World Species : Protected Area : Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Location:	Free State, South Africa
IUCN Category:	II
Area:	28,689 acres (11,610 hectares)
Species:	All Endangered Invasive
Website:	View website
Climate:	View Climate Data
Land Use:	View Land Use Data
Köppen climate classification:	Cwb (Climate: warm temperate; Precipitation: winter dry; Temperature: warm summer)

Ecoregions

Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands
Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests
Highveld grasslands

Soils

— Protected Area Boundary

	A					B						C						D			E				F

Share	17 %	17 %	32 %	17 %	17 %	45 %	16 %	6 %	17 %	5 %	11 %	35 %	11 %	23 %	18 %	7 %	6 %	60 %	20 %	20 %	51 %	25 %	13 %	11 %	60 %	20 %	20 %
Soil Type	Lithosols	Lithosols	Chromic Cambisols	Luvisols	Luvisols	Eutric Leptosols	Haplic Acrisols	Eutric Fluvisols	Lithic Leptosols	Chromic Luvisols	Eutric Leptosols	Plinthic Acrisols	Eutric Regosols	Eutric Regosols	Plinthic Acrisols	Haplic Luvisols	Dystric Planosols	Lithic Leptosols	Lithic Leptosols	Mollic Leptosols	Haplic Lixisols	Haplic Phaeozems	Haplic Lixisols	Haplic Luvisols	Lithic Leptosols	Lithic Leptosols	Mollic Leptosols
Topsoil Texture	Medium	Fine	Fine	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium
Reference Depth	10 cm	10 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	30 cm	100 cm	100 cm	10 cm	100 cm	30 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	10 cm	10 cm	30 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	100 cm	10 cm	10 cm	30 cm
Drainage	Imperfectly	Imperfectly	Moderately well	Moderately well	Moderately well	Imperfectly	Moderately well	Moderately well	Imperfectly	Moderately well	Imperfectly	Poor	Moderately well	Moderately well	Poor	Moderately well	Poor	Imperfectly	Imperfectly	Imperfectly	Moderately well	Moderately well	Moderately well	Moderately well	Imperfectly	Imperfectly	Imperfectly
Available Water Capacity	15 mm	15 mm	150 m	150 m	150 m	50 mm	150 m	150 m	15 mm	150 m	50 mm	150 m	150 m	150 m	150 m	150 m	150 m	15 mm	15 mm	50 mm	150 m	150 m	150 m	150 m	15 mm	15 mm	50 mm
Topsoil Properties
Gravel	26 %	4 %	3 %	5 %	5 %	20 %	1 %	1 %	20 %	1 %	20 %	1 %	30 %	30 %	1 %	1 %	1 %	20 %	20 %	20 %	1 %	1 %	1 %	1 %	20 %	20 %	20 %
Sand	43 %	28 %	20 %	48 %	48 %	50 %	57 %	44 %	43 %	51 %	50 %	51 %	69 %	69 %	51 %	54 %	54 %	43 %	43 %	44 %	63 %	34 %	63 %	54 %	43 %	43 %	44 %
Silt	34 %	25 %	30 %	30 %	30 %	30 %	19 %	33 %	29 %	22 %	30 %	24 %	19 %	19 %	24 %	25 %	28 %	29 %	29 %	32 %	15 %	35 %	15 %	25 %	29 %	29 %	32 %
Clay	23 %	47 %	50 %	22 %	22 %	20 %	24 %	23 %	28 %	27 %	20 %	25 %	12 %	12 %	25 %	21 %	18 %	28 %	28 %	24 %	22 %	31 %	22 %	21 %	28 %	28 %	24 %
USDA Texture	Loam	Clay	Clay	Loam	Loam	Loam	Sandy clay loam	Loam	Clay loam	Sandy clay loam	Loam	Sandy clay loam	Sandy loam	Sandy loam	Sandy clay loam	Sandy clay loam	Sandy loam	Clay loam	Clay loam	Loam	Sandy clay loam	Clay loam	Sandy clay loam	Sandy clay loam	Clay loam	Clay loam	Loam
Reference Bulk Density	1.39 g/cm³	1.26 g/cm³	1.23 g/cm³	1.41 g/cm³	1.41 g/cm³	1.42 g/cm³	1.41 g/cm³	1.39 g/cm³	1.36 g/cm³	1.38 g/cm³	1.42 g/cm³	1.39 g/cm³	1.53 g/cm³	1.53 g/cm³	1.39 g/cm³	1.42 g/cm³	1.44 g/cm³	1.36 g/cm³	1.36 g/cm³	1.38 g/cm³	1.43 g/cm³	1.33 g/cm³	1.43 g/cm³	1.42 g/cm³	1.36 g/cm³	1.36 g/cm³	1.38 g/cm³
