Groot Winterhoek (100988)
South Africa, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A2, B1, B2, B3a, B3b, B4, E

Year of last assessment: 2024

National site name: Groot Winterhoek

Central coordinates: Latitude: -32.9868, Longitude: 19.1252

System: terrestrial, freshwater

Elevation (m): 154 to 1619

Area of KBA (km²): 851.96253

Protected area coverage (%): 85.56

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: No

Site details

Site description: Groot Winterhoek is a terrestrial site with substantial protection, found in the Western Cape, South Africa. Mainly moderately undulating high plain in the west, with rugged high peaks in the south and southeast, and parallel north-south high mountain ranges in the east, dissected by the Olifants River Valley. The eastern blocks are relatively flat, south- and north-sloping, dissected tablelands. Vegetation is mainly closed restioland in deeper moister sands, with low, sparse shrubs that become denser and restios less dominant in the drier habitats. Proteoid and ericaceous fynbos are found on higher slopes while asteraceous fynbos is more common on lower slopes. Cape thicket is prominent on the lowest slopes. Includes gentle to steep slopes to the Cederberg scarp as well as broad valley bottoms. Proteoid fynbos is most prominent on the lowermost slopes and sandy plateaus and restioid fynbos occurs on deeper sands and shallower soils. On flat to gently east- or north-sloping tableland, with steeper west-facing slopes (only upper parts in this unit) both being rugged and dominated by rocky outcrops with gullies and flats of deep sand. Isolated mountain peaks occur and a more dissected mountainous terrain occurs in the west. A the long, linear step or plateau that dominates the landscape between the upper and lower blocks of rugged sandstone is given by the Ssale band.

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, 59 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 9 threatened species. The site regularly holds 22 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. Assemblages of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Actinopterygii, Apiales, Asparagales, Asterales, Proteales, Reptilia, and Rosales taxonomic groups regularly present within the site meet criterion B2. Co-occurring species endemic to the 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 14 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 1 threatened ecosystem (meeting criterion A2) and 2 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).

Additional biodiversity: 361 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.

Supersedes another site: Cedarberg - Koue Bokkeveld complex ZA080 [77%]

Delineation rationale: Mountain protected area.

Habitats

Summary of habitats in KBA: Shrubland (96%)

Threats

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Wood & pulp plantations	Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Ongoing

Additional information