Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Water requirements: 1 l/day, not water dependent Minimum viable group size: 6 to 10 animals Sex ratio: 1:1 in natural conditions Recommendation: As with bushbuck, this relatively shy antelope is difficult to count using aerial game counts. However, six individuals were recorded during the September 2005 game count. These antelope are density dependent and self-regulatory; further management intervention is not required. Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus 1758 Historic distribution: Sweet and mixed bushveld, mountain or sour bushveld, lowveld, mopane veld and Kalahari. Habitat requirement: Arid to mesic savannas Space requirements: Giraffe have a range from 20 to 160 km 2 in size. The minimum required ranch size is 1500 ha and stocking rates should not exceed one giraffe per 200 ha. Food preference: Giraffe are predominantly browsers and feed on Acacia, Combretum, Terminalia and Ziziphus species. The most important species in the giraffes´ diet are Acacia caffra, Acacia karroo, Combretum apiculatum, Combretum hereroense, Combretum imberbe and Dichrostachys cinerea. In dry months giraffe turn to evergreens such as Gymnosporia and Diospyros species, to the fruit of Acacia and Combretum species and to flowers of Acacia nigrescens. Water requirements: 40 l/day, not water dependent. Minimum viable group size: Mean group size 5.7 animals Sex ratio: 1:2 male to female ratio Recommendation: The habitat on Marloth Park is well suited for giraffe, and based on the September 2005 game count, 22 individuals occur on the property. As these animals generally browse up to a height of 5.5 m, leaf biomass production is not a limiting factor. Home range, however, can be a limiting factor. Steenbok Raphicerus campestris Thunberg 1811 Historic distribution: Sweet and mixed bushveld, mountain or sour bushveld, fynbos, succulent karoo, Nama karoo, bushmanland, lowveld, mopane veld, Kalahari and grassland on the central highveld. Habitat requirement: Steenbok require open savannas and grasslands that are characterised by lumps of scattered tall grass lumps and low shrubs. Space requirements: Steenbok establish a territory of 30 ha in size. © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 73
Food preference: Steenbok utilise Acacia nigrescens, Grewia species, Boscia albitrunca, Terminalia sericea, Ziziphus mucronata as well as the fruit of Grewia flavescens, Ximenia caffra and Solanum species. Steenbok also utilise grasses to a small degree. Water requirements: Not water dependent. Minimum viable group size: Due to overlapping ranges steenbok develop natural densities of 7 to 20 animals per hectare. Sex ratio: 1:1 in natural conditions Recommendation: This small antelope is also density dependant, and although none had been recorded during the September 2005 game count, it can be accepted that these animals do occur on Marloth Park. Steenbok are habitat specific and self-regulatory. No active management intervention is required. STOCKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MARLOTH PARK It is important to correct the different feeding category ratios on Marloth Park, as the feeding behaviour of one animal, in effect, modifies the environment so that it becomes more suitable to other animals from a different feeding category. The current non- selective or bulk grazer category is well below the 50 percent of ecological grazing capacity guideline, and it is recommended that this be rectified. Considering that Marloth Park is an open township with no current access control through the area, the introduction of buffalo Syncerus caffer or white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum are not recommended. Both species can be considered dangerous and high-risk animals. The security risk also excludes the introduction of roan antelope Hippotragus equinus and sable antelope Hippotragus niger, despite suitable habitat on Marloth Park. The current high stocking rate of impala Aepyceros melampus melampus is also an undesirable competitive factor. Introduction of viable populations are also cost inhibitive. The introduction of any animals that require browse as part of their diet are also not recommended, as this will only exacerbate the current degradation of available resources. The introduction of eland Taurotragus oryx or nyala Tragelaphus angasii is not currently recommended, as both will exert undue pressure on the natural resources available. Furthermore, the introduction of nyala will be detrimental to the health and survival of the bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus population. The introduction of eland and tsessebe Damaliscus lunatus lunatus can, however, be reconsidered if the impala population is drastically reduced and the veld given a number of years to recover it health and vigour. © Ecological Associates/ Marloth Park 74
- 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
- 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: Recommendation: The range requireme
- 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
- Page 107 and 108: Planning errors must be expected, a
- Page 109 and 110: To further reduce grazing pressure
- Page 111 and 112: Lightning induced fires can also ca
- Page 113 and 114: TIME OF BURNING Least damage is cau
- Page 115 and 116: A low intensity fire will be achiev
- Page 117 and 118: Recommendations for Marloth Park Ma
- Page 119 and 120: Surface erosion will reduce water i
- Page 121 and 122: Several different types of waterhol
- Page 123 and 124: Stones Ground level Reinforced conc
- Page 125 and 126: For safety reasons these requiremen
- Page 127 and 128: Adaptive management Applying adapti
- Page 129 and 130: Figure 15: Location of the monitori
Water requirements: 1 l/day, not water dependent<br />
Minimum viable group size: 6 to 10 animals<br />
Sex ratio: 1:1 in natural conditions<br />
Recommendation: As with bushbuck, this relatively shy antelope is difficult to count<br />
using aerial game counts. However, six individuals were recorded during the September<br />
2005 game count. These antelope are density dependent and self-regulatory; further<br />
management intervention is not required.<br />
Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus 1758<br />
Historic distribution: Sweet and mixed bushveld, mountain or sour bushveld, lowveld,<br />
mopane veld and Kalahari.<br />
Habitat requirement: Arid to mesic savannas<br />
Space requirements: Giraffe have a range from 20 to 160 km 2 in size. The minimum<br />
required ranch size is 1500 ha and stocking rates should not exceed one giraffe per 200<br />
ha.<br />
Food preference: Giraffe are predominantly browsers and feed on Acacia, Combretum,<br />
Terminalia and Ziziphus species. The most important species in the giraffes´ diet are<br />
Acacia caffra, Acacia karroo, Combretum apiculatum, Combretum hereroense,<br />
Combretum imberbe and Dichrostachys cinerea. In dry months giraffe turn to evergreens<br />
such as Gymnosporia and Diospyros species, to the fruit of Acacia and Combretum<br />
species and to flowers of Acacia nigrescens.<br />
Water requirements: 40 l/day, not water dependent.<br />
Minimum viable group size: Mean group size 5.7 animals<br />
Sex ratio: 1:2 male to female ratio<br />
Recommendation: The habitat on <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> is well suited for giraffe, and based on<br />
the September 2005 game count, 22 individuals occur on the property. As these animals<br />
generally browse up to a height of 5.5 m, leaf biomass production is not a limiting factor.<br />
Home range, however, can be a limiting factor.<br />
Steenbok Raphicerus campestris Thunberg 1811<br />
Historic distribution: Sweet and mixed bushveld, mountain or sour bushveld, fynbos,<br />
succulent karoo, Nama karoo, bushmanland, lowveld, mopane veld, Kalahari and<br />
grassland on the central highveld.<br />
Habitat requirement: Steenbok require open savannas and grasslands that are<br />
characterised by lumps of scattered tall grass lumps and low shrubs.<br />
Space requirements: Steenbok establish a territory of 30 ha in size.<br />
© Ecological Associates/ <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> 73
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