This impressive work is the first comprehensive account of the vegetation of southern Africa. The region contains a remarkable juxtaposition of different ecosystems, yet it forms a cohesive ecological unit with exceptionally high endemism. The book is divided into three major parts: Part I provides the physiographic, climatic, biogeographic and historical background essential for understanding contemporary vegetation patterns and processes. Part II includes systematic descriptions of the characteristics and determinants of major vegetation units (the major terrestrial biomes, coastal...