Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub

Habitat defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature

Extent of Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub

Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature.[1] The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder seas. Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be cold in inland and higher locations. All these ecoregions are highly distinctive, collectively harboring 10% of the Earth's plant species.[2]

Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve in Lebanon

## Distribution

[edit]

A Mediterranean forest, in the Region of Murcia (Spain).

The Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome mostly occurs in, but not limited to, the Mediterranean climate zones, in the mid-latitudes:[1]

* the Mediterranean Basin
* the Chilean Matorral
* the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of the Californias and Oregon
* the Fynbos of South Africa
* the Mallee Woodlands and Shrublands of Australia

The biome is not limited to the Mediterranean climate zone. It can also be present in other climate zones (which typically border the Mediterranean climate zone), such as the drier regions of the oceanic and humid subtropical climates, and as well as the lusher areas of the semi-arid climate zone. Non-Mediterranean climate regions that would feature Mediterranean vegetation include the Nile River Valley in Egypt (extending upstream along the riverbanks), parts of the Eastern Cape in South Africa, southeastern Australia, southeastern Azerbaijan, southeastern Turkey, far northern Iraq, the Mazandaran Province in Iran, Central Italy, parts of the Balkans (including Northern Greece), Southern Crimea in Ukraine, as well as Northern and Western Jordan.[citation needed]

## Vegetation

[edit]

Close up of Ephesos ancient Greek amphitheatre with a maquis shrubland

Vegetation types range from forests to woodlands, savannas, shrublands, and grasslands; "mosaic habitat" landscapes are common, where differing vegetation types are interleaved with one another in complex patterns created by variations in soil, topography, exposure to wind and sun, and fire history. Much of the woody vegetation in Mediterranean-climate regions is sclerophyll, which means 'hard-leaved' in Greek. Sclerophyllous vegetation generally has small, dark leaves covered with a waxy outer layer to retain moisture in the dry summer months.[citation needed]

Phytogeographers consider the fynbos (South Africa) as a separate floral kingdom because 68% of the 8,600 vascular plant species crowded into its 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 sq mi) are endemic and highly distinctive at several taxonomic levels.[1][3] This is equivalent to about 40% of the plant species of the United States and Canada combined, found within an area the size of the state of Maine. The fynbos and Southwest Australia shrublands have flora that are significantly more diverse than the other ecoregions, although any Mediterranean shrubland is still rich in species and endemics relative to other non-forest ecoregions.[1][3]

## Biome plant groups

[edit]

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Springtime in Chilean Matorral a few kilometers north of Santiago along the Pan-American Highway

Major plant communities in this biome include:

* Forest: Mediterranean forests are generally composed of broadleaf trees, such as the oak and mixed sclerophyll forests of California and the Mediterranean region, the Eucalyptus forests of Southwest Australia, and the Nothofagus forests of central Chile. Forests are often found in riparian areas, where they receive more summer water. Coniferous forests also occur, especially around the Mediterranean. Pine and deciduous oak forest are widespread across California. Pinus halepensis, lentisk (Pistacia lentiscus), kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) and Chamaerops are found across Spanish Mediterranean forest.
* Woodland: Oak woodlands are characteristic of the Mediterranean Basin and in California. Pine woodlands are also present in the Mediterranean Basin. California additionally has walnut woodlands.
* Savanna and grassland: The California Central Valley grasslands are the largest Mediterranean grassland eco-region, although these grasslands have mostly been converted to agriculture. The remaining woodlands feature mainly oak, walnut and pine. The cork oak savanna in Portugal, known as montado, is a good example of a mediterranean savanna.
* Shrubland: Shrublands are dense thickets of evergreen sclerophyll shrubs and small trees. They are most common near the seacoast, and are often adapted to wind and salt air from the ocean. They are called chaparral (California and southern Portugal), matorral in Chile and southern Spain, garrigue or maquis in France, macchia or gariga in Italy, phrygana in Greece, tomillares in Spain, fynbos, renosterveld, Succulent Karoo, and strandveld in South Africa, kwongan in Southwest Australia and batha in Israel. Northern coastal scrub and coastal sage scrub, also known as soft chaparral, occur near the California coast. In some places shrublands are of the mature vegetation type, and in other places are the result of degradation of former forest or woodland by logging or overgrazing, or disturbance by major fires.

## Fire as a medium of change

[edit]

Further information: Fire ecology

Scrubland of the Sierra Pelona Mountains, Southern California

Fire, both natural and human-caused, has played a large role in shaping the ecology of Mediterranean ecoregions.[4] The hot, dry summers make much of the region prone to fires, and lightning-caused fires occur with some frequency. Many of the plants are pyrophytes, or fire-loving, adapted or even depending on fire for reproduction, recycling of nutrients, and the removal of dead or senescent vegetation. In both the Australian and Californian Mediterranean-climate eco-regions, native peoples used fire extensively to clear brush and trees, making way for the grasses and herbaceous vegetation that supported game animals and useful plants.[citation needed]

The plant communities in these areas adapted to the frequent human-caused fires, and pyrophyte species grew more common and more fire-loving, while plants that were poorly adapted to fire retreated. After European colonization of these regions, fires were suppressed, which has caused some unintended consequences in these ecoregions; fuel builds up, so that when fires do come they are much more devastating, and some species dependent on fire for their reproduction are now threatened. The European shrublands have also been shaped by anthropogenic fire,[5] historically associated with transhumance herding of sheep and goats.

