Why the Cape Floristic region is so famous?
The Cape Floral Region forms a centre of active speciation where interesting patterns of endemism and adaptive radiation are found in the flora. The outstanding diversity, density and endemism of the flora are among the highest worldwide.
Where is Cape Floristic region?
South Africa
The Cape Floristic Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa. It is the only floristic region of the Cape (South African) Floristic Kingdom, and includes only one floristic province, known as the Cape Floristic Province.
What is the smallest but richest of the six Recognised floral kingdoms of the world?
Cape floral kingdom
The region follows the Cape fold belt of mountains, the Cedarberg and Hottentots Holland mountains, then cuts through the Langeberg, Outeniquas, Tsitsikamma, Swartberg and Zuurberg mountains, encompassing key sections of the Cape floral kingdom, the smallest and richest of the world’s six floral kingdoms – and the only …
Is the Cape Floral Kingdom a biome?
Thus, although the Cape Floral Kingdom contains five biomes, only the Fynbos Biome, comprising the Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation groups, contains most of the floral diversity. Furthermore, the Cape Floral Kingdom traditionally does not include the Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation outliers to the north and east.
Which biome includes one of the world’s richest floral kingdoms?
Fynbos Biome
The Fynbos Biome is home to one of the world’s richest floras, with more than 9,000 species of plants occurring within an area the size of Malawi or Portugal.
How many floral kingdoms are there?
six Floral Kingdoms
The world is divided into six Floral Kingdoms, also called Floristic Regions.
Is the Cape Floral Kingdom a single country?
Situated at the tip of Africa, this majestic floral kingdom is the only to be fully contained within a single country. Restricted ranges are a characteristic feature of the hotspot, with the total range of some species being smaller than half a soccer field.
How big is the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa?
Home to the greatest non-tropical concentration of higher plant species in the world, the region is the only hotspot that encompasses an entire floral kingdom, and holds five of South Africa’s 12 endemic plant families and 160 endemic genera. Covering 78,555 km 2, Cape Floristic Region hotspot is located entirely within the borders of South Africa.
What kind of plants live in the Cape Kingdom?
The Cape Floral Kingdom is composed mostly of fynbos (meaning ‘fine bush’ in Afrikaans and referring to the fine, needle-like leaves of many species), a biome (that’s basically science talk for a really big family) that is endemic to the region.
How many biomes are there in the Cape Floral Kingdom?
Thus, although the Cape Floral Kingdom contains five biomes, only the Fynbos Biome, comprising the Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation groups, contains most of the floral diversity. Furthermore, the Cape Floral Kingdom traditionally does not include the Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation outliers to the north and east.