Eco-169: Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets
Source: Wikipedia
| Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map of the Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Afrotropical |
| Biome | montane grasslands and shrublands |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 19,400 km2 (7,500 mi2) |
| Countries | South Africa |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/endangered |
The Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets is one of the ecoregions of South Africa. It consists of the montane shrubland biome.[1]
Geography
The ecoregion occupies the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, covering an area of 19,500 square kilometers (7,500 sq mi) in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. It is bounded on the east by the KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic, which lies in the humid coastal strip along the Indian Ocean; to the west it is bounded by the higher-elevation Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests. To the south, it transitions to the drier Albany thickets, which are characterized by more succulent and spiny plants.
Climate
The ecoregion experiences a dry subtropical climate characterised by varying rainfall levels, ranging from 1200 mm to 800 mm per year. 60% of its rainfall occurs during the summer.[2]
Flora
The typical vegetation is of the semi-succulent type, which are densely packed and up to three meters in height. The ecoregion, which is in a transition between moist and dry, montane and lowland, and temperate and tropical, has a rich diversity of species, with many endemics.[3]
Fauna
The ecoregion is home to a variety of animal species, including endangered black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) and white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum).[4]
Protected areas
A 1994 survey found that about 7.5% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, and Thomas Baines Nature Reserve.[5]
See also
- Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot – Southern Africa biodiversity hotspot
- Maputaland – Natural region in South Africa in northern KwaZulu-Natal
- EmaMpondweni, also known as Pondoland
- Wild Coast – Section of the coast of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
References
- ↑ Ecoregions of South Africa Archived 2011-11-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Pretorius, Mathilde Luïse; Brown, Leslie R.; Bredenkamp, George J.; Van Huyssteen, Cornie W. (14 May 2014), Grillo, Oscar (ed.), "The Ecology and Species Richness of the Different Plant Communities Within Selected Wetlands on the Maputaland Coastal Plain, South Africa", Biodiversity - The Dynamic Balance of the Planet, InTech, doi:10.5772/58219, ISBN 978-953-51-1315-7, retrieved 25 March 2026
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ↑ Rutherford, Michael (1 January 2006). "Albany thicket biome". Academia.edu.
- ↑ "SA unearths 18 new species - Brand South Africa". Brand South Africa. 4 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 January 2026. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- ↑ "Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
External links
- "Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany