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Wildcliff Nature Reserve
Dedicated to
plant and wildlife conservation in the Cape Floral Kingdom
Flora
of the Wildcliff Nature
Reserve
Wildcliff offers an
outstanding example of the flora of the reknowned Cape Floristic
Region.
The dominant
vegetation biomes of the Reserve are:
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For current
observations, see the Wildcliff
Flora Log. or go hiking
through the fynbos
You can also take a pictorial tour of some identified plants on
Wildcliff here:
In
addition to those we've found, there are no doubt microclimates in the
mountains and cliffs
that harbor mini-ecosystems, all yet to be explored. We welcome proposals for
research in these areas.
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Flora
of the Cape Floral
Kingdom
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South
Africa
has the third-highest level of biodiversity in
the world, thanks in no small part to the Cape Floral Kingdom. The
Table Mountain National Park alone has more plant species within its
22,000 hectares than the whole British Isles or New Zealand.
A stretch
of land and sea spanning 90,000 square kilometres, or
0.05% of the earth's land area, the Cape floral kingdom contains
roughly 3% of the world's plant species. Of the 9,600 species of
vascular plants found in the Cape
floral kingdom, about 70% are endemic, ie occur nowhere else on earth.
More about the Cape Floral Kingdom here.
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Links & References
Books
- Fynbos:
South Africa's Unique Floral Kingdom, by Richard Cowling and
Dave Richardson. Fernwood Press; Re-issue edition (January 1995)
- Field Guide to Trees of
Southern Africa, by Braam Van Wyk & Piet
Van Wyk. Struik Publishers,
1997.
- Making the
Most of
Indigenous Trees, by Fanie & Julye-Ann Venter. Briza
Publications, 2005. 2nd ed.
- The
Wildlife of Southern
Africa; a field guide to the animals and plants of the region,
edited by Vincent Carruthers. Southern Book Publishers, 1997.
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