Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Secondary analysis summarises the derived values for each individual tree species and extrapolate the collected data to values for each homogenous unit. The dominance of tree species, density and potential dry leaf mass are calculated and expressed per hectare. Tree density values are used to assess the level of encroachment based on species dominance, while the potential dry leaf mass values are used to determine the available leaf biomass to browsing animal species. The results obtained from the BECVOL analysis allow for the calculation of potential available browse as well as actual available browse. To take the various browsing heights of different animal species into account, leaf dry mass is stratified according to maximum browse heights of 1.5 m for impala, 2 m for kudu and 5 m for giraffe and elephant. The dry leaf mass below 2 m is considered the most important value as it represents the maximum browse height of most browse antelope species. The available browse for the different maximum browsing heights is derived from multiplying the respective leaf dry mass values with the total area of the relevant homogenous unit. Not all leaf material below the specified maximum browse height is readily available to browsers, and the following percentages are deducted consecutively from the available browse: • 50 %, as the core leaf areas of trees are beyond the reach of browsers. • 25 %, as trees are also utilised by other animals such as birds and insects. • 25 % of the remaining value is deducted to allow for sufficient plant re-growth and vigour. With the reduced leaf mass value the actual browsing capacity for each unit is calculated. For calculating browse capacity the actually available browse is related to the dry leaf requirements of one Browse Animal Unit (BAU), where a Browse Animal Unit is equated to the metabolic energy requirements of a kudu with a body mass of 140 kg body mass. To sustain an animal of this mass, the dry leaf mass intake requirement is approximately 3 percent of its body mass. A kudu thus ingests 4.2 kg of browse per day, or 1533 kg per year. Using these values, the browse capacity can be calculated for each homogenous unit. © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 49
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The browsing capacity was estimated from leaf mass production calculated using the BECVOL programme. Leaf production was calculated at a maximum browse height of 2 m as most animals cannot utilise plant growth beyond this height, with exception of the giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis and elephant Loxodonta africana. The potential leaf mass production was reduced to actual available leaf mass and divided by the requirements of a Browse Animal Unit (BAU) to derive optimum stocking densities. Plant community 1: The Chloris virgata – Acacia grandicornuta Low thicket This plant community is approximately 390 ha in size, and has a density of 1450 trees per hectare. The tree layer is dominated by sickle bush Dichrostachys cinerea with 350 trees per hectare. The sub-dominant trees are red bushwillow Combretum apiculatum and white raisin Grewia bicolor each with 200 trees per hectare. This plant community is not currently encroached. The potential leaf biomass production below 2 m is moderate at 300 kg/ha; however, only 83 kg/ha is available as browse. If all open areas on Marloth Park are accepted as suitable habitat for wildlife, 1 GAU (Table 6) can be sustained. If the landscaped garden habitats are excluded, this plant community can still sustain 1 GAU (Table 7). However, if only the parkland and road reserves are considered as suitable habitat for animal species, no animals (Table 8) can be sustained. Plant community 2: The Trichoneura grandiglumis – Combretum apiculatum Short bushland This plant community is approximately 390 ha in size, and has a density of 1200 trees per hectare. The tree layer is dominated by red bushwillow Combretum apiculatum with 227 trees per hectare. The sub-dominant trees are and white raisin Grewia bicolor with 160 trees per hectare, giant raisin Grewia hexamita with 147 trees per hectare, sickle bush Dichrostachys cinerea with 133 trees per hectare and sandpaper raisin Grewia flavescens with 120 trees per hectare. This plant community is not currently encroached, furthermore, the combined density of Grewia species act as important food source to browsing animal species as these shrubs produce most leaf material below the maximum browse height of 2 m. The potential leaf biomass production below 2 m is moderate at 412 kg/ha; however, only 115 kg/ha is available as browse. If all open areas on Marloth Park are accepted as suitable habitat for wildlife, 41 GAU (Table 6) can be sustained. If the landscaped garden habitats are excluded, this plant community can still sustain 33 GAU (Table 7). However, if only the parkland and road reserves are considered as suitable habitat for animal species, only 18 GAU (Table 8) can be sustained without further degradation of the environment. © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 50
- 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 and 20: Figure 4: Geology of the Marloth Pa
- Page 21 and 22: Tonalitic granite and gneiss A sect
- 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: X Y D1 Y Dimensional measurements:
- 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
- Page 71 and 72: Recommendations on stocking rates C
- Page 73 and 74: High selectivity grazers Blue wilde
- Page 75 and 76: Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus Ogil
- Page 77 and 78: Space requirements: Kudu have range
- Page 79 and 80: Recommendation: The range requireme
- Page 81 and 82: Food preference: Steenbok utilise A
- Page 83 and 84: Table 12: The potential stocking de
- Page 85 and 86: Table 14: The potential stocking de
- Page 87 and 88: Table 15: The recommended stocking
- Page 89 and 90: The proteins may be less available
- Page 91 and 92: When urea is incorporated into a ph
- Page 93 and 94: Recommended intake for game is 150
- Page 95 and 96: Ticks The main parasite of concern
- Page 97 and 98: Figure 12: Sketch of Cyphostemma /C
- Page 99 and 100: NOXIOUS AND INVASIVE WEEDS An invas
- Page 101 and 102: Management plans need to be reviewe
- Page 103 and 104: Ricinus communis, Solanum sisymbrii
- Page 105 and 106: Although soil treatment with chemic
Secondary analysis summarises the derived values for each individual tree species and<br />
extrapolate the collected data to values for each homogenous unit. The dominance of tree<br />
species, density and potential dry leaf mass are calculated and expressed per hectare. Tree<br />
density values are used to assess the level of encroachment based on species dominance,<br />
while the potential dry leaf mass values are used to determine the available leaf biomass to<br />
browsing animal species.<br />
The results obtained from the BECVOL analysis allow for the calculation of potential<br />
available browse as well as actual available browse. To take the various browsing heights of<br />
different animal species into account, leaf dry mass is stratified according to maximum<br />
browse heights of 1.5 m for impala, 2 m for kudu and 5 m for giraffe and elephant. The dry<br />
leaf mass below 2 m is considered the most important value as it represents the maximum<br />
browse height of most browse antelope species. The available browse for the different<br />
maximum browsing heights is derived from multiplying the respective leaf dry mass values<br />
with the total area of the relevant homogenous unit. Not all leaf material below the specified<br />
maximum browse height is readily available to browsers, and the following percentages are<br />
deducted consecutively from the available browse:<br />
• 50 %, as the core leaf areas of trees are beyond the reach of browsers.<br />
• 25 %, as trees are also utilised by other animals such as birds and insects.<br />
• 25 % of the remaining value is deducted to allow for sufficient plant re-growth<br />
and vigour.<br />
With the reduced leaf mass value the actual browsing capacity for each unit is calculated. For<br />
calculating browse capacity the actually available browse is related to the dry leaf<br />
requirements of one Browse Animal Unit (BAU), where a Browse Animal Unit is equated to<br />
the metabolic energy requirements of a kudu with a body mass of 140 kg body mass. To<br />
sustain an animal of this mass, the dry leaf mass intake requirement is approximately<br />
3 percent of its body mass. A kudu thus ingests 4.2 kg of browse per day, or 1533 kg per year.<br />
Using these values, the browse capacity can be calculated for each homogenous unit.<br />
© Ecological Associates/ <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> 49
Change language