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OF South africa DEFINING FYNBOS Fynbos can be defined as a shrubland with an unusual mixture of plant types of different shapes and sizes that have been termed, "growth forms". There are four of these growth forms; the proteoids - tall protea shrubs with large leaves; the ericoids – heath-like shrubs; reed-like plants – the restoids; and bulbous herbs – the geophytes. ORIGIN OF THE NAME Rural folk have long known fynbos for its poor grazing quality and its soils for having little agricultural value. The vegetation's apparent worthlessness may explain the origin of the term, "fynbos". The term has been used since the time of the Dutch settlement at the Cape. The predominant vegetation on the Cape Peninsula had timber too fine and slender for harvesting (for building) and was thus given the name "fijnbosch". The name also refer to the dominance of small- or fine-leafed shrubs. To many people, fynbos is merely seen as the drab covering on mountain slopes. At a distance fynbos does seem like inconspicuous clumps of spiky grass. It is only when you experience it closely that you discover the rich variety of its exquisite flowers. The Cape Fynbos is a wonder of the world. It is the term given to a collection of plants (a vegetation type) that are mainly shrubs and is comprised of species belonging to South Africa's southwestern and southern Cape. Fynbos makes up four-fifths of the Cape Floral Kingdom, which covers an area of less than 90 000 square kilometres, and hosts 8 600 plant species. Table Mountain alone has almost 1 500 species in 57 square kilometres. The Fynbos Biome bears a certain resemblance to the vegetation in other Mediterranean or winter rainfall regions in so far as it has had to adapt to wet winters and dry summers. The fynbos in South Africa differs from the vegetation of the other areas in that it resembles that of both the southern and northern Mediterranean areas and comprises a much larger diversity of species. THE GROWTH FORMS The heath-like ericoid growth form comprises about 3 000 species.. The leaves of ericoids are small and mostly hard and the edges rolled under. With one of two exceptions, the ericoids store their seeds in the soil. The tallest shrubs in fynbos are the proteoids they are 1 to 3 metres in height and have large, leathery leaves. Proteoids encompass a wide range of shrub shapes and floral forms. Of all the fynbos groups, the proteoids have been most extensively studied as they are conspicuous and as cut flowers, have tremendous economic potential THE GROWTH FORMS The restoids comprise all 310 species in the Restionaceae, a family closely related to the grasses. All members of the restoids have separate male and female plants. The seeds of many of the plants are dispersed by ants. THE GROWTH FORMS The final group is the geophytes with 1 400 species. Fynbos has the richest geophyte flora in the world. Some of the larger Gladiolus, the lily Lachenalia and the orchid Disa. The geophytes appear only in the wetter months – they are less visible in the dry summer months when the leaves die back. Fynbos - Veld Types South Africa has been classified into various vegetation types or veld types. The following has been recognised as part of the Cape Floral Kingdom: The Mountain Fynbos, Coastal fynbos, Strandveld, and Coastal rhenosterbosveld Mountain fynbos is also characterised by grasses and reeds. These fynbos reeds (Restio and Elegia) are undoubtedly the prettiest. Mountain fynbos also has a wide variety of bulb, rhizome and corm plants – watsonias, wild irises, and disas are prime examples. THE STRANDVELD Sandy plains, dunes and limestone and granite ridges form the habitat of the Strandveld biome. This area has exceptionally beautiful spring flowers, which attract many tourists. Erica's are often present, as well as the waxberry (used for making candles in the past), blombos and gonna. The vegetation is somewhat sparser along the West Coast. Shrubs such as the blue kuni-bush, false spikethorn, butter-tree and succulents (e.g. the milkbush) and vygies are found here. COASTAL RHENOSTERBOSVELD This veld type is found on the lowlands along the coast on shale and granite, from sea level to 400 m above. As a veld type, it is rich in a wide variety of species and dominated by the rhenosterbush and the characteristic wealth of spring flowers. In the Stellenbosch area proteoids, heather and the wild clove are reasonably plentiful. The bitter aloe and a number of grasses and flower species are also present. Humans have been the greatest invaders of the fynbos landscape since they have been responsible for bringing in the plant invaders and