Restoring degraded landscapes in lowland Namaqualand: Lessons from the mining experience and from regional ecological dynamics

Journal of Arid Environments

Volumn 70, Issue 4, 2007, Pages 767-781

  Carrick, P J ^a   Kruger R ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN   (South Africa)

Author keywords

Patch dynamics; Seedbanks; Semi arid; Soils; Succulent karoo; Wind erosion

Indexed keywords

CLIMATE CONDITIONS; ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION; ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION; LAND DEGRADATION; LOWLAND ENVIRONMENT; MINING; RESTORATION ECOLOGY; SEMIARID REGION;

AFRICA; KAROO; NAMAQUALAND; SOUTH AFRICA; SOUTHERN AFRICA; SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA;

EID: 34249307558     PISSN: 01401963     EISSN: 1095922X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.08.006     Document Type: Article

References (63)

1. Acocks J.P. Veld types of South Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa 57 (1988) 1-146
2. Aguiar M.R., and Sala O.E. Patch structure, dynamics and implications for the functioning of arid ecosystems. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14 (1999) 273-277
3. Allsopp N. Effects of grazing and cultivation on soil patterns and processes in the Paulshoek area of Namaqualand. Plant Ecology 142 (1999) 179-187
4. Anderson P. Ecological restoration and creation: a review. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 56 (1995) 187-211
5. Anderson P., Hoffman M.T., and Holmes P.M. The potential of Cephalophyllum inaequale (L. Bolus) for the restoration on degraded arid landscapes in Namaqualand, South Africa. Restoration Ecology 12 (2004) 343-351
6. Beukes P.C., and Cowling R.M. Evaluation of restoration techniques for the Succulent Karoo, South Africa. Restoration Ecology 11 (2003) 308-316
7. Boucher C., and le Roux A. South African west coast strand vegetation. In: van der Maarel E. (Ed). Ecosystems of the World, vol. 2B: Dry Coastal Ecosystems (1981), Elsevier, Amsterdam 75-88
8. Burke A. Practical measures in arid land restoration after mining-a review for the southern Namib. South African Journal of Science 99 (2003) 413-417
9. Burke A. Best Practice Guidelines for Minimising Impacts on the Flora of the Southern Namib (2005), EnviroScience and Namibia Nature Foundation, Windhoek
10. Cannon W.A. The Root Habits of Desert Plants (1911), Carnegie Institution, Washington
11. Carrick, P.J., 2001. Shrub Community Dynamics in a South African Semi-Desert. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cambridge, Cambridge.
12. Carrick P.J. Competitive and facilitative relationships among three shrub species, and the role of browsing intensity and rooting depth in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa. Journal of Vegetation Science 14 (2003) 761-772
13. Carrick, P.J., Desmet, P., 2004. Comments on Namakwa Sands Brand-se-Baai Mine-Site Rehabilitation Process. Report for Namakwasands mine, Brand-se-Baai.
14. Carstens P. In the Company of Diamonds (2001), Ohio University Press, Athens
15. Cornell F.C. The Glamour of Prospecting (1986), David Philip, Cape Town
16. Cowling R.M., Esler K.J., Midgley G.F., and Honig M.A. Plant functional diversity, species diversity and climate in arid and semi-arid southern Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 27 (1994) 141-158
17. Cowling R.M., Esler K.J., and Rundel P.W. Namaqualand, South Africa-an overview of a unique winter-rainfall desert ecosystem. Plant Ecology 142 (1999) 3-21
18. Darwin C. The Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection (1890), John Murray, London
19. Dean W.R., and Yeaton R.I. The effects of harvester ant Messor capensis nest-mounds on the physical and chemical properties of soils in the southern Karoo, South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 25 (1993) 249-260
