Richtersveld September 2011 *

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Halfmens – a living legend

The Nama people have a beautiful story to explain how Halfmens plants were created.
It is said that the ancient were driven away from their birth land by invading tribes. They fled from Namibia southward to the Richtersveld and God turned them into these half human trees, being half-plant and half-human. It filled them with grief, and some of the people looked back. That’s why the ‘head’ of these trees always faces the north and is a reminder of those people looking longingly towards the beloved land they left behind. And now they stand in the Richtersveld, rooted to the spot, stranded, and look north to their beloved home, forever thwarting the hope of going back.


Pachypodium namaguanum is a spiny tree succulent with a spont of leaves on top of the head. It grows on shady, southern slopes in the Richtersveld and indeed the head always leans towards the north.The waxy rosette of leaves on the haed is the plant’s energy source, absorbing sun light and water. Halfmens grow up to 5m tall and develop mainly in winter, when they sprout the flowers.They grow extremely slowly (only 2-3mm per year), but reach a height of 3m when mature.








A close-up of a Halfmen in bloom





You might think I am crazy, but to this special halfmen plant I have a close relationship, it has a special place in my heart and it is one of the reasons for the longing to the Richtersveld. I always feel the need to go back and see this specimen and want to know how it is doing.
This year it looked beautiful again and had grown a little bit taller than three years before.

In September 2011






In September 2008 with a flowering head

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Quiver Tree in the Springbokvlakte dying

Aloe dichotoma is threatened by the effects of climate change. Researchers in South Africa have shown that its distribution has shrunk during the last century and it has not yet been found in areas expected to become suitable with the changing climate. They are dying en masse due to unusually severe droughts caused by climate change.
Listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the quiver tree and other desert species may already be close to their limits of tolerance of global warming.


Spetember 2005




September 2008




September 2011

http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/speci ... change.pdf

Weather station records from across the Quiver Tree’s range show that average temperatures in the region have increased over past decades. Regional climate predictions suggest accelerating temperature increases and rainfall decreases in the near future. Because they live so long (approximately 350 years) and continue to grow larger throughout their lives, Quiver Trees provide an invaluable living record of past climatic events. By examining the sizes of trees in a Quiver Tree population, it is possible to estimate when the infrequent wet periods suitable for seedling survival occurred. In addition, because the decay of dead trees happens slowly in the hot, dry desert conditions, the number of tree deaths can be reasonably accurately recorded. This makes Quiver Trees ideal for examining the ongoing impacts of climate change.
Distribution range shift:
By 2001, large die-offs of Quiver Trees were occurring, generating concern amongst the people of Namibia and South Africa. Scientists found that most of these die-offs were occurring in the hotter equator-ward areas of the Quiver Tree’s range, and that these were most likely to be caused by drought stress. In contrast, populations on the pole-ward range areas and at the tops of high mountains were growing and reproducing.
Species are known to respond to climatic warming by shifting their ranges closer to higher latitudes and higher altitudes, where conditions are typically cooler and moister. For mobile species, this is apparent as individuals migrate away, but for plants and other immobile organisms, individuals that are ‘left behind’ by their shifting ranges are unlikely to reproduce successfully and eventually die.

Does anyone care?

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Here is a map from the research document by Foden

The population of Augrabies is marked as yellow, the population of Richtersveld is marked as red

http://www4.nau.edu/direnet/publication ... n-2007.pdf

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White quartz scattered on the ground like snow

I am fascinated by strange plants. They bewitch me and here is one that amazes me endlessly.
Tiny little branches reach upwards, coral shapes glow bright white, covered with bizarre papery scales. These scales are actually modified leaf parts to protect the tender stems and leaves from dehydration. All Avonia are dwarf plants and live in quartz sands.

