KwaZulu-Natal Dune Forest is asubtropicalforest type that was once found almost continuously along the coastaldunes ofKwaZulu-Natal,South Africa. This vegetation type develops in sheltered areas behind thelittoral zone, where with some protection from the salt wind it may develop with canopies as tall as 30 m.[1][2] It still exists in protected areas, but much has been degraded by human activity. Coastal dune forest covers approximately 1% of the land area of KwaZulu-Natal, and is a habitat type seriously threatened from humanpopulation pressure and development, particularly titanium mining.[3][4]
The coastal dune forest is one of the main habitats of thespotted ground-thrush, which is threatened by the decline of these forests.[5]
During 1995, spiders were sampled from the herbaceous layer of coastal dune forests atRichards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. Four stands were sampled in rehabilitating dune forest and one stand in a mature forest. Samples were taken for a two-month period and a total of 2955 spiders representing 23 families, 72 genera and 96 species were recorded.[6]