Kathu forest's endangered camel thorn woodlands

And, as with many other biomes and ecosystems in biodiversity-rich South Africa, it is under threat from development.

The town of Kathu was developed in the southern part of the 4000ha natural woodland, and the Kathu forest was recognised as a conservation-worthy site by the now-defunct Committee for Nature Conservation in 1973. It was listed as a natural heritage site in 1995 and, in April 2006, the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (WESSA) asked for it to be declared protected woodland. It still enjoys this status but is under increasing threat because of development, particularly housing and abstraction of groundwater, most of it apparently illegal, according to WESSA's Beryl Wilson. The Kathu forest was declared a state forest in 1912. It lost this status in 1956 to allow for the establishment of the town near the site of the Sishen iron ore mine. The only other protected camel thorn woodland in the world is in Namibia.

Wilson and her compatriots at the Kimberley society offices are not happy about houses being built in among the camel thorn trees. "In a number of instances, building height limits are not being adhered to and a number of houses already tower above the trees," she told The New Age Online. Another concern is the die-off of trees ascribed to both a lowering of the water table and overwatering. "What is worrying about this is we are losing 300-year-old trees and the lack of underground water is preventing natural regrowth from taking place. Similarly, overwatering will also kill off more trees and a number on the golf course have already succumbed," Wilson said.

Read the full article on www.thenewage.co.za.