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Critically Endangered: Aloe pillansii








The bastard quiver tree (Aloe pillansii) can be up to ten metres tall; there are only a few branches high up on the trunk and reaching skywards, whilst the leaves tend to droop down. The species, along with A. dichotoma and Pachypodium namaquanum, represents a keystone in the ecosystem, being one of the few perennial plants able to tolerate the conditions. It is an important source of shelter, nectar, food and moisture, especially to the avifauna.
With probably fewer than 200 individuals alive in the biodiversity hotspot of the Succulent Karoo, populations are declining and thus threatened with extinction. There is no recruitment and the older plants are dying.
The species is threatened by mining (Rosh Pinah) in Namibia. It is damaged from blasting and chemicals. The species is threatened by goats (browsing and trampling) in the Richtersveld at Cornell’s Kop, at Stinkfontein and Basterfontein. Due to overgrazing by goats, all cover has been lost, hence seedlings of this species are unable to survive exposure to full sun and heat.
In the Richtersveld, the roughly 100 ha Cornell's Kop is home to a population. There are currently 75 individuals alive at this site. Of these, 44% are seedlings, 4% are juveniles and 52% are adults, taller than 3 m.
Since 1937 an average of 1.4% of the smaller juvenile plants up to 3 m in height has died annually. At this rate all the remaining 39 plants on Cornell's Kop in this size class will be dead in 71 years. The loss of plants in the 1-3 m size classes can be explained by several factors, including animal damage. Annual growth rates decrease as plants age. Plants up to 1 m in height grow at 42.5 mm/year, while plants 1-3 m and those taller than 3 m grow at 31.0 and 16.4 mm/year.
The tallest plant on Cornell's Kop is 8m tall and could be as old as 382 years.
The relatively high proportion of seedlings suggests that conditions have recently been good for recruitment at this site. But the loss of six seedlings from the population in the last 5 years, probably due to grazing, suggests that without intervention this species will not survive on Cornell's Kop.

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Why are there goats in the park?





A bit of history ….

The Richtersveld National Park was proclaimed in 1991 after 18 years of negotiation between the National Park Board and the local Nama people. The park is now managed jointly by the local community and the South African Parks. The Nama people, who lease the land to the board, continue to live and graze their livestock in the area.

Conservationists had seen the ecological significance of the Richtersveld during the apartheid time, when the Richtersveld was a reserve for coloured people under the control of the Richtersveld Management Board. But the presence of the Nama in the area discounted the conventional approach, until in 1973 an amendment to the National Parks Act permitted the creation of a national park as a contractual park in agreement with landowners. Now it was possible to establish a park that was not state controlled and for use by the resident communities.
Then discussions started and the National Parks Board enforced the efforts to create the Richtersveld National Park. State departments agreed to establish the contractual park in 1988 without the involvement of the local communities. In 1989 the contract for the national park was to be signed between the National Parks Board and the House of Representatives. But the resident community applied to the Supreme Court and forced the Parks Board into negotiations with the community. The stakeholders discussed the following issues:
(1) Denial of property rights to the community
(2) To hire the area for a 100 year period
(3) Access for stock farmers within the park
(4) Tradiononal customs to be allowed in the park (traditional huts, use of medical plants and food from the field)
The Richtersveld National Park was proclaimed in 1991. The community as the landowner received direct financial benefits from the park and was involved in the management of the land and the tourism. The park was to be hired for 30 years. The use of land was limited, stockfarmers were allowed to have 6000 small livestock in the park. Communities were allowed to use medical plants, poles for huts, etc. Community representatives serve on the Management committee of the park. A management plan had to be developed: http://sanparks.org.za/assets/docs/cons ... _plans.pdf
It was a difficult agreement, among the issues where stock farming, dogs in the park and employment opportunities.

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I am keen to visit the park again next year and would like to know more about the excess route from Helskloof gate to De Hoop / Richtersberg. When we visited the park in 2006 this route was closed due to rain. We had used this as an exit route in 2002 and found it easier than Akkedis pass.

Was it open when you visited and how do you rate it versus Akkedis pass when entering at Sendelingsdrift?

