Biodiversity of Cape Town

The Biodiversity of Cape Town is the variety and variability of life within the geographical extent of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, excluding the Prince Edward Islands. The terrestrial vegetation is particularly diverse and much of it is endemic to the city and its vicinity. Terrestrial and freshwater animal life is heavily impacted by urban development and habitat degradation. Marine life of the waters immediately adjacent to the city along the Cape Peninsula and in False Bay is also diverse, and while also impacted by human activity, the habitats are relatively intact.

Cape Town's original vegetation types
Cape Town's surviving vegetation types

Floristic region (phytochorion)

The City of Cape Town lies within the Cape Floristic Kingdom, by far the smallest and most diverse of the earth's six floristic kingdoms,[1] an area of extraordinarily high diversity and endemism, and home to over 9,000 vascular plant species, of which 69 percent are endemic.[2] Much of this diversity is associated with the fynbos biome, a Mediterranean-type, fire-prone shrubland.[2] The economical worth of fynbos biodiversity, based on harvests of fynbos products (e.g. wildflowers) and eco-tourism, is estimated to be in the region of R77 million a year.[2] Thus, it is clear that the Cape Floristic Region has both economic and intrinsic biological value as a biodiversity hotspot.[2]

Vegetation types
See also: List of vegetation types of South Africa

Cape Town is located within a Conservation International biodiversity hotspot and is home to a total of 19 different and distinct vegetation types. (This enormous variety is mainly because the city is uniquely located at the convergence point of a great many different soil types and micro-climates.) These 19 vegetation types are mostly restricted to unusually small areas, and several are completely endemic to the city – occurring nowhere else in the world. Vegetation types include the following.[3][4]

Endemism
Table Mountain as seen from Bloubergstrand. Some examples of the region's plant biodiversity is seen in the foreground.

Of the thousands of plant species that are indigenous to Cape Town, 190 are known to be endemic to the city - occurring nowhere else in the world. In addition, there are over a hundred animal species that are also restricted to the city.[5] Endemic plant species include the following. [6][7][8][9][10]

