Reconciling ecological and phytogeographical spatial boundaries to clarify the limits of the montane and alpine regions of sub-Sahelian Africa》.pdf

South African Journal of Botany 98 (2015) 64–75 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect South African Journal of Botany journal homepa ge: /l ocate/sajb Reconciling ecological and phytogeographical spatial boundaries to clarify the limits of the montane and alpine regions of sub-Sahelian Africa Clinton Carbutt a,⁎, Trevor J. Edwards b a Scientifi c Services, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, PO Box 13053, Cascades, 3202, South Africa b Department of Botany, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: The Afromontane phytochorion is a region delineated on the basis of shared plant species distributions and cen- Received 28 October 2014 tres of plant endemism occurring mainly in the high elevation regions of sub-Sahelian Africa. We have provided Received in revised form 15 January 2015 in this study a synthesis of the various contexts in which the Afromontane concept has been applied in the past, Accepted 26 January 2015 highlighting many complexities, nuances and shortcomings. A complicating factor is that the Afromontane region Available online 19 February 2015 has both a phytogeographical and ecological context, operating at different spatial scales. We note that use of the Edited by OM Grace Afromontane region as a broad floristic framework is problematic because it incorporates non-montane (alpine)