Though adapted to infrequent fires, chaparral plant communities can be eliminated by frequent fires. A high frequency of fire (less than ten years) will result in the loss of obligate seeding shrub species such as Manzanita spp. This high frequency disallows seeder plants to reach their reproductive size before the next fire and the community shifts to a sprouter-dominance. If high frequency fires continue over time, obligate resprouting shrub species can also be eliminated by exhausting their energy reserves below-ground. Today, frequent accidental ignitions can convert chaparral from a native shrubland to non-native annual grassland and drastically reduce species diversity, especially under drought brought about by climate change.[6][7]

On 25 July 2023, devastating wildfires were burning in at least nine countries across the Mediterranean, including Croatia, Italy, and Portugal, with thousands of firefighters in Europe and North Africa working to contain flames stoked by high temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds. The wildfires led to casualties, evacuations of thousands of people, and widespread destruction of homes and forests.[8]

## Degradation

[edit]

Mediterranean cork oak trees, in Monchique, Algarve, Portugal Sclerophyll woodland, Sydney

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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Festival of degradation VRUJA established by activists and artists in 2021 in Dalmatia, Croatia

Mediterranean ecoregions are some of the most endangered and vulnerable on the planet. Many have suffered tremendous degradation and habitat loss through logging, overgrazing, conversion to agriculture, urbanization, fire suppression, and introduction of exotic and invasive species. The ecoregions around the Mediterranean basin and in California have been particularly affected by degradation due to human activity, suffering extensive loss of forests and soil erosion, and many native plants and animals have become extinct or endangered.

## See also

[edit]

* Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests
* Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia (CTFC)
* Food and Agriculture Organization (Silva mediterranea workgroup)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d This article incorporates text available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license. World Wide Fund for Nature. "Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub Ecoregions". Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
2. ^ Cody, M.L. (1986). "Diversity, rarity, and conservation in Mediterranean-climate regions". In Soulé, M.E. (ed.). Conservation biology. Massachusetts, US. pp. 122–152.122-152&rft.date=1986&rft.aulast=Cody&rft.aufirst=M.L.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mediterranean+forests,+woodlands,+and+scrub" class="Z3988">`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
3. ^ a b Cowling, R.M.; MacDonald, I.A.W.; Simmons, M.T. (1996). "The Cape Peninsula, South Africa: Physiographical, biological and historical background to an extraordinary hot-spot of biodiversity". Biodiversity and Conservation. 5 (5): 527–550\. Bibcode:1996BiCon...5..527C. doi:10.1007/bf00137608. S2CID 23314811.527-550&rft.date=1996&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:23314811#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/bf00137608&rft_id=info:bibcode/1996BiCon...5..527C&rft.aulast=Cowling&rft.aufirst=R.M.&rft.au=MacDonald,+I.A.W.&rft.au=Simmons,+M.T.&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fbf00137608&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mediterranean+forests,+woodlands,+and+scrub" class="Z3988">
4. ^ Gil-Tena, Assu; Aquilue, Nuria; Duane, Andrea; de Caceres, Miquel; Brotons, Lluis (2016). "Mediterranean fire regime effects on pine-oak forest landscape mosaics under global change in NE Spain". European Journal of Forest Research. 135 (2): 403–416\. doi:10.1007/s10342-016-0943-1. S2CID 15011913.403-416&rft.date=2016&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/s10342-016-0943-1&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:15011913#id-name=S2CID&rft.aulast=Gil-Tena&rft.aufirst=Assu&rft.au=Aquilue,+Nuria&rft.au=Duane,+Andrea&rft.au=de+Caceres,+Miquel&rft.au=Brotons,+Lluis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mediterranean+forests,+woodlands,+and+scrub" class="Z3988">
5. ^ Casals, Pere; Valor, Teresa; Besalú, Arnau; Molina-Terren, Domingo (2016). "Understory fuel load and structure eight to nine years after prescribed burning in Mediterranean pine forests" (PDF). Forest Ecology and Management. 362: 156–168\. Bibcode:2016ForEM.362..156C. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2015.11.050. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2016.156-168&rft.date=2016&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.11.050&rft_id=info:bibcode/2016ForEM.362..156C&rft.aulast=Casals&rft.aufirst=Pere&rft.au=Valor,+Teresa&rft.au=Besalú,+Arnau&rft.au=Molina-Terren,+Domingo&rft_id=http://arxiudigital.ctfc.cat/docs/upload/27_523_casals_FEM_2016.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mediterranean+forests,+woodlands,+and+scrub" class="Z3988">
6. ^ Syphard, Alexandra D.; Radeloff, Volker C.; Keeley, Jon E.; Hawbaker, Todd J.; Clayton, Murray K.; Stewart, Susan I.; Hammer, Roger B. (1 July 2007). "Human Influence on California Fire Regimes". Ecological Applications. 17 (5): 1388–1402\. Bibcode:2007EcoAp..17.1388S. doi:10.1890/06-1128.1. ISSN 1939-5582. PMID 17708216.1388-1402&rft.date=2007-07-01&rft_id=info:doi/10.1890/06-1128.1&rft.issn=1939-5582&rft_id=info:pmid/17708216&rft_id=info:bibcode/2007EcoAp..17.1388S&rft.aulast=Syphard&rft.aufirst=Alexandra+D.&rft.au=Radeloff,+Volker+C.&rft.au=Keeley,+Jon+E.&rft.au=Hawbaker,+Todd+J.&rft.au=Clayton,+Murray+K.&rft.au=Stewart,+Susan+I.&rft.au=Hammer,+Roger+B.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mediterranean+forests,+woodlands,+and+scrub" class="Z3988">
7. ^ Pratt, R. Brandon; Jacobsen, Anna L.; Ramirez, Aaron R.; Helms, Anjel M.; Traugh, Courtney A.; Tobin, Michael F.; Heffner, Marcus S.; Davis, Stephen D. (1 March 2014). "Mortality of resprouting chaparral shrubs after a fire and during a record drought: physiological mechanisms and demographic consequences". Global Change Biology. 20 (3): 893–907\. Bibcode:2014GCBio..20..893P. doi:10.1111/gcb.12477. ISSN 1365-2486. PMID 24375846. S2CID 19688559.893-907&rft.date=2014-03-01&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:19688559#id-name=S2CID&rft_id=info:bibcode/2014GCBio..20..893P&rft.issn=1365-2486&rft_id=info:doi/10.1111/gcb.12477&rft_id=info:pmid/24375846&rft.aulast=Pratt&rft.aufirst=R.+Brandon&rft.au=Jacobsen,+Anna+L.&rft.au=Ramirez,+Aaron+R.&rft.au=Helms,+Anjel+M.&rft.au=Traugh,+Courtney+A.&rft.au=Tobin,+Michael+F.&rft.au=Heffner,+Marcus+S.&rft.au=Davis,+Stephen+D.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Mediterranean+forests,+woodlands,+and+scrub" class="Z3988">
8. ^ Sullivan, Helen; Tondo, Lorenzo (26 July 2023). "'Like a blowtorch': Mediterranean on fire as blazes spread across nine countries". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Biogeographic regionalisations