20. Desmet, P.G., 1996. The phytosociology and restoration potential of the vegetation of the Namaqualand coastal belt between Port Nolloth and Alexander Bay. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Cape Town, Cape Town.
21. Desmet P.G., and Cowling R.M. The climate of the Karoo-a functional approach. In: Dean W.R., and Milton S.J. (Eds). The Karoo: Ecological Patterns and Processes (1999), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 3-16
22. de Villiers, A.J., 2000. Seed bank dynamics of the Strandveld Succulent Karoo. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria.
23. de Villiers, A.J., van Rooyen, M.W., Theron, G.K., 1992. Studies of the revegetation of saline mined soil at Namaqua sands. Report for Anglo American Corporation.
24. de Villiers A.J., van Rooyen M.W., and Theron G.K. Comparison of two methods for estimating the size of the viable seed bank of two plant communities in the Strandveld of the west coast, South Africa. South African Journal of Botany 60 (1994) 81-84
25. de Villiers A.J., van Rooyen M.W., Theron G.K., and van Rooyen N. Vegetation diversity of the Brand-se-Baai coastal dune area, West Coast, South Africa: a premining benchmark survey for rehabilitation. Land Degradation and Development 10 (1998) 207-224
26. de Villiers A.J., van Rooyen M.W., and Theron G.K. Seedbank phytosociology of the Strandveld Succulent Karoo, South Africa: a pre-mining benchmark survey for rehabilitation. Land Degradation and Development 12 (2001) 119-130
27. Dong Z., Shangyu G., and Fryrear D.W. Drag coefficients, roughness length and zero-plan displacement height as disturbed by artificial standing vegetation. Journal of Arid Environments 49 (2001) 485-505
28. Eccles N.S., Esler K.J., and Cowling R.M. Spatial pattern analysis in Namaqualand desert plant communities: evidence for general positive interactions. Plant Ecology 142 (1999) 71-85
29. Eccles N., Lamont B., Esler K., and Lamont H. Relative performance of clumped vs. experimentally isolated plants in a South African winter-rainfall desert community. Plant Ecology 155 (2001) 219-227
30. Esler K.J. Plant reproductive ecology. In: Dean W.R., and Milton S.J. (Eds). The Karoo: Ecological Patterns and Processes (1999), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 123-144
31. Esler K.J., and Phillips N. Experimental effects of water stress on semi-arid Succulent Karoo seedlings: implications for field seedling survivorship. Journal of Arid Environments 26 (1994) 325-337
32. Garcia-Moya E., and McKell C.M. Contribution of shrubs to the nitrogen economy of a desert-wash plant community. Ecology 51 (1970) 81-88
33. Goldberg D., and Novoplansky A. On the relative importance of competition in unproductive environments. Journal of Ecology 85 (1997) 409-418
34. Guidelines for Mining in Arid Environments, 1996. Department of Minerals and Energy Western Australia, Perth.
35. Halbich, T.F.J., 2003. Mine rehabilitation in the arid Succulent Karoo vegetation zone on the South African west coast, Namakwa Sands-case study. In: Heavy Minerals, South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, pp. 113-118.
36. Harvey C.A. Windbreaks enhance seed dispersal into agricultural landscapes in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Ecological Applications 10 (2000) 155-173
37. Hobbs R.J., and Harris J.A. Restoration ecology: repairing the earth's ecosystems in the new millennium. Restoration Ecology 9 (2001) 239-246
38. Hoffman, M.T., Cowling, R.M., 1987. Plant physiognomy, phenology and demography. In: Cowling, R.M., Roux, P.W. (Eds.), The Karoo Biome: A Preliminary Synthesis. Part 2-Vegetation and History. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 142, pp. 1-34.
39. Jowell P., and Folb A. Into Kokerboom Country: Namaqualand's Jewish Pioneers (2004), Fernwood, Cape Town
40. Lanz, J., 1997. An evaluation of revegetation at Namaqualand Mines with an emphasis on soil conditions. Report for De Beers Namaqualand Mines, Kleinzee.
