132:
Mining operations have denuded some 15 square kilometers of surface, and this, together with the dust raised by excavation, caused all trees on the north-western side of the mine to be covered in thick, red dust. However, trees that are not downwind of the mine are also dying, so that dust pollution,
128:
Open cast mining is often accompanied by large-scale pumping of water coming from a shallow water table. In the Kathu region underground water is compartmentalised by dolerite dykes serving as natural barriers to lateral water flow. Current mining operations affect the water levels in three of these
94:
The area was proclaimed a State Forest in 1919, but was deproclaimed in 1956 and later registered as a
Natural Heritage Site in 1995. In 2009 it was declared a Protected Woodland, and re-declared in 2013 in order to expand and re-demarcate the area. It used to harbour a moderate to high diversity of
152:
Farmers often cut camel thorn trees on their land in the mistaken belief it will lead to an improvement in the veld's quality and grazing capacity, whereas the trees produce abundant foliage and pods, even in times of drought, and are sought after by stock. Trees produce shade that reduces soil
107:
As far back as 1991 it was noticed that trees were suffering a decline in health and tree population demographics were changing. Trees were showing deformities in leaf and pod shape, were stunted, and were covered in red dust originating from the iron ore mine of
153:
temperatures and evaporation, while the decomposition of pods and foliage produces soil rich in nutrients. Pods collected by farmers to feed stock confined to kraals results in a decrease in seedlings and regeneration.
149:. Pods are eaten or collected for fodder while seedlings and young trees are browsed to ground level by sheep, goats, cattle and game, severely affecting regeneration; as a result very few seedlings mature.
176:
There is a thriving market for camel thorn wood in South Africa despite legislation against this practice. Large volumes of wood are trucked to the metropolitan areas and used for barbecues in the suburbs.
235:
193:
UNEP-WCMC (2022). Protected Area
Profile for Khathu Forest Nature Reserve from the World Database of Protected Areas. Accessed March 2022.
204:
113:
83:. It is some 4000 hectares in extent and was proclaimed in an attempt to safeguard an unusually dense concentration of
120:, and the possibility of some natural process occurring by which the trees were reaching the end of their life cycle.
168:
as well as clearing road reserves, invariably results in collateral damage through the death of non-target species.
215:
240:
129:'water compartments', but do not appear to have any appreciable effect on levels in adjacent compartments.
36:
158:
116:
investigated the role of three factors in the decline - mining operations, land use that entailed
84:
133:
although undoubtedly contributing to the demise, is just one of the factors to be considered.
164:
229:
205:
http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/media/Kathu%20Re-%20Declaration%20-%20For%20comments.pdf
96:
76:
80:
40:
216:
http://pza.sanbi.org/sites/default/files/info_library/camelthorns_khathu_pdf.pdf
142:
117:
109:
194:
32:
145:
of the area by livestock, certainly aggravate the decline of
62:
54:
46:
28:
18:
8:
15:
75:is an area of protected woodland in the
186:
156:The effects of poisoning encroaching
124:Open pit mining, dust and groundwater
7:
236:Protected areas of the Northern Cape
27:
50:6.57 km (2.54 sq mi)
14:
99:, endemic and protected species.
61:
1:
112:. A research worker from the
141:Overstocking and consequent
114:University of the Free State
24:Khathu Forest Nature Reserve
19:Kathu Forest Nature Reserve
257:
172:Timber exploited for fuel
23:
37:Northern Cape Province
58:Forest nature reserve
159:Rhigozum trichotomum
95:wildlife, including
147:Vachellia erioloba
89:Vachellia erioloba
85:camel thorn trees
70:
69:
248:
218:
213:
207:
202:
196:
191:
165:Acacia mellifera
16:
256:
255:
251:
250:
249:
247:
246:
245:
241:Kalahari Desert
226:
225:
222:
221:
214:
210:
203:
199:
192:
188:
183:
174:
139:
126:
105:
12:
11:
5:
254:
252:
244:
243:
238:
228:
227:
220:
219:
208:
197:
185:
184:
182:
179:
173:
170:
138:
135:
125:
122:
104:
103:Failing health
101:
68:
67:
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
30:
26:
25:
21:
20:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
253:
242:
239:
237:
234:
233:
231:
224:
217:
212:
209:
206:
201:
198:
195:
190:
187:
180:
178:
171:
169:
167:
166:
161:
160:
154:
150:
148:
144:
136:
134:
130:
123:
121:
119:
115:
111:
102:
100:
98:
92:
90:
86:
82:
78:
77:Northern Cape
74:
65:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:
38:
34:
31:
22:
17:
223:
211:
200:
189:
175:
163:
157:
155:
151:
146:
140:
131:
127:
106:
93:
88:
81:South Africa
79:province of
73:Kathu Forest
72:
71:
41:South Africa
143:overgrazing
118:overgrazing
55:Designation
230:Categories
181:References
63:Designated
97:Red Data
29:Location
137:Grazing
110:Sishen
33:Kathu
162:and
66:2018
47:Area
91:).
232::
39:,
35:,
87:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.