southern african biomes - Adventure · Terrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified...

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southern african biomes ©2015 PS Primich

Transcript of southern african biomes - Adventure · Terrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified...

Page 1: southern african biomes - Adventure · Terrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified based on the dominant vegetation, climate or geographic location. The location and

southern african biomes©

2015

PS

Prim

ich

Page 2: southern african biomes - Adventure · Terrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified based on the dominant vegetation, climate or geographic location. The location and

Key

Grassland

Savannah

Succulent Karoo

Nama Karoo

Forest

Fynbos

Thicket

Desert

INDIA

N OCEAN

ATLANTIC OCEAN

S O U T H E R N A F R I C A N B I O M E S

Page 3: southern african biomes - Adventure · Terrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified based on the dominant vegetation, climate or geographic location. The location and

Southern African Biomes

Biomes are regions that display similar climatic and geographic characteristics, climate is determined by precipitation (rainfall) and average temperature. Geography comprises the terrain, the location and any barriers such as mountains, rivers etc. Specific conditions determine the flora and fauna within the biome, the fauna, flora and soil organisms within a biome make up an ecosystem.

Biomes are either aquatic or terrestrial. We will first touch on aquatic biomes. Water covers a large portion of the earth’s surface and is richly diverse in plants and animals, we get freshwater and marine biomes.

Aquatic Biomes

FreshwaterThese generally have a low salt concentration (less than 1%) and include, rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and wetlands. Man made dams will have an impact on the free flow of a river and the character of the biome.

MarineHere we have a higher salt content (3,5%) around 35 grams of dissolved salt per litre of water. Consists of our oceans, estuaries and coral reefs.

Marine biome vegetation consists of various types of algae one the major sources of oxygen in the world, green algae also assists in the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.• Our oceans are large marine bodies that cover large portions of the

earth’s surface (nearly three quarters) as such they hold the largest diverse ecosystems. Examples are the plethora of fish, sharks, whales, octopuses, shellfish, perlemoen etc.

• Coral Reefs are formed underwater from Calcium Carbonate deposits produced by living coral, in our case they are found mainly along the warm east coast in the greater St Lucia area as well as Kozi Bay, Sodwana Bay and Leadsman Shoal. Lesser deposits are found at Aliwal Shoal near Umkomaas.

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Estuaries are coastal bodies of water permanently or periodically open to the sea. Salinity varies according mix of fresh (river or stream) and sea water. Biologically they are extremely diverse and provide a habitat for many plants, birds and animals.

Our coastline extends over 3 000 kilometres, from Namibia to Mozambique. It is rugged, with rocky shores exposed to high wave and wind activity. Numerous estuaries are found along the coast, most of which are found on the East Coast between Cape Padrone in the Eastern Cape and Mtunzini in KwaZulu Natal. The Eastern area receives the highest rainfall, mainly in the summer months. South Africa’s east coast has relatively warm waters whilst the west is much colder. The Benguela current on the South-West coast supports large numbers of marine animals, whilst the Agulhas current off the East Coast has a lesser quantity of fish but more diverse species. The coastline offers numerous economic opportunities for tourism, fishing and recreation. The main harbours being Richards Bay, Durban,Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Terrestrial biomesTerrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified based on the dominant vegetation, climate or geographic location. The location and characteristics of the biome is mainly influenced by climatic conditions such as rainfall and temperature.

South African BiomesThe latest classification of the terrestrial biomes in South Africa divides the region into the following eight biomes:

GrasslandSavannahSucculent KarooNama KarooForestFynbosThicketDesert

Page 5: southern african biomes - Adventure · Terrestrial Biomes occur on land and are usually classified based on the dominant vegetation, climate or geographic location. The location and

GrasslandLocation Mainly evident on the Highveld.

Climate Typically have summer rainfall of 400 mm to 2 000 mm (Typically by late afternoon thunderstorm). Winters are cold, often associated with frost.

Flora One in every six species is a grass, but trees do grow on the hills and alongside river beds. Other species include bulbous plants such as arum lilies, watsonias, aloes, gladioli and ground orchids.

Fauna Home to several animal species including 15 of South Africa’s endemic mammal species. 10 globally threatened bird species. 52 of the 122 Important Bird Areas in South Africa, and some endemic fish species. Some of the more recognisable animal species include blue cranes, blue swallows, oribi and bald ibis. There are numerous grass-eating herbivores be found in grasslands , (such as black wildebeest, blesbok and eland). Rodents are also common which makes this biome an ideal territory for birds of prey. The diverse plant types also support numerous plant-eating insects such as butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets and ants.

Soil and geography the soil is red/yellow/grey or red/black clay with rich fertile top layers.

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SavannaLocation one of the largest in South Africa. Found mainly in the Northern Cape, North West Province, Northern Province and KwaZulu Natal.

Climate summers are hot and wet and the winters are cool with little or no rain. Frost does occur in winter.

Flora this biome is also known as the bushveld, where grasses are mainly found and regular fires prevent the trees from dominating. Herbaceous plants and woody plants can be found in different areas. Plants are able to withstand fire.

Fauna big game species such as kudu and Springbok, lion, buffalo and elephant are found. Some parts are also malaria-prone.

