10. MOPANE BUSHVELD

Synonyms:

Mopane Veld (A15); Letaba River Rugged Veld, Tsende Sandveld, Colophospermum mopane-Acacia nigrescens Savanna; Rooibos/Mopanieveld.

Statistics:

20 970 km²; ± 8% transformed; 38.29% conserved.

Locality & Physical Geography:

On undulating landscapes from the Kruger Park to the Soutpansberg in the Northern Province, between 300 and 700 m.

Climate:

Annual summer rainfall is from 250 to over 500 mm. Temperatures vary between extremes of 1.5 and 42.5 °C, with an average of 22°C.

Geology & Soil:

Occurs on loamy sand and clayey soils in the undulating granitic landscape of the northern Kruger National Park ,and also on sandstone, shale and basalt from north of the Soutpansberg in the Limpopo River valley.

Vegetation:

Characterised by a fairly dense growth of Mopane Colophospermum mopane and mixtures of C. mopane and Red Bushwillow Combretum apiculatum, associated with Knob Thorn Acacia nigrescens, Baobab Adansonia digitata, Commiphora spp., Boscia albitrunca, Terminalia prunioides, Kirkia acuminata, Sclerocarya birrea and Acacia tortilis. The shrub layer is moderately well-developed and individuals of Wild Raisin Bush Grewia spp., Three-hook Thom Acacia senegal, Small Sourplum Ximenia americana, X caffra, Cissus cornifolia, Commiphora africana, Dichrostachys cinerea and Boscia foetida occur scattered about. The herbaceous layer includes grasses such as Common Nine-awn Grass Enneapogon cenchroides, Tassel Three-awn Aristida congesta, Kalahari Sand Quick Schmidtia pappophoroides, Stipagrostis uniplumis, Pogonarthria squarrosa, Cenchrus ciliaris, Panicum maximum and Digitaria eriantha.

Key Environmental Parameters:

The sandy-loam soils, low rainfall, high temperatures, lack of frost and incidence of fire influence the distribution of this vegetation type.

Economic Uses:

Cattle and game farming, subtropical fruit production, ecotourism and mining are the most important economic uses within Mopane Bushveld.

Conservation Status:

Large parts are conserved in the Kruger National Park and various private and other game farms, including Letaba Ranch, Honnet Nature Reserve, Greater Kuduland Safaris, and Messina Experimental Farm & Nature Reserve.

Key References:

Van der Schijff (1957), Van Rooyen et al. (1981), Gertenbach (1983), Van Wyk (1984).

Authors:

Noel van Rooyen & George Bredenkamp.