Soutpansberg (100938)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, B1, B2, B3a, B4, D1a, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Soutpansberg
Central coordinates: Latitude: -22.8389, Longitude: 30.1325
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 464 to 1572
Area of KBA (km2): 4040.06875
Protected area coverage (%): 23.38
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Soutpansberg is a large terrestrial site with limited protection and has OECM coverage, found in Limpopo, South Africa. Distinct mountain range, highest in the west, splitting into increasing number of lower mountain ridges towards the east. Dense tree layer and poorly developed grassy layer. The topography of the east-west- orientated ridges of the mountain changes drastically over short distances, resulting in orographic rain on the southern ridges, and a rainshadow effect on the northern ridges. Because of this topographic diversity, the Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld comprises a complex mosaic of sharply contrasting kinds of vegetation within limited areas. There are subtropical moist thickets (mainly along the lower-lying southern slopes, on steep clayey soils of volcanic origin), mistbelt bush clumps (within the mistbelt of the southern and central ridges of the mountain, on rugged quartzitic outcrops with shallow sandy soils), relatively open savanna sandveld (on both deep and shallow quarzitic sands along the relatively dry middle and northern slopes of the mountain), and arid mountain bushveld (along the very arid northern ridges of the mountain). In the north are open woodland to moderately closed shrubveld dominated by Colophospermum mopane on clayey bottomlands and Combretum apiculatum on hills. On basalt, Colophospermum mopane and Terminalia prunioides shrubland dominates with limited grassy understory..
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for 4 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Based on current available information, 28 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include amphibians, birds, butterflies, fish, plants, and reptiles. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 3 threatened species. The site regularly holds 26 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. An assemblage of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Reptilia taxonomic group regularly present within the site meets criterion B2. An aggregation of at least 1% of the global population of one species is regularly present at the site, therefore it meets criterion D1. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 6 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 3 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 24 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: Soutpansberg ZA002 [80%]; Kruger National Park and adjacent areas ZA001 [0%]
Delineation rationale: Distinctive mountain range previously identified as Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. Modified boundary includes immediate surrounds, and adjacent protected areas and intact bushveld vegetation, categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Savanna (84%), Artificial - terrestrial (13%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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)