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South Africa/Botswana Biomes and Biogeography Ami Flowers March 9, 2011 FORS 5200 International Issue in Conservation Map of Southern Africa Review of a few Ecology Terms • Individual – a single organism of a particular species. • Population – a group of interbreeding individuals of the same species residing in a specific area. • Community – all populations of different species residing in a specific area. • Ecosystem – an ecological community of both biotic and abiotic components, and their interactions with one another. • Biome – a regional ecosystem characterized by distinct types of vegetation, animals, and microbes that have developed under specific climatic and soil conditions. Seven Biomes of South Africa • • • • Forest Fynbos Thicket Succulent Karoo • Nama Karoo • Grassland • Savanna Forest Biome Forest Biome • Smallest of the seven biomes, covering less than .25% of ZA. • Located on the coastal plains to the high altitudes of the Drakensburg Mountains. • These forests are small and isolated, rarely encompassing areas greater than 1000 ha. • Occur in areas that receive high amounts of rainfall year round, and are frost free. Forest Biome • Vegetation Composition: – Indigenous evergreen and semi-deciduous plants. – Reduced light levels from the closed canopy allows for suitable habitat of tree ferns. • Associated: – – – – – – – – Rumohra fern Black stinkwood Blue Duiker Samango monkey Knysna Lourie Cape Parrot Pink Velvet worm Gaboon adder Thicket Biome Thicket Biome • Fragmented band along the southern coast from KwaZulu-Natal to the Western Cape. • Receives the most rain during the summer season. • Relatively warm winters. • Five distinguishable vegetation types: – – – – – Dune thicket Mesic succulent thicket Specboom succulent thicket Valley thicket Seric succulent thicket Thicket Biome • Vegetation Composition: – Highly fragmented areas. – Sparse to dense, spiny, evergreen shrubs. – Tree size and density dependent on location. • Associated Species: – – – – – Kabusi Stream Damsel Albany Adder Tree Dassie Albany Cycad Addo Dung Beetle Fynbos Biome Fynbos Biome • Occupies 5.3% of ZA. • Part of the Cape Floral Kingdom – One of six of the plant kingdoms on Earth – 8700 species of plants – 69% endemic • Rainfall occurs mainly in the winter season. • Fire sustained environment, where most of the plants are obligate seeders. • Many products come from this region including: – – – – – – Rooibos tea Thatching reed Grapes Wheat Fruit Olives Fynbos Biome • Vegetation Composition: – Evergreen heathlands and shrublands. – Fine-leafed low shrubs and leafless grass-like plants. – Trees are rare. • Associated species: – Renosterbos, Heaths, Daisies, Blacktips, Peas, Jujube, Thyme, Proteas. – Marsh Rose – Stag beetle – Micro frog – Cape Sugarbird – Geometric tortoise – Bontebok – Protea Canary – Cape Francolin – Cape Mountain Zebra Succulent Karoo Biome Succulent Karoo Biome • Located west of the western escarpment and along the west coast. • Very low winter rainfall (cyclonic) with hot-dry summers. • Frost rarely occurs and fog is isolated to coastal areas. • Summer easily reaches in excess of 40ºC. Succulent Karoo Biome • Vegetation composition: – Semi-desert shrubland with dwarf succulent shrubs. – In spring, mass flowering displays primarily of daisies. • Associated Species: – – – – – – – – – – – Toontjies, Vygies, Daisies, Sage Bastard Quiver tree Namaqua Pollen wasp Desert Rain frog Granulated Thick-tailed scorpion Lomi’s Blind legless skink Pale Chanting Goshawk Gray’s Lark Springbok Suricate Bat-eared Fox Nama Karoo Biome Nama Karoo Biome • Second largest biome in ZA. • Located on the central plateau region of the Western and Northern Cape Provinces. • Transition area between the Fynbos and Savanna Biomes. • Rocky or sandy plains with flat-topped mesas. • Exposed to wind regularly, with hot-dry summers and very cold winters. • The limited amount of rain has contributed to the lime-rich, weakly developed soils. Nama Karoo Biome • Vegetation composition: – Grasses, dwarf shrubs, succulents, geophytes, and annual forbs. – Small trees are present along drainage lines and hillslopes. • Associated Species: – – – – – – – – – – – Riverine Rabbit Fisk’s House Snake The Karoo Padloper Namaqua Sandgrouse Brown locust Sweet thorn Kapokbush Yellow Mongoose Steenbok Red Lark Cinnamon-breasted warbler Grassland Biome Grassland Biome • Occupies 24.1% of ZA. • Located on the high central plateau, with a topography of flat plains and rolling hills. • It receives high amounts of summer rainfall, with cold winters producing frost. • Maintained by fire, frost, and grazing. • Highly diverse in animals and plants species, with nearly 3800 species of the latter. Grassland Biome • Vegetation composition: – Dominated by two types of grasses: • Sweet – lower fiber content, but remains palatable throughout winter • Sour – high fiber content, but are unpalatable during the winter. • Association species: – – – – – – – – – – A wide array of grazing antelope species. Black wildebeest Blesbok Mountain Reedbuck Blue Crane Redwing Francolin Giant bullfrog Karkloof Blue Butterfly Red Grasses Star Flowers Savanna Biome Savanna Biome • Largest biome, covering 46% of ZA. • Occurs from sea level up to 2000m in altitude. • Rainfall varies from 235 to 1000mm, mainly falling during the summer months. • Almost every major geological and soil type occur within the Savanna biome. • Maintained by frequent fires, with many grass species adapted to survive burning. Savanna Biome • Vegetation composition: – Savannas are described as wooded grasslands. – Consist of a grassy ground layer and an upper layer of woody vegetation in the form of trees and shrubs. • Associated species: – – – – – 5700 plants 532 birds 167 mammals 161 reptiles 57 amphibians Kruger National Park & Tuli Game Reserve • Located in Savanna biome. • This region is known as the “lowveld”. – It has lower elevation relative to the neighboring “highveld” region. • The term “veld” describes an open area of grasses & shrubs. – First coined by Acocks (1953) who defined 70 veld types within South Africa. Savanna Veld Types • Velds are characterized by the vegetation within the area. • There are 3 categories of veld types associated with the Savanna biome: – Shrubveld • Height of woody vegetation grows between 1-2 meters – Woodland • Dense woody vegetation grows up to 20 meters in height. – Bushveld • Intermediate stage where the average woody vegetation grows between 3-7 meters. Bushvelds of Kruger & Tuli • Kruger National Park has five bushveld types: – Sour lowveld bushveld – Mixed lowveld bushveld – Sweet lowveld bushveld – Lebombo arid mountain bushveld – Mopane bushveld Mopane Bushveld Mopane Bushveld • Climate: – Dry winter months from June to September produce average daytime temperatures of 22ºC. – Wet summer months from November to April produce average daytime temperatures of 38ºC. – Rainfall ranges from 250mm to 500mm. – Frost is rare but can occur. • Topography and Geography – Relatively flat with rolling hills. – Soils range from clay to loamy sand. – Bedrock consists of basalt and granite, interspersed with sandstone and shale. Why is it called the “Mopane” Bushveld? • The name describes the most common tree in the area: MOPANE!!! Pictures from Tuli Game Reserve We will delve into more specifics on the biodiversity of the Mopane Bushveld in upcoming lectures….