Better known for being the home of Table Mountain which guards the city of Cape Town, the Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest, but richest plant kingdom in the world.
Table Mountain National Park
It is one of only six plant kingdoms across the globe and although it represents less than 0.5% of the area of Africa, it is home to nearly 20% of the continent’s flora with more than 9000 plant species of which 6200 are found nowhere else in the world.
The Cape Floristic Region (together with the Nama Karoo Kaokoveld) are two of the 35 global eco-regions WWF focuses its attention on as areas of international value.
This region stretches from the Cederberg in the north west, around the Western Cape coast into the Eastern Cape. Although it is better known for its plant species, plenty of animal, reptile and bird species are also found in this region. Its beauty, diversity and importance have given this area, World Heritage status
Few would believe that the Cape Peninsula has the highest species richness in the world, more than three times that of the South American rainforest, and that much of this unique and precious biological heritage lives on the mountain, oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town below.
But this region has been severely damaged by urban and agricultural development, invasive alien species (both plant and animal) and too frequent fires. The Table Mountain Fund, managed by WWF, was established in 1998 as a capital core fund for conserving Table Mountain and the Cape Peninsula. Thanks to the fund more than 50 conservation projects are currently being implemented.
