Abstract
The inundated area of a wetland is characterised by annual and interannual variability. This paper presents remotely-sensed imagery in order to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of flooding within the floodplain wetland of the Nyl River, Limpopo Province. A detailed understanding of the hydrological characteristics of these flood events is essential in order to develop sustainable ecological and hydrological management plans for the area. From the results, flooding is shown to occur in 2 distinct phases. The initial phase is characterised by water ponding on the floodplain. The later phase is characterised by the input of water from tributaries to the north (e.g. Andriesspruit and Tobiasspriut) and southwest (e.g. Klein Nyl and Groot Nyl). This distinction may relate to the increasingly widespread practice of agricultural irrigation within adjacent tributary catchments. The methodology described in this study could yield valuable results when applied to other wetland systems in southern Africa.
Highlights
In southern Africa, a number of coastal and inland wetlands assume important hydrological and biogeochemical functions in addition to supporting high biodiversity (Tooth and McCarthy, 2007)
This paper presents remotely-sensed imagery in order to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of flooding within the floodplain wetland of the Nyl River, Limpopo Province
The spatial and temporal patterns of flooding within the floodplain wetland This paper contributes to a better understanding of the spatial and temporal patterns of flooding within the floodplain wetland of the Nyl River
Summary
In southern Africa, a number of coastal and inland wetlands assume important hydrological and biogeochemical functions in addition to supporting high biodiversity (Tooth and McCarthy, 2007). These wetlands are threatened by a variety of developmental pressures (e.g. Mitsch and Gosselink, 2000), as well as concerns regarding the potential consequences of global environmental change The first region comprises the floodplain wetland of the Nyl River (Fig. 1b). The alluvium is generally underlain by weathered basalts of the upper Karoo Supergroup. These basalts are terminated to the north by the Zebediela Fault.
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