I never did the drive via Hellskloof into the park, only left via that road. The most impressive thing there are the red aloes near Paradysberg and the vistas. For 4x4 lovers this is a boring ride, you put the car in low range 2nd and let the vehicle go up all the way and enjoy the stunning scenery.
The rangers and camp attendents always take this route into the park, because it is less time to drive that way.
But you have to book in at Sendlingsdrift first, then go back to the Hellskloof Gate and do it, should not be a problem, if not wet.

But I think Akkedis also is not a callenge (not even for not experienced drivers), there are only some narrow places where you have to be careful not to damage the tyre side walls.
But it is a must if you want to see the Halfmens.

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Don't expect to see many Welwitschia in the Richtersveld ...

Did you see any Welwitchia?

Hi Poplap, of course I have seen Welwitchias , though not in the Richtersveld. If you go to Swakopmund, take Welwitschia drive that starts 50 km east of Swakopmund. There you will find some nice ones. And then you can have a look at some lovely dunes as well.







It is a fascinating plant!!!
Welwitschia mirabilis is a succulent plant can live up to 1,500 years and is only found in a strip of land in the Namibia Desert comprising part of Namibia and Angola. It is limited in distribution to the desert or desert margin along the south-west. This land strip is about 1000 km long and stretches from the Kuiseb River, just south of Walvis Bay in Namibia (latitude 20–24°S), to the Nicolau River in Angola (latitude 15–16°S). While some dispersed populations are found 200 kilometres inland, the majority of specimens are situated within 80 kilometres of the coast.

It consists of 2 leaves that grow continuously, a stem base and roots. It is thought to be a relic from the Jurassic Period and it has changed very little since then.

It can survive on moisture from fog and dew. Its habitat is extremely arid - annual rainfall is 10–100 mm during the summer, but some years there is no rain at all. This plant grows on gravel or rocky ground and has a long taproot to take underground water. The fog contributes with about 50 mm dew a year.
This plant can stand extreme temperature fluctuations between 7°C at night up to 50°C during the day.

It normally grows to about 50 cm in height. The largest specimen is found in the Messum Mountains and is 1.8 m tall, and another on the Welwitschia Flats near the Swakop River is 1.2 m high and 8.7 m wide. Most of the larger welwitschias are 500-600 years old, but some specimens are thought to be 2000 years old.

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A wonderful shrub: Ceraria namaquensis

Take it slow through Akkedis Pass and stop for this bushes. Also the baboons and other planteaters like these bushes and come often for a tasty morsel







Ceraria namaquensis, or Namaqua porkbush or Wolftoon, is native to South Africa and Namibia. It grows as solitary individuals in sandy hollows or rocky crevices. This ensures they catch water run-off in a habitat where there is competition for the small amount of water available. Other adaptations to the hot, dry conditions are the swollen stems and succulent leaves. It as a relative to the Eastern cape Spekboom.
It is a rather large woody stemmed desert shrub, 1.3 to 1.8 m tall high, can reach 3 m in height, I has many tiny short, spiky, succulent leaves in clusters along the stem. While the plant can be evergreen, it is drought-deciduous, which means it may drop leaves in extreme drought conditions. Small pink flowers are produced in the early summer (October to November).

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Desert Adders

Several small adders are found in the Richtersveld. They all belong to the genus Bitis and all are venomous and well-camouflaged. They mostly feed on lizards. Bitis species can inflate and deflate the bodies with loud hissing sounds and puffing threat displays. They are all viviparous.
The puff adder is widespread, the horned adder occurs in sandy areas, the desert mountain adder is found along the Orange river on mountain slopes and rocky hillsides, the many-horned adder often burrows in the sand and only the horns are visible. The Namaqua dwarf adder lives on the costal dunes.



The horned adder is distinguished by the single hornlike scale above each eye. The head is triangular and distinct from the body. The maximum recorded length for males is 37 cm and 54 cm for females. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled. The basic colour varies from pale grey, light reddish, greyish to dark brown.
Mating takes place in spring to early summer and 4 to 15 young are born in between December and February.
Although the poison is effective and quick acting on rodents, its effect on humans is mild, causing a local swelling and sometimes some necrosis at the bite site.