Bulk Density	1.3 g/cm³	1.4 g/cm³	1.23 g/cm³	1.45 g/cm³	1.45 g/cm³	1.35 g/cm³	1.4 g/cm³	1.33 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³	1.45 g/cm³	1.35 g/cm³	1.41 g/cm³	1.17 g/cm³	1.17 g/cm³	1.41 g/cm³	1.43 g/cm³	1.4 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³	1.11 g/cm³	1.48 g/cm³	1.29 g/cm³	1.48 g/cm³	1.43 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³	1.11 g/cm³
Organic Carbon	1.4 %	2.3 %	1.43 %	0.8 %	0.8 %	0.72 %	0.8 %	0.73 %	0.39 %	0.63 %	0.72 %	0.8 %	0.45 %	0.45 %	0.8 %	0.6 %	0.71 %	0.39 %	0.39 %	1.67 %	0.6 %	1.75 %	0.6 %	0.6 %	0.39 %	0.39 %	1.67 %
PH	7.6	7.5	6.8	6.3	6.3	6.5	5.1	7	7.5	6.4	6.5	4.8	6.5	6.5	4.8	6.5	4.8	7.5	7.5	7.2	6.1	6.5	6.1	6.5	7.5	7.5	7.2
Clay Cation Exchange Capacity	42 cmol kg⁻¹	12 cmol kg⁻¹	35 cmol kg⁻¹	36 cmol kg⁻¹	36 cmol kg⁻¹	49 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	50 cmol kg⁻¹	51 cmol kg⁻¹	31 cmol kg⁻¹	49 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	36 cmol kg⁻¹	36 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	41 cmol kg⁻¹	18 cmol kg⁻¹	51 cmol kg⁻¹	51 cmol kg⁻¹	66 cmol kg⁻¹	15 cmol kg⁻¹	50 cmol kg⁻¹	15 cmol kg⁻¹	41 cmol kg⁻¹	51 cmol kg⁻¹	51 cmol kg⁻¹	66 cmol kg⁻¹
Soil Cation Exchange Capacity	15 cmol kg⁻¹	35 cmol kg⁻¹	21 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	12 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	14 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	10 cmol kg⁻¹	12 cmol kg⁻¹	6 cmol kg⁻¹	6 cmol kg⁻¹	6 cmol kg⁻¹	6 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	6 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	22 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	22 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	22 cmol kg⁻¹
Base Saturation	100 %	45 %	91 %	91 %	91 %	87 %	51 %	91 %	100 %	85 %	87 %	44 %	88 %	88 %	44 %	89 %	40 %	100 %	100 %	99 %	85 %	89 %	85 %	89 %	100 %	100 %	99 %
Total Exchangeable Bases	15.6 cmol kg⁻¹	5.8 cmol kg⁻¹	20.8 cmol kg⁻¹	9.4 cmol kg⁻¹	9.4 cmol kg⁻¹	10.4 cmol kg⁻¹	2.6 cmol kg⁻¹	12.7 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	8.5 cmol kg⁻¹	10.4 cmol kg⁻¹	2.6 cmol kg⁻¹	5.3 cmol kg⁻¹	5.3 cmol kg⁻¹	2.6 cmol kg⁻¹	9.8 cmol kg⁻¹	2.4 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	21.8 cmol kg⁻¹	4.3 cmol kg⁻¹	19.6 cmol kg⁻¹	4.3 cmol kg⁻¹	9.8 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	16 cmol kg⁻¹	21.8 cmol kg⁻¹
Calcium Carbonate	3.9 %	1.4 %	0.1 %	0 %	0 %	0.8 %	0 %	1.5 %	3.1 %	0.5 %	0.8 %	0 %	1 %	1 %	0 %	0.5 %	0 %	3.1 %	3.1 %	3.7 %	0.5 %	0.7 %	0.5 %	0.5 %	3.1 %	3.1 %	3.7 %
Calcium Sulphate	0 %	0 %	0 %	0 %	0 %	0.1 %	0 %	0.1 %	0.1 %	0 %	0.1 %	0 %	0.1 %	0.1 %	0 %	0 %	0 %	0.1 %	0.1 %	0.1 %	0 %	0 %	0 %	0 %	0.1 %	0.1 %	0.1 %
Exchangeable Sodium	4 %	1 %	1 %	1 %	1 %	2 %	2 %	2 %	1 %	2 %	2 %	2 %	3 %	3 %	2 %	2 %	2 %	1 %	1 %	1 %	2 %	1 %	2 %	2 %	1 %	1 %	1 %
Electrical Conductivity	0.1 dS m-1	0.4 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.4 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.4 dS m-1	0.4 dS m-1	0.2 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.4 dS m-1	0.4 dS m-1	0.2 dS m-1