Biomes|

| Terrestrial
biomes|

| Polar/montane|

* Tundra
* Taiga
* Montane grasslands and shrublands
* Alpine tundra

|

Temperate|

* Coniferous forests
* Broadleaf and mixed forests
* Deciduous forests
* Grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Tropical and
subtropical|

* Tropical rainforest
* Coniferous forests
* Moist broadleaf forests
* Dry broadleaf forests
* Grasslands, savannas, and shrublands

Dry|

* Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub
* Deserts and xeric shrublands
* Steppe

Wet|

* Flooded grasslands and savannas
* Riparian
* Wetland
* Mangrove

Aquatic
biomes|

* Pond
* Littoral
* Intertidal
* Mangroves
* Kelp forests
* Coral reefs
* Neritic zone
* Pelagic zone
* Benthic zone
* Hydrothermal vents
* Cold seeps
* Demersal zone

Other biomes|

* Endolithic zone

Biogeographic
realms|

| Terrestrial|

* Afrotropical
* Antarctic
* Australasian
* Holarctic
* Indomalayan
* Nearctic
* Neotropical
* Oceanian
* Palearctic

|

Marine|

* Antarctic/Southern Ocean
* Arctic
* Central Indo-Pacific
* Eastern Indo-Pacific
* Temperate Australasia
* Temperate Northern Atlantic
* Temperate Northern Pacific
* Temperate South America
* Temperate Southern Africa
* Tropical Atlantic
* Tropical Eastern Pacific
* Western Indo-Pacific

Subdivisions|

* Biogeographic provinces
* Bioregions
* Ecoregions
* Lists of ecoregions
* Global 200 ecoregions

See also|

* Altitudinal zonation
* Ecological land classification
* Floristic kingdoms
* Vegetation classifications
* Zoogeographic regions

* v
* t
* e

Biodiversity of South Africa

* Afrotropical realm
* Marine biodiversity of South Africa
* Temperate Southern Africa
* Western Indo-Pacific
* Wildlife of South Africa

National taxon checklists

| Plants|

* Conifers
* Cycads
* Hornworts
* Liverworts
* Lycophytes
* Mosses
* Pteridophytes

| Flowering
plants|

* Acorales
* Alismatales
* Apiales
* Apiaceae
* Aquifoliales
* Arecales
* Asparagales
* Asphodelaceae
* Hyacinthaceae
* Iridaceae
* Orchidaceae
* Asterales
* Asteraceae
* Boraginales
* Brassicales
* Bruniales
* Buxales
* Canellales
* Caryophyllales
* Aizoaceae
* Celastrales
* Ceratophyllales
* Commelinales
* Cornales
* Crossosomatales
* Cucurbitales
* Dioscoreales
* Dipsacales
* Ericales
* Escalloniales
* Fabales
* Fagales
* Gentianales
* Apocynaceae
* Rubiaceae
* Geraniales
* Gunnerales
* Huerteales
* Icacinales
* Lamiales
* Acanthaceae
* Lamiaceae
* Scrophulariaceae
* Laurales
* Liliales
* Magnoliales
* Malpighiales
* Euphorbiaceae
* Malvales
* Myrtales
* Nymphaeales
* Oxalidales
* Pandanales
* Piperales
* Poales
* Poaceae
* Proteales
* Ranunculales
* Rosales
* Santalales
* Sapindales
* Saxifragales
* Solanales
* Vahliales
* Vitales
* Zingiberales
* Zygophyllales

|

Animals|

* Ascidians
* Bryozoans
* Comb jellies
* Echinoderms
* Nematodes
* Polychaetes
* Marine cnidarians
* Marine flatworms
* Sponges
* Tardigrades

