AA lostlost biome:biome: AA taletale ofof thethe SouthSouth AfricanAfrican coastalcoastal floraflora AA lostlost biome:biome: AA taletale ofof thethe SouthSouth AfricanAfrican coastalcoastal floraflora Alastair Potts, Adriaan Grobler & Richard Cowling Linda’s House of Crazy Linda’s House of Crazy Here be dragons... A lost biome: Part I Species richness? Compared with the CFR? Lombard&Cowling 2002 Compared with the CFR? Lombard&Cowling 2002 Compared with the CFR? Compared with the CFR? Coastal Dune Flora: Global Comparison Coastal Dune Flora: Global Comparison Coastal Dune Flora: Global Comparison Coastal Dune Flora: Global Comparison Coastal Dune Flora: Global Comparison 10 x 10 m >45 species Coastal Dune Vegetation: ~1200 species (Excluding widespread “guests”) With “guests”: ~2400 species Coastal Dune endemics: ~300 species (work in progress) Why is this linear, fragmented flora so rich? Full Interglacial Full Glacial Fisher et al. 2010 Quaternary Science Reviews Cawthra et al (in prep) Coastal Dune Vegetation: <<<1% of “historic” distribution Coastal Dune Vegetation: <<<1% of “historic” distribution But... “Least Concern” A lost biome: Part II A lost biome: Part II A rose by any other name...? A summary of the overall problem (in the vegmap) The current state of “coastal dunes” Overberg Dune Strandveld Algoa Dune Strandveld Agulhas Sand Fynbos Blombos Dune Strandveld Groot Brak Dune Strandveld Albany Dune Strandveld Agulhas Limestone Fynbos Albertinia Sand Fynbos Knysna Sand Fynbos Southern Cape Dune Fynbos De Hoop Limestone Fynbos Canca Limestone Fynbos Southern Cape Dune Fynbos Algoa Sandstone Fynbos Cape Seashore Vegetation Azonal Dune Strandveld Limestone Fynbos Sand Fynbos Sandstone Fynbos Cape Seashore Vegetation Overberg Dune Strandveld Agulhas Limestone Fynbos Agulhas Sand Fynbos Algoa Sandstone Fynbos Algoa Dune Strandveld Blombos Dune Strandveld De Hoop Limetsone Fynbos Albertinia Sand Fynbos Albany Dune Strandveld Groot Brak Dune Strandveld Canca Limestone Fynbos Knysna Sand Fynbos S. Cape Dune Fynbos Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C. and Powrie, L. (eds.). 2012. Vegetation map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, 1:1 000 000 scale sheet maps. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Geological Substrates Strandveld Fm + Waenhuiskrans Fm Schelm Hoek Fm + Nahoon Fm (Bredasdorp Group) (Algoa Group) Age Lithology Strandveld Fm + Schelm Hoek Fm: Holocene – present Dune fields Waenhuiskrans Fm + Nahoon Fm: Pleistocene – Holocene Calcareous sandstone Wankoe Fm + Nanaga Fm Pliocene Aeolianite Roberts, D.L., Botha, G.A., Maud, R.R. and Pether, J. 2006. Coastal Cenozoic deposits. In: Johnson, M.R., Anhaeusser, C.R. and Thomas, R.J. (eds.) The Geology of South Africa. Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg/Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, 605–628. What are we up to? “Inventory“Inventory ofof thethe floraflora andand vegetationvegetation ofof thethe calcareouscalcareous dunesdunes ofof thethe CapeCape southsouth coast”coast”.