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Local Endemism and Plant Conservation in the Cape Floristic Region

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Landscape Disturbance and Biodiversity in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 136))

Abstract

Relative to their area, the five mediterranean-climate regions of the world harbour a disproportionate number of plant species, including exceptionally high numbers of rare and locally endemic species (Greuter 1994; Cowling et al. 1996a). Foremost amongst these is the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) where 8550 plant species, of which 68% are endemic, are crammed into 90 000 km2 (Bond and Goldblatt 1984). Landscape degradation, especially in the Cape lowlands, has transformed vast areas of natural habitat, resulting in the highest concentration of threatened plant species and subspecific taxa (1435) in the world (Rebelo 1992a; Cowling and Hilton-Taylor 1994). Indeed, in Myers’ (1990) parlance, the CFR is the “hottest” of the world’s hot-spots of plant biodiversity and endemism.

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Authors
  1. R. M. Cowling
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  2. D. J. McDonald
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of California (UCLA), 900 Veteran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Philip W. Rundel

  2. Departamento de Ecología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile

    Gloria Montenegro  & Fabian M. Jaksic  & 

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Cowling, R.M., McDonald, D.J. (1998). Local Endemism and Plant Conservation in the Cape Floristic Region. In: Rundel, P.W., Montenegro, G., Jaksic, F.M. (eds) Landscape Disturbance and Biodiversity in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 136. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03543-6_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03543-6_10

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08416-4

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