Amatola mountains

The Amatola Mountains near Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape

The Amatola Mountains near Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape are clad with lush indigenous forest and capped with flower-rich montane grassland. The Kologha and Kubusie Forests are fine examples of Afromontane forest, and are some of the most extensive tracts of indigenous forest outside of the Tsitsikama. The forest trails are a special experience and afford the birder an opportunity to observe species only encountered in this rare habitat. Nearby in the Great Kei River valley, one can experience birds of valley bushveld, riverine forest and cliffs.The Knysna-Amatole montane forests is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of South Africa. It covers an area of 3100 square kilometers (1200 square miles) in South Africas Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.

The Amatole forests lie in the Amatole mountains, which lie inland and to the east of the Knysna forest. The ecoregion has a subtropical climate. Rainfall occurs year round, and ranges from 525 mm to 1220 mm per year in the Knysna forest, and from 750 mm to 1500 mm in the Amatole forests.

The trees are of tropical and afromontane origin, and include Ironwood (Olea capensis), Stinkwood (Ocotea bullata), Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus), Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), Cape Holly (Ilex mitis), white pear (Apodytes dimidiata), Cape beech (Rapanea melanophloeos), bastard saffron (Cassine peragua), Cape plane (Ochna arborea), assegai tree (Curtisia dentata), kamassi (Gonioma kamassi), white alder (Platylophus trifoliatus) and red alder (Cunonia capensis).

Despite the small size of the ecoregion, the Knysna and Amatole forests are South Africas largest individual forests. The Knysna forest has been exploited for valuable timber since the 1700s, and the Amatole forests since the 1900s. Currently the forests are mostly within protected areas, although managed timber harvesting is allowed.

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