| Arthropods|

* Marine crustaceans
* Sea spiders
* Centipedes
* Millipedes
* Entognatha

| Arachnids|

* Harvestmen
* Microwhip scorpions
* Pseudoscorpions
* Scorpions
* Shorttailed whipscorpions
* Solifugae
* Araneae
* Ixodida
* Whip spiders and tailless whip scorpions

|

Insects|

* Alderflies, dobsonflies and fishflies
* Beetles
* Booklice, barklice and barkflies
* Butterflies and moths
* Caddisflies
* Cockroaches and termites
* Dragonflies and damselflies
* Earwigs
* Fleas
* Flies
* Jumping bristletails
* Lice
* Mantises
* Mayflies
* Net-winged insects
* Notoptera
* Orthoptera
* Sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants
* Scorpionflies
* Silverfish and firebrats
* Stick and leaf insects
* Stoneflies
* Strepsiptera
* Termites
* Thrips
* True bugs
* Webspinners

Molluscs|

* Non-marine molluscs
* Marine molluscs
* Marine gastropods
* Marine heterobranch gastropods

Vertebrates|

* Amphibians
* Birds
* Freshwater fishes
* Marine fishes
* Marine bony fishes
* Marine spiny-finned fishes
* Marine Perciform fishes
* Mammals
* Reptiles

Seaweeds|

* Green seaweeds
* Brown seaweeds
* Red seaweeds

Fungi|

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

Related|

* List of bacteria of South Africa
* List of invasive species in South Africa
* List of invasive plant species in South Africa
* List of Oomycetes of South Africa
* List of slime moulds of South Africa
* List of Southern African indigenous trees and woody lianes
* List of botanists by author abbreviation

Regional taxon checklists and other minor lists

* List of marine invertebrates of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay
* List of marine vertebrates of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay
* List of green seaweeds of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay
* List of brown seaweeds of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay
* List of red seaweeds of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay
* Related:
* Timber trees of Gauteng

Biodiversity hotspots and Centres of diversity

* Cape Floristic Region
* Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot
* Succulent Karoo

* Succulent Karoo
* Cape Floristic Region
* Griqualand West Centre
* Albany Centre
* Drakensberg Alpine Centre
* Soutpansberg Centre
* Wolkberg Centre
* Sekhukhuneland Centre
* Barberton Centre
* Maputaland-Pondoland Region

Ecoregions

* List of ecoregions in South Africa

| Tropical and subtropical
moist broadleaf forests|

* Knysna–Amatole montane forests
* KwaZulu–Cape coastal forest mosaic
* Maputaland coastal forest mosaic

|

Tropical and subtropical grasslands,
savannas, and shrublands|

* Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands
* Southern Africa bushveld
* Zambezian and mopane woodlands

Montane grasslands
and shrublands|

* Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands
* Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests
* Highveld grasslands
* Maputaland–Pondoland bushland and thickets

Mediterranean forests,
woodlands, and scrub|

* Albany thickets
* Lowland fynbos and renosterveld
* Montane fynbos and renosterveld

Deserts and xeric shrublands|

* Kalahari xeric savanna
* Nama Karoo
* Succulent Karoo

Tundra|

* Southern Indian Ocean Islands tundra

Mangroves|

* Southern Africa mangroves

Marine ecoregions|

* Agulhas ecoregion
* Benguela ecoregion
* Delagoa ecoregion
* Natal ecoregion
* Southeast Atlantic ecoregion
* Southwest Indian ecoregion

Biomes and Vegetation classification

* List of vegetation types of South Africa

| Savanna|

* Andesite Mountain Bushveld
* Aoub Duneveld
* Barberton Serpentine Sourveld
* Bhisho Thornveld
* Cathedral Mopane Bushveld
* Central Sandy Bushveld
* Delagoa Lowveld
* Dwaalboom Thornveld
* Dwarsberg-Swartruggens Mountain Bushveld
* Eastern Valley Bushveld
* Gabbro Grassy Bushveld
* Gauteng Shale Mountain Bushveld
* Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld
* Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld
* Gordonia Duneveld
* Gordonia Kameeldoring Bushveld
* Gordonia Plains Shrubland
* Granite Lowveld
* Gravelotte Rocky Bushveld
* Kaalrug Mountain Bushveld
* Kathu Bushveld
* Kimberley Thornveld
* Koranna-Langeberg Mountain Bushveld
* Kuruman Mountain Bushveld
* Kuruman Thornveld
* Kuruman Vaalbosveld
* KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld
* KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld
* Lebombo Summit Sourveld
* Legogote Sour Bushveld
* Limpopo Ridge Bushveld
* Limpopo Sweet Bushveld
* Loskop Mountain Bushveld
* Loskop Thornveld
* Lowveld Rugged Mopaneveld
* Madikwe Dolomite Bushveld
* Mafikeng Bushveld
* Makatini Clay Thicket
* Makhado Sweet Bushveld
* Makuleke Sandy Bushveld
* Malelane Mountain Bushveld
* Mamabolo Mountain Bushveld
* Marikana Thornveld
* Molopo Bushveld
* Moot Plains Bushveld
* Mopane Basalt Shrubland
* Mopane Gabbro Shrubland
* Musina Mopane Bushveld
* Ngongoni Veld
* Norite Koppies Bushveld
* Northern Lebombo Bushveld
* Northern Zululand Sourveld
* Nossob Bushveld
* Nwambyia-Pumbe Sandy Bushveld
* Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld
* Olifantshoek Plains Thornveld
* Phalaborwa-Timbavati Mopaneveld
* Pilanesberg Mountain Bushveld
* Polokwane Plateau Bushveld
* Postmasburg Thornveld
* Poung Dolomite Mountain Bushveld
* Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld
* Roodeberg Bushveld
* Schmidtsdrif Thornveld
* Schweizer-Reneke Bushveld
* Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld
* Sekhukhune Plains Bushveld
* South Eastern Coastal Thornveld
* Southern Lebombo Bushveld
* Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld
* Springbokvlakte Thornveld
* Stella Bushveld
* Swaziland Sour Bushveld
* Tembe Sandy Bushveld
* Thukela Thornveld
* Thukela Valley Bushveld
* Tsende Mopaneveld
* Tshokwane-Hlane Basalt Lowveld
* Tzaneen Sour Bushveld
* Vaalbos Rocky Shrubland
* VhaVenda Miombo
* Waterberg Mountain Bushveld
* Western Maputaland Clay Bushveld
* Western Maputaland Sandy Bushveld
* Western Sandy Bushveld
* Zeerust Thornveld
* Zululand Coastal Thornveld
* Zululand Lowveld

