River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa, showing horizontal sandstone layering.

The Waterberg Bisophere is a massif of approximately 15,000 square kilometers in north Limpopo Province, South Africa. Waterberg is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The extensive rock formation was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte landform^[1]. The ecosystem can be characterised as a dry deciduous forest or Bushveld. Within the Waterberg there are archaeological finds dating to the Stone Age, and nearby are early evolutionary finds related to the origin of humans. Image File history File linksMetadata Lapalalariverdown. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lapalalariverdown. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... In geology, a massif is a section of the Earths crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. ... Capital Polokwane Largest city Polokwane Area  - Total Ranked 5th 123,900 km² Premier Mbhazima Shilowa (ANC) Population   - 2001   - 1996   - Density (2001) Ranked 4th 5,273,637 4,929,368 43/km² (Ranked 3rd) Languages Races Black (97. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Butte near Sedona, Arizona A butte is an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top. ... A landform comprises a geomorphological unit. ... The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. ... The Bushveld is a geographic region of South Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and part of the North West Province. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Stone Age fishing hook. ... This article is about biological evolution. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (known as the great apes). ...

Geology

The underlying rock formation derives from the Kaapvaal craton, formed as a precursor island roughly 2.7 billion years ago. This crustal formation became the base of the Waterberg, which was further transformed by upward extrusion of igneous rocks^[2]. These extruded rocks, containing minerals such as vanadium and platinum, are called the Bushveld igneous complex. The original extent of this rock upthrust involved about 250,000 square kilometers, and is sometimes called the Waterberg Supergroup. The Kaapvaal craton (Kaapvaal province of South Africa), along with the Pilbara craton of Western Australia, are the only remaining areas of pristine 3. ... Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock (magma) cools and solidifies, with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive (plutonic) rocks or on the surface as extrusive (volcanic) rocks. ... Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. ... General Name, Symbol, Number vanadium, V, 23 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 5, 4, d Appearance silver-grey metal Atomic mass 50. ... General Name, Symbol, Number platinum, Pt, 78 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 6, d Appearance grayish white Atomic mass 195. ... The Bushveld igneous complex contains one of the richest ore deposits on Earth. ... In physics, buoyancy is an upward force on an object immersed in a fluid (i. ... SuperGroup is a reality show on the channel VH1. ...

Sedimentary deposition from rivers cutting through Waterberg endured until roughly 1.5 billion years ago. In more recent time (around 250 million years ago) the Kaapvaal craton collided with the supercontinent Gondwana, and split Gondwana into its modern day continents. Waterberg today contains mesas, buttes and some kopje outcrops. Some of cliffs stand up to 550 meters above the plains, with exposed multi-coloured sandstone. Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Pangaea was formed by the merging of two continents, Laurasia and Gondwana East African and Kuungan Orogens 550 Ma reconstruction showing final stages of assembly The southern supercontinent Gondwana (originally Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses which make up todays continents of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America... Several mesas near Los Alamos, New Mexico. ... Butte near Sedona, Arizona A butte is an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top. ... Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. ...

Stone Age man at Waterberg

Bushman Stone Age rock painting, Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa.

The sandstone formations could retain groundwater sufficient to make a suitable environment for primitive man. The cliff overhangs offered natural shelters for these early humans. The first human ancestors may have been at Waterberg as early as three million years ago, since Makapansgat, 40 kilometers distant, has yielded skeletons of Australopithecus africanus^[1]. Hogan suggests that Homo erectus, whose evidence remains were also discovered in Makapansgat, "may have purposefully moved into the higher areas of the Waterberg for summer (December to March) game". Image File history File linksMetadata Lapalaladeeronrockdown. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lapalaladeeronrockdown. ... Stone Age fishing hook. ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of geologic formations. ... The Trango Towers in Pakistan have the highest cliffs in the world In geography, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (known as the great apes). ... An ancestor is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an ancestor (i. ... A human skeleton - (endoskeleton) In biology, the skeleton or skeletal system is the biological system providing physical support in living organisms. ... Binomial name Australopithecus africanus Dart, 1925 Raymond Dart with Taung skull Australopithecus africanus was an early hominid, an australopithecine, who lived between 3. ... Binomial name †Homo erectus (Dubois, 1892) Synonyms † Pithecanthropus erectus † Sinanthropus pekinensis † Javanthropus soloensis † Meganthropus paleojavanicus Homo erectus (Upright Man) is an extinct species of genus Homo. ...

