FOREST rK()(;Ki:ss IX riiK drakensb 



iJy John Spurgeon Henkel. 



15; 



{With tti'o text figures.) 



The publication in the Annals of the Natal Museum of the 

 two papers by Professor Bevvs, namely, " The Vegetation of 

 Natal" (May, 1912) and "An (Ideological Stirvey of the Mid- 

 lands of Natal, with special reference to the Pieterniaritzburg 

 District" (August. 1913), has stimulated interest in tlie general 

 ([uestion of cecology. 



The writer, during the mo'nth of March last, visited the 

 I)ortion of the Drakensberg situated in the neighbourhood of 

 Normandien. Newcastle Division, Province of Natal, more 

 particularly the area stirrounding the farm Mardenash. Nor- 

 mandien Pass, and northwards as far as Muller's Pass. 



The primary object of the visit was a stttdy of the forest 

 vegetation and its distribtition. and certain interesting observa- 

 tions were made in regard to forest growth, which arc briefly 

 recorded in this paper. 



The tract of country is the usual high veld formation, with 

 grasses predominating. For the most part it is used as winter 

 grazing for sheep, and is not occu])ied, generally speaking, in the 

 stimmer months. 



The geological formatio'.i is that of the Upper Beaufort 

 series. The altitude varies from 4,800 to over 6,000 feet. 



The soil for the most part is of a clayey nature, being shal- 

 low on the ridges and some^^•hat deeper in the valleys and 

 depressions. 



The area has a summer rainfall, which i> fairly heavy with 

 frequent fogs, and in winter snowfalls are not uncommon. 

 Snowstorms in winter occasionally do coinsiderablc damage b)- 

 breaking off branches of trees. 



The physical features in the neighbourhood described are 

 characterised by numerous terraces crowned 1)\- j)recipitous 

 ground and small krantzes, and an absence of the bold precipices 

 met with elsewhere in the Drakensberg Range of moimtains. 



At the foot of krantzes and in deep kloofs and sheltered 

 slopes having an eastern, south-eastern, or southern aspect are 

 to be found numerous small patches of close-type forest, varying 

 from less than one acre to several hundred acres in extent. 



The accessible forests have, in past years, been heavily 

 worked, and most timber of merchantal)le size extracted. At 

 the present time the most abundant timber species are the 

 following :— 



Podocarpus Thunbergii about 40 per cent. 



Ollnia cyinosa 20 per cent. 



Myrsine mchvioplileos 10 per cent. 



Royena Ineida 10 per cent. 



Celastrus peduncuhris 5 P^'' '-"^"^• 



A 



