Feasibility Study of Proposed Tourism Dev in Shewula, NE ...

Chapter 2 • Situational Assessment
2.3. BIOPHYSICAL CONTEXT
This section describes the biophysical nature of the study area and of the region.
2.3.1. Geology
The geology of the Lowveld is about 200 million years old, with the Lubombo
Mountains forming at the time of the formation of the edge of the African continent.
Basalts make up the eastern Lowveld of Swaziland, with rhyolitic rocks forming the
Lubombo Mountains. Erosion has worked away at the weaker basalts, and has left
the harder rhyolites as escarpments. Basalt weathers into fertile soils, hence the
proliferation of sugar estates in the Eastern Lowveld. 33
The Lubombo region also has a number of interesting geomorphological formations,
in the form of closed depressions or pans which vary in diameter from 50m to 400m.
One of the largest of the 53 pans that have been identified in the region is called
Mangwenya. This pan is located within the Shewula area, where there are at least
another eight similar, but smaller closed depressions. 34
2.3.2. Ecology
No detailed assessment of the conservation status and of the species composition of
the Shewula area has been carried out. This study therefore relies on the data
available for the surrounding areas and the greater Lubombo region.
Swaziland lies within the Maputaland centre of plant diversity. 35 The physiographic
divisions of Swaziland into the Highveld, Middleveld, Lowveld, and Lubombo regions
provides a wide variety of habitats within a small area, enhancing the capacity for
biological diversity at the species and ecosystem levels. 36
2.3.2.1. Vegetation
The vegetation of the proposed Maputaland TFCA falls within the savanna biome,
and consists primarily of Subhumid Lowveld Bushveld and Natal Lowveld Bushveld,
with limited Coastal-Bushveld Grassland. The Subhumid Lowveld Bushveld is a
dense bushveld related to forest, and is composed of large trees with a dense shrub
layer and a poorly developed grass layer. The principal trees are flat crown (Albizia
adianthifolia), knob thorn (Acacia nigrescens), marula (Sclerocarya birrea subsp.),
buffalo-thorn (Ziziphus mucronata), and tamboti (Spirostachys africana) amongst
others.
The Natal Lowveld Bushveld is a mix of scrub and savanna. The most common tree
species include umbrella thorn (Acacia tortillis), sweet thorn (Acacia karroo), bush
guarri (Euclea schimperi), and wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. africana) amongst
others.
33
Mlawula Nature Reserve, n.d.: Map of Mlawula with information, unpublished.
34
Watson, A. 1986: The origin and geomorphological significance of closed depressions in the Lubombo mountains
of Swaziland', The Geographical Journal, 152(1), 65-74.
35
This is an area reported to have one of the highest biodiversity counts in southern Africa, and world-wide.
36
Masson, P. 1996: A contribution to the Swaziland Environmental Action Plan on the conservation and sustainable
use of biological diversity, Forest Research Document 20/96, Usutu Pulp Company, Mbabane, Swaziland.
37