Buffalo City Coast (100736)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A2, B1, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Buffalo City Coast
Central coordinates: Latitude: -33.0221, Longitude: 27.7389
System: terrestrial, marine, freshwater
Elevation (m): 0 to 397
Area of KBA (km2): 674.96888
Protected area coverage (%): 5.98
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Buffalo City Coast is a terrestrial site that has limited protection, found in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Portions of the landscape have flat to undulating coastal dunes. The vegetation is mostly low to medium-sized (1-4m), dense thicket dominated by woody shrubs and stunted trees, with lianas and vines abundant, and the understorey poorly developed. These thickets are best developed in dune slacks, whereas on more open inland slopes they occur as small bush clumps in a matrix of low coastal grassland. Where these grasslands occur on deep sandy soils, several fynbos elements are present in the matrix, while savanna elements are more common where the grasslands occur on richer soils. On gently to moderately undulating landscapes and dissected hilltop slopes close to the coast occurs short grassland with scattered bush clumps, dominated by small trees and woody shrubs, and with emergent Euphorbia triangularis occasional. Solitary Acacia karoo trees are also common. Medium-sized to tall (3-5m) thicket with a closed canopy of shrubs and woody trees, often with emergent trees are found on steep slopes of river valleys in highly dissected hills and moderately undulating plains. Open savanna characterised by small trees of Acacia karroo with a short to medium, dense, sour grassy understorey, usually dominated by Themeda triandra when in good condition also occur, as well as in incised valleys. A mosaic of low thicket (2-3m) consisting of small bush clumps in a matrix of grassy karroid shrubland, with the grass component more prominent in moister sites (eastward) and the karroid shrub component more prominent in drier sites (westward). The bush clumps comprise trees and woody shrubs typical of Fish Valley Thicket. There is also medium-sized to tall (3-5m) dense thicket, dominated by small and woody shrubs typical of Buffels Mesic Thicket, often with emergent Euphorbia triangularis, intergrading with pockets of tree-dominated (Ekebergia capensis, Umtiza listeriana) coastal forest. These occur on moderate to steep valley slopes and incised hilltops.
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, 6 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include birds, butterflies, fish, and plants. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 5 threatened species. The site regularly holds 3 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 2 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 1 threatened ecosystem (meeting criterion A2) and 2 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 35 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 regional conservation authority responsible for enforcing statutory regulations on landuse change in Critical Biodiversity Areas and threatened ecosystems, with part of the site managed by a protected area management authority.
Supersedes another site: East London and south (blank) [30%]; Bisho (blank) [3%]
Delineation rationale: Site was delineated around natural coastal habitat categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area within a Metropolitan Municipality. It also includes protected areas and municipal open space.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (45%), Savanna (35%), Artificial - terrestrial (13%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | 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)