Kloof Conservancy BioGuide - Grassland Biome
Conservation Status Endangered in eThekwini
The Grassland Biome is found in the Highveld region, parts of the Eastern Cape, the Drakensberg, Northern KZN, the KZN Midlands with the eThekwini Outer West being the eastern limit within KZN.
The Grassland Biome is the 2nd largest of South Africa's 8 biomes, covering almost one third of the land surface, across 7 of the provinces.
The biodiversity of the Grassland Biome is extremely rich and is second only to the Fynbos Biome.
Grasslands typically have summer rainfall of 400 mm to 2000 mm. Winters are cold, and frost can occur.
Grassland is generally dominated by a single layer of grasses, of which there are two main categories: sweetveld and sourveld.
Vegetation is mainly various grass species with some trees on the hills and along river beds. The first shoots of grass and flowers appear shortly after fires have occurred. Thereafter the dominant grass species are Aristida junciformis subsp. galpinii, Elionurus muticus and Eragrostis plana.
Traditionally grasslands supported many grass-eating herbivores such as Zebra, Wildebeest, Eland and various antelope species. Raptors are also commonly found hunting in grasslands as they feed no the many rodents that flourish. Grasslands are also home to many insects such as ants, crickets and butterflies that feed on the various plant species.
Naturally occurring fire is an essential component of grassland health as many plant species rely on fire as part of their regeneration process.
In developed areas controlled burning has become an important management process to maintain the health of grasslands. Current knowledge suggest burning cycles of 2 to 3 years but this is dependent on many factors such as rainfall.
The conditions that prevail in grasslands make them highly suitable for human habitation. Critically this has resulted in KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Grassland now being classified as Endangered as a result of industrial and housing development.
In the eThekwini area, between 75 - 80% of the grasslands have been irreversibly modified with only 0,2% under formal protection.
Please do not pick the flowers, you are removing a seed source and a food source.
The grasslands in Krantzkloof categorised as KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld. This biome is characterized by a generally high rainfall during a hot summer (above 625mm per year), followed by a cold, dry winter. Over many years this high rainfall has weathered the sandstone and has leached the sandy soil of its nutrients, resulting in acidic soil, which is low in nutrients. In order to survive, the grasses have adapted by withdrawing the nutrients from their leaves during the cold winters and storing them in their roots. These reserves are then used to start regrowth in spring. This renders sourveld grasses low in nutritional value and high in fibre, making them unpalatable, particularly during winter.
In Krantzkloof Nature Reserve the Plains Zebra graze on the seed-heads of the Ngongoni Bristle Grass (Aristida junciformis).
The small patch of KZN Sandstone Sourveld Grassland in the park has been maintained thanks to the foresight of the late Greg Bosch who worked for the then Outer West Council and who insisted on preserving this particular patch of grassland. Although small in size it still provides a wealth of biodiversity and helps to mitigate the lawned and developed areas of the park.
Grassland biomes are found on each continent except Antarctica
The Grassland biome is also considered to face the greatest risk of significant change due to climate change.
The other biomes in South Africa are: Savanna (largest biome), Forests, Succulent Karoo, Nama Karoo, Fynbos, Thicket and Desert.
Biome Indawo enotshani
Umumo Ngokongiwa Engcupheni yokushabalala e Thekwini
La Itholakala Khona
Amadlelo atholakala ezindaweni eziphakeme ingxenye yempumalang Kapa, ezintabeni Zokhahlamba, enhla nemaphakathi nekwa Zulu Natali, nengaphandle lentshonalanga yetheku empumalanga kungumkhawulo nekwa Zulu Natal.
Amadlelo awesibili ngobukhulu Emzansi ne Afrika kwizinhlobo eziyisishiyagalmbili zokumila kumbozeuhhafu nengxenye yomhlaba ezifundazweni ezi yisikhombisa.
Ukuphilisana kwezimpilo zonke emadlelweni kunothe ngomsoco ngokudlulele, eyesibili kweyezihlahla zokwaduli.
