The beauty and wonder.
This is an introduction to the vegetation types and plants that characterise the vegetation within a 20 kilometre radius of Prince Albert. We will start by describing how the environment of a plant is affected by altitude, rainfall, geology and soil, and how these factors in turn influence the challenges (cold, heat, wind nutrient stress, aridity, herbivory) and disruptions (fire, flood, prolonged drought) that plants face over their lifetimes.
Over hundreds of millions of years, the geology of the region was influenced by major events such as Southern Africa being located over the south pole, being located under vast inland oceans and glaciers and Africa being pushed from the south by the Falklands Plateau, the latter resulting in the formation of the Swartberg Mountain range.
Prince Albert is ideal for spotting karoo endemics and karoo birds in general. The habitat is arid, flat karoo veld with low bushes. Riverbeds are lined with Sweet Thorn and Karee trees.
Comments, questions or suggestions. pool@princealbert.co.za
A special thanks to Professor Sue Milton-Dean for your help and inspiration.
