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Nyl River
The Nyl River ( af, Nylrivier) is a watercourse in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It flows at the head of the Mogalakwena River, being its southernmost tributary or uppermost section. It is located near Mookgophong (Naboomspruit) in the northern part of the Springbok Flats, a particular geological formation. The name of the Nyl River originated in the word for "Nile". In the 1860s, a group of pious and enthusiastic Dutch Voortrekkers known as the ''Jerusalemgangers'', saw the large flooded plain with its wide river flowing lazily northwards and were under the impression that they had arrived at the mighty ''Nylrivier'', the Nile river. They settled the place and founded a town in 1866, calling it ''Nylstroom''. Course The Nyl river is fed mostly by smaller tributaries flowing from the Waterberg Massif that flow roughly northeastwards into a wide and shallow plain with a very feeble gradient. The main stream is known as Groot Nyl and has its sources to the east of Bela-Bela (Warm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Afrikaans Language
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch dialects, Dutch vernacular of Holland, Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and Slavery in South Africa, their enslaved people. Afrikaans gradually began to develop distinguishing characteristics during the course of the 18th century. Now spoken in South Africa, Namibia and (to a lesser extent) Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, estimates circa 2010 of the total number of Afrikaans speakers range between 15 and 23 million. Most linguists consider Afrikaans to be a partly creole language. An estimated 90 to 95% of the vocabulary is of Dutch origin with adopted words from other languages including German language, German and the Khoisan languages of Southern Africa. Differences between Afrikaans and Dutch, Differences with Dutch include a more analytic language, analytic-type Morphology (linguistics), morphology ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nylsvlei
Nylsvley Nature Reserve is a protected area, lying on the seasonally-inundated floodplain of the Nyl River, the uppermost section of the Mogalakwena River which has a very shallow gradient. It is located near Mookgophong in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. This area has been declared a Ramsar wetland site because of its international conservation importance. The floodplain is made up of extensive reedbeds and grassveld surrounded by open woodland. Situated in the upper catchment area of the Nyl River, and covering about 20% of the floodplain, the area boasts some 370 bird species - of which more than 100 are waterfowl - and during peak floods, over 80,000 birds are to be seen. The reserve is also home to roan antelope and tsessebe. The only stands of wild rice in South Africa, ''Oryza longistaminata'', are to be found here. The name 'Nylsvley' originated in vlei, a pan or seasonally flooded area, and in the word for "Nile". In the 1860s, a Voortrekker group of farmers sa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drainage Basin A
Drainage Basin A, is one of the drainage basins of South Africa. The main river in this system is the Limpopo River. It is subdivided into 9 sub-drainage basins. * A1 is situated along the Botswana border, and is again divided into 3 river basins ** A10A covers the Ngotwane River up to and including the Ngotwane Dam ** A10B covers the Notwane River up to the border with Botswana and it joins the Taung River in Botswana, just before it drains into the Gaborone Dam ** A10C covers the Segakwane River before it crosses the border with Botswana. * A2 has the Marico River as main river system. ** A21A covers the Hennops River and Rietvlei River up to and including the Rietvlei Dam * A3 has the Crocodile River as main river system and divided into 11 river basins. Situated off northwest Gauteng and Limpopo province. ** A31A ** A32A ** A32B ** A32C covers the Brakfonteinspruit until it drains into the Molatedi Dam, as well as a short section of the Raswue River, before ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramsar Wetland Of International Importance
This is the list of Wetlands of International Importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation movement, conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. The convention establishes that "wetlands should be selected for the list on account of their international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology or hydrology." Over the years, the Conference of the Contracting Parties has adopted more specific criteria interpreting the convention text. The Ramsar List organizes the Ramsar sites according to the contracting party that designated each to the list. Contracting parties are grouped into six "regions": Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin American and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania. , 170 states have acceded to the convention and designated 2,471 sites to the list, covering ; two other states have acceded to the conventi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nylsvley Nature Reserve
Nylsvley Nature Reserve is a protected area, lying on the seasonally-inundated floodplain of the Nyl River, the uppermost section of the Mogalakwena River which has a very shallow gradient. It is located near Mookgophong in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. This area has been declared a Ramsar wetland site because of its international conservation importance. The floodplain is made up of extensive reedbeds and grassveld surrounded by open woodland. Situated in the upper catchment area of the Nyl River, and covering about 20% of the floodplain, the area boasts some 370 bird species - of which more than 100 are waterfowl - and during peak floods, over 80,000 birds are to be seen. The reserve is also home to roan antelope and tsessebe. The only stands of wild rice in South Africa, ''Oryza longistaminata'', are to be found here. The name 'Nylsvley' originated in vlei, a pan or seasonally flooded area, and in the word for "Nile". In the 1860s, a Voortrekker group of farmers saw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aquatic Bird
A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabirds that habitat, inhabit marine habitats, marine environments. Some water birds (e.g. wader, wading birds) are more terrestrial while others (e.g. Anseriformes, waterfowls) are more aquatic, and their adaptations will vary depending on their environment. These adaptations include webbed feet, beaks, and legs adapted to feed in the water, and the ability to dive from the surface or the air to catch prey in water. The term ''aquatic bird'' is sometimes also used in this context. A related term that has a narrower meaning is Anseriformes, waterfowl. Some piscivorous birds of prey, such as ospreys and sea eagles, hunt aquatic prey but do not stay in water for long and lives predominantly over dry land, and are not considered water birds. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecosystem
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the system through photosynthesis and is incorporated into plant tissue. By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present. By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and microbes. Ecosystems are controlled by external and internal factors. External factors such as climate, parent material which forms the soil and topography, control the overall structure of an ecosystem but are not themselves influenced by the ecosystem. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from terrestrial land forms or Body of water, water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique anoxic hydric soils. Wetlands are considered among the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal species. Methods for assessing wetland functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been developed for many regions of the world. These methods have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising public awareness of the functions some wetlands provide. Wetlands occur naturally on every continent. The water in wetlands is either freshwater, brackish or seawater, saltwater. The main w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Modimolle
Modimolle, also known as Nylstroom, is a town located near the southern edge of the Waterberg Massif in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is a medium-sized town that focuses primarily on agriculture and farming (citrus, grapes and cattle) as well as wildlife and tourism. Nylstroom is also located approximately north of Pretoria, South Africa's capital city. The Waterberg Biosphere spreading north, a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve, contains approximately . Waterberg is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The extensive rock formation was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte landform.C.Michael Hogan, Mark L. Cooke and Helen Murray, ''The Waterberg Biosphere'', Lumina Technologies, May 22, 2006. The ecosystem can be characterised as a dry deciduous forest or Bushveld. History In the 1860s, a group of Voortrekkers known as the ''Jerusalem Trekkers'' set of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intermittent Lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger oceans, they do form part of the Earth's water cycle. Lakes are distinct from lagoons, which are generally coastal parts of the ocean. Lakes are typically larger and deeper than ponds, which also lie on land, though there are no official or scientific definitions. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which usually flow in a channel on land. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams. Natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas, rift zones, and areas with ongoing glaciation. Other lakes are found in endorheic basins or along the courses of mature rivers, where a river channel has widened into a basin. Some parts of the world have many lakes formed by the chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last ice ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
