Conservation
Conserving
the beauty and ecosystems of this Natural Heritage Site
About
40 years ago, when the first farm (Little Leigh) of Morning Sun
nature Reserve was bought by the present owners, some large areas
were severely degraded by a few decades of subsistence farming resulting
in abandoned lands, exhausted soil, overgrazing, erosion and bush
encroachment. 16 years of severe drought had intensified the environmental
damage and caused habitat depletion.
Other
areas, including wetlands, had become invaded and overgrown by alien
trees. Abandoned settlements and cattle kraals were infested with
noxious weeds.
Initially
the owners concentrated their efforts on exploring and getting to
know the terrain (see "Research"), making it more accessible and
habitable (see "Environment (1) Minimising ecological footprint")
and wait if nature on its own could repair some of the damage done
to the fragile habitat of Morning Sun Nature Reserve.
Natural
recovery has indeed happened to a considerable extent. However,
more recently also more active intervention and conservation measures
have been or are about to be implemented:
(1)
Eradication of alien vegetation (exotics)
Costly continuous efforts are made to eradicate and destroy exotic
invader vegetation, notably eucalyptus and wattle trees and noxious
weeds. A large patch of very old eucalyptus (blue gum) trees has
already been cleared in order to restore a wetland to a healthier
state. The wood from these efforts is recovered for carpentry and
making furniture for the Lodge, the balance being used to supply
the energy needs of the Lodge. (See "Environment, Renewable energy").
(2)
Protection of unique biodiversity
Morning Sun Nature Reserve is registered under No. 89 as a National
Heritage Site, because it is a prime example of the unique biodiversity
of the Soutpansberg (see "Reserve"). The local Venda staff of the
Lodge and Reserve, under the supervision of its Venda Reserve Manager,
is being trained to protect the fauna and flora of the reserve.
Once the boundaries of the reserve have been determined, it is intended
to apply for formal proclamation of the Nature Reserve with the
relevant authorities.
The resident
biologist and consultant of the Reserve, Dr Norbert Hahn, serves
on committees who are endeavouring to have the Soutpansberg Region,
or significant parts thereof, registered with UNESCO as a biosphere.
(3)
Habitat restoration and enhancement
This is done inter alia in collaboration with Ben Breedlove, an
American scientist currently doing his doctorate at the University
of Pretoria on the subject of a "Function-Based Habitat Design Method"
invented by him, for which international patent protection is pending.
The method aims at designing and creating improved habitat conditions
from animal perspectives and may include procedures such as
(i) (re-)establishing
healthy growth of grasses or other vegetation indigenous to the
reserve and palatable to herbivores;
(ii)
(re-)establishing vegetation indigenous to the reserve which provides
(selected) animals with shelter for resting, nesting and breeding
at selected sites;
(iii)
installing structures (habitat supplements) at or below or above
ground level at selected sites which can be used by selected animals
or groups of animals as shelter for resting, nesting and breeding;
(iv)
reintroducing selected animals for creating a healthy balance of
fauna to match the (improved/restored) habitat;
(v) selective
reduction of bush encroachment, in particular sickle bush (Dichrostachys
cinerea).
(vi)
preventing and reversing soil erosion.
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