High Drakensberg Research Articles

Some Aspects of Valley Asymmetry in the High Drakensberg

Abstract Considering the extent of geocryological activity in southern Africa, valley asymmetry, like many other aspects of periglacial geomorphology, is little understood. This study, based primarily on analysis of 1:50 000 maps, provides evidence for south-facing slopes having steeper gradients than north-facing slopes in the high Drakensberg region of southern Africa. The fact that periglacial features are active today at high altitudes provides evidence for the hypothesis that this asymmetry could, at least partially, have resulted from former periglacial processes during the cooler climate of the Pleistocene.

Southern Drakensberg Botany

In the latter part of this century, the high Drakensberg region has been well served botanically, both by extensive scientific studies and by well illustrated more general popular works which have included much on the flora.

STATUS OF CAPE VULTURES IN THE NATAL DRAKENSBERG AND THEIR CLIFF SITE SELECTION

Summary Brown, C. J. & Piper, S. E. 1988. Status of Cape Vultures in the Natal Drakensberg and their cliff site selection. Ostrich 59:126-136. Ground, aerial and questionnaire surveys on the status of the Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres in the Little and High Drakensberg mountain ranges of Natal were carried out from 1981–1983. The area supported at least 1325 Cape Vultures, 60% on the High Drakensberg in 17 nesting colonies (mean of 31 birds per colony) and 38 roosts (mean of 7 birds). In the Little Drakensberg 17 sites were found, six of which were confirmed nesting colonies (mean of 53 birds) and seven were roosts (mean of 16 birds). A minimum of 215 nests was recorded while the actual number of breeding pairs was probably about 325. In the Natal Drakensberg 84% of nests and 77% of roosting birds occupied ledges that faced between east and south, on the lee side of the generally westerly and northwesterly “Bergwind”. Nesting ledges in the High Drakensberg were on average about 100 m lower than roosting l...

New species of Wahlenbergia (Campanulaceae) from Africa

Five new species of Wahlenbergia are described and illustrated: W. tetramera from the high Drakensberg in Natal, W. petraea from Burundi, and W. marunguensis, W. polyphylla and W. malaissei from Zaire.

Aspects of the High Drakensberg: Illustrated by air Photographs

Aspects of the High Drakensberg: Illustrated by air Photographs