Rietvlei Nature Reserve
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Rietvlei Nature Reserve
This article is about the nature reserve in Pretoria, Gauteng. For the wetland reserve in Milnerton, Cape Town, see Rietvlei Wetland Reserve.
| Rietvlei Nature Reserve | |
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| Location | South Africa |
| Nearest city | Centurion, Gauteng |
| Coordinates | 25°53′49″S 28°17′38″E / 25.89694°S 28.29389°ECoordinates: 25°53′49″S 28°17′38″E / 25.89694°S 28.29389°E |
| Area | 3,800 hectares (38 km2)[1] |
| Established | 1929, proclaimed 1948[2] |
| Governing body | City of Tshwane |
The Rietvlei Nature Reserve is located in Pretoria and is about 3,800 hectares (38 km2)[1] in size. Located within the reserve is the Rietvlei Dam.
The Rietvlei Nature Reserve surrounds and include the Rietvlei dam and is situated south east of Pretoria, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between the R21 highway (OR Tambo Airport highway) on the western side and the R50 (Delmas / Babsfontein) road on the north-east (Figure 2.2). The site lies in the quarter degree grid square 2528CD (Rietvlei Dam), between 25º50’S and 25º56’S latitude and 28º15'E and 28º19'E longitude. The mean elevation above sea level is approximately 1 525 meters, with the highest point at 1 542 m and the lowest point at 1 473 m (at the dam’s outflow). The reserve covers a surface area of approximately 3 870 ha or 38 km² and a network of roads cross the entire area, which makes the reserve accessible to visitors and management.
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Contents
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Flora and fauna
Trees
Both indigenous and exotic species of trees can be found in the reserve.
List of trees in the reserve[3]
- Indigenous
- Common hook thorn Acacia caffra
- Sweet thorn Acacia karroo
- Sagewood Buddleja salviifolia
- White stinkwood Celtis africana
- River bushwillow Combretum erythrophyllum
- Highveld cabbage tree Cussonia paniculata
- Sicklebush Dichrostachys cinerea
- Bushveld bluebush Diospyros lycioides
- Puzzle bush Ehretia rigida
- Blue guarri Euclea crispa
- Gymnosporia buxifolia Gymnosporia buxifolia
- Honeyscented protea Protea welwitschii
- Dogwood Rhamnus prinoides
- Nana-berry Rhus dentata
- Rhus discolor Rhus discolor
- Karee Rhus lancea
- Rock currant Rhus magalismontana
- Common wild currant Rhus pyroides
- Blue currant Rhus zeyheri
- Buffalothorn Ziziphus mucronata
- Exotic
- Green wattle Acacia decurrens
- Black wattle Acacia mearnsii
- Red river gum Eucalyptus camaldulensis
- Bluegum Eucalyptus
- Privet Ligustrum
- Mulberry Morus
- Ink berry Phytolacca octandra
- Platanus Platanus
- White poplar Populus alba
- Oak Quercus
- Black locust Robinia pseudoacacia
- Weeping willow Salix babylonica
Birds
There are an estimated 319 species of birds that make use of the reserve, of which 272 species have been confirmed.[3]
Mammals
The reserve carries around 1600 individual mammals. Blesbuck, Black wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Eland, Common zebra, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Springbuck, Mountain Reedbuck, Steenbok, Grey Duiker, Oribi, Leopard, Buffalo, White Rhino, and Hippopotamus can all be found in the reserve.[2][4] Currently there are also 4 lionesses and a lion kept in a separate enclosure on the reserve.