|

Grassland|

* Aliwal North Dry Grassland
* Amathole Mistbelt Grassland
* Amathole Montane Grassland
* Amersfoort Highveld Clay Grassland
* Barberton Montane Grassland
* Basotho Montane Shrubland
* Bedford Dry Grassland
* Besemkaree Koppies Shrubland
* Bloemfontein Dry Grassland
* Bloemfontein Karroid Shrubland
* Carletonville Dolomite Grassland
* Central Free State Grassland
* Drakensberg Afroalpine Heathland
* Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland
* Drakensberg-Amathole Afromontane Fynbos
* East Griqualand Grassland
* Eastern Free State Clay Grassland
* Eastern Free State Sandy Grassland
* Eastern Highveld Grassland
* Egoli Granite Grassland
* Frankfort Highveld Grassland
* Income Sandy Grassland
* Ithala Quartzite Sourveld
* KaNgwane Montane Grassland
* Karoo Escarpment Grassland
* Klerksdorp Thornveld
* KwaZulu-Natal Highland Thornveld
* Leolo Summit Sourveld
* Lesotho Highland Basalt Grassland
* Low Escarpment Moist Grassland
* Lydenburg Montane Grassland
* Lydenburg Thornveld
* Mabela Sandy Grassland
* Midlands Mistbelt Grassland
* Mooi River Highland Grassland
* Mthatha Moist Grassland
* Northern Drakensberg Highland Grassland
* Northern Escarpment Afromontane Fynbos
* Northern Escarpment Dolomite Grassland
* Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld
* Northern Free State Shrubland
* Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland
* Northern KwaZulu-Natal Shrubland
* Northern Zululand Mistbelt Grassland
* Paulpietersburg Moist Grassland
* Queenstown Thornveld
* Rand Highveld Grassland
* Sekhukhune Montane Grassland
* Senqu Montane Shrubland
* Southern Drakensberg Highland Grassland
* Southern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland
* Soutpansberg Summit Sourveld
* Soweto Highveld Grassland
* Steenkampsberg Montane Grassland
* Stormberg Plateau Grassland
* Strydpoort Summit Sourveld
* Tarkastad Montane Shrubland
* Tsakane Clay Grassland
* Tsomo Grassland
* uKhahlamba Basalt Grassland
* Vaal Reefs Dolomite Sinkhole Woodland
* Vaal-Vet Sandy Grassland
* Vredefort Dome Granite Grassland
* Wakkerstroom Montane Grassland
* Waterberg-Magaliesberg Summit Sourveld
* Western Free State Clay Grassland
* Western Highveld Sandy Grassland
* Western Lesotho Basalt Shrubland
* Winburg Grassy Shrubland
* Wolkberg Dolomite Grassland
* Woodbush Granite Grassland
* Xhariep Karroid Grassland
* Zastron Moist Grassland

