Harmony Flats Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Harmony Flats Nature Reserve is a 9 hectare piece of protected land, located between Strand and Gordon's Bay
, South Africa
. It protects a surviving fragment of critically endangered
“Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
” vegetation.
Harmony Flats was originally established to preserve a habitat for the rare and declining Geometric Tortoise
(Psammobates geometricus). This tortoise is now unfortunately locally extinct, but the reserve still protects about 220 species of plant (many of them endangered) as well as a range of animal species, such as the tiny Parrot-beaked tortoise (Homopus areolatus), various snakes and a large variety of birds. This is one of the few remaining spots of the critically endangered
vegetation type “Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
”.
Local volunteers and community organisations are now heavily involved in protecting and managing the reserve.
Gordon's Bay
Gordon's Bay is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, close to Strand. It is situated on the northeastern corner of False Bay about 50 km from Cape Town to the south of the N2 national road and is named after Robert Jacob Gordon , the Dutch explorer of Scottish descent...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It protects a surviving fragment of critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
“Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos is a critically endangered vegetation type that is endemic to Cape Town. Though closest to Fynbos, it has characteristics of both Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation and is thus actually a unique hybrid vegetation type...
” vegetation.
Harmony Flats was originally established to preserve a habitat for the rare and declining Geometric Tortoise
Geometric Tortoise
The geometric tortoise is an endangered species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus, Psammobates. It is found in a very small section in the South-Western Cape of South Africa.-Identification:...
(Psammobates geometricus). This tortoise is now unfortunately locally extinct, but the reserve still protects about 220 species of plant (many of them endangered) as well as a range of animal species, such as the tiny Parrot-beaked tortoise (Homopus areolatus), various snakes and a large variety of birds. This is one of the few remaining spots of the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
vegetation type “Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos
Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos is a critically endangered vegetation type that is endemic to Cape Town. Though closest to Fynbos, it has characteristics of both Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation and is thus actually a unique hybrid vegetation type...
”.
Local volunteers and community organisations are now heavily involved in protecting and managing the reserve.
See also
- Biodiversity of Cape TownBiodiversity of Cape Town- Floristic region :The city of Cape Town lies within the Cape Floristic Kingdom . - Vegetation types :...
- List of nature reserves in Cape Town
- Geometric TortoiseGeometric TortoiseThe geometric tortoise is an endangered species of tortoise and one of three members of the genus, Psammobates. It is found in a very small section in the South-Western Cape of South Africa.-Identification:...
- Lourensford Alluvium FynbosLourensford Alluvium FynbosLourensford Alluvium Fynbos is a critically endangered vegetation type that is endemic to Cape Town. Though closest to Fynbos, it has characteristics of both Fynbos and Renosterveld vegetation and is thus actually a unique hybrid vegetation type...