Fynbos is not easy to define, but it is essentially a term for an evergreen, hard-leafed shrubland vegetation type, or collection of plants, that is primarily associated with nutrient-poor soils and often, though not exclusively, with a winter-rainfall Mediterranean-type climate. It is characterised by four
The renosterveld is one of the richest ecosystems in the world, home to an extraordinary diversity of bulbous plants. Unfortunately, because its shale-derived soils are so fertile, it was also where most of the Cape’s burgeoning agricultural sector developed, with monocultural crops like wheat, barley,
Often overlooked in the awe and wonder that the terrestrial species evoke is the equally remarkable and spectacular marine biodiversity that surrounds the Table Mountain chain. This is because two ocean current systems meet and merge off its southern tip – the cold Benguela current in
While its plants have, understandably, commanded most attention, the Fynbos region also contains several categories of the animal kingdom that are equally significant in global biodiversity terms. Because of its nutrient-poor soils, fynbos supports few big mammals, and its bird-life is not particularly spectacular, with just