biomes

South Africa boasts seven biomes or plant kingdoms and Port Elizabeth is fortunate that five of the seven occurs within the Nelson Mandela Bay metro boundary.  One of the biomes which is found largely in the Eastern Cape is the Valley Thicket Biome, previously called Valley Bushveld.  The biome is found mostly in river valleys and is characterised by dense evergreen shrub vegetation.  Closer to the coast the thicket is most dense with thorny shrubs and an undergrowth of creepers and succulent…