Bushveld

Bushveld
Bushveld
	Bushveld in the Waterberg Biosphere
	Extent of bushveld in Southern Africa
Ecology
Realm	Afrotropical
Biome	tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Borders	List Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands, and forests; Highveld grasslands; Kalahari acacia woodlands; Makgadikgadi halophytics; Southern miombo woodlands; Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands; Zambezian and mopane woodlands;
Geography
Area	223,000 km2 (86,000 sq mi)
Countries	Botswana; South Africa,; Zimbabwe;
Conservation
Conservation status	Vulnerable

Higher altitude bushveld near Mookgophong, Limpopo

Low altitude bushveld in the Limpopo valley

The Bushveld (from

Afrikaans: veld) is a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of Southern Africa. The ecoregion straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and constitutes the southern part of the Zambezian region. It encompasses most of Limpopo and a small part of North West in South Africa, the Central and North-East Districts of Botswana and the Matabeleland South and part of Matabeleland North provinces of Zimbabwe. The Kruger National Park has a number of 'Bushveld' camps,^[1] but these are strictly speaking in the lowveld, as these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Although their limits are somewhat blurred,^[2]

lowveld is generally restricted to the more easterly parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Geography

The elevation of this region varies from 750 to 1,400 m and the annual rainfall ranges from 350 mm in the west to 600 mm in parts of the northeast. There are four significant mountain ranges in this region: the

Belfast in the south; the Waterberg range that is in the middle of the Bushveld and the Soutpansberg range just north of Louis Trichardt

. The latter is the northernmost mountain range in South Africa.

Flora and fauna

As implied by the region's name, the Bushveld's grassy plains are dotted by dense clusters of trees and tall shrubs. The grasses found here are generally tall and turn brown or pale in

black rhino, giraffe, blue wildebeest, kudu, impala and a variety of additional antelope

species and other game.

Geology

The Bushveld is one of the most

fluorspar, platinum and vanadium. The complex includes the Merensky Reef, which is the world's biggest source of platinum

as well as platinum-group metals.

Farming

As most of the region tends to be dry, the Bushveld is mostly beef cattle and game farming country, with only a few drought-resistant crops such as sorghum and millet being farmed, usually under irrigation.

Middleveld

The term Middleveld is sometimes used to describe land lying between an elevation of 600 and 1,200 m (2,000 and 3,900 ft)^[3] and has been treated as synonymous with the term Bushveld.^[4]

Towns and cities

Towns and cities in the region include:

Warmbaths
)
Brits
De Wildt
Haenertsburg
Hammanskraal
Ellisras
)
Louis Trichardt
Mara
Nylstroom
)
Potgietersrus
)
Naboomspruit
)
Messina
)
Northam
Phalaborwa
Pienaarsrivier
Pietersburg
)
Roedtan
Selebi-Phikwe
Sun City
Thabazimbi
Tzaneen
Vaalwater
Vivo
Zion City Moria
Rustenburg

References

^ "Kruger National Park Camping". Kruger National Park Camping. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
^ "Lowveld - South Africa Geographic Regions".
^ "Veld - grasslands, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica.
^ South Africa. Department of Agriculture (1955). Bulletin.

External links

"Southern Africa bushveld". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

24°S 28°E / 24°S 28°E / -24; 28

[KNP-1] "Kruger National Park Camping". Kruger National Park Camping. Retrieved 2013-01-09.

[2] "Lowveld - South Africa Geographic Regions".

[3] "Veld - grasslands, Africa". Encyclopedia Britannica.

[Agriculture1955-4] South Africa. Department of Agriculture (1955). Bulletin.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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