Where are Cape Town's wetlands? In the past, most of these wetlands were seasonal — flooded in winter but dry in summer. In many parts of the city there are layers of rock calcrete, ferricrete or silcrete under the sand. The rock prevents the water from soaking away, causing it to form pools when it rains. Many small wetlands have been drained or filled in, while others have become permanent lakes because they receive large volumes of water from storm-water drains, e.
Zeekoevlei and Princessvlei. Today very few seasonal wetlands remain in Cape Town. A number of the smaller rivers in the City also end in estuaries. What plants grow in wetlands? The soil in wetlands is waterlogged and anaerobic so plants that live in wetlands need to be specially adapted to survive.
Renowned for its yellow fever trees and reed beds, the diverse habitat is home to an impressive range of birdlife as well as larger mammals such as giraffes and elephants. Early Morning in Nylsvley. Picture: Flickr Commons. This floodplain in Limpopo occasionally erupts with activity: 70km long and when fully inundated and 7km wide, it can hold up to 80 birds in years of high rainfall.
The area houses mosaic of habitats such as Acacia, Combretum and broad-leafed woodland and grassveld floodplain. The area also serves as a breeding ground for eight red-listed waterbirds and is the only site in South Africa where wild rice naturally occurs. More Information here.
This large but shallow marine lagoon on the West Coast includes islands, reed beds, sand flats and salt marshes.
The five islands of Saldanha Bay to the north of the lagoon provide a home for nearly a quarter of a million seabirds. The lagoon is only 6 metres deep at its deepest and completely open to the sea. No river runs into it, making it one of only three lagoons worldwide not fed by freshwater.
The lagoon supports huge populations of crabs and snails, as well as over 70 different marine algae, serving as a nursery for juvenile fish. The lagoon is the focal point of the West Coast National Park. The system is home to bird species and the second-highest vegetated sand dunes with five predominant interlinked ecosystems. In , after 44 years of absence, lions were reintroduced to the area. One of the few places in the country to breed the three endangered crane species in South Africa; The Blue, Grey-crowned and wattled Crane.
An ongoing project to save the wattled crane has conservationists dress up in crane suits to feed the wattled crane chicks. Verloren Vallei also includes animals such as the oribi, steenbok, brown hyena, caracal, serval cat, jackal, otters and zebras. As an avid amateur birder and indigenous gardener, I loved this book by Duncan Butchart, author of several specialising on wildlife.
Using this you can create an entire ecosystem in your space that will support conservation in your area and bring you endless pleasure. Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dominican Republic. El Salvador. Equatorial Guinea. Iran Islamic Republic of. Lao People's Democratic Republic. Marshall Islands. New Zealand. North Macedonia. Papua New Guinea. Republic of Korea. Republic of Moldova. Russian Federation. Wetlands are ecosystems that contain quantities of water, usually providing a home for special vegetation communities and a wide variety of wildlife that depend on them for survival.
Some wetlands flood throughout the year but others flood only during the wettest seasons. South Africa has 26 wetlands rated as internationally important and known as Ramsar sites. Other wetland jewels that showcase our variety of habitats include:. These extraordinary places leave nature lovers in awe of their unique range of wildlife and plants. Beautiful and fascinating as they are, wetland habitats are vital to people in practical terms, too, protecting our settlements from flooding, providing plant material for crafts and shelters and reducing the impacts of water pollution.
Healthy wetlands depend on the ecosystems around them being effectively protected and appropriately managed. If this happens, intact water catchments can allow water to enter our rivers to fill dams and recharge groundwater resources — particularly important as rainfall becomes more variable and drought more frequent with climate change. But our wetlands are struggling to play their part because they urgently need to be better conserved.
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