Soil and geography the soil is red/black clay, red/yellow, grey and is often sandy.

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Succulent KarooLocation the biome is found along the west coast of the Northern Cape Province and the northern parts of the Western Cape Province.

Climate hot in summer and cold in winter with low rainfall. Frost occurs but generally causes no damage. Fog is relatively common.

Flora forty percent of the plant species found here are endemic. The Namaqualand region is famous for its colourful wild flowers (August). Succulent plants are able survive dry seasons by using water stored in their leaves or stems.

Fauna insects are common and the plants provide grazing for sheep and goats. There are browsing antelope and many nocturnal animals (aardwolf, jackal, bat eared foxes, owls, porcupines, civets ,genets and a variety of tortoises)

Soil and geography lime-rich weakly developed soils on rocks and sands, erosion is prevalent.

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Nama KarooLocation the Nama Karoo is the second largest biome in South Africa. It forms the major part of the Northern Cape Province and the Free State.

Climate it is regarded as a semi-desert area receiving very little rain. The summers are very hot and the winters are very cold and frost often occurs.

Flora it is mainly grassy dwarf shrub land.Grazing is good for sheep and goats.

Fauna include the threatened riverine rabbit, spring hare, tortoises ,brown locust, bat eared foxes and ostrich.

Soil and geography soil occurring on rocks is weakly developed. The area is also very sandy with rocks and red clay, making erosion occur easily.

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ForestLocation occurs in patches, in areas such as Knysna (Western Cape) as well as KwaZulu Natal, the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Climate some forests experience winter rain, while others get rainfall throughout the year.Flora: they are dominated by trees of which the such as yellowood (largest) stinkwood and ironwood as well as climbers, mosses and ferns.Fauna: small mammals such as bushpig, bushbuck and monkeys and numerous insect species ,the canopy is an ideal habitat for birds such as the knysna loeries, pigeons and eagles.

Soil and geography forests range in altitude from sea level to above 2 000 metres, soil is well drained and fertile, most types are present.Forests create a habitat for other species; the tree canopy provides protection and shelter to animals whilst the shady environment encourages the growth of shade loving, low growing plants, the tree bark creates a habitat for insects.

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FynbosLocation fynbos is a natural shrub found in the Western Cape of South Africa. This biome contains approximately 75% of South Africa’s threatened, rare plants.

Climate cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers (Mediterranean climate conditions).

Flora fynbos is widely known for its widespread biodiversity. Important plant types found include proteas with their beautiful flowers. Plants growing here do not lose their leaves. The biome has the highest fynbos variety in the world, with over 9 000 species of fynbos recorded. Fynbos flora has a high degree of endemism – the ecological state of being specific to a geographic location in this case, a defined biome such as the fynbos.

Soil and geography poor, acid and coarse-grained soil with low nutrient levels, plants roots are situated near the surface for nutrient absorption.Fire is a necessary stage in the life-cycle of nearly all fynbos plants, and is common during the dry summer months. Many of the seeds germinate only after the intense heat of a fire. As proteas ‘prepare’ for the fire, they retain their seeds on the bush for at least a year, a habit known as serotiny.The lowlands of the fynbos areas have been developed for agriculture and wine farming. Due to this, various species of fynbos have been threatened. For this reason, the fynbos region must be protected and preserved as it is now seen as one of the world’s 25 most threatened ‘hotspots‘.

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ThicketLocation occurs along the coast of Kwa Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape

Climate thickets develop in areas where the rainfall is fairly high however; there may be dry periods that prevent the vegetation from developing into forests.

Flora the vegetation includes shrub-land to low forest with numerous evergreen and succulent trees and shrubs some ares in the Eastern Cape are comprised of dense impenetrable vegetation.

Fauna kudu, vervet monkey, bushbuck, elephant, hares, aardvark, mice, impala, lions, hyenas and leopard.

Soil and geography most thickets occur in deep river valleys and areas of undulating hills and valleys. Soil can be both poor and fertile varying from sandy with some lime concentrations.

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DesertLocation found largely in the Namib Desert along the coast of Namibia. The transition regions between deserts and grasslands are sometimes called semi- deserts.

Climate deserts are dry areas where evaporation usually exceeds precipitation. Rainfall is low and can be highly variable. The low humidity results in temperature extremes between day and night. Deserts can be hot during the day and cold at night. Hot deserts (e.g. the Namib and Kalahari) are very hot in the summer and have high temperatures throughout the year with seasonal rainfall. This combination of low rainfall and high temperatures keeps the air very dry, increasing its evaporating power. Fog does occur in coastal regions.

Flora deserts have relatively little vegetation. Annual grasses occur after good rains and perennial plants occur where there are concentrations of water.

Fauna many insects (fog beetle, scorpions) and reptiles (lizards and snakes) occur in the desert biome. Animals include the oryx (gemsbok), desert elephant , desert lion, black rhino, as well as baboon, leopard, cheetah, brown and spotted hyena ,foxes, zebra, a variety of buck as well as wild horses left by the German Army after WW1, all of whom have adapted to desert conditions.

Soil and geography The soil consists mostly of sand, gravel or rocks.

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License details: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

© 2018 Written G Demmer Photography G Demmer, PS Primich Design PS Primich

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