Knysna Forest, South Africa Photograph by Ian Fleming   Southern Africa: Southern South Africa Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   1,200 square miles (3,100 square kilometers) -- about the size of Rhode Island Vulnerable

· Where the Yellowwoods Rise to the Sky
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where the Yellowwoods Rise to the Sky

Located along the South African coast from Mossel Bay to the Krom River and inland to the Outeniqua and Titsikamma Mountains, this is the southernmost montane forest on the African continent. The true yellowwood--a towering tree with gray bark and thin, glossy green leaves--is the national tree of South Africa, and there are few better places to see this magnificent tree than the Knysna-Amatole Montane Forests. In this rugged wilderness, true yellowwood trees as tall as 115 feet (35 m) are joined by towering Outeniqua yellowwoods--cone-shaped trees with long, bluish leaves. Beneath the yellowwoods grow hard pear trees, distinguished by dark gray bark that becomes flaky with age. One of the natural treasures of this region is the Tsitsikamma National Park. Its hilly landscape drops abruptly to a rocky shoreline and is dissected by deep narrow valleys and gorges from six different rivers. These remote and wild habitats are home to rarely seen animals, including leopards, honey badgers, duiker antelopes, and vervet monkeys.

Special Features

The forests of this ecoregion are the largest contiguous block of closed-canopy forest in southern Africa. Montane forests in the tropics normally occur above elevations of 4,000 feet (1200 m), but the Knysna-Amatole Forest is found at altitudes as low as 165 feet (50 m). One reason for the presence of these montane forests at such a low elevation is this ecoregion’s proximity to the sea, which increases rainfall in the area. In addition, as you move away from the equator, smaller changes in altitude make a bigger difference in habitat conditions.

	Up until recently, these forests contained the southernmost population of forest elephants in the world. Early European explorers wrote that they had seen herds of elephant and buffalo in the Titsikamma area. Yet all that remains of this region’s forest elephant population is one lonely, aging female.

Wild Side

Throughout the Knysna-Amatole Montane Forests, lively groups of up to 20 or so vervet monkeys spend their days traveling and feeding. The smallest antelope in southern Africa, the timid blue duiker, browses quietly on vegetation. Locally common but rarely seen, the five-toed whip lizard appears to "swim" through the grass with its long tail trailing behind. Aided by its excellent vision, the slender and extremely venomous green boomslang snake slithers along branches searching for birds, eggs, and even other reptiles. The elusive Knysna woodpecker perches on tree trunks and probes the bark for insects and grubs, while the bright green Knysna lourie (or turaco) soars above on red-tipped wings. When night falls, the fierce honey badger hunts for rodents, lizards, and of course, honey. Leopards stalk the night for antelope, rodents, insects, and birds.

Cause for Concern

The forests of this ecoregion have been harvested for their valuable wood since the 1700s. Today, this harvesting is conducted in a sustainable manner, and exotic plantations supply most of the timber demands. The yellowwoods, stinkwoods, and hard pears are the most sought-after species. Commercial plantations of hardwoods and coastal development further threaten these wild lands.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.