25) FYNBOS
Fynbos is the major vegetation type of the small botanical region
known as the Cape Floral Kingdom. Only five other floral
kingdoms are recognised, and these cover huge areas such as the
whole of Australia and most of the northern hemisphere. The Cape
Floral Kingdom is both the smallest and the richest floral
kingdom, with the highest known concentration of plant species:
1 300 per 10 000 km2! The nearest rival, the South American rain
forest has a concentration of only 400 per 10 000 km2.
Conservation of the Cape Floral Kingdom, with its distinctive
fynbos vegetation, is a national conservation priority demanding
urgent action.
Fynbos covers the magnificent mountains, valleys and coastal
plains of South Africa's southern and south-western Cape, in a
crescent shaped band from Niewoudtville in the north to Cape Town
in the south and east to Grahamstown.
WHAT IS FYNBOS?
Fynbos is characterised by having more than 5% cover of Cape
reeds. Additionally, it contains Proteas, ericas and members of
seven plant families found nowhere else in the world. Most of the
plants have small, thin leaves. The word fynbos comes from the
Dutch for fine-leaved plants. Fynbos plants include the King
Protea, South Africa's national flower, the beautiful Red Disa,
symbol of the Cape Province and the popular garden plants,
pelargoniums (commonly known as geraniums).
RICHNESS OF PLANT LIFE
Over 7 700 plant species are found in fynbos, an astonishing
number for such a small area. Of these 70% are endemic to the
area - that is they are found nowhere else in the world. Many
of these are threatened with extinction. The richness of the
fynbos is well demonstrated by its ericas or heaths, of which
there are over 600 different species. There are just 26 in the
rest of the world. Another remarkable feature of fynbos is the
number of species found within small areas. For example, the
total world range of some species consists areas smaller than
half a soccer or rugby field!
ANIMALS LIVING IN FYNBOS
Fynbos cannot support herds of large mammals since the nutrient
poor soils on which it grows do not provide enough nitrogen for
the protein requirements of large mammals. Smaller mammals
common to fynbos are chacma baboons, dassies, klipspringers and
mongooses. Fynbos does not support high numbers of birds, but
all six bird species endemic to the south-west Cape are fynbos
species, e.g. the Cape sugarbird and orangebreasted sunbird.
These two birds are found only in fynbos and may play an
important role in pollinating flowers, including those of heaths
and proteas, from which they drink nectar.
Although fynbos is not particularly rich in reptiles and
amphibians, many of the species living there are both endemic and
threatened. The very rare geometric tortoise is found in only a
few surviving fynbos areas and is regarded as the world's second
rarest tortoise.
The Table Mountain ghost frog lives only in the mountain's fast-
flowing rocky streams. The tiny micro frog and Cape platanna are
restricted to a few surviving vleis in the south-west Cape.
THREATS TO FYNBOS
* The major threat to fynbos is the spread of alien plants such
as hakea, Australian wattles and pine trees.
* Other significant threats include too frequent fires and fires
in the wrong season; commercial afforestation; and the
development of housing estates and farms.
An important aspect of fynbos conservation is that many species
have such a tiny range that ploughing a field, or building a
single house can wipe out the entire world population of a unique
form of life. Part of the dilemma is whether or not to tell
members of the public where a rare species occurs so that they
can keep an eye on it. This may put the species at risk to
unscrupulous collectors and cultivators. The alternative of
keeping this knowledge secret might lead to sympathetic
landowners destroying plants out of ignorance.
CONSERVATION ACTION
Twenty-six species of fynbos plants have already become extinct.
The entire Cape Floral Kingdom should be proclaimed a Biosphere
Reserve. Other measures should include:
* the promotion of public awareness of the Cape Floral Kingdom;
* encouraging land owners to care for their fynbos;
* setting aside important areas of land as nature reserves and
national parks;
* the conservation of corridors of fynbos within urban areas;
* the promotion of ecotours allowing people to experience the
amazing floral diversity of fynbos;
* control of alien, invasive vegetation;
* search and rescue programmes for endangered species to locate,
propogate and return to suitable new, safe habitats;
* research into fynbos and its myriad plant and animal species.
DID YOU KNOW?
* The 470 km2 of the Cape Peninsula, including Table Mountain,
is home to 2 256 different plant species - more that the whole
of Great Britain, an area 5 000 times bigger! The 60 km2 of Table
Mountain alone supports 1 470 species.
* The Cape Flats have the highest concentration of Red Data Book
species: 15 species per square kilometre are in danger of
extinction.
* It is estimated that 75 % of South Africa's rare and
threatened plants are found in the fynbos.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
* Join the Botanical Society of South Africa (address below) and
learn about fynbos ecology and how to grow indigenous plants.
* Help the Protea Atlas Project (contact National Botanical
Institute) which aims to map the proteas for conservation,
educational, tourism, horticultural and scientific purposes.
* Grow indigenous plants which require little water, thus
reducing the need to dam pristine mountain areas where fynbos is
found.
* Join a hack group and help remove alien invasives.
* Campaign vigorously against ill-advised developments that
compromise fynbos and its significant tourist appeal.
TOPICS TO EXPLORE
* What spectacular adaptations are used by fynbos plants to
survive fire? What role does fire play in fynbos ecology?
* What are the pros and cons of biological control in
controlling of alien invasives that affect fynbos?
* How does fynbos grow on soil too poor to support crop plants?
FURTHER READING
EXPLORE THE CAPE FLORA AND ITS ANIMALS.
M. Branch. Struik, Cape Town, 1988.
A FYNBOS YEAR.
L. McMahon and M. Fraser. David Philip, Cape Town, 1988.
THE ECOLOGY OF FYNBOS.
R. Cowling (ed). Oxford Press, Cape Town, 1992.
USEFUL ADDRESSES
Botanical Society of South Africa.
Kirstenbosch, P/Bag X7, Claremont, 7735. Tel. 021-797 2090.
Dept. Environmental and Cultural Affairs (previously Cape Nature
Conservation).
P/Bag X9086, Cape Town, 8000. Tel. 021-483 4227
National Botanical Institute.
P/Bag X7, Claremont, 7735. Tel. 021-762 1166.
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