Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Situated due east of Pofadder, this site consists of four farms: Mattheus-Gat (18,000 ha), Gemsbokvlakte (10,000 ha), Pofadder East (14,000 ha) and Konkoonsies (10,000 ha). Mattheus-Gat forms the central portion of the site and, in the south of the property, holds the granitic Mattheus-Gat mountains which rise some 300 m above the surrounding plains and which provide habitat for both mountainous and mountain-slope bird species. Away from the mountains, there are sandy plains to the north, comprising perennial desert grasslands that change into a red-dune system that runs from north-west to south-east (the fossil Koa river valley).
The vegetation consists of grasses and shrubs scattered between bare sand patches. The koppies hold shrubs of
Adenolobus and
Rhus, especially on the mid-slopes and peaks, while the cobble-strewn bases are covered by melkboom
Euphorbia in places. The gravel-plains are covered with a sparse dwarf shrubland, including species of
Rhigozum,
Pteronia,
Tetragonia,
Tarchonanthus,
Ceraria,
Lycium and
Boscia on sandy patches. There are a few sparsely vegetated drainage lines that run from south to north. The drainage lines support taller woody vegetation and occasionally hold large
Acacia trees, which provide good nesting habitat for larger bird species.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. This is one of few sites to hold both the globally threatened
Certhilauda burra (200–300 pairs), which inhabits the red sand-dunes, and the near-threatened
Spizocorys sclateri (up to 500 birds), which occurs occasionally on the barren stony plains. The site holds most of the species restricted to the Namib–Karoo biome, as well as a host of other arid-zone birds. The rocky outcrops of the Mattheus-Gat mountains are home to
Geocolaptes olivaceus,
Euryptila subcinnamomea and
Onychognathus nabouroup. The plains hold
Circus maurus,
Polemaetus bellicosus,
Ardeotis kori,
Neotis ludwigii,
Eupodotis vigorsii,
Cursorius rufus,
Pterocles namaqua,
Eremalauda starki,
Cercomela tractrac,
C. sinuata,
C. schlegelii ,
Eremomela gregalis and
Malcorus pectoralis. During good rains, the nomadic
Eremopterix australis,
E. verticalis,
Serinus alario and
Emberiza impetuani can be superabundant. Low, scrubby vegetation holds
Parus afer,
Anthoscopus minutus,
Sylvia layardi,
Batis pririt,
Stenostira scita,
Nectarinia fusca,
Sporopipes squamifrons and
Serinus albogularis. The large trees occasionally hold the communal nests of
Philetairus socius with
Polihierax semitorquatus frequently in attendance. The newly recognized
Certhilauda subcoronata also occurs in this region.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
All the farms are privately owned and are not conserved in any manner. Individual properties are too small, on their own, to maintain viable populations of many of the species occurring there. It is important that these properties are managed as a unit and that the primary management problems are tackled from a holistic perspective. Heavy grazing and trampling by domestic livestock changes the vegetation on the red dunes, making it unsuitable for
Certhilauda burra. Only 1,400 km² remains of the 5,625 km² of habitat that was once suitable for
Certhilauda burra. Cattle uproot forbs and graze down the grasses, particularly
Stipagrostis ciliata, an important element of
Certhilauda burra habitat, leaving the shrubs untouched. Sheep selectively remove forbs and annual grasses. Goats impact
Certhilauda burra habitat the least, by browsing shrubs (
Monechma and
Lycium) and some grasses (
Cladoraphis and
Centropodia), but mostly leaving
Stipagrostis ciliata untouched.
If possible, some or all of these farms should be purchased by the State or an NGO and incorporated into a nature reserve. Alternatively, a private conservancy may be established. An appropriate conservation action for the entire region would be to eliminate or reduce cattle stocking in the sensitive red-dune areas within this IBA.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mattheus-Gat Conservation Area (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mattheus-gat-conservation-area-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.