Bushmen entered Waterberg around the time of Christ. They produced rock paintings at Lapalala within the Waterberg, including depictions of rhinoceros and antelope. Early Iron Age settlers in Waterberg were Bantu, who had brought cattle to the region. The Bantu created a problem in Waterberg, since cattle reduced grassland caused invasion of brush species leading to an outbreak of the tse-tse fly. The ensuing epidemic of sleeping sickness depopulated the plains, but at higher elevations man survived, because the fly cannot survive above 600 meters. The Bushmen (also known as Khwe Khoe, Basarwa, or San) peoples of South Africa and neighbouring Botswana and Namibia, who live in the Kalahari, are part of the Khoisan group and are related to the Khoikhoi. ... This page is about the title or the Divine Person. For the Christian figure, see Jesus. ... Cave, or rock, paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to pre-historic times. ... Genera Ceratotherium Dicerorhinus Diceros Rhinoceros Coelodonta (extinct) Elasmotherium (extinct) The rhinoceros (commonly called rhino for short; plural can be either rhinoceros or rhinoceroses) is any of five surviving species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. ... Genera Aepyceros Alcelaphus Antidorcas Antilope Cephalophus Connochaetes Damaliscus Gazella Hippotragus Kobus Madoqua Neotragus Oreotragus Oryx Ourebia Pantholops Procapra Sylvicapra Taurotragus Tragelaphus and others Antelopes are a group of herbivorous African and Asian animals of the family Bovidae, distinguished by a pair of hollow horns on their heads. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... A family of Russian settlers in the Caucasus region, ca. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, kine or kyne in pre-modern English, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... An area of grass-like plants Grass generally describes a monocotyledonous green plant in the family Poaceae, botanically regarded as true grasses. ... Binomial name Glossina morsitans The tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans, is a fly (order Diptera) that eats blood from animals, including humans. ... In epidemiology, an epidemic (from Greek epi- upon + demos people) is a disease that appears as new cases in a given human population, during a given period, at a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected, based on recent experience (the number of new cases in the population during a... Sleeping sickness or African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease in people and in animals. ...

Later people left the first Stone Age artifacts recovered in northern South Africa. Starting about the year 1300 AD, Nguni settlers arrived with new technologies, including the ability to build dry-stone walls, which techniques were then used to add defensive works to priornts to their Iron Age forts, some of which walls survive to today. Archaeologists continue to excavate Waterberg to shed light on the Nguni culture and the associated dry-stone architecture. For the cattle breed see Nguni cattle. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... It has been suggested that Rock fence be merged into this article or section. ...

European arrival

The first white settlers arrived in Waterberg in 1808 and the first naturalist a Swede appeared just before mid 19th century. Around the mid 19th century, a group of Dutch travelers set out from Capetown in search of Jerusalem. Arriving in Waterberg, they mis-estimated their distance and thought they had reached Egypt. Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope Cape Town (Afrikaans, Dutch: Kaapstad; Xhosa: eKapa or SaseKapa), is one of South Africas three capital cities serving as the legislative capital (executive capital and Bloemfontein the judicial capital). ... Jerusalem (Hebrew:  , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic:  , al-Quds (the Holy); official Arabic in Israel: أورشليم القدس, Urshalim-al-Quds (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names) is the capital and largest city[1] of the State of Israel with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006[2...

After battles between Dutch settlers and tribesmen, the races co-existed until around 1900. The Dutch brought further cattle grazing, multiplying the impacts of indigenous tribes. By the beginning of the 20th century there were an estimated 200 western inhabitants of the Waterberg^[3], and grassland loss began to have a severe impact upon native wildlife populations. Grazing is the regular consumption of part of one organism without killing it by another organism. ... A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states, though some modern theorists hold that contemporary tribes can only be understood in terms of their relationship to states. ... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ...

Flora and fauna

Male and female Black-headed Oriole in courtship ritual, riparian zone of central Waterberg, South Africa.

