West Coast Biosphere Reserve (100979)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, A1e, A2, B1, B2, B3a, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: West Coast Biosphere Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: -33.2361, Longitude: 18.2744
System: terrestrial, freshwater, marine
Elevation (m): 0 to 399
Area of KBA (km2): 1905.97369
Protected area coverage (%): 10.80
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: West Coast Biosphere Reserve is a large terrestrial site that has limited protection but has OECM coverage, found in the Western Cape, South Africa. Includes coastal sand plains, flat to undulating, and also including localised inland dune field. Dominated by a range of strandveld vegetation types and sand fynbos types. Vegetation is a moderately tall, ericoid-leaved shrubland with dense herbaceous stratum of aphyllous hemicryptophytes. This is mostly asteraceous and restioid fynbos, although proteoid fynbos is extensive and ericaceous fynbos occurs in seeps and along watercourses. Hopefield Sand Fynbos has all three typical fynbos elements, but with a paucity (in species richness and density) of Ericaceae. This unit is most diverse in the Hopefield area, where extensive stands of Leucadendron foedum, Leucospermum rodolentum and Serruria fucifolia are dominant. Also includes sclerophyllous shrublands built of a sparse emergent and moderately tall shrub layer, with an open succulent shrub layer forming the undergrowth. With conspicuous displays of geophytes and annual herbaceous flora in spring.
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, 326 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include amphibians, birds, butterflies, mammals, plants, and reptiles. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 200 threatened species. Effectively the entire global populations of 7 Endangered and 15 Critically Endangered species are within the site. The site regularly holds 210 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. Assemblages of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Apiales, Asparagales, Asterales, Caryophyllales, Ericales, Fabales, Geraniales, Lamiales, Liliales, Malvales, Oxalidales, 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 present at the site meet criterion B3. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 82 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 9 threatened ecosystems (meeting criterion A2) and 1 geographically restricted ecosystem (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 95 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 Biosphere Reserve management authority, with parts of the site managed by a regional conservation authority responsible for enforcing statutory regulations on landuse change in Critical Biodiversity Areas and threatened ecosystems, and protected area management authority.
Supersedes another site: Rietvlei Wetland: Table Bay Nature Reserve ZA090 [0%]; Berg River Estuary ZA083 [0%]; West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands ZA084 [0%]
Delineation rationale: Biosphere Reserve Transition and Buffer Zones, including small protected areas and blocks intact sand Fynbos and strandveld, categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (71%), Artificial - terrestrial (27%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation 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)