The extended Cape Floral Region Protected Areas property comprises 1,094,742 ha of protected areas and is surrounded by a buffer zone of 798,514 ha. The originally inscribed Cape Floral Region Protected Areas serial property comprised eight protected areas covering a total area of 557,584 ha, and included a buffer zone of 1,315,000 ha.
The Cape Floral Region has been identified as one of the world’s 35 biodiversity hotspots. Some 69% of the estimated 9,000 plant species in the region are endemic, with 1,736 plant species identified as threatened and with 3,087 species of conservation concern. The outstanding diversity, density and endemism of the flora are among the highest worldwide. It represents less than 0.5% of the area of Africa but is home to nearly 20% of the continent’s flora. The Cape Floral Region forms a centre of active speciation where interesting patterns of endemism and adaptive radiation are found in the flora.Ĭriterion (x): The Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants when compared to any similar sized area in the world. The pollination biology and nutrient cycling are other distinctive ecological processes found in the site. Of particular scientific interest are the adaptations of the plants to fire and other natural disturbances seed dispersal by ants and termites the very high level of plant pollination by insects, mainly beetles and flies, birds and mammals and high levels of adaptive radiation and speciation. These processes are represented generally within the Cape Floral Region and captured in the component areas that make up the 13 protected area clusters.
These protected areas also conserve the outstanding ecological, biological and evolutionary processes associated with the beautiful and distinctive Fynbos vegetation, unique to the Cape Floral Region.Ĭriterion (ix): The property is considered of Outstanding Universal Value for representing ongoing ecological and biological processes associated with the evolution of the unique Fynbos biome. This extraordinary assemblage of plant life and its associated fauna is represented by a series of 13 protected area clusters covering an area of more than 1 million ha. It is recognised as one of the world’s ʻhottest hotspotsʼ for its diversity of endemic and threatened plants, and contains outstanding examples of significant ongoing ecological, biological and evolutionary processes. The property is a highly distinctive phytogeographic unit which is regarded as one of the six Floral Kingdoms of the world and is by far the smallest and relatively the most diverse. The Cape Floral Region has been recognised as one of the most special places for plants in the world in terms of diversity, density and number of endemic species.
0 kommentar(er)
