Floristic and faunal Cape biochoria: do they exist?

Abstract

Many authors, over a long period, have remarked on the biotic distinctiveness of the southwestern corner of Africa, both in terms of its flora (Bolus 1886; White 1976; Goldblatt 1978) and its fauna (Moreau 1952; Stuckenberg 1962; Carcasson 1964; Poynton 1964; Holt et al. 2013). Climatically the region is defined by predominantly cool-season (autumn to spring) rainfall and mild temperatures (Chapter 2), and its plant species richness is unmatched in the rest of Africa (Manning and Goldblatt 2012; Snijman 2013). The Cape Floristic Region (CFR; or core Cape flora of Manning and Goldblatt 2012) is a distinctive phytogeographic feature (Goldblatt and Manning 2000), previously recognized as one of six global floral kingdoms on account of its high species richness and endemicity (Marloth 1908; Good 1974; Takhtajan 1986; but see Cox 2001 who considered this ranking untenable). More recently, the concept of a Greater Cape Floristic Region (GFCR), incorporating both the CFR and the succulent karoo region, has found favour as a more coherent biogeographical unit (Bayer 1984; Jürgens 1991, 1997; Born et al. 2007).