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Fynbos Node

The SAEON Fynbos Node forms part of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), a business unit within the National Research Foundation.

The Fynbos Node is hosted by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) at their research hub in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. At SAEON Fynbos Node, we aim to understand the impacts of global change in Fynbos and how this will affect us by answering these questions:

  • How does fynbos work?
  • How are we changing fynbos and what it does for us?

The Fynbos region on the tip of Africa harbours plants and animals of immense diversity and distinctive character. The unique flora are best known and have led to this area being declared one of six floral kingdoms in the world.  The Cape Floral Region contains almost 9 000 plant species, and of these, two-thirds are found nowhere else.  The fauna in the region is similarly unique, albeit for the most part less speciose.  This region has an exceptionally long evolutionary history, with speciation of the Cape flora beginning 18 million years ago, resulting in a hyperdiverse system of intricate complexity.

Visit our website here: http://www.saeon-fynbos.org/


Fynbos Node
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