A rapid multi-disciplinary biodiversity assessment of the Kamdebooberge (Sneeuberg, Eastern Cape, South Africa): implications for conservation

Abstract

Botanical work since 2008 on the Sleeping Giant section of the Kamdebooberge (Sneeuberg mountain complex, Eastern Cape, South Africa) has indicated that these mountains may be of significant conservation value. Accordingly, a precursory, rapid multi-disciplinary biodiversity assessment was undertaken in January 2011, focusing on plants, tetrapod vertebrates and leafhoppers. The botanical results confirm the Kamdebooberge as being of high botanical conservation value, hosting three strict endemics, healthy populations of five other Sneeuberg endemics, and fynbos communities comprising species not found elsewhere in the Sneeuberg. The Kamdebooberge are important for herpetofauna (excluding serpentoids) and mammals, hosting several range-restricted and regional endemics. The expedition uncovered three new leafhopper species, together with several species previously only known from the Cape Floristic Region. Further detailed faunal work may provide further interesting results from these mountains, which show a high conservation value unique to the southern Escarpment.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-1-56) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Land snail biogeography and endemism in south-eastern Africa: Implications for the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot

“…Furthermore, the MPA-Knysna province ( Fig 2 ) is recognized as a numerically derived zoogeographical entity for land snails. Nevertheless, the land snail endemism as indicated by the COEs ( Fig 4 ) and high levels of weighted endemism ( Fig 7 ), extends beyond this province towards the south-eastern escarpment (Drakensberg-KwaZulu-Natal escarpment, Drakensberg plateau, and Sneeuberg OGUs) and the eastern escarpment (northern & southern Mpumalanga escarpment, Wolkberg and Soutpansberg OGUs), comprising many OGUs recently recognised as individual centres of endemism [ 29 , 71 , 72 ]. The incorporation of these OGUs into the MPA-Knysna province designates the greater MPA region of land snail endemism (see Figs 4 – 7 ), with 57 endemic species (82.6% endemicity; Table 2 ) from selected land snail genera.…”

Refining species boundaries among velvet worms (Onychophora, Peripatopsidae), with the description of two new species of Opisthopatus from South Africa

“…The surrounding low‐lying habitat is arid. The Valley of Desolation is an area of high floral and faunal diversity (Clark et al, 2012; Perera et al, 2011).…”