Biodiversity of Cape Town
Cape Town's original vegetation types
Cape Town's surviving vegetation types
The Biodiversity of Cape Town is the variety and variability of life within the geographical extent of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, excluding the Prince Edward Islands. The terrestrial vegetation is particularly diverse and much of it is endemic to the city and its vicinity. Terrestrial and freshwater animal life is heavily impacted by urban development and habitat degradation. Marine life of the waters immediately adjacent to the city along the Cape Peninsula and in False Bay is also diverse, and while also impacted by human activity, the habitats are relatively intact.
Floristic region (phytochorion)[]
The City of Cape Town lies within the Cape Floristic Kingdom, by far the smallest and most diverse of the earth's six floristic kingdoms,[1] an area of extraordinarily high diversity and endemism, and home to over 9,000 vascular plant species, of which 69 percent are endemic.[2] Much of this diversity is associated with the fynbos biome, a Mediterranean-type, fire-prone shrubland.[2] The economical worth of fynbos biodiversity, based on harvests of fynbos products (e.g. wildflowers) and eco-tourism, is estimated to be in the region of R77 million a year.[2] Thus, it is clear that the Cape Floristic Region has both economic and intrinsic biological value as a biodiversity hotspot.[2]
Vegetation types[]
Cape Town is located within a Conservation International biodiversity hotspot and is home to a total of 19 different and distinct vegetation types. (This enormous variety is mainly because the city is uniquely located at the convergence point of a great many different soil types and micro-climates.) These 19 vegetation types are mostly restricted to unusually small areas, and several are completely endemic to the city – occurring nowhere else in the world. Vegetation types include the following.[3][4]
- Atlantis Sand Fynbos
- Boland Granite Fynbos
- Cape Flats Dune Strandveld
- Cape Flats Sand Fynbos
- Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos
- Hangklip Sand Fynbos
- Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
- Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
- Peninsula Granite Fynbos
- Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos
- Peninsula Shale Renosterveld
- Swartland Alluvium Fynbos
- Swartland Shale Renosterveld
- Southern Afrotemperate Forest
- Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland
Endemism[]
Table Mountain as seen from Bloubergstrand. Some examples of the region's plant biodiversity is seen in the foreground.
Of the thousands of plant species that are indigenous to Cape Town, 190 are known to be endemic to the city - occurring nowhere else in the world. In addition, there are over a hundred animal species that are also restricted to the city.[5] Endemic plant species include the following.[clarification needed] [6][7][8][9][10]
- Cape Peninsula endemics
- (honey buchu)
- (skunk buchu)
- (Table Mountain hairy crawling water beetle)
- (Table Mountain water scavenger beetle)
- Aloiampelos commixta (Table Mountain aloe)
- (Table Mountain copper)
- Arion intermedius
- (unistem aristea)
- Arthroleptella lightfootii (Cape Peninsula moss frog)
- (bearded gorse)
- (hairy-ridge gorse)
- (Cape gorse)
- (heady gorse)
- subsp chenopoda
- (incurved gorse)
