Knysna–Amatole montane forests

Coordinates: 34°00′S 23°06′E / 34°S 23.1°E / -34; 23.1
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Knysna-Amatole montane forests
Tsitsikamma, South Africa
Location of the Knysna-Amatole montane forests
Ecology
RealmAfrotropical
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Geography
Area3,100 km2 (1,200 sq mi)
CountrySouth Africa
Province
Coordinates34°00′S 23°06′E / 34°S 23.1°E / -34; 23.1
Conservation
Conservation statusVulnerable[1]
Afrocarpus falcatus near Nature's Valley

The Knysna–Amatole montane forests ecoregion, of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, is in South Africa. It covers an Afromontane area of 3,100 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi) in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.[2][3][4]

Setting

The ecoregion, which is South Africa's smallest in area, covers two separate enclaves.

  • The
    KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic
    lies along the coast to the north-east.
  • The Amatole forests lie in the
    Amatole mountains
    , which lie inland and 400 km ENE of the Knysna forest.

The ecoregion has a subtropical/warm-temperate climate (Cfb in the Köppen climate classification). Rainfall occurs year-round, and ranges from 525 mm to 1,220 mm per year in the Knysna forest, and from 750 mm to 1,500 mm in the Amatole forests.

Flora

The trees are of tropical and

Curtisia dentata), Kamassi (Gonioma kamassi), White Alder (Platylophus trifoliatus), and Red Alder (Cunonia capensis
).

Fauna

The forests are home to the

Bradypodion damaranum).[6]

Human use and conservation

Thomas Henry Duthie was the first appointed Supervisor of Crown Forests and Lands. Despite the small size of the ecoregion, the Knysna and Amatole forests are South Africa's largest individual forests. The Knysna forest has been exploited for valuable timber since the 18th century, and the Amatole forests since the 20th century. Since 1939 the forests have mostly been within protected areas and are recovering well, although managed timber harvesting is allowed.

References

  1. ^ "Knysna-Amatole montane forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. ^ "Map of Ecoregions 2017". Resolve. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Knysna–Amatole montane forests". Digital Observatory for Protected Areas. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  4. ^ "Knysna–Amatole montane forests". The Encyclopedia of Earth. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  5. ^ L. Chow, Ecowatch, 2019-02-08
  6. ISSN 0006-3207
    .
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Knysna-Tsitsikamma forests.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amathole mountains.

External links

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