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Southern Indian Ocean Coastal Forest Macrogroup | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Southern Indian Ocean Coastal Forest Macrogroup
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This macrogroup represents a wide range of tropical to subtropical forests occurring along the coast of Eastern Africa from southern Tanzania to the Eastern Cape and Western provinces of South Africa (though very restricted in the latter). They occur at low altitudes (10-150 m) on sandy loamy soils of coastal plains and also on stabilized sand dunes. In both cases they have a multilayered structure, however, the vegetation communities growing on dunes have a lower stature and are less species-rich than those growing on richer soils more common in the northern part of the distribution range. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 700-1050 mm, decreasing towards the south. Biogeographically the northern groups are related to the Tongaland-Pondoland regional mosaic, whereas the southern groups, even though treated as part of the coastal forests region, show floristic transitions between forests of (sub)tropical and afrotemperate origin. Characteristic tree species from the north and richer soils are <i>Drypetes natalensis, Drypetes reticulata, Englerophytum natalense, Albizia adianthifolia</i>, and <i>Diospyros inhacaensis</i>. In the dune forests are found <i>Mimusops caffra, Sideroxylon inerme, Dovyalis longispina, Dovyalis rotundifolia, Acacia kosiensis, Psydrax obovata</i>, and <i>Celtis africana</i>. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40716-{5CD9A63C-1685-471E-8090-9CAE606DB6F1}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 01-May-2019 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.861697 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: M412
  Scientific: Southern Indian Ocean Coastal Forest Macrogroup