2019-04-01_Wildlife_Ranching_Magazine

igure3:SouthAfrica:Annual otal ainfall(mm)– period 1904 to2018.

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Deviation

(°C)

Year

eye on the weather | management

While wildlife ranching provides alternative land-use

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Figure 2: Mean temperature deviation of climate stations from 1951 to 2017 (base period: 1981 to

2010). SAWS

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ildlife ranching has

both an economic and

social impact in South

Africa, which ranges

from ecotourism, hunting-related

activities and meat production (food

security) to employment and the

protection of wildlife species.

The graphs herewith, provided

by the South African Weather

Service, indicate the increase in

mean temperatures measured at 26

climate stations in South Africa, from

1951 to 2018, measured against

the base period 1981 to 2010. (See

figure 2). Furthermore, the country-

wide total annual rainfall for most of

this decade has been less than the

mean, with 2015 being specifically

dry (see figure 3). These figures

confirm the standard precipitation

index for the past two years and

indicate clearly that most areas in

South Africa range from somewhat

dry to extremely dry, with the central

areas of the country being most

severely affected. (See figure 4). >>

Thepurposeofthisarticle

is tocomparetherainfall

amountsreceivedoverthepast

persistentdroughtseasonsin

areaswherewildliferanching

is mostlypracticed.These

typicallyincludethebushveld-

typeareasin Limpopo,

Mpumalanga,NorthWest,the

FreeState,northernareasof

KwaZulu-Natal,theNorthern

CapeandtheEasternKaroo.

Themapin figure1 indicates

biomeswherewildliferanching

is prevalent.