Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos is a unique andendangered vegetation type that is endemic to theCape Peninsula inCape Town. This type of MountainFynbos occurs on very poor, acidic soils but is incredibly rich inbiodiversity with an enormous number of plant species – many of which occur nowhere else. Due to its poor soils and steep, inaccessible location, it has not been developed for farming or houses, and consequently it is relatively well conserved.[1]
The plant life is a special kind ofFynbos, containing a vast mix of species from all of the principal components of Fynbos vegetation. A great many of these species areendemic and can be found nowhere else in the world, including around 33 endemicEricas. (There is even a unique species of aloe, theTable Mountain Aloe, which is alsoendemic toTable Mountain's Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos.)The variety of tallProtea species are particularly striking and noticeable and are especially common growing in the rough sands of wetter spots. In lower areas that are wetter still,Restios become dominant, while a wide range ofErica species predominate on the better-drained slopes.Asteraceous (Daisy) species are more common in steeper, drier spots and succulent plants occur on the steepest cliff faces.In areas which are protected from seasonal fires, such as river valleys, the Fynbos is replaced by dense, indigenousAfrotemperate forest.
This is the predominant vegetation type of the higher parts of theCape Peninsula, from the face ofTable Mountain in the north, southwards as far asCape Point. It is the main ecosystem of the upper slopes of Table Mountain (and a tiny pocket of it is found on the very top of Lions Head), but it is low-lying in the southern parts of the peninsula, often even occurring at sea level. Overall it corresponds closely with the rocky, acid sands of Table Mountain Sandstone.
Most Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos still remains (98%), mainly due to its steep, inaccessible location and its poor soils, which together make it unsuitable both for housing and for farming. The attempt to establish successful commercialpine plantations failed due to the poorsoil quality; the plantations have mostly been removed.[citation needed] The main threats to this ecosystem today come from invasive alien plants such aswattles (mostlyPort Jackson andRooikrans wattle),hakeas andpine trees. Another problem is human disturbance of the ecosystem’s natural cycle of fires.[2]
About 79% of this vegetation type is statutorily protected, due to its lying within theTable Mountain National Park and it is largely well preserved. However it is nonetheless classified asendangered due to its very large number of threatened Red List species.[3]
For such a tiny ecosystem it has an extraordinarily richbiodiversity, having roughly the same number of plant species as can be found in the whole of theUnited Kingdom.[4]
Media related toPeninsula Sandstone Fynbos at Wikimedia Commons
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
