Transcript Fynbos presentation Grade 11

OF South africa
DEFINING FYNBOS
Fynbos can be defined as a
shrubland with an unusual
mixture of plant types of
different shapes and sizes
that have been termed,
"growth forms". There are
four of these growth forms;
the proteoids - tall protea
shrubs with large leaves;
the ericoids – heath-like
shrubs; reed-like plants –
the restoids; and bulbous
herbs – the geophytes.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME
Rural folk have long known fynbos for its poor grazing quality and its
soils for having little agricultural value. The vegetation's apparent
worthlessness may explain the origin of the term, "fynbos". The term
has been used since the time of the Dutch settlement at the Cape.
The predominant vegetation on the Cape Peninsula had timber too
fine and slender for harvesting (for building) and was thus given the
name "fijnbosch". The name also refer to the dominance of small- or
fine-leafed shrubs.
To many people, fynbos is merely seen as the drab covering on
mountain slopes. At a distance fynbos does seem like inconspicuous
clumps of spiky grass. It is only when you experience it closely that
you discover the rich variety of its exquisite flowers.
The Cape Fynbos is a wonder of the world. It is
the term given to a collection of plants (a
vegetation type) that are mainly shrubs and is
comprised of species belonging to South Africa's
southwestern and southern Cape. Fynbos makes
up four-fifths of the Cape Floral Kingdom, which
covers an area of less than 90 000 square
kilometres, and hosts 8 600 plant species. Table
Mountain alone has almost 1 500 species in 57
square kilometres.
The Fynbos Biome bears a certain
resemblance to the vegetation in other
Mediterranean or winter rainfall regions in so
far as it has had to adapt to wet winters and
dry summers.
The fynbos in South Africa differs from the
vegetation of the other areas in that it
resembles that of both the southern and
northern Mediterranean areas and comprises
a much larger diversity of species.
THE GROWTH FORMS
The heath-like ericoid
growth form comprises
about 3 000 species..
The leaves of ericoids
are small and mostly
hard and the edges
rolled under. With one
of two exceptions, the
ericoids store their
seeds in the soil.
The tallest shrubs in
fynbos are the proteoids
they are 1 to 3 metres in
height and have large,
leathery leaves.
Proteoids encompass a
wide range of shrub shapes
and floral forms. Of all the
fynbos groups, the
proteoids have been most
extensively studied as they
are conspicuous and as cut
flowers, have tremendous
economic potential
THE GROWTH FORMS
The restoids comprise
all 310 species in the
Restionaceae, a family
closely related to the
grasses. All members of
the restoids have
separate male and
female plants. The seeds
of many of the plants are
dispersed by ants.
THE GROWTH FORMS
The final group is the
geophytes with 1 400
species. Fynbos has the
richest geophyte flora in the
world. Some of the larger
Gladiolus, the lily Lachenalia
and the orchid Disa. The
geophytes appear only in the
wetter months – they are less
visible in the dry summer
months when the leaves die
back.
Fynbos - Veld Types
South Africa has been
classified into various
vegetation types or veld types.
The following has been
recognised as part of the Cape
Floral Kingdom: The Mountain
Fynbos, Coastal fynbos,
Strandveld, and Coastal
rhenosterbosveld
Mountain fynbos is also
characterised by grasses and
reeds. These fynbos reeds (Restio
and Elegia) are undoubtedly the
prettiest. Mountain fynbos also
has a wide variety of bulb,
rhizome and corm plants –
watsonias, wild irises, and disas
are prime examples.
THE STRANDVELD
Sandy plains, dunes and limestone
and granite ridges form the habitat
of the Strandveld biome. This area
has exceptionally beautiful spring
flowers, which attract many tourists.
Erica's are often present, as well as
the waxberry (used for making
candles in the past), blombos and
gonna.
The vegetation is somewhat sparser
along the West Coast. Shrubs such
as the blue kuni-bush, false spikethorn, butter-tree and succulents
(e.g. the milkbush) and vygies are
found here.
COASTAL RHENOSTERBOSVELD
This veld type is found on the
lowlands along the coast on shale
and granite, from sea level to 400 m
above. As a veld type, it is rich in a
wide variety of species and
dominated by the rhenosterbush
and the characteristic wealth of
spring flowers.
In the Stellenbosch area proteoids,
heather and the wild clove are
reasonably plentiful. The bitter aloe
and a number of grasses and flower
species are also present.
