Namaqualand Hardeveld South (100879)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1, B2, B3a, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Namaqualand Hardeveld South
Central coordinates: Latitude: -30.4724, Longitude: 18.0946
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 88 to 1232
Area of KBA (km2): 8421.0966
Protected area coverage (%): 0.57
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Namaqualand Hardeveld South is a very large terrestrial site that is unprotected, found in the Northern Cape, South Africa. Mainly a dramatic landscape of huge granite and gneiss domes, smooth glacis and disintegrating boulder koppies supporting open shrubland up to 1m tall, dominated by shrubs of dwarf to medium stature and with ericoid or succulent leaves. A few scattered pachycaul kokerboom trees (Aloe dichotoma var. dichotoma) are found mostly on north-facing slopes. Flat or gently sloping rock sheets (the dominant feature of this unit) support dwarf or prostrate succulents in shallow pockets with soil or in cracks. Includes level to slightly undulating sedimentary surfaces between rocky granitic hills and mountains, such as wide plains and broad valleys with dry channels of intermittent water courses. Sparse dwarf shrubs with succulent or ericoid leaves dominate these shrublands. Geophytes and ephemeral herbs and in places also low, spreading, leaf-succulents show spectacular flower displays in wet years. Also includes small portions of undulating plains leading up to the Escarpment with a mosaic of communities.
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, 81 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include amphibians, birds, butterflies, plants, and reptiles. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 24 threatened species. Effectively the entire global populations of 7 Critically Endangered species are within the site. The site regularly holds 55 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. Assemblages of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Asparagales, Asterales, and Caryophyllales taxonomic groups regularly present within the site meet criterion B2. Co-occurring species endemic to the Namaqualand-Richtersveld steppe 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 17 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 5 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 199 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.
Delineation rationale: Distinctive arid shrubland landscape, partly categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area, and falling mostly within a single Local Municipality.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (96%)
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)