East Coast Belt
KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic ecoregion
WWF
AT0116
Map
This region covers a narrow strip on the eastern coast of South Africa, from Cape St Lucia (Kwazulu-Natal) in the north to between port Elizabeth and Cape St Francis (Eastern Cape) in the south. It is flanked by the Indian Ocean on the east and the Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets on the west.
- Location
- Elevation
- Area
- Nature Reserves
- Climate
- Geology
- Vegetation
- Mammals
- Birds
- Amphibians
- Reptiles
Location
The region covers the area from Cape St Lucia (about 32°E), south along the eastern narrow coastal plain to Cape St Francis (26°S 33°E). Its northern inland boundary lies at the foothills of the Drakensberg Escarpment. It is interspersed by the Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets.
This ecoregion stretches along the eastern coast of South Africa and consists of forests interspersed by thornveld, dunes, estuaries and woodlands. The north contains steeply rolling hills (Valley of the Thousand Hills) with a maze of deep ridges between rivers.
The interior border of this ecoregion consists of these mountain ranges:
- Drakensberg (in the northwest)
- Grootwinterhoek
- Baviaanskloof Mountains
There are 18 large rivers flowing through valleys to the coast -- Umfolozi in the extreme north; Gamtoos in the south. Closeness of rivers and their sizes decrease southward. In the south rivers flow in steep gorges.
Elevation
Elevation ranges from 0m at the coast to 300m and 450m at the foothills of the Drakensberg Escarpment
Area
17'800 square kilometers
Nature Reserves
Nature Reserves found in this ecoregion are:
- Amatikulu Nature Reserve
- East London Coast Nature Reserves
- Great Fish River Nature Reserves
- Geelkrans Nature Reserves
- Sunshine Coast Nature Reserves
- Vernon Crookes Nature Reserves
- Woody Cape Nature Reserves
- Hluleka Wildlife Reserve
Climate
The coastal plain of Kwazulu-Natal is frost-free with subtropical forests. In the southern portion of this ecoregion frost occurs, but temparatures are relatively mild.
- Rainfall:
- 900 mm to 1'500 mm per annum
- the north (summer rains) receives more rain than the south (winter rains)
- Temperature:
- mean maximum: 15° to 24°C
- mean minimum: 10° to 15°C
Geology
- calcareous sands
- alkaline soil which ranges from medium to coarse-grained
- sediments of the Karoo sequence interspersed by islands of Natal Group sandstones
- basement rocks (granites, gneisses, and schists)
- north: Precambrian rocks
- inland and southwards: Cretaceous rocks
- at the coast dunes are formed by basal layers are overlain by calcareous Quaternary sands (composed of Cretaceous and Caenozoic marine sediments)
- coastal dune soils are sandy; inland dune sands have higher clay content
Vegetation
The flora of this ecoregion is divided into two main subregions:
- Tongaland-Pondoland forests:
- Indian Ocean Coastal Region
- This region is narrow: only about 8Km wide and connects northward with the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt running right up to Somalia
- 3,000 species are found in this region -- 40% of larger woody species are endemic to the region
- 23 endemic genera (mostly paleoendemics)
- Afromontane forests:
- Drakensberg escarpment, Natal and eastern Cape midlands
- southern and southwestern Cape mountains
- coastal plateau
The Indian Ocean forest and Thornveld is further subdivided into three subregions:
- Coastal-belt Forest
- Dune Forest
- Alexandria Forest (Transitional Coastal Forest)
Natal wild banana (Strelitzia nicolai) is found throughout, but density decreases the further south (where it is colder and less wet).
Northwest (i.e. toward the interior) it changes into the mesocline vegetation of Maputaland-Pondoland Bushveld and Thicket ecoregion. Northward along the coast it gradually changes into the tropical forests of the Zanzibar-Inhambane Regional Mosaic ecoregion. Towards the Drakensberg mountains it mixes with Afomontane.
Coastal-belt Forest
The Coastal-belt Forest is interspersed by scrubby thornveld that only very rarely becomes an open grassy savanna.