Humans have been the greatest
invaders of the fynbos landscape
since they have been responsible
for bringing in the plant invaders
and for changing the landscape
by starting towns, cities and road
networks.
The human invasion began mainly
after the arrival of the Dutch East
India Company in the seventeenth
century. The Europeans satisfied
their needs for food and shelter
by using alien plants and animals
to replace indigenous species that
had less value to them.
Committed to conserving
the fynbos eco-region and
its adjacent shores, WWFSA played a pivotal role in
the establishment of the
Cape Action Plan for People
and the Environment
(CAPE) and will contribute
to the implementation of
this conservation plan
largely through activities
supported by the Table
Mountain Fund.
Fynbos Conservation
The objective is to secure the conservation of the
biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom and
through this, to deliver sustainable economic
benefits to the people of the region. The
opportunity exists to create the conditions for the
emergence of a new type of conservation
management with an ability to integrate
biodiversity conservation with social challenges.
For conservation efforts to be more successful it is
essential that the country have all the people of
South Africa involved. Only if this is achieved will
conservation be seen as the collective
responsibility of all South Africans.'
CONSERVATION
There are at present 12 nature reserves (51
099 ha) and four wilderness area (123 115
ha) that have been set aside in the fynbos
areas. No development, such as powerlines,
roads, etc., may be undertaken in these areas
without the necessary approval. The largest
reserve at present is the 24 569 ha
Hottentots-Holland Reserve (in the Strand
area).
FIRE – AN ESSENTIAL LIFE-GIVING ELEMENT
Strange as it may seem, by the time a fynbos
community has reached the age of about 15 years
since the last fire, it is ready to burn. All the species
have flowered and set seed for several successive
years by then.
Although fire is seen as a destructive power, in the
fynbos community it is an essential event, which
provides new opportunities for organisms to
regenerate, produce offspring and then die back in
anticipation of the next fire. If there are no fires for
lengthy periods, some species, such as proteas,
start degenerating.
SURVIVING THROUGH THE DRY, HOT SUMMER
Fynbos plants balance their water content when
soil moisture is low by conserving energy,
much like the human inhabitants of
Mediterranean climates. They metabolise
energetically in the early morning, rest through
the hot midday and resume activity in the late
afternoon.
Fynbos plants also have variations in their
rooting systems to cope with drought. Some
have long taproots that grow to great depths
and others have shallow, fibrous roots that
capture whatever water there is near the soil
surface. In this way they can coexist within a
small area without competing with each other
for water.
The leaves of fynbos plants have
characteristics that enable them to cope with
excessive solar radiation. Some have epidermal
hairs that increase the sheen of the leaf, thereby
making it more reflective.
Fynbos - Thriving in the Face of Adversity
Because fynbos soil is rather
infertile, nutrients to survive are
very scarce. Plants need to be very
efficient in locating and absorbing
those that are available and use
them to their best advantage.
Specialised nutrient-uptake
mechanisms have evolved in many
fynbos plants and others have
formed symbiotic partnerships with
bacteria and fungi.
Bacteria stimulate the production of
nodule outgrowths on the roots of
certain species, which enables the
host plant to absorb nitrogen that
would otherwise be unavailable. It
also stimulates the production of
dense rootlets to improve the
uptake of ions.
ANIMALS LIVING IN FYNBOS
Fynbos cannot support herds of large
mammals since the nutrient poor soils on
which it grows do not provide enough
nitrogen for the protein requirements of large
mammals. However, smaller mammals
common to fynbos are chacma baboons,
klipspringers, grysbok, dassies, mongooses,
and the striped mouse. Fynbos does not
support high numbers of birds, but all six bird
species endemic to the south-west Cape are
fynbos species, e.g. the Cape sugarbird and
orangebreasted sunbird. These two birds are
found only in fynbos and play an important
role in pollinating flowers from which they
drink nectar.
The economic importance of
Fynbos
Fynbos areas provide
products, such as tea,
flowers for export and
buchu. Above all,
fynbos areas provide
outdoor recreational
opportunities and
enormous amounts of
research reserves.
Rooibos is a fynbos
species endemic to the
Clanwilliam Cederberg
area.
From here it is
processed, packaged
and despatched worldwide.
Each year during August and September,
depending on the preceding winter's
rainfall, the Capeis transformed into a
floral showcase. The Cape features a
large variety of wild flowers. Ramskop
Nature Reserve at the Clanwilliam Dam
Resort boasts 250 indigenous species of
wild flowers.
Hope you
enjoyed the
FYNBOS
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