Greater Kruger National Park (100795)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, B1, B2, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Greater Kruger National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: -24.0580, Longitude: 31.3712
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 149 to 895
Area of KBA (km2): 25701.02912
Protected area coverage (%): 91.47
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Greater Kruger National Park is a very large terrestrial site with substantial protection and OECM coverage, found in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces in north-eastern South Africa. It is situated within the Lowveld, a region characterized by tall shrubland with few trees to moderately dense low woodland on the deep sandy uplands with Terminalia sericea, Combretum zeyheri and C. apiculatum and ground layer including Pogonarthria squarrosa, Tricholaena monachne and Eragrostis rigidior. Vegetation consists of three main variations depending on topographical position (1) lower, middle and footslopes, (2) middle slopes and convex uplands on usually deeper soils, and (3) concave terrain with soils with very high clay content. Dense thicket to open savanna occur in the bottomlands with Acacia nigrescens, Dichrostachys cinerea, Grewia bicolor in the woody layer. The dense herbaceous layer contains the dominant Digitaria eriantha, Panicum maximum and Aristida congesta on fine-textured soils, while brackish bottomlands support Sporobolus nitens, Urochloa mosambicensis and Chloris virgata. At seep lines, where convex topography changes to concave, a dense fringe of Terminalia sericea occurs, with Eragrostis gummiflua in the undergrowth. Also includes slightly undulating plains with medium-high shrubby savanna, with some trees and dense ground layer dominated by Colophospermum mopane, but with the ratio of C. mopane to Combretum apiculatum decreasing somewhat on the less clayey soils of the uplands. In the north western parts the tree cover is greater and these flatter landscapes include several trees such as Acacia nigrescens in addition to the dominant Colophospermum mopane. Plains are slightly undulating with medium-low (1-2m) shrubs dominated overwhelmingly by multistemmed Colophospermum mopane. Tree forms of mopane are rare. The grass layer is well developed. The site includes some bottomlands and parts of the Lebombo pediment with a slightly increased proportion of other woody plant species. There are fairly flat plains with open tree savanna, often dominated by tall Sclerocarya birrea and Acacia nigrescens with a moderately developed shrub layer and a dense herbaceous layer. On some sloping areas with shallower soils, trees are stunted.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for 3 criteria described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Based on current available information, 37 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, plants, and reptiles. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 22 threatened species. Effectively the entire global population of one Critically Endangered species is within the site. The site regularly holds 16 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. An assemblage of co-occurring range-restricted species in the Reptilia taxonomic group regularly present within the site meets criterion B2. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 3 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 10 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 40 other potential trigger species meet minimum population parameter thresholds for the site, but presence and/or minimum reproductive units required to meet KBA criteria cannot be confirmed with available data.
Manageability of the site: This site is managed primarily by a protected area management authority, with parts of the site managed by a regional conservation authority responsible for enforcing statutory regulations on landuse change in Critical Biodiversity Areas and threatened ecosystems, and Biosphere Reserve management authority.
Supersedes another site: Kruger National Park and adjacent areas ZA001 [58%]; Orpen (blank) [20%]; Bushbuckridge (blank) [8%]
Delineation rationale: The site contains South Africa's largest protected area with adjacent Protected Environments, Private Conservancies and other potential OECMS. It is partly categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area, and part of Biosphere Reserve.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Savanna (97%)
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
Additional information
Contributors: Gavin Masterson (Fathom Data), Warrick Stewart (Resilience Environmental Advice), Anisha Dayaram (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Maphale Monyeki (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Sediqa Khatieb (South African National Biodiversity Institute), Craig Hilton-Taylor (IUCN)