Subsoil Properties
Gravel			4 %	8 %	8 %		1 %	1 %		1 %		1 %	30 %	30 %	1 %	1 %	1 %				1 %	1 %	1 %	1 %
Sand			20 %	40 %	40 %		48 %	45 %		45 %		40 %	70 %	70 %	40 %	49 %	40 %				53 %	36 %	53 %	49 %
Silt			29 %	28 %	28 %		17 %	31 %		21 %		22 %	17 %	17 %	22 %	24 %	23 %				13 %	35 %	13 %	24 %
Clay			51 %	32 %	32 %		35 %	24 %		34 %		38 %	13 %	13 %	38 %	27 %	37 %				34 %	29 %	34 %	27 %
USDA Texture			Clay	Clay loam	Clay loam		Sandy clay	Loam		Clay loam		Clay loam	Sandy loam	Sandy loam	Clay loam	Sandy clay loam	Clay loam				Sandy clay loam	Clay loam	Sandy clay loam	Sandy clay loam
Reference Bulk Density			1.23 g/cm³	1.34 g/cm³	1.34 g/cm³		1.34 g/cm³	1.38 g/cm³		1.33 g/cm³		1.31 g/cm³	1.52 g/cm³	1.52 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³	1.38 g/cm³	1.31 g/cm³				1.35 g/cm³	1.34 g/cm³	1.35 g/cm³	1.38 g/cm³
Bulk Density			1.38 g/cm³	1.51 g/cm³	1.51 g/cm³		1.4 g/cm³	1.4 g/cm³		1.5 g/cm³		1.47 g/cm³	1.29 g/cm³	1.29 g/cm³	1.47 g/cm³	1.51 g/cm³	1.46 g/cm³				1.44 g/cm³	1.36 g/cm³	1.44 g/cm³	1.51 g/cm³
Organic Carbon			0.6 %	0.35 %	0.35 %		0.36 %	0.32 %		0.35 %		0.35 %	0.21 %	0.21 %	0.35 %	0.26 %	0.32 %				0.32 %	0.66 %	0.32 %	0.26 %
PH			7.2	6.4	6.4		5	7.3		6.5		4.8	6.8	6.8	4.8	6.7	4.8				5.8	6.9	5.8	6.7
Clay Cation Exchange Capacity			33 cmol kg⁻¹	38 cmol kg⁻¹	38 cmol kg⁻¹		10 cmol kg⁻¹	48 cmol kg⁻¹		31 cmol kg⁻¹		11 cmol kg⁻¹	36 cmol kg⁻¹	36 cmol kg⁻¹	11 cmol kg⁻¹	43 cmol kg⁻¹	18 cmol kg⁻¹				12 cmol kg⁻¹	63 cmol kg⁻¹	12 cmol kg⁻¹	43 cmol kg⁻¹
Soil Cation Exchange Capacity			23 cmol kg⁻¹	13 cmol kg⁻¹	13 cmol kg⁻¹		5 cmol kg⁻¹	13 cmol kg⁻¹		12 cmol kg⁻¹		5 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	13 cmol kg⁻¹	8 cmol kg⁻¹				5 cmol kg⁻¹	21 cmol kg⁻¹	5 cmol kg⁻¹	13 cmol kg⁻¹
Base Saturation			97 %	92 %	92 %		35 %	94 %		84 %		31 %	81 %	81 %	31 %	91 %	45 %				77 %	97 %	77 %	91 %
Total Exchangeable Bases			19.5 cmol kg⁻¹	10.4 cmol kg⁻¹	10.4 cmol kg⁻¹		1.8 cmol kg⁻¹	12.2 cmol kg⁻¹		10.1 cmol kg⁻¹		1.6 cmol kg⁻¹	4.1 cmol kg⁻¹	4.1 cmol kg⁻¹	1.6 cmol kg⁻¹	11.8 cmol kg⁻¹	3.6 cmol kg⁻¹				3.9 cmol kg⁻¹	20.4 cmol kg⁻¹	3.9 cmol kg⁻¹	11.8 cmol kg⁻¹
Calcium Carbonate			0.5 %	0 %	0 %		0 %	2 %		0.6 %		0 %	1 %	1 %	0 %	0.9 %	0 %				0.1 %	1.5 %	0.1 %	0.9 %
Calcium Sulphate			0 %	0 %	0 %		0 %	0.1 %		0 %		0 %	0.1 %	0.1 %	0 %	0.1 %	0 %				0 %	0.1 %	0 %	0.1 %
Exchangeable Sodium			1 %	1 %	1 %		2 %	2 %		1 %		2 %	3 %	3 %	2 %	1 %	3 %				3 %	1 %	3 %	1 %
Electrical Conductivity			0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1		0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1		0 dS m-1		0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0 dS m-1				0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1	0 dS m-1	0.1 dS m-1

Soil data provided by FAO/IIASA/ISRIC/ISSCAS/JRC, 2012. Harmonized World Soil Database (version 1.2). FAO, Rome, Italy and IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria.

Köppen climate classification provided by Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel, 2006: World Map of Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification updated. Meteorol. Z., 15, 259-263