RHP South African
River Health Programme 		Ecological State of the Major Rivers
of Mpumalanga

Level II Ecoregions

Main Attributes Ecoregion 5.07
Main Rivers Olifants, Timbavati
Terrain morphology: Broad division 1. Plains, low relief
2. Plains, moderate relief
Vegetation types Sweet lowveld bushveld
Altitude (m a.m.s.l) 300-400; 200-300
Geology Mudstone, sandstone, shale, basalt, tuff, breccia, rhyolite, iron, jaspilite, syenite, hornblende granite, foskorite
Soils Shallow black, brown or red clayey soil, often with vertic properties
Mean annual precipitation (mm) 400-600; 600-800 (limited)
CV (%) of annual precipitation 25-30; 30-35
Rainfall concentration index (%) 55-60; 60-65
Rainfall seasonality Midsummer (peak January)
Mean annual temperature ( ºC) 20-22; >22
Range of median annual runoff (mm) for
quaternary catchments (natural, simulated)* 		40-60; 60-80; 80-100 (limited)
CV (%) of annual simulated runoff for quaternary catchments 70-80; 80-90; 90-100
After: Schulze et al. 1997; Low & Rebelo 1996; van Riet et al. 1997
* Based on ACRU model (Schulze et al. 1997)
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