- (Cape Flats gorse)
- (unihead kanniedood)
- Aulonogyrus (Afrogyrus) sp. undescribed
- subsp major (spearleaf laces)
- (Peninsula sissies)
- (small tangle reed)
- (Peninsula restio leafhopper)
- (Table Mountain trinon harvestman)
- (crown climbers-friend)
- (summit climbers-friend)
- (erica-leaf climbers-friend)
- var. theodori-friesii (climbers-friend 1)
- Colophon westwoodi (Peninsula stag beetle)
- (watergrass button)
- var. promontorii (cliff Cape snowdrop)
- (cave orb-web spider)
- (Peninsula cave millipede)
- (Peninsula silverfish)
- (Peninsula cave pseudoscorpion)
- (Peninsula honeybush)
- (broad-leaf honeybush)
- (Peninsula bloodcup)
- subsp divaricata (Peninsula silkypuff)
- (Brinks Peninsula cockroach)
- (spurless disa)
- (cloud disa)
- subsp. obtusa
- Disa uniflora (pride of Table Mountain)
- (searock dewfig)
- Drosera cuneifolia (Peninsula sundew)
- (scratchy golden reed)
- (Peninsula water sedge)
- (rock everfig)
- Erica abietina subsp. abietina (red heath)
- Erica abietina subsp. atrorosea (wine-red heath)
- Erica abietina subsp. constantiana (Constantia heath)
- Erica abietina subsp. diabolis (devils heath)
- (delightful heath)
- (cliff-hanger heath)
- Erica baccans (berry heath)
- Erica capensis (Cape heath)
- var. caterviflora (bunch heath)
- var. glabrata (troop heath)
- (club heath)
- (red hill heath)
- (dwarf heath)
- (buchu-leaf heath 2)
- (ivory heath)
- (crowberry heath)
- (fairy heath)
- (fountain heath)
- Erica haematocodon (bloodbell heath)
- (gooseberry heath)
- (marsh heath)
- Erica hirtiflora var. hirtiflora (hairy-flower heath)
- (mud heath)
- Erica mammosa subsp gilva (Peninsula ninepin heath)
- Erica margaritacea (pearl heath)
- (flat-leaf heath)
- Erica mollis (soft heath)
- (rock heath)
- (cranberry heath)
- (wiry heath)
- (bladder heath)
- (fine-hair heath)
- (gland heath)
- Erica pyramidalis (pyramid heath)
- (box heath)
- (four-grooved heath)
- (partner heath)
- (pinhead heath)
- (carpet heath)
- Erica turgida (showy heath)
- Erica urna-viridis (bottle-green heath)
- Erica verticillata (whorled heath)
- (western leopard toad flatworm)
- (vleibiessie)
- (vleibiessie)
- (smallflower vleibiessie)
- Galaxias zebratus Southern Peninsula population
- (Goodhope satinflower)
- (Table Mountain satinflower)
- (Peninsula kukumakranka)
- (golden lady)
- (Good Hope lady)
- (mountain lady)
- (ornate lady)
- (plain painted lady)
- (poor saffronbush)
- (Table Mountain golden baboon spider)
- (Peninsula cave millipede)
- 3
- Heleophryne rosei (Table Mountain ghost frog)
- (Peninsula oats)
- (Table Mountain sporrie)
- (small-flowered dolls-rose)
- (dull Peninsula cockroach)
- (denseleaf indigo)
- (long-stalk indigo)
- (discolorous indigo)
- Indigofera sp. nov. aff. gracilis (slender indigo)
- (green-and-red isolepis)
- Japyx barnardi var. relata
- Japyx gilli
- (Cape viooltjie)
- (Bakoven brightfig)
- (brilliant brightfig)
- (rock brightfig)
- (narrow brightfig)
- sp. undescribed
- (cave sheet-web spider)
- (Cape pepperweed)
- (Peninsula long-horn caddisfly)
- (Wynberg conebush)
- (acacia-leaf conebush)
- Leucadendron strobilinum (Peninsula conebush)
- Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. conocarpodendron (grey tree pincushion)
- (grass mountain pea)
- (tall mountain pea)
- (small mountain dahlia)
- (creeping lobelia)
- (Ecklons lobelia)
- 4
- (cave hackle-mesh spider)
- Meta sp. nov.
