| Bushveld | |
|---|---|
 Bushveld in theWaterberg Biosphere | |
 Extent of bushveld inSouthern Africa | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Afrotropical |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands |
| Borders | List
|
| Geography | |
| Area | 223,000 km2 (86,000 mi2) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable |
TheBushveld (fromAfrikaans:bosveld,Afrikaans:bos 'bush' andAfrikaans:veld) is asub-tropical woodlandecoregion ofSouthern Africa. The ecoregion straddles theTropic of Capricorn and constitutes the southern part of theZambezian region. It encompasses most ofLimpopo and a small part ofNorth West inSouth Africa, theCentral andNorth-East Districts ofBotswana and theMatabeleland South and part ofMatabeleland North provinces ofZimbabwe. TheKruger National Park has a number of 'Bushveld' camps,[1] but these are strictly speaking in thelowveld, as these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Although their limits are somewhat blurred,[2] lowveld is generally restricted to the more easterly parts of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The elevation of this region varies from 750 to 1,400 m and the annual rainfall ranges from 350 mm in the west to 600 mm in parts of the northeast. There are four significant mountain ranges in this region: theMagaliesberg which runs fromRustenburg in the west toBronkhorstspruit in the east and forms the southern border of the Bushveld; theDrakensbergescarpment that forms the eastern border of the Bushveld and runs fromTzaneen in the north toBelfast in the south; theWaterberg range that is in the middle of the Bushveld and theSoutpansberg range just north ofLouis Trichardt. The latter is the northernmost mountain range in South Africa.
As implied by the region's name, the Bushveld's grassy plains are dotted by dense clusters of trees and tall shrubs. The grasses found here are generally tall and turn brown or pale inwinter (May to August), which is the dry season throughout most of Southern Africa. The undisturbed portions of this habitat, such as much of theWaterberg Biosphere, are home to many largemammalspecies includingwhite rhino,black rhino,giraffe,blue wildebeest,kudu,impala and a variety of additionalantelope species and other game.
The Bushveld is one of the mostmineral-rich regions of the world. This is due to theBushveld igneous complex, an extremely rich saucer-shaped geological formation that stretches over more than 50,000 square kilometers. This formation contains most of the world's reserves of minerals such asandalusite,chromium,fluorspar,platinum andvanadium. The complex includes theMerensky Reef, which is the world's biggest source ofplatinum as well as platinum-group metals.
As most of the region tends to be dry, the Bushveld is mostlybeef cattle andgame farming country, with only a few drought-resistant crops such assorghum andmillet being farmed, usually underirrigation.
The termMiddleveld is sometimes used to describe land lying between an elevation of 600 and 1,200 m (2,000 and 3,900 ft)[3] and has been treated as synonymous with the termBushveld.[4]
Towns and cities in the region include:
