Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site is located 30 km south-east of Pongola town. Up to two-thirds of the site consists of an artificial impoundment, depending upon water-level. The Pongola river, which flows in from the north-west, feeds the dam; only a small drowned section of the river lies inside the reserve. Aquatic vegetation is not usually well developed. Most of the surrounds are fairly flat but the eastern shore is steep to precipitous, rising to the boundary of the reserve at the top of the Lebombos. The vegetation consists of Zululand thornveld and arid lowveld. Mountain slopes have a fairly dense woodland, including trees of
Berchemia,
Dombeya,
Acacia,
Diospyros and
Galpinia. The flat clay soils have a good grass cover.
Acacia woodlands are extensive on these flats, and thickets of
Salvadora,
Acacia,
Dichrostachys and
Maytenus line the watercourses.
See Box and Table 2 for key species. The dam and associated wetlands are important for many wetland-dependent birds. Many species probably surpass the ‘1% of the biogeographic population’ threshold, but few data exist to support this.
Mycteria ibis have bred twice in this habitat, but have been absent for several years.
Circus ranivorus,
Centropus grillii and
Tyto capensis occur throughout the grassland areas of the reserve, which still hold reasonable numbers of raptors, including small populations of
Torgos tracheliotus,
Gyps africanus,
Terathopius ecaudatus,
Polemaetus bellicosus and
Aquila rapax.
Circus macrourus occasionally visit the reserve. Flooded grassland favours
Centropus grillii and
Gallinula angulata. Large dense thickets support
Apalis ruddi,
Nectarinia neergaardi (20–50 birds; breeding needs confirmation) and
Hypargos margaritatus. The open savanna holds a small population of
Serinus citrinipectus.
Non-bird biodiversity: The mammal Ceratotherium simum (LR/cd) has been recently reintroduced. The cycads Encephalartos ngoyanus and E. lebomboensis occur on the mountain slopes.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The trees where the pelicans and storks were breeding were killed by recent fluctuations in water-level, and will soon rot away. Since the dam is, in principle, now to be filled to its maximum extent, the supply of suitable dead trees must come to an end. Similarly, the flooded grassland must be regarded as a temporary feature. Dropping the water-level in future is unlikely to restore the original habitat, because the exposed bare areas will be a focus for invasive non-native plants. Controlled water-level fluctuations will, however, favour ducks and geese. Periodic releases of water from the dam could achieve this, and are part of the management plan. This practice was initiated originally to simulate normal flooding on the flood-plain downstream, in order to recharge the pans there. Unfortunately, repairs dictate most water releases, and irrigation might claim much of the water in future. Nutrient pollution in the dam’s north-west extremity occurs early in most winters, a result of fertilizer run-off from the cane-lands. Dense growth of blue-green algae temporarily degrades the best area of the dam for both birds and fish. The site is part of a much larger Biosphere Reserve, and one of the adjoining areas is Gwalaweni Forest, which is fully conserved.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Phongolo Nature Reserve (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/phongolo-nature-reserve-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.