- (compact blombos)
- subsp. divergens
- subsp. fusca
- (silver catstailbush)
- Mimetes fimbriifolius (fringed pagoda)
- (Peninsula bagnest spider)
- Moraea aristata (blue-eye uintjie)
- (Peninsula waxberry)
- (spiny purple-gorse)
- (sessile purple-gorse)
- (spiny-tip purple-gorse)
- (needle-leaf purple-gorse)
- (curly-haired purple-gorse)
- (devils purple-gorse)
- (roughpod purple-gorse)
- (round-leaf purple-gorse)
- (Page's purple-gorse)
- var. salteri (Karbonkelberg purple-gorse)
- (bunch-leaf purple-gorse)
- (Peninsula snapdragon)
- (toothed swampdaisy)
- (Peninsula ground beetle)
- Paramelita barnardi (Peninsula cave amphipod)
- 5
- subsp. longiglumis (Table Mountain longglume)
- Peripatopsis alba (cave velvetworm)
- (lion velvetworm)
- (Peninsula trilobyte cockroach)
- (Peninsula golden-case caddisfly)
- (Peninsula phylica)
- (granite Cape flax)
- (silver longfuit)
- (Peninsula minnow mayfly)
- (Peninsula purplepuff)
- (Peninsula three-leaf pea)
- (Peninsula bonnet)
- (fine cord reed)
- var. dodii (Dodd's marsh cord reed)
- (rigid bell)
- (longbase bell)
- (klaver bell)
- (recurved bell)
- (mat bell)
- (blackeye bell)
- (rock turretfig)
- (red-stem turretfig)
- (Cape scabious)
- (Peninsula ragwort)
- (lost spiderhead)
- (Wynberg spiderhead)
- (Peninsula spiderhead)
- (Rondevlei spiderhead)
- (cluster spiderhead) 6
- (Swartkops spiderhead)
- (valley spiderhead)
- (Peninsula sunspider)
- (cave shrimp)
- (cave camel cricket)
- (cave trinon harvestman)
- (cave sironid harvestman)
- (Peninsula daddylonglegs)
- (cave daddylonglegs)
- (dolls diamondeyes)
- (sticky diamondeyes)
- (rose slangbos)
- (Sirkelsvlei mountain sedge)
- (Peninsula mountain sedge)
- (pale mountain sedge)
- (varied mountain sedge)
- (cliff dangle reed)
- (cloud dangle reed)
- (false-branched rootthug)
- Thestor yildizae (Peninsula thestor)
- (cosmic pinwheel)
- (Cape pinwheel)
- (solitary bristle sedge)
- (cave sowbug)
- (Peninsula chafer)
- (Newlands scorpion)
- subsp tenuifolia
- (Peninsula bogbean)
- (fire capebell)
- (Table Mountain watsonia)
- (Table Mountain window reed)
- (black spikelily)
- Additional species
- (Cape Flats conebush)
- (Cape Flats gorse) (extinct)
- Lepidochrysops methymna dicksoni (Dicksons dark opal) (Tygerberg)
- (erica-leaf climbers-friend)
- (flats kollosie)
- (grass mountain pea) (extinct)
- (Kraaifontein spiderhead)
- (narrow brightfig)
- Erica margaritacea (pearl heath)
- Erica pyramidalis (pyramid heath) (extinct)
- (Rondevlei spiderhead)
- Erica turgida (showy heath) (extinct)
- (solitary bristle sedge)
- Serruria aemula (strawberry spiderhead)
- (unihead kanniedood)
- (varied mountain sedge)
- Erica verticillata (whorled heath) (extinct)
Species records in South African Biodiversity Database[]
Mammals[]
Mammals present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][clarification needed][12][clarification needed]
- Acomys subspinosus (Cape spiny mouse)
- Amblysomus hottentotus (Hottentot golden mole)
- Aonyx capensis (Cape clawless otter)
- Arctocephalus pusillus (Cape fur seal)
- Atilax paludinosus (water mongoose)
- Eubalaena glacialis (southern right whale)
- Bathyergus suillus (Cape dune molerat)
- Canis lupus familiaris (domestic dog)
- Cephalorhynchus heavisidii (Heaviside's dolphin)
- Chlorotalpa duthieae (Duthie's golden mole)
- Connochaetes gnou (black wildebeest)
- Crocidura cyanea (reddish-grey musk shrew)
- Cryptomys hottentotus (common molerat)
- Cynictis penicillata (yellow mongoose)
- Damaliscus pygargus pygargus (bontebok)
- Delphinus delphis (common dolphin)
