Golden Gate Highlands National Park Research Articles

Epilithic and Cryptoendolithic Cyanobacteria of Clarens Sandstone Cliffs in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa

AbstractA cryptoendolithic cyanobacterial community is described from Clarens sandstone in a montane ecosystem of the north‐eastern Orange Free State, South Africa. The community is dominated by a species of the unicellular cyanobacterial genus Chroococcidiopsis. Chlorophylla content of the colonised sandstone ranged between 44.3 and 51.8mg m−2. The establishment and species composition of an artificially created tintenstrich cyanobacterial community is documented. The possible contribution of cryptoendolithic cyanobacterial communities in the biological formation of hollows and caves in Clarens sandstone cliffs is discussed.

The plant communities of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in the north-eastern Orange Free State

An analysis of the vegetation of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is presented. Releves were compiled in 90 stratified random sample plots. A T winspan classification, refined by applying Braun-Blanquet procedures, revealed nine distinct plant communities. A hierarchical classification, a description and an ecological interpretation of the plant communities are presented.

Additions to the bird list of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Additions to the bird list of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

THE RELOCATION OFCORDYLUS GIGANTEUSIN THE ORANGE FREE STATE, SOUTH AFRICA: PITFALLS AND THEIR POSSIBLE PREVENTION

ABSTRACT Cordylus giganteus A. Smith is vulnerable due to habitat destruction. The Golden Gate Highlands National Park lies within the natural distribution of the species. Careful monitoring of 320 animals, relocated to the Park since 1989, revealed that timely preparation and planning is essential for the survival of relocated animals. To avoid pitfalls, the soil-type, soil moisture, soil depth, topography, grass species Comp.sition, burrow geometry and layout, as well as predators in the target area should not be disregarded. The mobility of the animals should not be overlooked, and during transportation, the juveniles need special attention.

A provisional check list of the reptiles and amphibians of Golden Gate Highlands National Park

A provisional check list of 26 reptile and amphibian species (8 frog, 8 lizard and 10 snake species) occurring in Golden Gate Highlands National Park is presented. The list does not reflect the results of an intensive survey, but is a record of specimens collected in the park and preserved at the National Museum, Bloemfontein.

Erosion of Biogenically Weathered Clarens Sandstone by Lichenophagous Bagworm Larvae (Lepidoptera; Pyschidae)

AbstractLichenophagous larvae of a bagworm moth species, associated with endolithic lichens occur in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa. Endolithic lichens weather Clarens sandstone in the park by dissolving the cementing material of the sandstone. Bagworm larvae use such loosened quartz crystals to construct the bags in which they live. By erosion of the weathered sandstone, the bagworm larvae contribute to pedogenesis in the park at an estimated rate of 4.4 kilograms per hectare per year. In addition, bagworm larvae utilize endolithic lichens as a food source and contribute to dispersal of the lichens. The larvae further contribute an estimated 200 g of organic matter per hectare per year to the park and partake in the cycling of elements in the micro-ecosystem.

Food preferences of oribi <i>Ourebia ourebi</i> in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

During a two-year study on the ecology of oribi Ourebia ourebi (Zimmermann, 1783) in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, plant species fed on by oribi were noted. The oribi fed on a total of 22 plant species. Feeding preference categories were assigned according to the degree of use of different plant species, based on direct observation and on a preference rating. The oribi in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park showed a seasonal variation in feeding preferences, utilising several species of forbs primarily during the summer and a marked dif-ference between per cent frequency utilisation of plant species and actual preference rating according to availability of species and for certain plant parts, e.g. for Sporobolus centrifugus.

Arboreal Coleoptera Associated with<i> Leucosidea sericea </i>(Rosaceae) at the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

An analysis was made of arboreal Coleoptera on Leucosidea sericea from the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in the north-eastern Orange Free State, Republic of South Africa. Five sites were selected from which samples were taken, using a beating technique, at equal intensity, during 13 consecutive months. A total of 117 species representing 35 families were recorded and allocated to four guilds, namely phytophages (47 species), predators (44 species), scavengers (16 species) and tourists (10 species). This diversity is attributed to the structural complexity and range of the host plant. The scarcity of a large number of these species is primarily ascribed to a high seasonal turnover rate. Species diversity and numbers of individuals were found to vary between the different study sites and are attributed to the growth stage and condition of the host plant, as well as the effect of sun and shade on activity cycles and the choice of feeding levels.

An Annotated Check List of the Birds of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

This paper presents a check list of 159 bird species occuring in the Golden Gate Higlands National Park and lists another 14 species needing confirmation Temporal distribution of the species on a monthly basis was obtained during one year, between April 1983 and March 1984. Brief discussion on present status and breeding is given where possible.

