Boland Mountain Complex (100725)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, A1e, A2, B1, B2, B3a, B3b, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Boland Mountain Complex
Central coordinates: Latitude: -33.8069, Longitude: 19.1369
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 65 to 1709
Area of KBA (km2): 1729.80032
Protected area coverage (%): 87.13
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Boland Mountain Complex is a large terrestrial site with substantial protection and OECM coverage, found in the Western Cape, South Africa. The site is composed of mountains with slopes of various steepness, flanks of intermontane valleys and upland plateaus. A band of Cedarberg Shale Formation forms a prominent step at high altitude. Vegetation a low closed shrubland dotted with emergent tall shrubs mainly proteoid, restioid and asteraceous fynbos with much waboomveld at lower altitudes, ericaceous fynbos at higher altitudes and abundant Cape thickets on cliffs and very steep rocky (scree) slopes. There are also smaller patches of undulating plains and hills of varied aspect. General appearance of vegetation is low, closed shrubland with scattered emergent tall shrubs. Proteoid, ericaceous and restioid fynbos dominate, while asteraceous fynbos is rare. Patches of Cape thicket are common in the northern areas; in the south similar habitats are occupied by scrub fynbos. Numerous seeps and seasonally saturated mountain-plateau wetlands (locally called suurvlakte) are very common and support restioid and ericaceous (dominated by Bruniaceae) fynbos. A smaller portion is composed of moderately undulating plains and hills, varying from extensive deep soils, to localised deep soils between large granite domes and sheets with a fairly dense, 1-2m tall closed shrubland with occasional low, gnarled trees dotted through the landscape.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for 3 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Based on current available information, 270 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include amphibians, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, plants, and reptiles. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 81 threatened species. Effectively the entire global populations of 5 Endangered and 6 Critically Endangered species are within the site. The site regularly holds 164 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. Assemblages of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Amphibia, Apiales, Asparagales, Asterales, Bruniales, Caryophyllales, Ericales, Fabales, Geraniales, Malvales, Myrtales, Proteales, Reptilia, Rosales, and Sapindales taxonomic groups regularly present within the site meet criterion B2. Co-occurring species endemic to the Cape Fold freshwater ecoregion, Fynbos shrubland terrestrial ecoregion, and Fynbos terrestrial bioregion present at the site meet criterion B3. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicate that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 81 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 6 threatened ecosystems (meeting criterion A2) and 1 geographically restricted ecosystem (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 466 other potential trigger species meet minimum population parameter thresholds for the site, but presence and/or minimum reproductive units required to meet KBA criteria cannot be confirmed with available data.
Manageability of the site: This site is managed primarily by a protected area management authority, with parts of the site managed by a regional conservation authority responsible for enforcing statutory regulations on landuse change in Critical Biodiversity Areas and threatened ecosystems, and Biosphere Reserve management authority.
Supersedes another site: Boland Mountains ZA086 [59%]
Delineation rationale: The site is a large complex of several adjacent protected areas with World Heritage Site status, under single management authority and including immediate buffer areas with natural habitat categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area. Site boundaries are largely coincident with the core zone of the Winelands Biosphere Reserve.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (88%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Gavin Masterson (Fathom Data), Warrick Stewart (Resilience Environmental Advice), Anisha Dayaram (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Maphale Monyeki (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Sediqa Khatieb (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Craig Hilton-Taylor (IUCN)