There are numerous examples of forest and shrubland worldwide, but South Africa's subtropical 'Albany Thicket' biome, with its astounding combination of flora and fauna, is unique.
Restricted to the Eastern Cape and eastern parts of the Western Cape, Albany Thicket is adapted to survive dry conditions and provides forage even during an extended drought. And when the rain finally comes, it helps prevent the soil from being washed away. It also increases the moisture and nutrient content of the soil, benefitting both grazers and browsers. Sadly, many farmers in the region fail to appreciate the true value of this vegetation.
BIODIVERSITY
Albany Thicket is so varied and with so many subtypes that ecologists and botanists are still trying to understand the dynamics of this ancient and very hardy vegetation type. There are no fewer than has 44 unique thicket types within Albany Thicket. The four main ones are:
1) Dune thicket (in sandy soils along the coast); 2) Valley thicket (further inland and along water courses); 3) Mesic thicket (characterised by moderate moisture level; found towards mountainous areas where it is too dry for the Forest biome); and 4) Xeric or arid thicket (where rainfall is less than 300mm a year and temperatures are more