Slope Development on the Clarens Sandstone Formation in the Northeastern Orange Free State

Abstract The landscape on the Clarens Sandstone Formation in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park (northeastern Orange Free State) is characterised by slope forms exhibiting rectilinear elements. In general, such slopes are of two types: cliff-talus slope combinations on which both elements are rectilinear, and bedrock slopes inclined at angles of 30°–35° which constitute entire valley sides. Vertical and near-vertical cliffs are strength eqUilibrium forms in that their gradients are in equilibrium with the mass strength of the sandstone. Lower-angled rectilinear bedrock slopes are not in strength equilibrium, and they are not structurally controlled. Consequently their forms are determined by the action of denudational processes. Analyses of slope forms, the mechanical characteristics of the bedrock, and the nature of debris on the slopes indicate that different forms reflect a sequence of stages in slope development, and that the rectilinear bedrock slopes are equilibrium transport slopes which have ...

Geology of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

The Golden Gate Highlands National Park is underlain by stratigraphic units belonging to the upper part of the Karoo Sequence. These units include part of the Beaufort Group and the Molteno, Elliot, Clarens and Drakensberg Formations. Dolerite dykes and sills are intruded into the succession while recent alluvium and scree cover the valley floors and mountain slopes. The Beaufort Group is represented by red mudstone and light brown fine-grained feldspathic sandstone of the Tarkastad Subgroup. The Molteno Formation consists of medium- to coarse-grained trough cross-bedded sandstone, while the Elliot Formation comprises a thick succession of red mudstone, siltstone and interlayered fine- to medium-grained, light yellow-brown sandstone. The most characteristic feature of the park is the yellowish sandstone cliffs of the Clarens Formation. Cave formation is caused by exudation, differential weathering due to different degrees of carbonate cementation and undercutting of the sandstone. The highest peaks are capped by numerous layers of amygdaloidal and massive varieties of basaltic lava of the Drakensberg Formation. A possible volcanic pipe occurs in the eastern part of the park. The Elliot and Clarens Formations are rich in vertebrate fossil remains, especially Massospondylus sp. Remains of Notochampsa sp., Pachygenelus monus, Clarencea gracilis, Lanasaurus scalpridens and a cluster of unidentified dinosaur eggs have also been found. The formations underlying the Golden Gate Highlands National Park were formed during the Late Triassic Epoch and the Jurassic Period (roughly 150 to 230 million years ago). The strata in the park show very little structural deformation and the only obvious structures are faults which are intruded by dolerite.

A survey of the mammals occurring in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park

This paper reports on a survey of the mammals of the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Republic of South Africa. Fifty-seven species are mentioned, the majority recorded through material or sight records. Those species which may occur in the Park, as deducted from their overall distribution ranges, or from other indirect observations such as spoor or droppings, are considered as well. Habitat preferences are mentioned wherever possible, and the conservation status and relocation histories of the antelope species are quoted.

Herpetofauna of the nature reserves and national parks of the Free State province of South Africa

BATES, M.F. 1997. Herpetofauna of the nature reserves and national parks of the Free State province of South Africa. Afr. J. Herpetol. 46(1): 13–29. Although fairly intensive surveys of amphibian and reptile distribution have been conducted in the Free State province of South Africa, very little collecting has been concentrated in protected areas. Checklists are presented for the amphibians and reptiles recorded from, and expected to occur in, each of the 16 major national parks, provincial nature reserves and other protected areas in the province. Species/subspecies richness for amphibians and reptiles in these areas was evaluated, indicating that only one protected area has been thoroughly surveyed. At Willem Pretorius Game Reserve, 50 % of the expected 14 amphibian and 79 % of the expected 39 reptile taxa (species and subspecies) have been collected. The only other area that has been fairly well surveyed is Golden Gate Highlands National Park, where 56% of the expected 25 amphibian and 44% of the expected 50 reptile taxa have been recorded. Despite this, 21 (81%) of the 26 amphibian taxa, and 67 (69%) of the 97 reptile taxa known to occur in the Free State have been recorded from at least one protected area. Two areas of particular importance to conservation were identified: the Golden Gate—Qwa-Qwa—Sterkfontein Dam conservation area in the mountainous north-eastern Free State, where as many as 27 amphibian and 51 reptile taxa, including four Red Data Book species, are expected; and the extensive Gariep Dam—Tussen-die-Riviere conservation area in the Karoo biome of the southern Free State, where 10 amphibian and 56 reptile taxa are expected to occur, including two Red Data Book species. The study showed that in order to prepare satisfactory inventories of the herpetofauna of the region's protected areas, more collecting is necessary in most reserves. It is suggested that conservation authorities encourage their staff to actively conduct surveys and collect small samples of each species present.