There are several sub-habitats within the Waterberg Biosphere, which is fundamentally a dry deciduous forest; according to Hogan: "These sub-habitats include high plateau savanna, specialized shaded cliff vegetation system and riparian zone habitat with associated marshes". Image File history File linksMetadata Waterbergoriolesdownsized. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Waterbergoriolesdownsized. ... Caricature of courtship rituals in 1805 England Youth conversing with suitorsYoung men courting a youth in a garden. ... A well maintained Riparian strip on a tributary to Lake Erie. ... A savanna or savannah is a grassland with widely spaced trees, and occurs in several types of biomes. ... Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants, and is, by far, the most abundant biotic element of the biosphere. ... Freshwater marsh in Florida In geography, a marsh is a type of wetland, featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, cat tails, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water. ...

The savanna consists of rolling grasslands and a semi-deciduous forest, with trees such as Mountain seringa, Silver-leaf terminalia and Lavender tree. The canopy is mostly leafless during the dry winter. Native grasses include Signal grass, Goose grass and Heather-topped grass. Indigenous grasses provide graze to support native speciess including impala, kudu, klipspringer and Blue wildebeest. Some Pachypodium habitats are found especially in isolated kopje formations. Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... In Roman mythology, Terminus was the god of boundaries. ... Species About 25-30, including: Lavandula angustifolia Lavandula canariensis Lavandula dentata Lavandula lanata Lavandula latifolia Lavandula multifida Lavandula pinnata Lavandula stoechas Lavandula viridis The lavenders Lavandula are a genus of about 25-30 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region south to tropical... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Binomial name Aepyceros melampus (Lichtenstein, 1812) An impala (Aepyceros melampus Greek aipos high ceros horn + melas black pous foot) is a medium-sized African deer. ... Binomial name Oreotragus oreotragus (Zimmerman,, 1783) The Klipspringer (literally rock jumper in Afrikaans), Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small African antelope that lives from the Cape of Good Hope all the way up East Africa and into Ethiopia. ... Binomial name Connochaetes taurinus (Burchell, 1823) The Blue Wildebeest, is a large ungulate mammal of the genus Connochaetes,. Which grows to 1. ... The study of detailed scattered, specialized, micro-environmental habitats of Pachypodium species are often indifferent to the greater, regional ecological, biotic zone of vegetation. ... Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. ...

Other indigenous mammals include giraffe, white rhinoceros and warthog. Snakes include the black mamba and spitting cobra. In 1905 Eugene Marais studied these snakes of the Waterberg^[4]. Some birds seen are the Black-headed oriole and the White-backed vulture^[5]. Bold textLink title Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Dendroaspis polylepsis The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is the largest venomous snake in Africa, with an average length around 8 feet (2. ... The term spitting cobra refers to any one of eleven species of cobras that have the ability to spit or eject venom from their mouth when defending themselves against predators. ... Eugène Nielen Marais (9 January, 1871 – 29 March, 1936) was a South African lawyer, naturalist, poet and writer Eugene Marais – writer, lawyer and naturalist // His early years, before and during the Boer War Marais (Ma-RARE; second part rhymes with chair) was born near Pretoria. ... Binomial name Gyps africanus Salvadori, 1865 The White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus, is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. ...

Vegetative cliff habitats are abundant in the Waterberg due to the extensive historic riverine erosion. The African Porcupine uses the protection of these cliffside caves. Some trees cling to the cliff areas, including the Paper tree, whose flaking bark hangs from their thick trunks. of specimens clinging to cliffsides above winding streams below. Another tree in this habitat is the fever tree, thought by Bushmen to have special power to allow communication with the dead. It is found on cliffs above the Palala River including one site used for prehistoric ceremonies, which is also a location of some intact rock paintings. Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of wind, water or ice, by downward or down-slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms (in the case of... Binomial name Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758 The Crested Porcupine or European Porcupine or African Porcupine or North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is a member of the Old World porcupines. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... A running stream. ...

