Kleinrivier Mountains (100823)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1d, A1e, A2, B1, B2, B3a, B3b, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Kleinrivier Mountains
Central coordinates: Latitude: -34.3577, Longitude: 19.3489
System: terrestrial, freshwater, marine
Elevation (m): 32 to 734
Area of KBA (km2): 374.39606
Protected area coverage (%): 6.13
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Kleinrivier Mountains is a terrestrial site that is partially protected, found in the Western Cape, South Africa. The site is on low coastal mountains supporting moderately tall, dense restioid, ericoid-leaved and proteoid shrublands. Structurally these are mainly proteoid and ericaceous fynbos, with restioid fynbos also occurring locally. It also includes portions of undulating hills and plains covered with open to closed dwarf shrubland with occasional scattered tall shrubs. When degraded, this vegetation type becomes dominated by Elytropappus rhinocerotis. On transitions to deep sandy soils, Protea repens may be dominant, and these transitional communities are often much richer in species than associated Overberg Sandstone Fynbos.
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, 121 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include amphibians, birds, dragonflies, fish, plants, and reptiles. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 32 threatened species. Effectively the entire global populations of 3 Endangered and 1 Critically Endangered species are within the site. The site regularly holds 39 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, Malvales, Poales, Proteales, Rosales, and Sapindales taxonomic groups regularly present within the site meet criterion B2. Co-occurring species endemic to the Fynbos shrubland terrestrial ecoregion and Fynbos terrestrial bioregion present at the site meet criterion B3. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 28 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 3 threatened ecosystems (meeting criterion A2).
Additional biodiversity: 249 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 catchment management authority.
Supersedes another site: Cape Whale Coast ZA097 [31%]; Overberg Wheatbelt ZA094 [30%]; Overstrand (blank) [20%]
Delineation rationale: Delineation is focused on a single coastal mountain range that is relatively isolated within an intensively cultivated area. The site boundaries follow the edges of natural vegetation along the footslopes of the mountain.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (90%), Artificial - terrestrial (5%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | 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)