Fynbos|

* Agulhas Limestone Fynbos
* Agulhas Sand Fynbos
* Albertinia Sand Fynbos
* Algoa Sandstone Fynbos
* Atlantis Sand Fynbos
* Bokkeveld Sandstone Fynbos
* Boland Granite Fynbos
* Breede Alluvium Fynbos
* Breede Quartzite Fynbos
* Breede Sand Fynbos
* Breede Shale Fynbos
* Canca Limestone Fynbos
* Cape Flats Sand Fynbos
* Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos
* Cederberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Central Coastal Shale Band Vegetation
* Central Inland Shale Band Vegetation
* De Hoop Limestone Fynbos
* Eastern Coastal Shale Band Vegetation
* Eastern Inland Shale Band Vegetation
* Elgin Shale Fynbos
* Elim Ferricrete Fynbos
* Garden Route Granite Fynbos
* Garden Route Shale Fynbos
* Graafwater Sandstone Fynbos
* Greyton Shale Fynbos
* Grootrivier Quartzite Fynbos
* Hangklip Sand Fynbos
* Hawequas Sandstone Fynbos
* Hopefield Sand Fynbos
* Kamiesberg Granite Fynbos
* Kango Conglomerate Fynbos
* Knysna Sand Fynbos
* Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Kouebokkeveld Alluvium Fynbos
* Kouebokkeveld Shale Fynbos
* Kouga Grassy Sandstone Fynbos
* Kouga Sandstone Fynbos
* Leipoldtville Sand Fynbos
* Loerie Conglomerate Fynbos
* Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
* Matjiesfontein Quartzite Fynbos
* Matjiesfontein Shale Fynbos
* Montagu Shale Fynbos
* Namaqualand Sand Fynbos
* North Hex Sandstone Fynbos
* North Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos
* North Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos
* North Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos
* North Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos
* North Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos
* North Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Northern Inland Shale Band Vegetation
* Olifants Sandstone Fynbos
* Overberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Peninsula Granite Fynbos
* Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos
* Piketberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Potberg Ferricrete Fynbos
* Potberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Robertson Granite Fynbos
* South Hex Sandstone Fynbos
* South Kammanassie Sandstone Fynbos
* South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos
* South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos
* South Rooiberg Sandstone Fynbos
* South Sonderend Sandstone Fynbos
* South Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos
* Southern Cape Dune Fynbos
* Stinkfonteinberge Quartzite Fynbos
* Suurberg Quartzite Fynbos
* Suurberg Shale Fynbos
* Swartberg Altimontane Sandstone Fynbos
* Swartberg Shale Fynbos
* Swartland Alluvium Fynbos
* Swartruggens Quartzite Fynbos
* Swellendam Silcrete Fynbos
* Tsitsikamma Sandstone Fynbos
* Western Altimontane Sandstone Fynbos
* Western Coastal Shale Band Vegetation
* Winterhoek Sandstone Fynbos

Renosterveld|

* Baviaanskloof Shale Renosterveld
* Breede Alluvium Renosterveld
* Breede Shale Renosterveld
* Central Mountain Shale Renosterveld
* Central Ruêns Shale Renosterveld
* Ceres Shale Renosterveld
* Eastern Ruêns Shale Renosterveld
* Hantam Plateau Dolerite Renosterveld
* Humansdorp Shale Renosterveld
* Kango Limestone Renosterveld
* Langkloof Shale Renosterveld
* Matjiesfontein Shale Renosterveld
* Montagu Shale Renosterveld
* Mossel Bay Shale Renosterveld
* Namaqualand Granite Renosterveld
* Nieuwoudtville Shale Renosterveld
* Nieuwoudtville-Roggeveld Dolerite Renosterveld
* Peninsula Shale Renosterveld
* Robertson Granite Renosterveld
* Roggeveld Shale Renosterveld
* Ruêns Silcrete Renosterveld
* Swartberg Shale Renosterveld
* Swartland Alluvium Renosterveld
* Swartland Granite Renosterveld
* Swartland Shale Renosterveld
* Swartland Silcrete Renosterveld
* Uniondale Shale Renosterveld
* Vanrhynsdorp Shale Renosterveld
* Western Ruêns Shale Renosterveld

Succulent
Karoo|

* Aggeneys Gravel Vygieveld
* Agter-Sederberg Shrubland
* Anenous Plateau Shrubland
* Bushmanland Inselberg Shrubland
* Central Knersvlakte Vygieveld
* Central Richtersveld Mountain Shrubland
* Citrusdal Vygieveld
* Die Plate Succulent Shrubland
* Doringrivier Quartzite Karoo
* Eastern Little Karoo
* Eenriet Plains Succulent Shrubland
* Goariep Mountain Succulent Shrubland
* Hantam Karoo
* Kamiesberg Mountains Shrubland
* Klawer Sandy Shrubland
* Knersvlakte Dolomite Vygieveld
* Knersvlakte Quartz Vygieveld
* Knersvlakte Shale Vygieveld
* Koedoesberge-Moordenaars Karoo
* Kosiesberg Succulent Shrubland
* Lekkersing Succulent Shrubland
* Little Karoo Quartz Vygieveld
* Namaqualand Arid Grassland
* Namaqualand Blomveld
* Namaqualand Coastal Duneveld
* Namaqualand Heuweltjie Strandveld
* Namaqualand Heuweltjieveld
* Namaqualand Inland Duneveld
* Namaqualand Klipkoppe Shrubland
* Namaqualand Shale Shrubland
* Namaqualand Spinescent Grassland
* Namaqualand Strandveld
* Northern Knersvlakte Vygieveld
* Northern Richtersveld Scorpionstailveld
* Northern Richtersveld Yellow Duneveld
* Oograbies Plains Sandy Grassland
* Piketberg Quartz Succulent Shrubland
* Platbakkies Succulent Shrubland
* Prince Albert Succulent Karoo
* Richtersveld Coastal Duneveld
* Richtersveld Red Duneveld
* Richtersveld Sandy Coastal Scorpionstailveld
* Riethuis-Wallekraal Quartz Vygieveld
* Robertson Karoo
* Roggeveld Karoo
* Rooiberg Quartz Vygieveld
* Rosyntjieberg Succulent Shrubland
* Southern Namaqualand Quartzite Klipkoppe Shrubland
* Southern Richtersveld Inselberg Shrubland
* Southern Richtersveld Scorpionstailveld
* Southern Richtersveld Yellow Duneveld
* Steytlerville Karoo
* Stinkfonteinberge Eastern Apron Shrubland
* Swartruggens Quartzite Karoo
* Tanqua Escarpment Shrubland
* Tanqua Karoo
* Tatasberg Mountain Succulent Shrubland
* Umdaus Mountains Succulent Shrubland
* Upper Annisvlakte Succulent Shrubland
* Vanrhynsdorp Gannabosveld
* Vyftienmyl se Berge Succulent Shrubland
* Western Bushmanland Klipveld
* Western Gwarrieveld
* Western Little Karoo
* Willowmore Gwarrieveld

