17. SWEET BUSHVELD

Synonym:

Arid Sweet Bushveld (A14).

Statistics:

17 183 km²; ± 27% transformed; 2.34% conserved.

Locality & Physical Geography:

This bushveld occurs in the dry and hot Limpopo River valley, and the associated valleys of tributary rivers, in the north-western parts of the Northern Province. Altitude ranges from 800 to 950 m.

Climate:

The rainfall is erratic, occurring during summer, and ranges from 350 to 500 mm per year. Temperatures vary between -5C and 40C, with an average of 21C.

Geology & Soil:

The soil is mostly deep, greyish sand overlying granite, quartzite or sandstone.

Vegetation:

The structure is mostly short and shrubby. Sandy areas are dominated by trees such as: Silver Clusterleaf Terminalia sericea, Yellow Pomegranate Rhigozum obovatum, Wild Raisin Grewia flava and Acacia tortilis. Here the herbaceous layer is often dominated by grasses such as Broom Grass Eragrostis pallens, Kalahari Sand Quick Schmidtia pappophoroides, Hairy Love Grass Eragrostis trichophora, Brachiaria nigropedata, Loudetia simplex, Aristida strata and other Aristida species. On shallower and drier soils, Common Corkwood Commiphora pyracanthoides, Wild Raisin Grewia flava, Shepherd's Tree Boscia albitrunca and Combretum apiculatum are more prominent, and dense, nearly impenetrable, thickets of Blue Thorn Acacia erubescens, Black Thorn A. mellifera and Sicklebush Dichrostachys cinerea are often encountered. Grasses including Guinea Grass Panicum maximum, Small Panicum P coloratum, Blue Buffalograss Cenchrus ciliaris, Anthephora pubescens, Enneapogon scoparius and Urochloa mosambicensis may be dominant.

Key Environmental Parameters:

The low rainfall and grazing determine the structure and distribution of this vegetation type.

Economic Uses:

Cattle and game farming, and the production of vegetables.

Conservation Status:

Poorly conserved, but representative examples occur in the Langjan Nature Reserve and many private game farms.

Key References:

Pauw (1988), Peel (1990).

Authors:

Noel van Rooyen & George Bredenkamp.