Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1998 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2014) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2014 | very poor | high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Grassland | poor (40–69%) | poor (40–69%) | very poor |
| Savanna | poor (40–69%) | poor (40–69%) | very poor |
| Forest | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Energy production and mining | likely in long term (>4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Some of area covered (10–49%) | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Kruger to Canyons | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) | 79 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | - | Forestry & agro-industrial plantations |
| Forest | - | Montane forest - mixed |
| Grassland | - | Grassland - highveld |
| Savanna | - | Bushland & thicket - montane |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| forestry | 70 |
| nature conservation and research | 17 |
| water management | 10 |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wolkberg Forest Belt (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wolkberg-forest-belt-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.