Drakensberg (100758)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, A1e, B1, B2, B3a, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Drakensberg
Central coordinates: Latitude: -29.2570, Longitude: 29.3563
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 1119 to 3296
Area of KBA (km2): 3278.54409
Protected area coverage (%): 73.70
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Drakensberg is a large terrestrial site with substantial protection, found in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. This site incudes species-rich grasslands of varying levels of density. Deep gullies on basalt support luxuriant tall herb vegetation. Steep basalt rock faces and terraces, the most imposing array of cliffs in southern Africa, are the most dramatic landscape element characteristic of the uKhahlamba (The Barrier of Spears). The surrounding area is also characterised by steep slopes of broad valleys and supporting mainly short, sour grasslands, rich in forbs. So-called Protea savannas, grasslands that contain widely scattered trees of Protea caffra, fall within this site. Sandstone cliffs in the foothills are a major characteristic of this landscape, and create a multitude of special habitats (often fire-protected) for many localized plant communities. Below the summit of the Great Escarpment are grasslands supporting dense tussocks on slopes sometimes with a dwarf-shrubby component and dwarf shrubland on exposed rocky areas.
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, 70 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 9 threatened species. Effectively the entire global population of one Critically Endangered species is within the site. The site regularly holds 57 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. Assemblages of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Asparagales, Asterales, Aves, Ericales, Lamiales, and Reptilia taxonomic groups regularly present within the site meet criterion B2. Co-occurring species endemic to the Drakensberg grasslands terrestrial ecoregion present at the site meet criterion B3. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 24 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 4 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 68 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 part of the site managed by a regional conservation authority responsible for enforcing statutory regulations on landuse change in Critical Biodiversity Areas and threatened ecosystems.
Supersedes another site: Maloti Drakensberg Park ZA048 [67%]; Northern Drakensberg foothills (blank) [3%]; Southern Drakensberg foothills (blank) [3%]
Delineation rationale: Delineation follows a large mountain protected area complex and immediate surrounds.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Grassland (96%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | 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)