Riparian zones are associated with various rivers that cut through Waterberg. These surface waters all drain to the Limpopo River which flows easterly to discharge into the Indian Ocean. Red bush willow is a riparian tree in this habitat. These riparian zones offer habitat for birds, reptiles and mammals that require more more water than plateau species. The riverine areas house the apex predator Nile crocodile and the hippopotamus. These wet habitats are almost absent of water-related insects, and the Waterberg is thus considered an almost Malaria-free region. A well maintained Riparian strip on a tributary to Lake Erie. ... The River Thames in London River running into Harrietville Trout Farm A river is a large natural waterway. ... The Limpopo River arises in the interior of Africa, and flows generally eastwards towards the Indian ocean. ... Species About 350, including: Salix acutifolia- Violet Willow Salix alaxensis- Alaska Willow Salix alba- White Willow Salix alpina- Alpine Willow Salix amygdaloides- Peachleaf Willow Salix arbuscula- Mountain Willow Salix arbusculoides- Littletree Willow Salix arctica- Arctic Willow Salix atrocinerea Salix aurita- Eared Willow Salix babylonica- Peking Willow Salix barrattiana- Barratts... Orders Procolophonia (extinct) Testudines Araeoscelidia (extinct) Avicephala (extinct) Younginiformes (extinct) Sauropterygia Ichthyosauria (extinct) Placodontia (extinct) Nothosauria (extinct) Plesiosauria (extinct) Sphenodontia Squamata Prolacertiformes (extinct) Archosauria Crurotarsi Order Aetosauria Order Phytosauria Order Rauisuchia Order Crocodilia Ornithodira Pterosauria (extinct) Marasuchus (extinct) Dinosauria (extinct) Order Saurischia Order Ornithischia Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals... Orders Multituberculata (extinct) Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Australosphenida Ausktribosphenida Monotremata Subclass Eutheria (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Anagaloidea (extinct) Arctostylopida (extinct) Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Cingulata Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Dinocerata (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Leptictida (extinct) Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata... Monte Roraima In geology and earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat open country. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Crocodylus niloticus (Laurenti, 1768) The Nile crocodile is one of the 3 species of crocodiles found in Africa, and one of the largest species of crocodile. ... Binomial name Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758 The Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), from the Greek ‘ιπποπόταμος (hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamos meaning river), is a large, plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant, and three or four recently extinct, species in the family Hippopotamidae. ... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... Malaria (from Medieval Italian: mala aria — bad air; formerly called ague or marsh fever) is an infectious disease that is widespread in many tropical and subtropical regions. ...

Land management

Blue Wildebeests, Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa

As of the year 2006 about 80,000 people live in the Waterberg, which is considered part of the Bushveld district of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. After cattle grazing wrought ecological havoc in the mid 1900s, the land owners of the region became aware of the benefits of restoring habitat to attract and protect the original species of antelope, white rhino, giraffe, hippopotami, and other species whose numbers dropped in the era of intense cattle grazing. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1812x706, 260 KB) photographer: C. Michael Hogan May, 2006 Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa Small herd of Blue Wildebeests File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1812x706, 260 KB) photographer: C. Michael Hogan May, 2006 Lapalala Wilderness, Waterberg, South Africa Small herd of Blue Wildebeests File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, kine or kyne in pre-modern English, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Grazing is the regular consumption of part of one organism without killing it by another organism. ... Binomial name Ceratotherium simum Burchell, 1817 The White Rhinoceros or Square-lipped rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still exists and is one of the few megaherbivore species left. ... Bold textLink title Binomial name Giraffa camelopardalis Linnaeus, 1758 The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Binomial name Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758 The Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) or Greek ίππόποταμος (hippos meaning horse and potamus meaning river) is a large, plant-eating African mammal, one of only two living and three (or four) recently extinct species in the family Hippopotamidae. ...

The rise in eco-tourism has stimulated interest in soil conservation practices to restore original grass species to the Waterberg. Land management practices required are expensive, but repay the landowner with added value of wildlife habitat. There is also a trend of larger farms and open space areas with the resultant advantage of fence removal. This outcome not only benefits large mammal migration, but yields an improved gene pool. Ecotourism essentially means ecological tourism, where ecological has both environmental and social connotations. ... Sheep pasture with macroscale erosion, Australia Soil conservation is a set of management strategies for prevention of soil being eroded from the earth’s surface or becoming chemically altered by overuse, salinization, acidification, or other chemical soil contamination. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... This article is about non-human migration. ... Look up Genetic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

References

See also

• Boer Wars
• Soil conservation

Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one in 1880-81 and the second from October 11, 1899-1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch origin (called Boere, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South Africa that put an end to the two independent... Sheep pasture with macroscale erosion, Australia Soil conservation is a set of management strategies for prevention of soil being eroded from the earth’s surface or becoming chemically altered by overuse, salinization, acidification, or other chemical soil contamination. ...

External links

• Google map of heart of Waterberg
• History of platinum mining in the Waterberg.