The Klein Swartberg Mountain is situated within the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom (CFK) an international biodiversity asset, being the smallest of the world’s six floral kingdoms and the only one that can be found entirely within one country. The CFK houses the highest indigenous plant species diversity than any similar-sized area on Earth and has been classified as the smallest and most diverse of the global Biodiversity Hotspots.
Of the 9 300 known plant species of the CFK population (collectively known as “fynbos”), an estimated 70% is endemic, occurring nowhere else in the world.
Some of the greatest threats to biodiversity within the Conservancy are the transformation of vegetation because of invasion by alien species, changing fire cycles, and historically poor biodiversity care. The focus of this Conservancy over the past two decades have been to neutralise these threats and restore the ecology of the landscape as close as possible to its original state. A great deal has been achieved – but a great deal more must be done.
Biodiversity
ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE
Typically restored mountain landscape in the forefront with pristine fynbos diversity but remaining pine infestation across the valley in the background.
The picture below shows a valley landscape in the mountain, the typical wetland swampy habitat of the endemic Moss Frog [Arthroleptella rugosa] with low density pine infestation that would soon invade the habitat of the Moss Frog, unless the threat of alien infestation is removed in time.
Most of the Conservancy consists of Sandstone Fynbos, a highly species diverse vegetation type. Currently this vegetation type is listed as Critically Endangered by the State of Biodiversity report of 2017, however in the next report it is expected to be promoted to Endangered.
The town of Caledon has for centuries been known for its hot water springs from the mountain. Commercial agriculture relies on water supply from the mountain and a few rare and endemic freshwater species occur in the wetland systems downstream from the mountain and are highly threatened now. These riparian systems are also the last available corridors between the mountain and the surrounding natural habitats.
Flora: In previous years, several institutions have done biodiversity surveys within the conservancy. The South African Biodiversity Institute have found the last remaining populations of Critically Endangered species Moraea longiaristata and Agathosma orbicularis on the lower slopes of the mountain, emphasizing the need for protected status of these areas.
Moraea longiaristata, Martina Treurnicht,Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW), March 2013
Insects:
Fynbos has historically been recognized internationally for its diversity of plant species, but with new research it has been found that the insect diversity is equivalent to that of plant species. There is a global concern for insect populations, specifically in highly developed nations where pollination networks have collapsed. Because of the close relationship between plant and insect species diversity, we do not know how many insect species have been lost with the degradation and transformation of the lowland fynbos vegetation. Where large sections of natural vegetation are still intact on the Klein Swartberg Mountain our pollination networks are healthy and able to .
Colourful insects returned after a controlled burn 24 months earlier
Fish and Frogs:
Field surveys completed by Cape Nature in 2008 revealed the discovery of a new moss frog species (Arthroleptella rugosa), which only occurs within a 2.3 km area on the mountain and is listed as Critically Endangered. In collaboration with several role players, a substantial investment was made in 2022 by the Endangered Wildlife Trust of South Africa (EWT) to remove invasive alien infestation into the habitat on the mountain of these tiny little frogs that do not swim and grow no larger than about 12 to 15 mm in size. See the informative article about this endemic Frog species under Articles.
Arthroleptella rugosa – moss frog on the Klein Swartberg
With the advancement of genetic studies, it was found that the Cape Galaxias, an endemic fish species, consists of multiple unique species, one of which occurs in the Conservancy. Both species require intact freshwater and wetland systems, which is not only threatened by invasion of alien plant species but also by climate change and erosion. Alien invasive fish have also decimated the indigenous cape fish species and need to be prevented from invading further. Besides the immediate threats that have already been mentioned, all species within the conservancy are range restricted, because they are surrounded by cultivated commercial agriculture with limited corridors of connectivity to other natural areas. This has significant consequences for genetic flow and species ability to adapt to climate change.