Amadlelo athola imvula yasehlobo engangamakhulu amane kuya kwizinkulungwane ezimbili, ubusika buyabanda
Futhi nesithwathwa siyabakhona.
Umhlabathi nomumo womhlaba
Amadlelo ngokuvulekile kwande uhlobo olulodwa lotshani, ekubeni zimbili izinhlotshana obuno shukeyana nobumuncwana.
Izimila zotshani ngokwadile zinhlobo nhlobo nezihlahla zezintaba nase duze kosebe lwemifula.
Okokuqala okumila kubonakale emva kokushiswa kwemililo utshani nakhambi, emvakwalokho utshani obumila kakhulu ingongoni, umtshiki.
Ngokwesiko amadlelo asiza izilwane eziningi ezidla okumilayo njengama Dube nezinhlobonhlobo zezinyamazane, okuhamba ngezisu nakho kutholakala kuzingela khona etshanini amagunda noku qhakazayo.
Amadlelo ayikhaya kweziningi izilwanyana Izintuthane, izinyendle, imvemvane ezidla izinhlobonhlobo zezihlahla.
Umlilo oziqalekela ngokwemvelo ubalulekile njengengxenye yokuvuselela indlelo, amakhambi amaningi athembele kumlilo ukuthi aphinde avuseleleke.
Ezindaweni ezithuthukile ukushisa kungaphansi kohlelo oluthile ukwenzela ukuthi impilo yedlelo igcine, ulwazi lwamanje luthi akushiswe iminyaka emibili kuya kwemithathu kodwa lokhu kuncike ezintweni ezithile, njengemvula.
Isimo sokuvikeleka khomhlaba onotshani senze bibe phezulu nbezinga lenhlalabantu. ngokwemiphumela yamanje ngokwe-KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Grassland sihlaziyangobungozi bemiphumela bezimboni kanje nezindawo zentuthko yezindlu.
Endaweni yaseThekwini, kuphakathi kwamaphesenti angu 75 - 80% kumhlaba onotshani onbenaku shntsha kuno 0,2% ovikelgkile.
Ungazikhi izimbali, ususa umsoco wezimpande ndwokudla.
Uhlobo lwamandlelo esiqiwini eKransi Kloof uhlobo lotshani obuyisimuncwane, loluhlobo lwempilo yemvelo yenziwa uhlobo lwemvula ngezikhathi zokushisa ehlobo (zilinganiselwa kumakhulu ayisithupha namashumi amabili nanhlanu ngonyaka) zilandelwa amakhaza nobusika obomile.
Emva kweminyaka eminingi lezimvula sezi finyelele ezingeni eliphezulu futhi sezivundise uhlwalani nomcebo walo , okuholela kwimvula ye esidi , enomsoco ophansi ngezinga esikhundlesi sokuthi utshani buphile , utshani sebuzijwayeza ngokugcina unsoco empandeni zabo utshani ebusika , lokokugcinwa ezimpandeni , ukuthi mase kungena I kwindla kukwazi, ukukhulisa ukukhula okusha, Lobutshani obumuncu buphansi ngezinga lomsoco kube phezulu ngezinye izakhamzimba.
Esiqiwi se Kransi Kloof ama Dube adla khona. Amakhanda embewu ye ngongoni nobunye
Indima encane yeKZN Sandstone Sourveld Grassland epaki yalondolozwa ukubonga ukwazelela kukaGreg Bosch osewashona owayesebenza kwi-Outer West Council futhi owagcizelela ngokugcinwa kwalelibala elithize etshanini. Nakuba isilinganiso salo sincinyane sisakwazi ukuletha ingcebo kuzinhlobo zempilo yezitshalo ibuye isize ekwehliseni ibala bese kwanda indawo yepaki.
Impilo yamandlelo iyatholakala kuwona wonke amazwe.
Amandlelo abhekeni nenkinga ngokuthi ashabalale aphele ngesimo esibalulekeni sokuguqugha kwesimo sezulu
Olunye uhlobo lokumilile Emzansi ne Africa amahlathi, okunamaqabunga amakhulu, nokuminyana kwamahathi.