Cape Peninsula endemics
  • Acerentulus gracilis
  • Agathosma lanceolata (honey buchu)
  • Agathosma pulchella (skunk buchu)
  • Algophilus lathridoides (Table Mountain hairy crawling water beetle)
  • Allocotocerus mixtus (Table Mountain water scavenger beetle)
  • Aloiampelos commixta (Table Mountain aloe)
  • Anaxeton arborescens
  • Anisocampa munroi
  • Anopsobius patagonicus
  • Argyrobothrus velocipes
  • Argyrocupha (Trimenia) malagrida malagrida (Table Mountain copper)
  • Arion intermedius
  • Aristea pauciflora (unistem aristea)
  • Arthroleptella lightfootii (Cape Peninsula moss frog)
  • Aspalathus barbata (bearded gorse)
  • Aspalathus borboniifolia (hairy-ridge gorse)
  • Aspalathus capensis (Cape gorse)
  • Aspalathus capitata (heady gorse)
  • Aspalathus chenopoda subsp chenopoda
  • Aspalathus incurva (incurved gorse)
  • Aspalathus variegata (Cape Flats gorse)
  • Athanasia capitata (unihead kanniedood)
  • Aulonogyrus (Afrogyrus) sp. undescribed
  • Australutica normanlarseni
  • Austrolimnophila thornei
  • Austromontia capensis
  • Bidessus mundulus
  • Bobartia gladiata subsp major (spearleaf laces)
  • Bonaspeia cristata
  • Brachysiphon fucatus (Peninsula sissies)
  • Caffrolix cyclopia
  • Caffrolix petreulis
  • Calopsis gracilis (small tangle reed)
  • Capeolix picturatus
  • Caplopa sordida
  • Cephalelus ivyae (Peninsula restio leafhopper)
  • Ceramontia tabulae (Table Mountain trinon harvestman)
  • Chersastus pococki
  • Chersastus promontorius
  • Cliffortia carinata (crown climbers-friend)
  • Cliffortia discolor (summit climbers-friend)
  • Cliffortia ericifolia (erica-leaf climbers-friend)
  • Cliffortia theodori-friesii var. theodori-friesii (climbers-friend 1)
  • Colophon westwoodi (Peninsula stag beetle)
  • Cotula myriophylloides (watergrass button)
  • Crassula capensis var. promontorii (cliff Cape snowdrop)
  • Crozetulus scutatus (cave orb-web spider)
  • Cryptadaeum capense
  • Cryptops stupendus (Peninsula cave millipede)
  • Ctenolepisma tenebrans (Peninsula silverfish)
  • Cthoniella cavernicola (Peninsula cave pseudoscorpion)
  • Cyclopia galioides (Peninsula honeybush)
  • Cyclopia latifolia (broad-leaf honeybush)
  • Cylichnogaster lawrencei
  • Cylindroiulus truncorum
  • Cytinus capensis (Peninsula bloodcup)
  • Diastella divaricata subsp divaricata (Peninsula silkypuff)
  • Diores capensis
  • Diores cognatus
  • Diploexochus tabularis
  • Dipteretrum brinckae (Brinks Peninsula cockroach)
  • Disa ecalcarata (spurless disa)
  • Disa nubigena (cloud disa)
  • Disa obtusa subsp. obtusa
  • Disa uniflora (pride of Table Mountain)
  • Dolichopeza barnardi
  • Dolichopeza peringueyi
  • Drosanthemum stokoei (searock dewfig)
  • Drosera cuneifolia (Peninsula sundew)
  • Elegia intermedia (scratchy golden reed)
  • Eleocharis lepta (Peninsula water sedge)
  • Eodrilus arelinus
  • Eodrilus drygaskii
  • Eodrilus kirstenboschensis
  • Eodrilus palustris
  • Eodrilus purcellii
  • Eodrilus riebeekanus
  • Eodrilus simonianus
  • Eodrilus tormentosus
  • Erepsia forficata (rock everfig)
  • Erica abietina subsp. abietina (red heath)
  • Erica abietina subsp. atrorosea (wine-red heath)
  • Erica abietina subsp. constantiana (Constantia heath)
  • Erica abietina subsp. diabolis (devils heath)
  • Erica amoena (delightful heath)
  • Erica annectens (cliff-hanger heath)
  • Erica baccans (berry heath)
  • Erica capensis (Cape heath)
  • Erica caterviflora var. caterviflora (bunch heath)
  • Erica caterviflora var. glabrata (troop heath)
  • Erica clavisepala (club heath)
  • Erica cyrilliflora (red hill heath)
  • Erica depressa (dwarf heath)
  • Erica diosmifolia (buchu-leaf heath 2)
  • Erica eburnea (ivory heath)
  • Erica empetrina (crowberry heath)
  • Erica fairii (fairy heath)
  • Erica fontana (fountain heath)
  • Erica haematocodon (bloodbell heath)
  • Erica halicacaba (gooseberry heath)
  • Erica heleogena (marsh heath)
  • Erica hirtiflora var. hirtiflora (hairy-flower heath)
  • Erica limosa (mud heath)
  • Erica mammosa subsp gilva (Peninsula ninepin heath)
  • Erica margaritacea (pearl heath)
  • Erica marifolia (flat-leaf heath)
  • Erica mollis (soft heath)
  • Erica nevillei (rock heath)
  • Erica oxycoccifolia (cranberry heath)
  • Erica paludicola (wiry heath)
  • Erica physodes (bladder heath)
  • Erica pilulifera (fine-hair heath)
  • Erica planifolia (gland heath)
  • Erica pyramidalis (pyramid heath)
  • Erica pyxidiflora (box heath)
  • Erica quadrisulcata (four-grooved heath)
  • Erica sociorum (partner heath)
  • Erica subcapitata (pinhead heath)
