The protected areas of the Cape Floristic Region are a UNESCO World Heritage Site , which includes a number of specially protected natural areas in the Western Cape Province and the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa . The object is designed to protect the diversity of flora of the Cape floral region , located in southern Africa [1] [2] .
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Protected areas of the Cape Floristic Region [* 1] | |
|---|---|
| Cape Floral Region Protected Areas [* 2] | |
 | |
| A country |  South Africa |
| Criteria | ix, x |
| Link | 1007rev |
| Region [* 3] | Africa |
| Turning on | 2004 (28th session) |
Content
Physical and geographical characteristics
The objects of the Cape region are located in the south and south-west of South Africa between the coast and the Söderberg and Svartberg mountain ranges [2] . The cluster object includes eight sites of protected areas [1] [3] . The areas of the region, protected by UNESCO, are located on a strip 110 km wide and 850 km long [2] . Data on the area of the object vary significantly. The declared main area on the UNESCO site is 5530 km², in addition the buffer zone [13] is 13 150 km². In the database of protected areas, the total area of the object is 44,240 km² [3] .
The altitude reaches a maximum at the peak of Groot-Winterhook (2077 meters) [2] .
Flora and fauna
The object is one of 18 biodiversity hotspots declared by UNESCO, about a third of the plants growing in the Cape region are endemics [1] . 6191 species of endemic plants of the Cape region grows on the territory of the World Heritage Site, with at each site the number of species exceeds 1000. This diversity is due to different height above sea level, soil and climatic conditions. In addition to shrub vegetation finbosh, the special interest of scientists is caused by the spread of seeds by ants and termites, a large percentage of pollination by insects, and also relict plants, which make it possible to reconstruct the flora of the past [2] .
The fauna of the territories as a whole is not as diverse as the flora, but high endemism is also reflected here. This applies particularly to forest and mountain streams, caves. The protected areas are inhabited by such relict animals as Peripatopsis leonina, Peripatopsis alba and Peripatopsis clavigera, which have changed little from their appearance. It has been observed that the range of relict animals coincides with the range of relict plants. A number of areas with special animal biodiversity are protected by international programs [2] .
Territory Security
The World Heritage Site includes the following specially protected natural areas [2] :
- Table Mountain National Park, which used to be called Cape Peninsula [4] ;
- Wild Growing Area Cederberg Wilderness Area;
- Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area;
- Boland Mountain Complex:
- Kogelberg State Forest;
- Nature Reserve Limietberg Nature Reserve (State Forest);
- Nature Reserve Hottentots-Holland (Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve);
- Jonkershoek State Forest (Nature Reserve) Nature Reserve;
- Nature Reserve Assigaigaibosch (Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve);
- De Hoop Nature Reserve Nature Reserve;
- Wildland State Forest Bosmansbos (Boesmansbos State Forest (Wilderness Area));
- Comprehensive nature reserve Swartberg Nature Reserve Complex:
- Groot Swartberg State Forest / Nature Reserve;
- Swartberg East State Forest / Nature Reserve;
- Nature Reserve Gamkapoort (Gamkapoort Nature Reserve);
- Protected Area Baviaanskloof Protected Area:
- Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve Nature Reserve;
- Baviaanskloof State Forest;
- Protected area Baviaanskloof (Baviaanskloof Conservation Area).
Notes
- 2 1 2 3 4 Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (English) . Unesco Circulation date 4 June 2010. Archived March 14, 2012.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 CAPE FLORAL REGION PROTECTED AREAS (English) (inaccessible link) . United Nations Enviroment Program. Circulation date 4 June 2010. Archived January 14, 2009.
- ↑ 1 2 Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (English) . World Database on Protected Areas. The appeal date is June 4, 2010. Archived on April 27, 2012.
- Mountain Table Mountain National Park (formerly Cape Peninsula National Park), Western Cape, South Africa (English) . Siyabona Africa. The appeal date is June 4, 2010. Archived on April 27, 2012.
Links
- CAPE FLORAL REGION PROTECTED AREAS (English) (inaccessible link) . United Nations Enviroment Program. Circulation date 4 June 2010. Archived January 14, 2009.