Ecoregions of South Africa
The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) compiled the ecoregions (see WWF ecoregions) of our globe in terms of
- location
- climate
- geography
- vegetation
- distinctive biodiversity (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles) with emphasis on endemic species (i.e. species found only in a particular region)
South Africa falls within 15 of the ecoregions. The borders of natural diversity do not follow political borders, so some ecoregions extend beyond the political borders of South Africa.
Ecoregions within the South African political borders are (in colloquial alphabetical order, with the WWF name):
- Bushveld - Southern African bushveld (AT0717)
- Drakensberg mountains higher than 2'500m - Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands (AT1003)
- Drakensberg lower regions - Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests (AT1004)
- East Coast Belt - KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic (AT0116)
- Forests in Knysna region - Knysna-Amatole montane forests (AT0115)
- Forests of northern Kwazulu-Natal - Maputaland coastal forest mosaic (AT0119)
- Fynbos - Lowland fynbos and renosterveld (AT1202)
- Fynbos in mountains - Montane fynbos and renosterveld (AT1203)
- Highveld grasslands (AT1009)
- Karoo on West Coast - Succulent Karoo (AT1322)
- Karoo (Great Karoo) - Nama Karoo (AT1314)
- Kalahari bushveld - Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands (AT0709)
- Kalahari desert - Kalahari xeric savanna (AT1309)
- Mangroves - Southern Africa mangroves (AT1405)
- Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets (AT1012)