Tugela - Bushmans Thornveld (100960)
South Africa, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, A1e, B1, B3a, B4, E
Year of last assessment: 2024
National site name: Tugela - Bushmans Thornveld
Central coordinates: Latitude: -28.8296, Longitude: 29.9167
System: terrestrial, freshwater
Elevation (m): 711 to 1441
Area of KBA (km2): 2104.87555
Protected area coverage (%): 8.43
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: No
Site details
Site description: Tugela - Bushmans Thornveld is a large terrestrial site that has limited protection, found in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. To the west the site Includes hilly, undulating landscapes and broad valleys supporting tall tussock grassland usually dominated by Hyparrhenia hirta, with occasional savannoid woodlands with scattered Acacia sieberiana var. woodii and in small pockets also with A. karroo and A. nilotica. On rocky rugged slopes and terraces mainly with deciduous trees of short to medium height (and many large shrubs) including Acacia tortilis, A. nilotica and A. karroo and prominent evergreen species such as Olea europaea subsp. africana, Boscia albitrunca and Euclea crispa in places. To the east includes valley slopes to undulating hillswhere the vegetation is Acacia-dominated bushveld and thornveld of variable density (ranging from wooded grassland to dense thickets) with dense grassy undergrowth.
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, 12 species meet one or more KBA criteria for this site. The KBA trigger species at this site include birds, fish, mammals, and plants. The site meets criterion A1 due to the presence of significant proportions of the global populations of 10 threatened species. Effectively the entire global populations of 1 Endangered and 2 Critically Endangered species are within the site. The site regularly holds 5 individual geographically restricted species, therefore meeting criterion B1. A quantitative analysis of irreplaceability indicates that the site is 100% irreplaceable for the global persistence of 6 species, therefore meeting criterion E. The site holds significant proportions of the global extent of 2 geographically restricted ecosystems (meeting criterion B4).
Additional biodiversity: 23 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 regional conservation authority responsible for enforcing statutory regulations on landuse change in Critical Biodiversity Areas and threatened ecosystems, with part of the site managed by a protected area management authority.
Supersedes another site: Northern Drakensberg foothills (blank) [7%]
Delineation rationale: Large block of intact thornveld with three protected areas, partly categorised as Critical Biodiversity Area and Strategic Water Source Area.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: Savanna (53%), Grassland (32%), Artificial - terrestrial (12%)
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 |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | 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)