Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Figure 5: Geological formations of the Marloth Park study area © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 13
Tonalitic granite and gneiss A section of tonalitic biotite-trondhjemite granite and gneiss is found on Marloth Park. This rock is elliptic and is found to terminate the layered effect of the surrounding rock formation rather abruptly. The granite gneiss formations are usually lower than the surrounding rock formations. Many dykes traverse the granite gneiss formation and are found to protrude above this formation due to the difference in resistance to weathering. Although the tonalite exhibits a central massive structure, a strongly exfoliated edge is found parallel to the point of contact with the surrounding rock formations. Tonalites consist of plagioclase and quartz with subservient biotite and hornblende. Tonalites are characterized by a relative homogeneity and restricted variation in chemical composition. Nelspruit suite The Nelspruit Suite consists of granite, porphyritic and magmatic granite. The granite is a grey to white biotite granite characterized by its colour and grain size that varies from medium to coarse grained. Magmatic and gneiss-like variants of this granite are found along east to west dykes running through Marloth Park and Lionspruit Game Reserve. Characteristic of the Nelspruit Suite is the general presence of coarse-grained pegmatite. Pegmatite being an igneous rock, with interlocking crystals, resembles granite in composition. The granite forms a coarse topography in contrast to the biotite gneiss and migmatite. The Nelspruit Suite consists of granite containing potassium feldspars, plagioclase, quartz, biotite and other minerals. Although the central granite area is mafic with no exfoliation, it may be found where contact is made with the surrounding rock formations. This exfoliation is accentuated by the parallel orientation of feldspar crystals. Intrusive rock formations Many dykes and plate formations are found as intrusions in the Swazian granite and gneiss. This includes plate formations of diabase and peridotite forming characteristic topographical features. Red, clay soils and plateaus with round boulders are usually found on these formations. These plate formations and dykes of peridotite consisting of olivine, dioptic augite and other minerals intrude through olivine gabbro (plagioclase, olivine hypersthene and augite) to diabase (plagioclase, augite transposed to amphibole, biotite and chlorite). Porphyritic quartz, diorite and quartz-diorite dykes are also present. © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 14
- Page 1 and 2: Ecological Associates Environmental
- Page 3 and 4: THE ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE BROWSE
- Page 5 and 6: LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location
- Page 7 and 8: LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix 1: A li
- Page 9 and 10: Three different scenarios are analy
- Page 11 and 12: Ecosystems disturbed by clearing op
- Page 13 and 14: INTRODUCTION Although only a few ve
- Page 15 and 16: Figure 1: Location of the Marloth P
- Page 17 and 18: GEOMORPHOLOGY Looking down from the
- Page 19: Figure 4: Geology of the Marloth Pa
- Page 23 and 24: Figure 6: Soil depth of the Marloth
- Page 25 and 26: Figure 7: Land Types of the Marloth
- Page 27 and 28: Figure 8: Land use in the Marloth P
- Page 29 and 30: A 610.1 B 104.0 C 7.4 D 19.9 E 39.8
- Page 31 and 32: INTRODUCTION VEGETATION CLASSIFICAT
- Page 33 and 34: METHOD For an initial and broad sca
- Page 35 and 36: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Analysis and
- Page 37 and 38: The dominant grass species are broa
- Page 39 and 40: The characteristic tree species are
- Page 41 and 42: VELD CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND THE C
- Page 43 and 44: Degradation gradients are models th
- Page 45 and 46: The nearest grass species to each s
- Page 47 and 48: Calculation of grazing capacity The
- Page 49 and 50: Table 2: Contribution of ecological
- Page 51 and 52: Table 3: Grazing capacities for the
- Page 53 and 54: THE ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE BROWSE
- Page 55 and 56: X Y D1 Y Dimensional measurements:
- Page 57 and 58: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The browsing
- Page 59 and 60: Table 6: Browsing capacities for th
- Page 61 and 62: INTRODUCTION ESTIMATION OF HERBACEO
- Page 63 and 64: The resulting Large Stock Units are
- Page 65 and 66: INTRODUCTION GAME MANAGEMENT ON MAR
- Page 67 and 68: STOCKING RATES Current stocking The
- Page 69 and 70: Table 10: The current stocking dens
Figure 5: Geological formations of the <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> study area<br />
© Ecological Associates/ <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> 13
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