Albany
Thicket
and
Strandveld|

* Albany Arid Thicket
* Albany Bontveld
* Albany Mesic Thicket
* Albany Valley Thicket
* Baviaans Valley Thicket
* Bethelsdorp Bontveld
* Blombos Strandveld
* Buffels Mesic Thicket
* Buffels Valley Thicket
* Cape Flats Dune Strandveld
* Crossroads Grassland Thicket
* Doubledrift Karroid Thicket
* Eastern Gwarrieveld
* Elands Forest Thicket
* Escarpment Arid Thicket
* Escarpment Mesic Thicket
* Escarpment Valley Thicket
* Fish Arid Thicket
* Fish Mesic Thicket
* Fish Valley Thicket
* Gamka Arid Thicket
* Gamka Valley Thicket
* Geluk Grassland Thicket
* Goukamma Dune Thicket
* Gouritz Valley Thicket
* Grahamstown Grassland Thicket
* Grassridge Bontveld
* Groot Brak Dune Strandveld
* Hamburg Dune Thicket
* Hartenbos Dune Thicket
* Kasouga Dune Thicket
* Koedoeskloof Karroid Thicket
* Lambert's Bay Strandveld
* Langebaan Dune Strandveld
* Mons Ruber Fynbos Thicket
* Motherwell Karroid Thicket
* Nanaga Savanna Thicket
* Oudshoorn Karroid Thicket
* Overberg Dune Strandveld
* Saldanha Flats Strandveld
* Saldanha Granite Strandveld
* Saldanha Limestone Strandveld
* Saltaire Karroid Thicket
* Sardinia Forest Thicket
* St Francis Dune Thicket
* Subtropical Dune Thicket
* Sundays Arid Thicket
* Sundays Mesic Thicket
* Sundays Valley Thicket
* Thorndale Forest Thicket
* Umtiza Forest Thicket
* Vanstadens Forest Thicket
* Western Gwarrieveld
* Willowmore Gwarrieveld

Nama
Karoo
and
desert|

* Albany Broken Veld
* Blouputs Karroid Thornveld
* Bushmanland Arid Grassland
* Bushmanland Basin Shrubland
* Bushmanland Sandy Grassland
* Eastern Lower Karoo
* Eastern Upper Karoo
* Gamka Karoo
* Kalahari Karroid Shrubland
* Lower Gariep Broken Veld
* Lower Karoo Gwarrieveld
* Northern Upper Karoo
* Upper Karoo Hardeveld
* Western Upper Karoo
* Alexander Bay Coastal Duneveld
* Eastern Gariep Plains Desert
* Eastern Gariep Rocky Desert
* Helskloof Canyon Desert
* Kahams Mountain Desert
* Kwaggarug Mountain Desert
* Namib Lichen Fields
* Noms Mountain Desert
* Northern Nababiepsberge Mountain Desert
* Richtersberg Mountain Desert
* Richtersveld Sheet Wash Desert
* Southern Nababiepsberge Mountain Desert
* Western Gariep Hills Desert
* Western Gariep Lowland Desert
* Western Gariep Plains Desert

Azonal|

* Albany Alluvial Vegetation
* Albany Dune Strandveld
* Algoa Dune Strandveld
* Arid Estuarine Salt Marshes
* Bushmanland Vloere
* Cape Estuarine Salt Marshes
* Cape Inland Salt Pans
* Cape Lowland Alluvial Vegetation
* Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetlands
* Cape Seashore Vegetation
* Cape Vernal Pools
* Drakensberg Wetlands
* Eastern Temperate Freshwater Wetlands
* Fynbos Riparian Vegetation
* Highveld Alluvial Vegetation
* Highveld Salt Pans
* Lesotho Mires
* Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation
* Muscadel Riviere
* Namaqualand Riviere
* Namaqualand Salt Pans
* Namaqualand Seashore Vegetation
* Namib Seashore Vegetation
* Southern Kalahari Mekgacha
* Southern Kalahari Salt Pans
* Southern Karoo Riviere
* Subantarctic Kelp Bed Vegetation
* Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation
* Subtropical Dune Thicket
* Subtropical Estuarine Salt Marshes
* Subtropical Freshwater Wetlands
* Subtropical Salt Pans
* Subtropical Seashore Vegetation
* Tanqua Wash Riviere
* Upper Gariep Alluvial Vegetation

Forest
and
Coastal
belt|

* KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt
* Maputaland Coastal Belt
* Maputaland Wooded Grassland
* Pondoland-Natal Sandstone Coastal Sourveld
* Transkei Coastal Belt
* Ironwood Dry Forest
* Lowveld Riverine Forest
* Mangrove Forest
* Northern Afrotemperate Forest
* Northern Coastal Forest
* Northern Mistbelt Forest
* Sand Forest
* Scarp Forest
* Southern Afrotemperate Forest
* Southern Coastal Forest
* Southern Mistbelt Forest
* Swamp Forest