- Dendromus melanotis (grey climbing mouse)
- Dendromus mesomelas (brant's climbing mouse)
- Elephantulus edwardii (Cape rock elephant-shrew)
- Eptesicus capensis (Cape serotine bat)
- Eremitalpa granti (Grant's golden mole)
- Felis caracal (caracal)
- Felis silvestris catus (domestic cat)
- Galerella pulverulenta (small grey mongoose)
- Genetta genetta (smallspotted genet)
- Genetta tigrina (large-spotted genet)
- Georychus capensis (Cape molerat)
- Gerbillurus paeba (hairyfooted gerbil)
- Herpestes ichneumon (large grey mongoose)
- Hippopotamus amphibius (hippopotamus)
- Hystrix africaeaustralis (porcupine)
- Ictonyx striatus (striped polecat)
- Kogia simus (dwarf sperm whale)
- Lagenodelphis hosei (Fraser's dolphin)
- Lepus capensis (Cape hare)
- Lepus saxatilis (scrub hare)
- Myomyscus verreauxii, syn. Mastomys verreauxii (Verreaux's mouse)
- Mellivora capensis (honey badger)
- Mirounga leonina (southern elephant seal)
- Mus minutoides (African pygmy mouse)
- Mus musculus (house mouse)
- Myosorex varius (forest shrew)
- Mystromys albicaudatus (whitetailed mouse)
- Orcinus orca (killer whale)
- Oreotragus oreotragus (klipspringer)
- Orycteropus afer (aardvark)
- Otocyon megalotis (bat-eared fox)
- Otomys irroratus (vlei rat)
- Otomys unisulcatus (bush Karoo rat)
- Panthera pardus (leopard)
- Papio ursinus (chacma baboon)
- Pelea capreolus (grey rhebok)
- Poecilogale albinucha (striped weasel)
- Procavia capensis (rock dassie)
- Pronolagus rupestris (Smith's red rock rabbit)
- Pseudorca crassidens (false killer whale)
- Raphicerus campestris (steenbok)
- Raphicerus melanotis (Cape grysbok)
- Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)
- Rattus rattus (house rat)
- Rhabdomys pumilio (striped mouse, striped field mouse)
- Rousettus aegyptiacus (Egyptian fruit bat)
- Sagmatias obscurus (dusky dolphin)
- Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel|grey squirrel)
- Suncus varilla (lesser dwarf shrew)
- Sylvicapra grimmia (common duiker)
- Tatera afra (Cape gerbil)
- Vulpes chama (Cape fox)
- Ziphius cavirostris (Cuvier's beaked whale)
Fish[]
Fish present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]
- (evil-eyed blaasop)
- Anguilla mossambica steinitzi (longfin eel)
- Atherina breviceps (Cape silverside)
- (prison goby)
- (barehead goby)
- Clarias gariepinus (sharp-tooth catfish)
- Cyprinus carpio (carp)
- Galaxias zebratus (Cape galaxias)
- Gambusia affinis (mosquito fish)
- (estuarine round-herring)
- (Cape sole)
- Lichia amia (garrick)
- Lithognathus lithognathus (white steenbras)
- (groovy mullet)
- Liza richardsonii (southern mullet)
- Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass)
- Mugil cephalus (flathead mullet)
- Oreochromis mossambicus (Mozambique tilapia)
- Pomatomus saltatrix (elf)
- (Knysna goby)
- (white stumpnose)
- Rhabdosargus holubi (Cape stumpnose)
- (blackhand sole)
- Leptonotus norae (longsnout pipefish)
- Tilapia sparrmanii (banded tilapia)
Reptiles[]
Reptiles present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]
- Acontias meleagris (Cape legless skink)
- Acontias meleagris meleagris (Cape legless skink)
- Acontias meleagris orientalis (Cape legless skink)
- Afrogecko porphyreus (marbled leaf-toed gecko, marbled leaftoed gecko)
- Agama atra (southern rock agama)
- Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus (coral snake)
- Bitis arietans (puff adder, puffadder)
- Bitis atropos (berg adder)
- Bradypodion pumilum (Cape dwarf chameleon)
- Chamaesaura anguina (Cape grass lizard)
- Chersina angulata (angulate tortoise)