41. le Roux, A., Odendaal, F.J., 1992. Report on the study of natural recovery of overburden dumps on DBCM properties in Namaqualand. Report for De Beers Namaqualand Mines, Kleinzee.
42. Lesica P., and Allendorf F.W. Ecological genetics and the restoration of plant communities: Mix or match?. Restoration Ecology 7 (1999) 42-50
43. Mahood, K., 2003. Strip mining rehabilitation by translocation in arid coastal Namaqualand, South Africa. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch.
44. Midgley G.F., and Musil C.F. Substrate effects of zoogenic soil mounds on vegetation composition in the Worcester-Robertson valley, Cape Province. South African Journal of Botany 56 (1990) 158-166
45. Milton S.J. Spatial and temporal patterns in the emergence and survival of seedlings in arid Karoo shrubland. Journal of Applied Ecology 32 (1995) 145-156
46. Milton S.J., Yeaton R.I., Dean W.R., and Vlok J.H.J. Succulent Karoo. In: Cowling R.M., Richardson D.M., and Pierce S.M. (Eds). Vegetation of Southern Africa (1997), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 131-166
47. Mining & Minerals Sustainability Survey. PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Mining (2001), Minerals and Sustainable Development, London
48. Nicolau J.M. Trends in relief design and construction in opencast mining reclamation. Land Degradation & Development 14 (2003) 215-226
49. Rokich D.P., Dixon K.W., Sivasithamparam K., and Meney K.A. Topsoil handling and storage effects on woodland restoration in Western Australia. Restoration Ecology 8 (2000) 196-208
50. Schmidt, A., 2002. Strip-mine rehabilitation in Namaqualand. M.Sc. thesis, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch.
51. Schor H.J., and Gray D.H. Landform grading and slope evolution. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 121 (1995) 729-734
52. Scott, D.F., Johnston, M.A., 1995. Soil leaching trials on overburden soil from Kleinzee and Koingnaas. Report for De Beers Namaqualand Mines, Kleinzee.
53. Society for Ecological Restoration International Science & Policy Working Group, 2004. The SER International Primer on Ecological Restoration. www.ser.org & Tucson, Society for Ecological Restoration International.
54. Stock W.D., Dlamini T.S., and Cowling R.M. Plant induced fertile islands as possible indicators of desertification in a succulent desert ecosystem in northern Namaqualand, South Africa. Plant Ecology 142 (1999) 161-167
55. Strohmayer P. Soil stockpiling for reclamation and restoration activities after mining and construction. Restoration and Reclamation Review 4 (1999) 1-4
56. Sweeting A.R., and Clark A.P. Lightening the Lode: A Guide to Responsible Large-Scale Mining (2000), Conservation International, Washington, DC
57. Tongway D., and Hindley N.L. Landscape Function Analysis: Procedures for Monitoring and Assessing Landscapes. With Special Reference to Minesites and Rangelands (2004), CSIRO Australia, Canberra
58. Van Jaarsveld E. The succulent riches of South Africa and Namibia. Aloe 24 (1987) 45-92
59. van Rooyen M.W., and de Villiers A.J. Germination patterns in the Succulent Karoo Biome, South Africa. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 59 (2004) 31-38
60. Visser N., Botha J.C., and Hardy M.B. Re-establishing vegetation on bare patches in the Nama Karoo, South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 57 (2004) 15-37
61. von Willert D.J., Eller B.M., Werger M.J.A., Brinckmann E., and Ihlenfeldt H.-D. Life Strategies of Succulents in Deserts: with Special Reference to the Namib Desert (1992), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
62. Webley L. Archaeological evidence for pastoralist land-use and settlement in Namaqualand over the last 2000 years. Journal of Arid Environments 70 4 (2007) 629-640
63. Whitford W.G. Comparisons of ecosystem processes in the Nama Karoo and other deserts. In: Dean W.R., and Milton S.J. (Eds). The Karoo: Ecological Patterns and Processes (1999), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 291-302