Mapping Wetlands in the Blyde Expansion Area

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Written: Naki Mposi

Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. They reduce the impacts of floods, absorb pollutants and improve water quality. They provide habitat for animals and plants and many contain a wide diversity of life, supporting plants and animals that are found nowhere else. On the 23rd – 24th of October, the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region (K2C) BR together with Hannes Marais from Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) took a trip up the Mariepskop Mountain to identify, map and assess wetlands and peatlands. 

The aim of the site visit was to assess and map the wetlands and peatlands as well as drainage lines that were identified during previous site visits related to wetlands and peatlands assessments. This visit was part of the monitoring that the K2C BR with partners including AWARD and SAEON is working on related to the restoration processes taking place in Mariepskop. The other type of monitoring that the K2C BR is working on is monitoring of soil moisture content on different land use and land cover types through a master’s study and this will help prioritise and plan restoration activities.

The wetlands and peatlands in Mariepskop have never been mapped before and this is a wonderful opportunity for K2C BR to collaborate with different people in order to map these wetlands and peatlands and ensure they are included in provincial conservation planning tools. They are unique and that is what makes the ecosystem in Mariepskop even more interesting.

Understanding the wetland systems in the upper catchment is important in the context of current efforts to declare these areas as part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, develop relevant management plans and undertake restoration with a focus on alien plant clearing


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