Kamiesberge

Kamiesberg
Kamiesberg
	Goegap Nature Reserve in the Kamiesberge
Highest point
Peak	Rooiberg Peak
Elevation	1,706 m (5,597 ft)
Listing	List of mountain ranges of South Africa
Coordinates	30°05′20″S 17°58′45″E / 30.08889°S 17.97917°E
Dimensions
Length	140 km (87 mi) NNW/SSE
Width	40 km (25 mi) ENE/WSW
Geography
	Kamiesberg Location of the Kamiesberge in the Northern Cape
Country	South Africa
Province	Northern Cape
Geology
Type of rock	granite and gneiss

The Kamiesberg or Kamiesberge (Khoikhoi "Th'amies" = "jumble"), is a mountain range of jumbled granite inselbergs or bornhardts dotted over sandy plains and centered on Kamieskroon in Namaqualand in South Africa.^[1] This range is very like the Matopos of Zimbabwe in appearance. It stretches for about 140 km (60 mi) from Garies in the south to Springbok in the north and forms a plateau between the Sandveld of the Cape West Coast and Bushmanland in the east, with the Hardveld of the mountainous central Kamiesberg escarpment in the midst.

History

'Ellenboogfontein' near present-day Kamieskroon - Kamiesberge in background

The region was formerly occupied by Khoikhoi who were nomadic pastoralists.^[2]

The buildings of Kamieskroon were moved from a previous location known as Bowesdorp, named after the village doctor. Steep granite hills and a shortage of water hindered development, so that it was relocated. The foundations of the original village may still be seen in a rocky ravine some 8 km north of Kamieskroon.

The Leliefontein mission station, known for the Leliefontein massacre in 1902, is located at an elevation of 1 500 m (5 000 ft) on a plateau near the top of the mountains, which attains a height of over 1 700 m (5 600 ft).

Ecology

The range has a mild climate made moderate by the cold Benguela Current. It is an outlier of the Cape Floristic Region. Its vegetation is largely Succulent Karoo with a large number of endemic species. Quiver trees and Camelthorn trees are common with large numbers of Euphorbia shrubs . Also occurring are Ceraria namaquensis, Euclea tomentosa, Rhus undulata, Ozoroa dispar and Tylecodon paniculatus.

The Kamiesberg is unusual among desert areas in that rainfall is relatively predictable, with frost being rare. Rain is usually accompanied by heavy dewfall and fog. Bergwinds during winter can result in temperatures of 40 °C. After a winter of adequate rainfall, springtime brings widespread and spectacular flowering of Asteraceae and Brassicaceae species that were dormant, Aizoaceae and numerous Scrophulariaceae, Poaceae, Liliaceae and Amaryllidaceae. The region is considered one of 25 global plant biodiversity hotspots and portions were declared protected in 1999 in order to preserve the abundant wildlife and colourful wild flowers. The Goegab Nature Reserve near Springbok is a good place to appreciate the floral wonders of the mountains.^[3]^[4]

References

^ Twidale, C. R. (1981). "Granitic Inselbergs: Domed, Block-Strewn and Castellated". The Geographical Journal. 147 (1): 54–71. Bibcode:1981GeogJ.147...54T. doi:10.2307/633409. JSTOR 633409.
^ Karoo ecoregion
^ "Open Africa - Route - Kamiesberg Route". Archived from the original on 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
^ Flora and Vegetation of Southern Africa:Namaqualand

Bibliography

Anderson, P. and Hoffman, M.T. 2005. The effects of sustained heavy grazing on plant diversity and composition: A study of the Kamiesberg, in Allsopp, N and Hoffman, M.T. (2005), Towards Sustainable Land Use in Namaqualand: Proceedings of the Namaqualand Colloquium, 24–26 May. Published by ARC- Range and Forage Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town