Helderberg Nature Reserve
| Helderberg Nature Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Helderberg mountainside | |
  Map of Cape Town Metropolitan area | |
| Location | Somerset West, South Africa |
| Coordinates | 34°01′59″S 18°52′28″E / 34.03306°S 18.87444°ECoordinates: 34°01′59″S 18°52′28″E / 34.03306°S 18.87444°E |
| Area | 398 ha (980 acres) |
| Established | 1960 |
Helderberg Nature Reserve is a 398-hectare (980-acre) nature reserve in Somerset West, South Africa.[1]
This nature reserve is located on the southern slopes of the Helderberg mountains. Its 398 ha consist mostly of “Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos” (a highly species-rich vegetation type) with smaller patches of “Boland Granite Fynbos” and “Southern Afrotemperate Forest”. Altogether about 600 species of plant have been recorded here, including a wide range of proteas. Particularly prominent plants include the pincushion proteas (Leucospermum sp.), cone bushes (Leucadendron sp.), sugar bushes (Protea sp.), heaths (Erica sp.) and the waboom tree (Protea nitida).[2]
Animals that can be found here include the Cape leopard, caracal, grey duiker, Cape grysbok, steenbok, mongoose, angulate and padloper tortoises and over 170 species of bird.
The reserve has a picnic area, gift shop, Environmental Education Centre and museum displays.[3]
King protea in Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
Indigenous Southern Afrotemperate Forest
Flowering Watsonia geophyte
Phylica pubescens
Leucospermum cordifolium
Angulate tortoise
See also[edit]
- Biodiversity of Cape Town
- List of nature reserves in Cape Town
- Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos
- Boland Granite Fynbos
- Index: Fynbos - habitats and species.
- Southern Afrotemperate Forest
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "City of Cape Town Nature Reserves. Free Booklet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-22.
- ^ "Flora of the Western Cape".
- ^ "Environmental resources and downloads. City of Cape Town. Environmental Resource Management Dept". Archived from the original on 2012-12-23.