for changing the landscape by starting towns, cities and road networks. The human invasion began mainly after the arrival of the Dutch East India Company in the seventeenth century. The Europeans satisfied their needs for food and shelter by using alien plants and animals to replace indigenous species that had less value to them. Committed to conserving the fynbos eco-region and its adjacent shores, WWFSA played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Cape Action Plan for People and the Environment (CAPE) and will contribute to the implementation of this conservation plan largely through activities supported by the Table Mountain Fund. Fynbos Conservation The objective is to secure the conservation of the biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom and through this, to deliver sustainable economic benefits to the people of the region. The opportunity exists to create the conditions for the emergence of a new type of conservation management with an ability to integrate biodiversity conservation with social challenges. For conservation efforts to be more successful it is essential that the country have all the people of South Africa involved. Only if this is achieved will conservation be seen as the collective responsibility of all South Africans.' CONSERVATION There are at present 12 nature reserves (51 099 ha) and four wilderness area (123 115 ha) that have been set aside in the fynbos areas. No development, such as powerlines, roads, etc., may be undertaken in these areas without the necessary approval. The largest reserve at present is the 24 569 ha Hottentots-Holland Reserve (in the Strand area). FIRE – AN ESSENTIAL LIFE-GIVING ELEMENT Strange as it may seem, by the time a fynbos community has reached the age of about 15 years since the last fire, it is ready to burn. All the species have flowered and set seed for several successive years by then. Although fire is seen as a destructive power, in the fynbos community it is an essential event, which provides new opportunities for organisms to regenerate, produce offspring and then die back in anticipation of the next fire. If there are no fires for lengthy periods, some species, such as proteas, start degenerating. SURVIVING THROUGH THE DRY, HOT SUMMER Fynbos plants balance their water content when soil moisture is low by conserving energy, much like the human inhabitants of Mediterranean climates. They metabolise energetically in the early morning, rest through the hot midday and resume activity in the late afternoon. Fynbos plants also have variations in their rooting systems to cope with drought. Some have long taproots that grow to great depths and others have shallow, fibrous roots that capture whatever water there is near the soil surface. In this way they can coexist within a small area without competing with each other for water. The leaves of fynbos plants have characteristics that enable them to cope with excessive solar radiation. Some have epidermal hairs that increase the sheen of the leaf, thereby making it more reflective. Fynbos - Thriving in the Face of Adversity Because fynbos soil is rather infertile, nutrients to survive are very scarce. Plants need to be very efficient in locating and absorbing those that are available and use them to their best advantage. Specialised nutrient-uptake mechanisms have evolved in many fynbos plants and others have formed symbiotic partnerships with bacteria and fungi. Bacteria stimulate the production of nodule outgrowths on the roots of certain species, which enables the host plant to absorb nitrogen that would otherwise be unavailable. It also stimulates the production of dense rootlets to improve the uptake of ions. 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. However, smaller mammals common to fynbos are chacma baboons, klipspringers, grysbok, dassies, mongooses, and the striped mouse. 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 play an important role in pollinating flowers from which they drink nectar. The economic importance of Fynbos Fynbos areas provide products, such as tea, flowers for export and buchu. Above all, fynbos areas provide outdoor recreational opportunities and enormous amounts of research reserves. Rooibos is a fynbos species endemic to the Clanwilliam Cederberg area. From here it is processed, packaged and despatched worldwide. Each year during August and September, depending on the preceding winter's rainfall, the Capeis transformed into a floral showcase. The Cape features a large variety of wild flowers. Ramskop Nature Reserve at the Clanwilliam Dam Resort boasts 250 indigenous species of wild flowers. Hope you enjoyed the FYNBOS slide show