  • Erica thimifolia (carpet heath)
  • Erica turgida (showy heath)
  • Erica urna-viridis (bottle-green heath)
  • Erica verticillata (whorled heath)
  • Eupolystoma anterorchis (western leopard toad flatworm)
  • Eurytion brevis
  • Eurytion trichopus
  • Ficinia anceps (vleibiessie)
  • Ficinia fastigiata (vleibiessie)
  • Ficinia micrantha (smallflower vleibiessie)
  • Galaxias zebratus Southern Peninsula population
  • Geissorhiza bonaspei (Goodhope satinflower)
  • Geissorhiza tabularis (Table Mountain satinflower)
  • Gerbera wrightii
  • Gethyllis kaapensis (Peninsula kukumakranka)
  • Gladiolus aureus (golden lady)
  • Gladiolus bonaspei (Good Hope lady)
  • Gladiolus monticola (mountain lady)
  • Gladiolus ornatus (ornate lady)
  • Gladiolus vigilans (plain painted lady)
  • Gnidia parvula (poor saffronbush)
  • Griswoldia ceratogyna
  • Harpactirella treleaveni (Table Mountain golden baboon spider)
  • Harpethrix caeca (Peninsula cave millipede)
  • Hekelus episimus 3
  • Heleophryne rosei (Table Mountain ghost frog)
  • Helichrysum fruticans
  • Helichrysum grandiflorum
  • Helictotrichon quinquesetum (Peninsula oats)
  • Heliophila cinerea
  • Heliophila promontorii
  • Heliophila tabularis (Table Mountain sporrie)
  • Hermannia micrantha (small-flowered dolls-rose)
  • Herophydrus capensis
  • Heterocerus capensis
  • Hoplophoropyga unicolor (dull Peninsula cockroach)
  • Idiognaphomyia ignava
  • Indigofera candolleana (denseleaf indigo)
  • Indigofera filiformis (long-stalk indigo)
  • Indigofera mauritanica (discolorous indigo)
  • Indigofera sp. nov. aff. gracilis (slender indigo)
  • Isolepis bulbifera (green-and-red isolepis)
  • Japyx barnardi var. relata
  • Japyx gilli
  • Julomorpha compacta
  • Julomorpha hilaris
  • Julomorpha ignava
  • Kaapia darwini
  • Lachenalia capensis (Cape viooltjie)
  • Lampranthus curvifolius (Bakoven brightfig)
  • Lampranthus multiradiatus (brilliant brightfig)
  • Lampranthus promontorii (rock brightfig)
  • Lampranthus stenus (narrow brightfig)
  • Lamyctopristus granulosus
  • Lamyctopristus validus
  • Larifuga capensis
  • Larifuga montana
  • Lawrencella inermis
  • Leielmis sp. undescribed
  • Lephthyphantes rimicola (cave sheet-web spider)
  • Lepidium capense (Cape pepperweed)
  • Leptocerus tabularis (Peninsula long-horn caddisfly)
  • Leucadendron grandiflorum (Wynberg conebush)
  • Leucadendron macowanii (acacia-leaf conebush)
  • Leucadendron strobilinum (Peninsula conebush)
  • Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. conocarpodendron (grey tree pincushion)
  • Liparia graminifolia (grass mountain pea)
  • Liparia laevigata (tall mountain pea)
  • Liparia parva (small mountain dahlia)
  • Lobelia boivinii (creeping lobelia)
  • Lobelia eckloniana (Ecklons lobelia)
  • Longurio chionoides
  • Longurio micropteryx 4
  • Machiloides leonis
  • Machiloides mensarius
  • Machiloides obsotetus
  • Machiloides silvestrii
  • Macrosteles sexnotatus
  • Malaika longipes (cave hackle-mesh spider)
  • Marioniscus spatulifrons
  • Mesoceration capense
  • Mesoceration concessum
  • Meta sp. nov.
  • Metalasia compacta (compact blombos)
  • Metalasia divergens subsp. divergens
  • Metalasia divergens subsp. fusca
  • Micradaeum rugosum
  • Microdon nitidus (silver catstailbush)
  • Mimetes fimbriifolius (fringed pagoda)
  • Moggeridgea teresae (Peninsula bagnest spider)
  • Molopopterus struthiolus
  • Montadaeum purcelli
  • Moraea aristata (blue-eye uintjie)
  • Morella diversifolia (Peninsula waxberry)
  • Muraltia acipetala (spiny purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia brachypetala (sessile purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia comptonii (spiny-tip purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia curvipetala (needle-leaf purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia demissa (curly-haired purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia diabolica (devils purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia mixta (roughpod purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia orbicularis (round-leaf purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia pageae (Page's purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia satureioides var. salteri (Karbonkelberg purple-gorse)
  • Muraltia stipulacea (bunch-leaf purple-gorse)
  • Nemesia micrantha (Peninsula snapdragon)
  • Osmitopsis dentata (toothed swampdaisy)
  • Pachyodontus languidus (Peninsula ground beetle)
  • Parachilota parvus
  • Parachilota schultzei
  • Parachilota starke
  • Parachilota tokaiensis
  • Parajapyx afer
