 24)
* Southern Cape Dune Fynbos
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
(FFd 11)
* Stinkfonteinberge Quartzite Fynbos (FFq 1)
* Suurberg Quartzite Fynbos (FFq 6)
* Suurberg Shale Fynbos (FFh 10)
* Swartberg Altimontane Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 31)
* Swartberg Shale Fynbos (FFh 3)
* Swartland Alluvium Fynbos (FFa 3)
* Swartruggens Quartzite Fynbos (FFq 2)
* Swellendam Silcrete Fynbos (FFc 1)
* Tsitsikamma Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 20)
* Western Altimontane Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 30)
* Western Coastal Shale Band Vegetation (FFb 2)
* Winterhoek Sandstone Fynbos (FFs 5)
Fauna
The fynbos is home to many unique and endemic animals, with 7 species of endemic bird and an unknown number of endemic reptiles, amphibians, and arthropods. The 7 avian endemics include the Cape rockjumper, Cape sugarbird
The Cape sugarbird (''Promerops cafer'') is one of the eight bird species endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.
Description
The Cape sugarbird is a grey-brown bird that is easily recognisab ...
, Victorin's warbler, Orange-breasted sunbird
The orange-breasted sunbird (''Anthobaphes violacea'') is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus ''Anthobaphes'', in th ...
, Protea canary, Cape siskin
The Cape siskin (''Crithagra totta'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is an endemic resident breeder in the southern Cape Province of South Africa.
This locally common but shy and unobtrusive siskin is found in the southwestern ...
, and Fynbos buttonquail
The Fynbos buttonquail (''Turnix hottentottus'') is a bird in the family Turnicidae formerly considered conspecific with the black-rumped buttonquail (''Turnix nanus''). There are no subspecies.
Name
Several authorities still refer to this spe ...
.
Ecoregions
The fynbos area has been divided into two very similar ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
s: the lowland fynbos (below 300 m above sea level) on the sandy soil of the west coast, and the montane fynbos of the Cape Fold Belt
The Cape Fold Belt is a fold and thrust belt of late Paleozoic age, which affected the sequence of sedimentary rock layers of the Cape Supergroup in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It was originally continuous with the Ventana Moun ...
.
The Lowland Fynbos and Renosterveld experiences regular winter rainfall, especially to the west of Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas (; pt, Cabo das Agulhas , "Cape of the Needles") is a rocky headland in Western Cape, South Africa.
It is the geographic southern tip of the African continent and the beginning of the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian ...
. The ecoregion has been subdivided into 9 areas: the West Coast Forelands from the Cape Flats to the Olifants River (Western Cape); the Warm Bokkeveld
Warm, WARM, or Warmth may refer to:
* A somewhat high temperature
* Kindness
Music
* ''Warm'' (The Lettermen album), 1967, and the title song
* ''Warm'' (Johnny Mathis album), 1958, and the title song
* ''Warm'' (Herb Alpert album), 1969
* ' ...
basin around the town of Ceres
Ceres most commonly refers to:
* Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid
* Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture
Ceres may also refer to:
Places
Brazil
* Ceres, Goiás, Brazil
* Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...
; the Elgin Valley around the town of Elgin; the sandy Agulhas Plain Agulhas (''needles'' in the Portuguese language — or ) may refer to:
* Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa
* L'Agulhas, a town near the Cape
* Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, located at the Cape
* Cape Agulhas Local Municipality, the municipa ...
on the coast; the Breede River valley around the town of Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
; the South Coast Forelands from Caledon west to Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay ( af, Mosselbaai) is a harbour town of about 99,000 people on the Southern Cape (or Garden Route) of South Africa. It is an important tourism and farming region of the Western Cape Province. Mossel Bay lies 400 kilometres east of the ...
; the south-eastern end of the Little Karoo; Langkloof
The Langkloof is a 160 km long valley in South Africa, lying between Herold, a small village northeast of George, and The Heights - just beyond Twee Riviere.
History
The kloof was given its name by Isaq Schrijver in 1689, and more thorough ...
valley; and the Southeastern Coast Forelands west from Tsitsikamma to Port Elizabeth.
The flora of the lowlands contains a high number of endemic species, and tends to favour larger plants than those growing on the hillier areas. They include the larger Restionaceae such as species of '' Elegia'', ''Thamnochortus
''Thamnochortus'' is a group of plants in the Restionaceae described as a genus in 1767.Bergius, Peter Jonas. 1767. Descriptiones Plantarum ex Capite Bonae Spei 353 The entire genus is endemic to Cape Province in South Africa
South Africa ...
