2013_14 IDP Review.pdf - KZN Development Planning

An analysis of the terrain elevation shows very significant features. If thisis linked to slope, then it is clear that the terrain morphology is the mostdominant factor in determining settlement and settlement patterns.to the KZN Sour Sandveld in the north combined with a range of sourveldtypes in the mountains and river valleys of the northern parts of themunicipality.The municipal area is clearly divided into three separate areas. The first isthe northern plateau with the Biggarsberg and the Buffalo River valleydominating the landscape. The second element is the southern landscapedefined by the mountains immediately north of Greytown and the MvotiRiver valley. However, the most prominent area is the Tugela River valleyinto which the valleys carved by the Buffalo and Mooi Rivers feed into. Thevalley is marked by very deep gorges and steep slopes with very little landleft for settlement and agriculture.3.6 VegetationNatural vegetation is made up of individual plants, few or many, accordingto the habitat. These usually belong to a number of different species. Theylive together, competing with each other and perhaps assisting each other,so that a balance is maintained at a level of development determined bythe locality or environment. Vegetation does have a direct agriculturalimpact but also plays an important role in urban development throughcarbon sequestration and the ability of certain habitats and plants tomitigate the impact of air and water pollution.3.7 Acocks veld typesVegetation changes according to the way it is treated. The concept of theveld type originated from a consideration both of botanical compositionand of practical utilization. A veld type is a unit of vegetation whose rangeof variation is small enough to permit the whole of it to have the samefarming potential. The challenge during the original conceptualization ofveld types was to group the infinite variations of the vegetation (there areapproximately 20 000 species of flowering plants in South Africa) intomanageable units, and to separate the natural variations from the manmadeones.The main driving force causing vegetation change is selective grazing.This causes the actual veld condition (species composition and cover) at agiven time to differ from the modal veld type composition or benchmark.Umzinyathi shows a large variation in fled types. It spans an area from theNgongoni veld of the KwaZulu Natal mist belt, through the Valley BushveldDraft 2013/14 IDP Review Page 163Prepared by Umzinyathi District Municipality22 March 2013