Montsanyane, Lesotho Photograph by Andrea A. Petzel   Southern Africa: South Africa, Swaziland, and Lesotho Montane Grasslands and Shrublands   78,100 square miles (202,200 square kilometers) -- about the size of South Dakota and Rhode Island combined Critical/Endangered

· Rare Rhinos and More
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
More Photos

Rare Rhinos and More

The diverse habitats of the Drakensberg Montane Grasslands, Woodlands, and Forests ecoregion are home to an amazing array of plants and animals. A third of all plant species, including more than 100 grassland species, are endemic to the ecoregion. A variety of large mammals can be found here, including the rare southern white rhino. Virtually all of the 8,000 southern white rhinos in the world today are descended from ones that were protected in one of Africa’s largest game reserves in the early 1900s.

Special Features

This ecoregion spans the moderate to higher elevations of the Drakensberg Mountains, at elevations between 6,000 and 8,250 feet (1,800 and 2,500 m). Most of the region is cold and wet except for the high Lesotho plateau, where droughts are possible. Both temperature and precipitation vary widely throughout the region, with about 18 inches (450 mm) of rain in the southwest and over 43 inches (1,100 mm) in the northeast. Diverse plant communities result, ranging from montane grasslands in the wet, exposed slope areas to thickets and forest patches in the valleys to grasslands and bushveld savannas in the inland transition zone. An important aspect of this region is the isolation and remoteness of these mountaintops. The isolation allowed distinct species to evolve on each peak, and the remoteness has protected the peaks from human interference.

	The area is so isolated that many endemic species have been documented only in the past ten years, including six species of dwarf chameleons.

Wild Side

On moist, cool mountain slopes, wild oatgrass and toothbrush grass (a grass that can actually be used to make a toothbrush) grow on shallow, rocky soils. Beautiful gladiolus and orchid flowers bloom in higher altitudes. Antelope, including the largest antelope in the world, the eland, graze on the rich foliage, roots, and bulbs. As they feed on grasses, reedbucks and gray rheboks constantly watch for predators such as leopards, cheetahs, and lions. White rhinos, giraffes, and elephants all share time at the water holes. Troops of baboons roam beneath the green leaves of the acacia trees in Giant Castle Reserve, while the skies above are home to birds such as yellow-breasted pipits, Drakensberg siskins, Cape vultures and some of the few remaining southern African bearded vultures.

Cause for Concern

Only small patches of the original forest of this ecoregion remain today. Many areas have been heavily grazed by livestock, leaving native grasslands in this ecoregion open to invasion by less edible grass species. Fire has also dramatically altered the vegetation and destroyed forests. Other problems include human activities such as collecting firewood and stripping bark from trees for medicinal purposes.

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