the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

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Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 21 The climate is further affected by intense summer “berg” (mountain) winds which originate from the east being drawn towards low pressure cells in the Atlantic. Temperatures fluctuate often over short periods of time between hot and cold with an annual range of zero degrees Celsius in winter to as high as 45 degrees Celsius in summer. Temperature regimes are varied throughout the area from low-lying points along the Orange River to high, exposed mountain peaks in the interior of the Conservancy. These climatic factors are added to by wide variations in elevation ranging to as high as 1300 metres. The Orange River carves through the Richtersveld Mountains and serves as the border with Namibia Geologically, the Richtersveld is regarded as one of the most interesting and visually stunning geological areas of Southern Africa. The Richtersveld has eight geological units deposited over an enormous time span with rocks ranging in age from one to 2000 million years old. The ancient geological forces which occurred in the Richtersveld are clearly evident - intense folding, buckling and fracturing as a result of uplifting, plate movements, and volcanic and glacial systems are on display in what can be described as an open-air museum throughout the Richtersveld Community Conservancy, most strikingly in the high cliff walls along the Orange River. Numerous geological suites make up the Richtersveld landscape. The volcanic rocks of the Orange River Group represent the oldest Richtersveld rocks at 1996
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 22 million years in age. These are found in the Conservancy at places along the Orange River and in the Windvlakte Formation in the Fluorspar Valley and Black Face Mountain areas. The Vioolsdrif Suite with rocks aging between 1900 and 1731 million years intruded the Orange River Group and are represented in the Conservancy in the Rooiberg area as well as the remote lands in the north by the border of the Richtersveld National Park. These extrusive igneous rocks were created from intense pressures forcing molten lava up through the crust. The next oldest group called the Richtersveld Suite (920 million years ago) is comprised of steep dome-shaped masses of granite and ring complexes and can be found in the area of Mt. Stewart in the eastern parts of the Conservancy along the Orange River. The Gariep Complex’s Hilda Suite and the Stinkfontein Formation comprise most of the western part of the Conservancy and the Stinkfontein Mountains which form the high central ‘spine’ of the Richtersveld that serves as a barrier between the cold fog deposits on the west and the drier areas to the east. These north-south running mountains are largely responsible for the climatic differentials and variety of habitat types in the Core Area. The high mountains trap moisture at their peaks giving rise to the high rates of endemism amongst the mountain flora, as well as creating a very different environment and flora on the eastern side extending to the Orange River. The highest mountain in the Richtersveld, Cornellsberg (1377 metres) lies at the heart of the Stinkfontein Range and at the centre of the Conservancy. Also along this prominent north-south line is the unusual kilometre-wide Gannakouriep Suite, a range of black, doleritic dykes which were formed by upwelling magma intrusions between 870-540 million years ago. The younger rocks of the Nama Group, however, are perhaps the most dramatic of all with visible and intense folding on display in eastern part of the Conservancy and the Helskloof Provincial Game Reserve. It is important to note the importance the geological formations have on the natural environment of the Conservancy. Not only have the range of geological formations created a wide variety of habitats and climate systems, but they have also resulted in an isolated environment protected on several sides by physical barriers. The northern and northwestern borders are the most obvious to the observer with the massive mountains of the Orange River Suite rising high from the floor of the land
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