'', and '' Willdenowia'' and proteas such as king protea (''Protea cynaroides
''Protea cynaroides'', also called the king protea, is a flowering plant. It is a distinctive member of ''Protea'', having the largest flower head in the genus. The species is also known as giant protea, honeypot or king sugar bush. It is widely ...
'') and blushing bride (''Serruria florida
''Serruria florida'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa. It is known by the common names of blushing bride or pride of Franschhoek.
This species grows to between 0.8 and 1.5 metres in height and 0.5 ...
''). Particular types of lowland fynbos include the shrubs and herbs of the coastal sand dunes, the mixture of ericoids and restoids with thickets of shrubs such as ''Maytenus
''Maytenus'' ''Sunset Western Garden Book,'' 1995:606–607 is a genus of flowering plants in the family Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indi ...
'', and other Celastraceae
The Celastraceae (staff-vine or bittersweet) are a family of 97 genera and 1,350 species of herbs, vines, shrubs and small trees, belonging to the order Celastrales. The great majority of the genera are tropical, with only ''Celastrus'' (the sta ...
, sideroxylon
''Sideroxylon'' is a genus of trees in the family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753. They are collectively known as bully trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek words σιδηρος (''sideros''), meaning "iron", and ...
s and other Sapotaceae
240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India
The Sapotaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology), order Ericales. The family includes about 800 species of ev ...
, and '' Rhus'' and other Anacardiaceae
The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...
on the coastal sands; the classic fynbos of the sandplains of the West Coast Forelands, and the Agulhas Plain; the grassy fynbos of the hillier and wetter areas of the South and South-Eastern Coast Forelands; areas where fynbos and renosterveld are mixed; coastal renosterveld on the West and South Coast Forelands; and the inland renosterveld of the drier inland Little Karoo and Warm Bokkeveld.
The area is also home to a large number of endemic creatures that have adapted to life in this area, such as the monkey beetle
Monkey beetles are scarab beetles, a group of several genera within the tribe Hopliini. The placement of this tribe within the family Scarabaeidae is uncertain between Melolonthinae and Rutelinae. Many species visit flowers for pollen and necta ...
s which pollinate '' Ixia viridiflora''. Endemic species of fish in the five river systems occur in the area, too. Endemic reptiles and amphibians include a number of tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...
s and the chameleon-like arum frog (''Hyperolius horstockii
The arum frog, Horstock's arum-frog, arum lily frog, or Horstock's reed frog (''Hyperolius horstockii'') is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Identification
Adults grow to 40 mm in length. They ha ...
'').
The Montane Fynbos and Renosterveld is the area above 300 m, a total of 45,000 km2 of the Cape Fold Mountains. The same level of floral variety, including all three characteristic fynbos families, is found there, but ericas predominate. Because the higher and wetter areas are more protected and contain important water sources, the original flora is more intact than in the lowlands; but agriculture and global warming are still threats. The region includes the mountains in the west from the Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape ...
to the Kouebokkeveld Mountains
The Koue Bokkeveld, meaning "Cold Buck Shrubland" in Afrikaans, is a mountain range in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Geologically the range is composed of Cedarberg Sandstone of the Cape System.
Location and extent
It is located above ...
, the south coast hinterland from Elgin to Port Elizabeth, the mountains north of the Little Karoo from Laingsburg to Willowmore
Willowmore is a town in Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The town is situated 140 km north-east of Knysna and 117 km south-west of Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar ...
, and the inselberg
An inselberg or monadnock () is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain.
In Southern Africa a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, a ...
hills within the Little Karoo. About half of these areas are originally fynbos, and about half are renosterveld.
Many different microclimates occur, so the flora changes from west to east, and also varies with altitude up the hillsides away from the coast and according to compass direction. Lower elevations are covered with protea fynbos, with ericas taking over further up. Plant species include pincushions (''Leucospermum
''Leucospermum'' is a genus of evergreen upright, sometimes creeping shrubs that is assigned to the Proteaceae, with currently forty-eight known species. Almost all species are easily recognised as ''Leucospermum'' because of the long protrudin ...
''). The wildlife includes a number of endemic bees, beetles, horseflies, and ants, and birds such as Cape sugarbird
The Cape sugarbird (''Promerops cafer'') is one of the eight bird species endemic to the Fynbos biome of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.
Description
The Cape sugarbird is a grey-brown bird that is easily recognisab ...
s and the orange-breasted sunbird
The orange-breasted sunbird (''Anthobaphes violacea'') is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus ''Anthobaphes'', in th ...
