Notes from the KNP Workshop
Notes from the KNP Aquifer Dependent Ecosystem Workshop
30/03/04 – Skukuza – Science Network Meeting.
Approximately 40 participants attended the workshop, including:
Andrew Deacon (KNP); Bill Robertson (Mellon Foundation); Ed February (UCT); Freek Venter (KNP); Harry Biggs (KNP); Kevin Rogers (UW); Klaudia Schachtschneider (UCT); Louise Rademan (UCT); Mark Rountree (UW); Shaun Levick (UW); Shayne Jacobs (KNP); Susan Botha (UCT); Chris James (UW); Simon Lorentz (UKN); Stefanie Freitag (KNP); Thembi Khoza (KNP); William Bond (UCT); John Odiyo (UV); F Ramusiya (UV).
General background was given in a question and answer session following on from the talk presented at the meeting earlier in the day. Key questions included revisiting the definition of an ADE and discussions around dependency.
- No information was given on potential ADEs in other systems.
- One of the questions was on how much contact we have had, and how much info we have tried to get from Agricultural Departments on ADEs
- The systems with the potential to work on alluvial aquifers and basement aquifers were Limpopo - too altered; Levuvhu and Letaba - not well studied and both altered at least ito river flows; Shingwedzi is best option – Kevin Rogers and others.
- We need to be clear on what we actually want to learn from this work.
- Possible ADEs within the park include hot springs (high sulphur) in the basement (granite with dolerites); some are near the Shingwedzi; some near the western boundary have dried up in areas near where there is coal mining – Freek Venter.
- We need to get more information on the distribution of tree deaths during droughts; the available evidence indicates that this is localised and, at least in some cases, in situations in the landscape which may indicate GDEs. – Kevin Rogers
- The Sandveld area in the north-eastern part of the park may be worth looking at for indications of water-table dependent ecosystems – suggested we contact Braam van Wyk.
- Preliminary IFR estimated flows for the Letaba indicated high transmission losses as the water reaching the park was much less than specified in the IFRs – Kevin.
- We need to consider building management into our experimental design with control versus abstraction to distinguish natural background variation etc. from what the impacts of managed abstraction.