There’s a downside to being home to a rich natural world; it’s that the Kogelberg Biosphere stands to lose more in the face of the enormous threat of a changing climate.  

The biosphere is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. We’re called the heart of the Cape Floral Kingdom, and for good reason. More than 1880 plants have been identified in the Fynbos Biome in the biosphere, many endemic to our region. And this biome is also home to an incredible array of animal species.  

However, climate change poses a serious threat to this delicate ecosystem, impacting on nature, water resources and the resilience of the environment. This in turn leads to shifts in the distribution of animals and plants, disrupted food webs, changed migration patterns and potential extinctions.

How will we feel the impacts most?  

In the Kogelberg Biosphere, changes will affect both our terrestrial and marine environments. We’ll experience (and we already are seeing these) rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, more extreme weather events – including droughts and floods, and more frequent fires.  

The climate dictates where plants and animals live, but the speed of the changes mean that nature is not able to adapt quickly enough. The life cycles of plants and animals are being altered. Spring arrives earlier, and plants bloom sooner and grow for longer. Hibernation and migration patterns are disrupted.  

The Fynbos Biome, which depends on winter rainfall, is especially vulnerable to droughts and flooding events. And in the Kogelberg Biosphere in particular, warmer climates help invasive plant species grow quicker and spread into new areas of our fynbos, degrading habitat for wildlife, and becoming an increasing fire risk. Shorter intervals between fires don’t allow vegetation to recover fully, leading to biodiversity loss and soil degradation. The entire ecosystem is disrupted, including the many pollinators that depend on these plants. 

And along the coast?  

For coastal parts of the biosphere, increased storm surges threaten estuaries and wetlands. These areas are crucial breeding and feeding grounds for numerous bird and fish species, not to mention the potential damage to infrastructure.  

Down to the detail: Which species are most at risk?

Several species within the Kogelberg Biosphere are facing a really difficult time:  

What can YOU do to help?  

Residents and visitors to the Kogelberg Biosphere can take several actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change: 

• Reduce your water consumption: Practice water-wise gardening and use water efficiently to prevent unnecessary strain on local water resources. 

• Support fire management efforts: Support controlled burns to maintain ecological balance. 

• Plant indigenous vegetation: Avoid planting invasive species that could outcompete indigenous plants and disrupt the ecosystem. And if you find them in your garden, please remove them. Indigenous fynbos is also a water-wise alternative to many popular garden varieties.  

• Participate in conservation programmes: Join local environmental groups working to protect the biosphere, including hacking groups (such as those driven by the Kogelberg branch of the Botanical Society).  

• Reduce your carbon footprint: Opt for sustainable transport, use energy-efficient appliances and reduce waste. 

• • Educate others: Spread awareness about the importance of the biosphere and the threats we faces due to climate change. 

What is the difference between climate and weather?  

Weather is what you experience right now – the temperature, the wind, the clouds. It’s fleeting, changing within hours or days. 

Climate is the big picture, the average of weather conditions over a long period, typically 30 years or more. We measure climate using key factors like temperature, precipitation, wind, cloud cover, and even frost depth. So, while a single storm is weather, a trend of increasingly intense storms over years is a climate change indicator.

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You can take the next step, to become even more involved in the Kogelberg Biosphere.

And remember to include us in your social media posts, by using the hashtag: #BiosphereLiving.