Kogelberg (100826)
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: Kogelberg
Central coordinates: Latitude: -34.2377, Longitude: 19.0025
System: terrestrial, freshwater, marine
Elevation (m): 0 to 947
Area of KBA (km2): 630.52641
Protected area coverage (%): 78.33
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Kogelberg and Betty's Bay is a terrestrial site with substantial protection and OECM coverage, found in the Western Cape, South Africa. The site is dominated by high coastal mountains with 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. Along the coast occurs sand dunes and sandy bottomlands supporting moderately tall, dense ericoid shrubland. The area is known for its extremely high plant species diversity and endemism.
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, 192 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 75 threatened species. Effectively the entire global populations of 6 Endangered and 5 Critically Endangered species are within the site. The site regularly holds 132 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. Assemblages of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Amphibia, Apiales, Asparagales, Asterales, Boraginales, Bruniales, Caryophyllales, Ericales, Fabales, Myrtales, Poales, Proteales, Reptilia, 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 80 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 5 threatened ecosystems (meeting criterion A2).
Additional biodiversity: 322 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 Biosphere Reserve management authority.
Supersedes another site: Boland Mountains ZA086 [78%]
Delineation rationale: Delineation follows the boundaries of a Biosphere Reserve with protected areas and Protected Environments.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (83%), Artificial - terrestrial (8%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Ongoing | |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | 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)