Drakensberg: Southern African Subtropical Alpine Zone

The Subtropical Alpine Zone is formed by two widely scattered archipelagos of small patches of ecosystems confined to habitats above the timberline, both in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere. In Southern Africa, it is limited to the highest elevations (above the climatic timberline) encountered in the Drakensberg/uKhahlamba massif, particularly in Lesotho and much less in South Africa. This biome is a well-studied high-elevation grassland containing a high number (and cover) of low shrubs, especially where disturbed by long-term grazing. Only one regional biome (DAG1 Drakensberg Alpine Grassland) falls within the continental biome Drakensberg Alpine Grassland.