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Peninsula Granite Fynbos


Peninsula Granite Fynbos is an endangered Fynbos vegetation type which is endemic to the city of Cape Town and occurs nowhere else. It is a unique type of tall, dense and diverse scrubland, scattered with trees. It can be found all along the belt of granite that encircles Table Mountain.

This unique vegetation type occurs only within the city of Cape Town, particularly in a band that encircles the Table Mountain range – following the stratum of the Cape Granite Suite. It occurs from Lion's Head in the north, to Hout Bay and Muizenberg in the south. There is also an isolated patch near Simonstown, further to the south. It grows on the gentler, lower slopes of Table Mountain, over rolling hills and valleys - in rich, deep soils formed from eroded granite. Because of the rich soils and gentle terrain, most of this ecosystem has been destroyed to make way for vineyards, wealthy suburbs and commercial pine plantations. In fact, the largest patches of exposed granite soils are at Newlands, Wynberg Hill and Constantia, and these are all areas that have been developed for housing, farmed, or planted with invasive pine trees.

Peninsula Granite Fynbos is dominated by Asteraceous (daisy) and Proteoid (protea) species, although Erica and restio species become more dominant in wetter patches. There are two distinct subtypes of this vegetation: the especially endangered South Peninsula Granite Fynbos which grows on the more lush southern and eastern slopes, and North Peninsula Granite Fynbos which dominates the drier northern and western slopes.


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