- Cordylus cordylus (Cape girdled lizard)
- Cordylus niger (black girdled lizard)
- (Karoo girdled lizard)
- Dasypeltis scabra (common eggeater)
- Dispholidus typus (boomslang)
- Duberria lutrix (common slug eater)
- Duberria lutrix lutrix (common slugeater)
- Geochelone pardalis (leopard tortoise)
- Goggia lineata (striped dwarf leaf-toed gecko, striped dwarf leaftoed gecko)
- Hemachatus haemachatus (rinkhals)
- Homopus areolatus (parrot-beaked tortoise, parrotbeaked tortoise)
- Homoroselaps lacteus (spotted harlequin snake)
- Lamprophis aurora (Aurora house snake)
- Lamprophis capensis (brown house snake)
- Lamprophis guttatus (spotted house snake)
- (olive house snake)
- Leptotyphlops longicaudus (long-tailed thread snake, longtailed thread snake)
- Lycodonomorphus rufulus (common brown water snake)
- Meroles knoxii (Knox's desert lizard)
- Naja nivea (Cape cobra)
- Pachydactylus austeni (Austen's thick-toed gecko, Austen's thicktoed gecko)
- Pachydactylus geitje (ocellated thick-toed gecko, ocellated thicktoed gecko)
- Pachydactylus labialis (Western Cape thick-toed gecko, Western Cape thicktoed gecko)
- Pedioplanis lineoocellata (spotted sand lizard)
- Pelomedusa subrufa (marsh terrapin)
- (cross-marked grass snake, crossmarked grass snake)
- (Cape sand snake)
- (Karoo sand snake)
- Psammophylax rhombeatus (rhombic skaapsteker)
- Pseudaspis cana (mole snake)
- Pseudocordylus microlepidotus (Cape crag lizard)
- Ramphotyphlops braminus (flower-pot snake, flowerpot snake)
- Rhinotyphlops lalandei (Delalande's beaked blind snake, Delalande's blind snake)
- Scelotes bipes (silvery dwarf burrowing skink)
- Scelotes montispectus (Blaauwberg dwarf burrowing skink)
- (short-legged seps, shortlegged seps)
- (common long-tailed seps, common longtailed seps)
- Trachylepis capensis (Cape skink)
- Trachylepis homalocephala (red-sided skink, redsided skink)
- (golden blind legless skink)
- Typhlosaurus caecus (Cuvier's blind legless skink)
Amphibians[]
Amphibians present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]
- Amietia fuscigula (Cape river frog)
- Amietophrynus pantherinus (western leopard toad)
- Amietophrynus rangeri (raucous toad)
- Arthroleptella landdrosia (landroskop moss frog)
- Arthroleptella villiersi (Villiersdorp moss frog)
- Breviceps gibbosus (Cape rain frog)
- Breviceps montanus (Cape mountain rin frog)
- Breviceps namaquensis (Namaqua rain frog)
- Breviceps rosei (sand rain frog)
- Cacosternum boettgeri (common caco)
- Cacosternum platys (flat caco)
- Heleophryne rosei (Table Mountain ghost frog)
- Hyperolius horstockii (arum lily frog, arum lily reed frog)
- Hyperolius marmoratus (painted reed frog)
- Microbatrachella capense (micro frog)
- Strongylopus bonaspei (banded stream frog)
- Strongylopus grayii (clicking stream frog)
- Strongylopus grayii grayii (clicking stream frog)
- Tomopterna delalandii (Cape sand frog)
- Vandijkophrynus angusticeps (sand toad)
- Xenopus laevis (common platanna)
Insects[]
Insects present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]
- Acraea horta (garden acraea)
- Anax imperator (blue emperor)
- Apis mellifera capensis (Cape honeybee)
- Cacyreus marshalli (common geranium bronze)
- Chrysoritis pyroeis pyroeis (sand-dune opal)
- Colias electo electo (African clouded yellow)
- Crocothemis erythraea (broad scarlet)
- Danaus chrysippus aegyptius (African monarch)
- Dira clytus clytus (Cape autumn widow)
- Eichochrysops messapus messapus (cupreous blue)
- Gegenis niso niso (common Hottentot)
- Ischnura senegalensis (common bluetail)