List of mammals in the reserve[3]
- Aardvark Orycteropus afer
- Aardwolf Proteles cristatus
- African Buffalo Syncerus caffer
- African Civet Civettictis civetta
- African Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis
- African Pygmy Mouse Mus minutoides
- African Striped Weasel Poecilogale albinucha
- African Yellow Bat Scotophilus dinganii
- Angoni Vlei Rat Otomys angoniensis
- Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis
- Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas
- Black Rat Rattus rattus
- Black Wildebeest Connochaetes gnou
- Blasius's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus blasii
- Blesbuck Damaliscus dorcas phillpsi
- Brown Hyena Hyaena brunnea
- Bushpig Potamochoerus larvatus
- Bushveld Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus simulator
- Cape Genet Genetta tigrina
- Cape Hare Lepus capensis
- Cape Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis
- Cape Serotine Neoromicia capensis
- Caracal Caracal caracal
- Cheetah Acinonyx Jubatus
- Chestnut Climbing Mouse Dendromus mystacalis
- Common Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia
- Common Eland Tragelaphus oryx
- Common Genet Genetta genetta
- Common Mole Rat Cryptomys hottentotus
- Darling's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus darlingi
- Desert Pygmy Mouse Mus indutus
- Egyptian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida aegyptiaca
- Egyptian Slit-Faced Bat Nycteris thebaica
- Forest Shrew Myosorex varius
- Four-Striped Grass Mouse Rhabdomys pumilio
- Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus clivosus
- Gray Climbing Mouse Dendromus melanotis
- Greater Cane Rat Thryonomys swinderianus
- Greenish Yellow Bat Scotophilus viridis
- Ground Pangolin Manis temminckii
- Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus
- Highveld Gerbil Gerbilliscus brantsii
- Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius
- House Mouse Mus musculus
- Least Dwarf Shrew Suncus infinitesimus
- Leopard Panthera pardus
- Lesser Dwarf Shrew Suncus varilla
- Lesser Gray-brown Musk Shrew Crocidura silacea
- Lesser Red Musk Shrew Crocidura hirta
- Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus
- Mauritian Tomb Bat Taphozous mauritianus
- Meerkat Suricata suricatta
- Mohol Bushbaby Galago moholi
- Mountain Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula
- Oribi Ourebia ourebi
- Plains Zebra Equus quagga
- Reddish-gray Musk Shrew Crocidura cyanea
- Red Rock Rat Aethomys chrysophilus
- Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis
- Rough-haired Golden Mole Chrysospalax villosus
- Scrub Hare Lepus sexatilis
- Serval Leptailurus serval
- Slender Mongoose Galerella sanguinea
- Southern African Hedgehog Atelerix frontalis
- Southern Multimammate Mouse Mastomys coucha
- Southern Reedbuck Redunca arundinum
- Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis
- Springhare Pedetes capensis
- Steenbok Raphicerus campestris
- Striped Polecat Ictonyx striatus
- Swamp Musk Shrew Crocidura mariquensis
- Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus
- Vlei Rat Otomys irroratus
- Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus
- White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum
- White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda
- White-tailed Rat Mystromys albicaudatus
Threats to the reserve
The reserve is situated in Gauteng, one of the highest population density areas in South Africa. As such it is constantly under threat by human expansion and development.
- The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality's proposed Benoni landfill site.[5]
- Upstream pollution of the Rietvlei Dam and wetland areas.[6][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: Historic Background". City of Tshwane. http://www.tshwane.gov.za/rietvlei_history.cfm. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
- ^ a b Marais, Riaan (2004-11). "A Plant Ecological Study of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng Province". City of Tshwane. http://www.tshwane.gov.za/documents/rietvlei/RietvleiNRPlantEcologicalStudy.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ a b c Rietvlei Nature Reserve (Booklet issued to visitors at the reserve). City of Tshwane.
- ^ "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: General Information". City of Tshwane. http://www.tshwane.gov.za/rietvlei_general.cfm. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "Rietvlei Dam under threat from planned site". Independent Online (South Africa). 2006-09-26. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=139&set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20060927031353198C538278. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
- ^ van Eeden, Pieter H. (2004). "Comments on beak deformities at Rietvlei Dam Nature Reserve". Afring News. http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/safring/afrnews/afrn33_2_9.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
- ^ "Rietvlei rehabilitation project aids in water purification". South African National Biodiversity Institute. 2008-09. http://wetlands.sanbi.org/gumboot_article.php?id=188. Retrieved 2008-11-28.[dead link]
External links
Media related to Rietvlei Nature Reserve at Wikimedia Commons
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