  • Paralamyctes asperulus
  • Paramelita auricularius
  • Paramelita barnardi (Peninsula cave amphipod)
  • Paramelita capensis
  • Paramelita dentata
  • Paramelita magna
  • Paramelita magnicornis
  • Paramelita marunguis 5
  • Paramelita pheronyx
  • Paranotoniscus capensis
  • Pentameris longiglumis subsp. longiglumis (Table Mountain longglume)
  • Peripatopsis alba (cave velvetworm)
  • Peripatopsis leonine (lion velvetworm)
  • Perisphaeria carlgreni (Peninsula trilobyte cockroach)
  • Petroplax caricis (Peninsula golden-case caddisfly)
  • Petrothrincus circularis
  • Philocaffrus bifalcatus
  • Phylica schlechteri (Peninsula phylica)
  • Platentomus sobrinus
  • Platylimnobia montana
  • Pneuminion balfourbrownei
  • Pneuminion semisulcatum
  • Poeciloblatta angusta
  • Polycarena silenoides (granite Cape flax)
  • Prismatocarpus nitidus (silver longfuit)
  • Progonogamia rehni
  • Prostethops megacephalus
  • Prostethops nitens
  • Protojanira leleupi
  • Pseudocloeon magae (Peninsula minnow mayfly)
  • Pseudoselago peninsulae (Peninsula purplepuff)
  • Psoralea glaucina (Peninsula three-leaf pea)
  • Pterostethops equestris
  • Pterygodium connivens (Peninsula bonnet)
  • Quamtana leptopholcica
  • Restio communis (fine cord reed)
  • Restio dodii var. dodii (Dodd's marsh cord reed)
  • Rhampsinitus levis
  • Roella amplexicaulis (rigid bell)
  • Roella decurrens (longbase bell)
  • Roella goodiana (klaver bell)
  • Roella recurvata (recurved bell)
  • Roella squarrosa (mat bell)
  • Roella triflora (blackeye bell)
  • Roeweria inerriiis
  • Rostromontia capensis
  • Rostromontia granulifer
  • Rotandrela rotanda
  • Ruschia promontorii (rock turretfig)
  • Ruschia rubricaulis (red-stem turretfig)
  • Scabiosa africana (Cape scabious)
  • Senecio verbascifolius (Peninsula ragwort)
  • Serruria collina (lost spiderhead)
  • Serruria cyanoides (Wynberg spiderhead)
  • Serruria decumbens (Peninsula spiderhead)
  • Serruria foeniculacea (Rondevlei spiderhead)
  • Serruria glomerata (cluster spiderhead) 6
  • Serruria hirsuta (Swartkops spiderhead)
  • Serruria villosa (valley spiderhead)
  • Sheldonia capsula
  • Solpuga grindleyi (Peninsula sunspider)
  • Spelaeogryphus lepidops (cave shrimp)
  • Speleiacris tabulae (cave camel cricket)
  • Speleomontia cavernicola (cave trinon harvestman)
  • Speleosiro argasiformis (cave sironid harvestman)
  • Spermophora gordimerae (Peninsula daddylonglegs)
  • Spermophora peninsulae (cave daddylonglegs)
  • Sphaerotherium ancillare
  • Sphaerotherium eremita
  • Sphaerotherium monticola
  • Sphaerotherium weberi
  • Staavia dodii (dolls diamondeyes)
  • Staavia glutinosa (sticky diamondeyes)
  • Stoebe rosea (rose slangbos)
  • Tetraria autumnalis (Sirkelsvlei mountain sedge)
  • Tetraria graminifolia (Peninsula mountain sedge)
  • Tetraria paludosa (pale mountain sedge)
  • Tetraria variabilis (varied mountain sedge)
  • Thamnochortus levynsiae (cliff dangle reed)
  • Thamnochortus nutans (cloud dangle reed)
  • Thesium pseudovirgatum (false-branched rootthug)
  • Thestor yildizae (Peninsula thestor)
  • Trachycystis cosmia (cosmic pinwheel)
  • Trachycystis perplicata (Cape pinwheel)
  • Trianoptiles solitaria (solitary bristle sedge)
  • Trichoniscus austro-africanus
  • Trichoniscus capensis
  • Trichoniscus tabulae (cave sowbug)
  • Trichostetha mimetica (Peninsula chafer)
  • Uroplectes insignis (Newlands scorpion)
  • Ursinia tenuifolia subsp tenuifolia
  • Villarsia goldblattiana (Peninsula bogbean)
  • Wahlenbergia brehmeri
  • Wahlenbergia pyrophila (fire capebell)
  • Walesobius excrescens
  • Watsonia tabularis (Table Mountain watsonia)
  • Willdenowia affinis (Table Mountain window reed)
  • Wurmbea hiemalis (black spikelily)
Additional species
  • Leucadendron levisanus (Cape Flats conebush)
  • Aspalathus variegata (Cape Flats gorse) (extinct)
  • Lepidochrysops methymna dicksoni (Dicksons dark opal) (Tygerberg)
  • Cliffortia ericifolia (erica-leaf climbers-friend)
  • Ixia versicolor (flats kollosie)
  • Liparia graminifolia (grass mountain pea) (extinct)
  • Serruria furcellata (Kraaifontein spiderhead)
  • Lampranthus stenus (narrow brightfig)
  • Erica margaritacea (pearl heath)
  • Erica pyramidalis (pyramid heath) (extinct)
  • Serruria foeniculacea (Rondevlei spiderhead)
  • Erica turgida (showy heath) (extinct)
  • Trianoptiles solitaria (solitary bristle sedge)
  • Serruria aemula (strawberry spiderhead)
  • Athanasia capitata (unihead kanniedood)
  • Tetraria variabilis (varied mountain sedge)
  • Erica verticillata (whorled heath) (extinct)