- Lampides boeticus (lucerne blue)
- Leptotes brevidentatus (short-toothed blue)
- Leptotes pirithous (common pea blue)
- Macroglossum trochilus (African humming bird moth)
- Metisella metis metis (golden-spotted sylph)
- Orthetrum caffrum (two-striped skimmer)
- Orthetrum julia (Julia skimmer)
- Papilio demodocus demodocus (citrus swallowtail)
- Pieris brassicae (cabbage white)
- Pontia helice helice (meadow white)
- Pseudonympha magus (silver-bottom brown, silver bottomed brown)
- Tarucus thespis (vivid blue)
- Tramea limbata (ferruginous glider)
- Vanessa cardui (painted lady)
- Zophopetes dysmephila (palm-tree nightfighter)
- Zyzeeria knysna (sooty blue)
Fungi[]
Fungi present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]
- Agaricus bisporus (cultivated mushroom)
- Agaricus campestris (field mushroom)
- Agaricus xanthodermus (yellow-staining mushroom)
- Amanita muscaria (fly agaric)
- Coprinus comatus (shaggy ink cap)
- Coprinus micaceus (glistening ink cap)
- Gymnopilus junonius (orange tuft)
- Gymnopilus penetrans (small pine cap)
- Laccaria laccata (the deceiver)
- Lactarius deliciosus (pine ring)
- Lactarius vietus (gray milk cap)
- (cat parasol)
- (white parasol)
- Mycena leptocephala (thin-capped mycena)
- Pycnoporus sanguineus (orange polypore)
- (Cape russula)
- Russula sardonia (purple stemmed russula)
- Stereum hirsutum (the hairy stereum)
- Suillus bellinii (pine bolete)
- (brown knightly mushroom)
- (common puffball)
- Volvariella speciosa (rose-gilled grisette)
See also[]
- List of nature reserves in Cape Town – List of links to Wikipedia articles in the topic
- Table Mountain National Park – A national park on the Cape Peninsula in the vicinity of Cape Town, South Africa
- Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area – Marine conservation area around the Cape Peninsula in South Africa
References[]
- ^ "Environmental Resource Management in the city of Cape Town". Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Odendaal L. J., Haupt T. M. & Griffiths C. L. (2008). "The alien invasive land snail Theba pisana in the West Coast National Park: Is there cause for concern?". 50(1): 93-98. abstract, doi:10.4102/koedoe.v50i1.153.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved 2014-02-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2011-01-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Endemic Species of the city of Cape Town" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-12-23. Retrieved 2011-10-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2011-02-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ A.B. Low & A.G. Rebelo (eds). Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland, a companion to the vegetation map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Dept Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria. 85pp. ISBN 0-621-17316-9.
- ^ A.G. Rebelo, C. Boucher, N. Helme, L. Mucina, M.C. Rutherford et al. 2006. Fynbos Biome, in: L. Mucina & M.C. Rutherford (eds). The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19, pp 52‐219.
- ^ Anthony G. Rebelo, Patricia M. Holmes, Clifford Dorse & Julia Wood. Cape Town: Averting a Biodiversity Megadisaster? Unpublished MS.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f http://www.biodiversity.co.za/
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Updated from South African Biodiversity Database (http://www.biodiversity.co.za/) as species present in Cape Town on 2011/01/06
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