MT GILBOA

The proposed Mt Gilboa Nature Reserve will be located on the Gilboa Estate, a property of Mondi Shanduka Newsprint, situated in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. Being Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited, Mondi Shaduka Newsprint is a timber company who manages their properties and timber production according to the FSC principles of management. A portion of the Gilboa Estate has been identified as being of conservation significance and will be declared a Nature Reserve under the KZN Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.

The principle reason for the Nature Reserve proclamation is the contributions the property makes to vegetation and species targets for the province. Mount Gilboa Nature Reserve contains 283 ha of “Endangered” Midlands Mistbelt Grassland and contributes a further 0.22% to the provincial target for this vegetation type; 141 ha of “Endangered” Mooi River Highland Grassland and contributes a further 0.63% to the provincial target for this vegetation type; and 1183 ha of “Vulnerable” Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland, contributing a further 0.98% to the provincial target for this vegetation type. Associated with this mosaic of vegetation types and wetlands, is an important breeding population of the “critically endangered” Wattled Crane, as well as other threatened and endangered species of both fauna and typical of the KZN midlands area.

The property is strategically vital for water production in the province. The property contains the headwaters (catchment areas) of 3 important river systems: the headwaters of the Umvoti River, the Myamvubu River which flows into the Mooi River, and the Mholweni River which flows into the Umgeni River. Associated with these river systems are extensive functional peat wetlands, which provide significant wetland functions and services, including water purification and flood attenuation.

The Mount Gilboa Nature Reserve furthermore, provides the opportunity to improve the management of open, natural areas on the Mondi Shanduka Newsprint forestry estate, enhancing ecosystem management, and acting as a flagship for improved land management in the forestry industry, thereby adding to the improvement of biodiversity in the area.