. Many of these birds and insects are important and specific pollinators for the fynbos, such as the mountain pride butterfly (''Aeropetes tulbaghia
''Aeropetes'' is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. Its only species, ''Aeropetes tulbaghia'', is commonly known as the Table Mountain beauty or mountain pride. It is native to southern Africa, where it occurs in South Africa ...
'') which only visits red flowers such as ''Disa uniflora
''Disa uniflora'', the red disa or pride of Table Mountain, is a South African species of orchid in the family ''Orchidaceae''. It is the type species of the genus ''Disa'', and one of its best-known members. It is occasionally referred to by it ...
'' and pollinates 15 different species. Larger animals include antelopes, particularly Cape grysbok ('' Raphicerus melanotis''), common duiker ('' Sylvicapra grimmia''), and klipspringer ('' Oreotragus oreotragus''). The extinct blue antelope and quagga
The quagga ( or ) (''Equus quagga quagga'') is a subspecies of the plains zebra that was endemic to South Africa until it was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. It was long thought to be a distinct species, but early genetic ...
were also fynbos natives.
Economic uses
Rooibos
Rooibos ( ; , meaning "red bush"), or ''Aspalathus linearis'', is a broom-like member of the plant family Fabaceae that grows in South Africa's fynbos biome.
The leaves are used to make a herbal tea that is called rooibos (especially in S ...
(''Aspalathus linearis'') and honeybush
''Cyclopia'', the honeybush, or heuningbos in Afrikaans, is a genus of some 20 species of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its description was published by the French botanist Étienne Pierre Ventenat in 180 ...
(''Cyclopia intermedia'') are of economic importance, grown and harvested in large quantities in the Cederberg area, and providing important exports. Restios continue to be used for thatching, as they have for hundreds or even thousands of years. Proteas and other floral species are grown in many areas and their flowers harvested for export.
In many areas with Mediterranean climates, fynbos species have become popular garden plants, in particular aloes and geraniums, and in cooler regions are used as window plants.
A very large number of fynbos plant species are used in traditional medicine, and while only a tiny proportion have as yet been subjected to formal testing, many have already been identified as having medicinal properties.
Threats and conservation
The fynbos is the region of South Africa most affected by invasive alien species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced species, introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, i ...
which collectively cover around 10% of the entire country. The most common invasive plants are wattles and hakea
''Hakea'' ( ) is a genus of about 150 species of plants in the Family ''Proteaceae'', endemic to Australia. They are shrubs or small trees with leaves that are sometimes flat, otherwise circular in cross section in which case they are sometimes d ...
s, native to Australia, and pines
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family (biology), family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanic ...
native to Europe and the Californian coast of the United States. Pines had been introduced to South Africa by the 19th century and the wattles were imported into the mid-1870s to stabilize sand dunes. In 1997 it was estimated that invasion caused the fynbos region to decline in value by US$750 million per year.
The Working for Water (WfW) program was started in 1995 by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry to control these invasive species which were shown to sequester 9.95% of usable surface water runoff. Since then, over 100,000 hectares of land have been cleared of invasive species while providing jobs to around 20,000 people per year, most of which are women and unskilled workers. Systematic monitoring of WfW's progress is lacking but there is anecdotal evidence that endemic silver peas have returned to Table Mountain
Table Mountain ( naq, Huriǂoaxa, lit= sea-emerging; af, Tafelberg) is a flat-topped mountain forming a prominent landmark overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. It is a significant tourist attraction, with many visitors using the ...
after being thought extinct.
File:Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve - city of Cape Town.JPG, Researchers in a relatively remote stretch of Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos is a critically endangered vegetation type occurring in the far south of the Western Cape, South Africa.
This type of mountain fynbos contains an extremely high number of threatened species and a great number of the ...
File:Harmony Flats Nature Reserve - city of Cape Town.jpg, Community conservation group for the critically endangered remnant of Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos at Harmony Flats, Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
.
See also
*
*
References
External links
Fynbos Paradise of South Africa
''Images of Fynbos''
''Western Cape School Network'' on fynbos
"Protea Atlas Project"
with excellent information and images.
Fauna & Flora International's work on fynbos
Fynbos Photography (organized taxonomically)
Conservation and Land Restoration Project at TerraPi,SA
*
WfW Program official page
{{Coord, 34, 10, 0, S, 18, 22, 30, E, source:frwiki_region:ZA_scale:100000, display=title
Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub in South Africa
Ecoregions of South Africa
Ecoregions of Africa