Fig. 2

Landscape features of the Suurberg mountains. A General view across the Suurberg range showing dissected topography and a mix of fire-prone and fire-resistant vegetation types. B Altitudinal gradient with fire-resistant Afrotemperate forest and thicket on the lower slopes (dark green) and fire-prone mixed grassland-fynbos vegetation on the upper slopes (light brown). C The effect of aspect on the composition of the mixed grassland-fynbos vegetation. North-facing slopes (on the left) are dominated by grasses, while south-facing slopes (on the right) have a much higher proportion of fynbos shrubs and non-grass herbaceous plants. Both types have been mapped as a single vegetation type (Suurberg fynbos) and fires seem to spread readily across both fire-prone types