Subantarctic
biome|

* Subantarctic Biotic Herbfield and Grassland
* Subantarctic Cinder Cone Vegetation
* Subantarctic Coastal Vegetation
* Subantarctic Drainage Line Vegetation
* Subantarctic Fellfield
* Subantarctic Fernbrake Vegetation
* Subantarctic Mire
* Subantarctic Polar Desert

not on
VEGMAP|

* List of forests of South Africa
* List of forests of the Eastern Cape
* Forests of KwaZulu-Natal
* KwaZulu-Natal Dune Forest
* KwaZulu-Natal coastal lowland forest
* List of forests of the Western Cape

Protected areas of South Africa

* Index of protected areas of South Africa

| South
African
National
Parks|

* Addo Elephant National Park
* Agulhas National Park
* Augrabies Falls National Park
* Bontebok National Park
* Camdeboo National Park
* Garden Route National Park
* Tsitsikamma National Park
* Wilderness National Park
* Golden Gate Highlands National Park
* Karoo National Park
* Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
* Kruger National Park
* Mapungubwe National Park
* Marakele National Park
* Mokala National Park
* Mountain Zebra National Park
* Namaqua National Park
* Table Mountain National Park
* Tankwa Karoo National Park
* West Coast National Park
* ǀAi-ǀAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park

|

Biosphere
reserves|

* Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve
* Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve
* Kogelberg Nature Reserve
* Kruger to Canyons Biosphere
* Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve
* Waterberg Biosphere

Marine
protected
areas of
South
Africa|

| Coastal|

* Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area
* Amathole Marine Protected Area
* Betty's Bay Marine Protected Area
* Bird Island Marine Protected Area
* De Hoop Marine Protected Area
* Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area
* Goukamma Marine Protected Area
* Helderberg Marine Protected Area
* Hluleka Marine Protected AreaI
* iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area
* Jutten Island Marine Protected Area
* Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area
* Malgas Island Marine Protected Area
* Marcus Island Marine Protected Area
* Namaqua National Park Marine Protected Area
* Pondoland Marine Protected Area
* Robben Island Marine Protected Area
* Rocherpan Marine Protected Area
* Robberg Marine Protected Area
* Sardinia Bay Marine Protected Area
* Sixteen Mile Beach Marine Protected Area
* Stilbaai Marine Protected Area
* Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area
* Trafalgar Marine Protected Area
* Tsitsikamma Marine Protected Area
* uThukela Banks Marine Protected Area
* Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary

|

Offshore|

* Agulhas Bank Complex Marine Protected Area
* Agulhas Front Marine Protected Area
* Agulhas Muds Marine Protected Area
* Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area
* Amathole Offshore Marine Protected Area
* Benguela Bank Marine Protected Area
* Benguela Muds Marine Protected Area
* Browns Bank Complex Marine Protected Area
* Browns Bank Corals Marine Protected Area
* Cape Canyon Marine Protected Area
* Childs Bank Marine Protected Area
* iSimangaliso Offshore Marine Protected Area
* Namaqua Fossil Forest Marine Protected Area
* Orange Shelf Edge Marine Protected Area
* Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Area
* Protea Banks Marine Protected Area
* Southeast Atlantic Seamounts Marine Protected Area
* Southwest Indian Seamount Marine Protected Area
* Port Elizabeth Corals Marine Protected Area
* uThukela Banks Marine Protected Area

Management
organisations|

* CapeNature
* City of Cape Town
* Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries
* Department of Science and Innovation
* Eastern Cape Parks
* Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
* iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority
* Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
* South African National Parks

Biodiversity research in SA

* Bolus Herbarium
* Iziko South African Museum
* National Research Foundation
* South African National Collection of Fungi

| Research
organisations|

* Animal Demography Unit
* BirdLife South Africa
* South African Association for Marine Biological Research
* South African Environmental Observation Network
* South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity
* South African National Biodiversity Institute

|

Research
projects|

* African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme
* National Biodiversity Assessment
* National Vegetation Map Project
* Reef Atlas Project
* SeaKeys

Citizen science
databases|

* iNaturalist
* iSpot
* Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology Virtual Museum

Botanical
gardens|

* Durban Botanic Gardens
* Free State National Botanical Garden
* Garden Route Botanical Garden
* Hantam National Botanical Garden
* Harold Porter National Botanical Garden
* Johannesburg Botanical Garden
* Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
* Kwelera National Botanical Garden
* Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
* KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden
* Lowveld National Botanical Garden
* Makana Botanical Gardens
* Manie van der Schijff Botanical Garden
* North-West University Botanical Garden
* Pretoria National Botanical Garden
* Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
* Thohoyandou National Botanical Garden
* University of KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden
* Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden

Taxonomists|

* List of authors of South African botanical taxa
* List of authors of South African animal taxa

Related

* Biodiversity
* Biosphere
* Ecotourism
* Encyclopedia of Life
* Environmental impact of recreational diving
* Low impact diving
* International Union for Conservation of Nature
* Marine protected area
* National park
* Nature conservation
* Nature reserve
* Scuba diving tourism
* South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative
* World Register of Marine Species
* World Wide Fund for Nature

| Regional biodiversity|

* Biodiversity of Cape Town
* List of nature reserves in Cape Town

|

Legislation|

* Marine Living Resources Act, 18 of 1998
* National Environmental Management Act, 1998
* National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 10 of 2004
* National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 24 of 2008
* National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003

Publications|

* List of field guides to South African biota

* Categories: Biodiversity of South Africa
*   * Index

Portals:

* Environment
* Ecology
* Earth sciences

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