Noorsveld (100895)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1c, A1d, A2, B1, B2, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Noorsveld
Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.9794, Longitude: 24.7796
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 245 to 939
Area of KBA (km2): 4034.39941
Protected area coverage (%): 20.97
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Noorsveld is a large terrestrial site with limited protection, found in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Dominated by flat lowlands and undulating plains. Short (1-2m) and dense succulent thicket with Portulacaria afra often dominant. Where P. afra is naturally uncommon, Euphorbia radyeri is locally dominant and the tree component (Boscia oleoides, Euclea undulata, Pappea capensis) is sparse. Pockets of karroid shrubland (Pentzia incana, Rhigozum obovatum) also occur in this thicket unit. Also includes hills and gentle slopes with low karroid shrubland with a sparse canopy of small trees (Euclea undulata, Schotia afra, Pappea capensis). Clumps of dense thicket dominated by Portulacaria afra occur on north-facing slopes.
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, 7 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include birds, butterflies, mammals, and plants. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 4 threatened species. Effectively the entire global population of one Critically Endangered species is within the site. The site regularly holds 3 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. An assemblage of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Caryophyllales taxonomic group regularly present within the site meets criterion B2. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 1 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 1 threatened ecosystem (meeting criterion A2) and 1 geographically restricted ecosystem (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 23 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: Waterford - Jansenville (blank) [25%]; Greater Addo complex (blank) [1%]
Delineation rationale: Distinctive threatened arid thicket vegetation, categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area, with large Protected Environment in the South. Falling mostly within a single Local Municipality.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (99%)
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 |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | 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)