Species records in South African Biodiversity Database

Mammals

Mammals present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]

Fish
See also: List of marine animals of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay

Fish present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]

Reptiles

Reptiles present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]

Amphibians

Amphibians present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]

Insects

Insects present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]

Fungi

Fungi present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11][12]

See also

References
  1. "Environmental Resource Management in the city of Cape Town". Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  2. Odendaal L. J., Haupt T. M. & Griffiths C. L. (2008). "The alien invasive land snail Theba pisana in the West Coast National Park: Is there cause for concern?". Koedoe – African Protected Area Conservation and Science 50(1): 93-98. abstract, doi:10.4102/koedoe.v50i1.153.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved 2014-02-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2011-01-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Endemic Species of the city of Cape Town" (PDF).
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-12-23. Retrieved 2011-10-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2011-02-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. A.B. Low & A.G. Rebelo (eds). Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland, a companion to the vegetation map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Dept Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria. 85pp. ISBN 0-621-17316-9.
  9. A.G. Rebelo, C. Boucher, N. Helme, L. Mucina, M.C. Rutherford et al. 2006. Fynbos Biome, in: L. Mucina & M.C. Rutherford (eds). The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19, pp 52‐219.
  10. Anthony G. Rebelo, Patricia M. Holmes, Clifford Dorse & Julia Wood. Cape Town: Averting a Biodiversity Megadisaster? Unpublished MS.
  11. http://www.biodiversity.co.za/
  12. Updated from South African Biodiversity Database (http://www.biodiversity.co.za/) as species present in Cape Town on 2011/01/06
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