African Wildlife & Environment Issue 84 2023

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

When one thinks of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) and endemism specifically, most people immediately think of all the plant endemics that are in the Cape Fynbos Heathlands; namely in the Proteaceae, Ericaceae, Restionaceae, and in a few other families (e.g. Asteraceae, Bruniaceae, Orchidaceae and a good few more too!). All of the species in these families mostly grow in the fire-driven, evergreen, sclerophyllous shrublands that cover the mountain ranges - and some coastal lowlands; that are either on acid-sand or calcareous substrates. We in South Africa are certainly most blessed to have a CFR with ~9,000 plant species of which ~70% are endemic (i.e. occurring nowhere else in the world). TALES OF ENDEMISM - TREES OF THE CAPE

The drivers for the occurrence of these unique plant species and vegetation types here in the Western Cape have resulted in many published erudite research papers and books - and not all authorities totally agree with each other’s views. Many recent researchers invoke the Mediterranean-type climate as a major driver - but then some elements of the vegetation occur in localized vegetation types further east and north into the summer rainfall parts of Africa; which must surely challenge the climate determinant hypothesis? In Australia, species in the three key families I mentioned above are most certainly not confined to the two Mediterranean-type climate areas of Western Australia and South Australia/Victoria. They are in fact widely occurring; more specifically in the eastern and northeastern states of New South Wales and Queensland. In Australia all the plant-associations with these families, and species in selected other families, typify the many heathland vegetation types – a descriptor that we seem to have avoided here in the CFR and in recent published, peer-reviewed papers. Specific references to

Eugene Moll

Typically, Cape Fynbos Heathlands have three structural elements, namely an understorey of restios and small shrubs with ericoid leaves, and an overstorey of Proteaceae . Shown here is a community in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve – in the foreground the substrate is wind-blown sand with a low quartzite mountain in the background

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