- most trees are evergreen
- Ficus natalensis
- Calodendrum
- Celtis
- Erythrina caffra
- Erythrina lyssistemon
- At the coast with its windy conditions and spray trees are short: 5m to 10m
- Toward the interior trees grow up to 20m
- woody lianas are found in forests
- forest trees:
- Millettia grandis
- Protorhus longifolia
- Vepris undulata
- Combretum kraussii
- Rhus chirindensis
- shrubs and climbers
- Uvaria caffra
- Dalbergia obovata
- Tricalysia lanceolata
- Acanthaceae
- Oplismenus hirtellus
- Centella asiatica
- tree Strelitzia nicolai
- shrub Indigafera micrantha
- south of the Great Kei River
- Ptaeroxylon
- Schotia spp.
- Cassine spp.
- Euphorbia granidens
- grasses
- Themeda triandra
- Digitaria spp.
- Dalbergia obovata
Dune Forest
Dune Forests occupy a narrow belt on high dunes next to the coast.
- trees
- Mimusops caffra
- Euclea natalensis
- Psydrax obovata obovata
- Lianas are found, but not very commonly
- common shrubs and climbers
- Scutia myrtina
- Allophylus natalensis
- Dracaena hookeriana
- M. caffra
- A. natalensis
- Chrysanthemoides monilifera
- Metalasia muricata
- Passerina rigidia
- Mariscus congestus
- Sporobolus virginicus
- Scaevola plumieri
- Ipomoea pes-caprae brasiliensis
- Gazania rigens uniflora
- Arctotheca populifolia
- Heteroptilis suffrutiosa
- Themeda triandra
- Digitaria natalensis
- fynbos affinity is found southwards on loose, disturbed sand
- Stipagrostis zeyheri
Alexandria Forest
Alexandria Forest is a very narrow and dense forest only 10 m wide.
- Ochna arborea var. arborea
- Apodytes dimidiata dimidiata
- Cassine aethiopica
- Euclea natalensis
- Pittosporum viridiflorum
- Rapanea melanophloes
- shrubs (particularly scramblers)
- Scutia myrtina
- Azima tetracantha
- Grewia occidentalis
- undergrowth species
- Acanthaceae spp.
- Panicum deustum
- Sansevieria spp.
Mammals
The region is rich in fauna and contains
- 40 Insectivores represented which includes 23 bat species
- Lagomorpha (hares and rabbits) are also well represented
- Rodentia are well represented
- Primates: 3 species
- Ungulates (hoofed mammals): 9 species
- Carnivores: 22 species
- Endemic mammals
- Duthie’s golden mole (Chlorotalpa duthieae, VU)
- dark-footed forest shrew (Myosorex sclateri, VU)
- giant golden mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani, EN)
- Samango monkeys (Cercopithecus albogularis)
- thick-tailed bush baby (Galago crassicaudatus)
- blue duiker (Cephalophus monticola)
- red Natal duiker (Cephalophus natalensis)
- predators
- leopard (Panthera pardus)
- caracal (Felis caracal)
- African wildcat (Felis sylvestris)
- black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)
Birds
There no strictly endemic species but several species are found only in the forests and bushlands of the southern African coasts.
- brown scrub-robin (Cercotrichas signata)
- Knysna turaco (Tauraco corythaix)
- Knysna woodpecker (Campethera notata)
- Knysna scrub-warbler (Bradypterus sylvaticus, VU)
- Chorister robin-chat (Cossypha dichroa)
- and forest canary (Serinus scotops)
- African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer)
- Ayres’ eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii)
- southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus, VU)
- crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus)
- cuckoo hawk (Aviceda cucloides)
- forest buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
- green coucal (Ceuthmochares aereus)
- green twinspot (Mandingoa nitidula)
- Gurney’s sugarbird (Promerops gurneyi)
- longcrested eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
- martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus)
- southern banded snake eagle (Circaetus fasciolatus)
- wattled crane (Grus carunculatus, VU)
- wattle-eyed flycatcher (Platysteira peltata)
Amphibians
- endemic: Natal diving frog (Natalobatrachus bonebergi)
- there are five other near-endemic amphibians
Reptiles
- endemic:
- Transkei dwarf chamaeleon (Bradypodion caffrum)
- Günther's burrowing skink (Scelotes guentheri)
- skink Acontias poecilus
- gecko Cryptactites peringueyi