Ongoye Forest
Encyclopedia
Ongoye Forest is also known as Ngoye Forest or Ngoya Forest. It is situated on a granite
ridge
; inland from the town of Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa
.
) which has been extinct in the wild since the early 1900s.
It is home to an endemic subspecies of Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus ornatus), the endemic Woodward's Barbet (Stactolaema olivacea woodwardi), two undescribed Dwarf Chamaeleons similar to the Qudeni Dwarf Chamaeleon (Bradypodion nemorale) and the rare Forest Green Butterfly (Euryphura achlys
) and Ongoye Centipede (Cormocephalus grandulosis).
This forest is an important breeding area for the Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon (Columba delegorguei) and home to the endangered Spotted Ground Thrush (Zoothera guttata). At least 165 species of birds have been identified in the area.
Rare trees include Giant Umzimbeet (Millettia sutherlandia), Forest Mangosteen (Garcinia gerrardii), Forest Waterberry (Syzygium gerrardii), Giant Pock Ironwood (Chionanthus peglerae), Zulu Bead-string (Alchornea hirtella), Natal Krantz Ash (Atalaya natalensis
), Natal White Stinkwood (Celtis mildbraedii
) and the Pondo Fig (Ficus bizane).
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
; inland from the town of Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
History
The Zulu king Mpande is the first known person to have afforded protection to Ongoye Forest in the 1800s. Commercial logging occurred in the forest between 1909 and 1924. The area became an official conservation area in 1992.Significance
This ancient Coastal Scarp Forest is home to rare and endemic species. It was home to the giant Wood's Cycad (Encephalartos woodiiEncephalartos woodii
Wood's Cycad is a cycad in the genus Encephalartos, and is endemic to the Ongoye Forest of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is one of the rarest plants in the world, being extinct in the wild with all specimens being clones of the type...
) which has been extinct in the wild since the early 1900s.
It is home to an endemic subspecies of Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus ornatus), the endemic Woodward's Barbet (Stactolaema olivacea woodwardi), two undescribed Dwarf Chamaeleons similar to the Qudeni Dwarf Chamaeleon (Bradypodion nemorale) and the rare Forest Green Butterfly (Euryphura achlys
Euryphura achlys
Euryphura achlys , is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is known as the Forest Green Butterfly or Mottled-green Nymph. The southern most limit is Ongoye Forest, South Africa. It is also found in the forests of eastern Zimbabwe and in Mozambique and Kenya.The wingspan is 48-55 mm for males...
) and Ongoye Centipede (Cormocephalus grandulosis).
This forest is an important breeding area for the Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon (Columba delegorguei) and home to the endangered Spotted Ground Thrush (Zoothera guttata). At least 165 species of birds have been identified in the area.
Rare trees include Giant Umzimbeet (Millettia sutherlandia), Forest Mangosteen (Garcinia gerrardii), Forest Waterberry (Syzygium gerrardii), Giant Pock Ironwood (Chionanthus peglerae), Zulu Bead-string (Alchornea hirtella), Natal Krantz Ash (Atalaya natalensis
Atalaya natalensis
Atalaya natalensis is a species of plant in the Sapindaceae family. It is endemic to South Africa. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
), Natal White Stinkwood (Celtis mildbraedii
Celtis mildbraedii
Celtis mildbraedii is a species of forest tree in the Cannabaceae family. This species was previously assigned to the Ulmaceae family. These trees grow in limited areas of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. They are also found in forested areas from West Africa to Sudan, DRC, Angola and Tanzania...
) and the Pondo Fig (Ficus bizane).
External links
See also
- Forests of KwaZulu-NatalForests of KwaZulu-NatalAreas of forest grow in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa mostly on south facing slopes in higher rainfall areas, and along the humid coastal areas. Different types of forest can be identified by their species composition which depends mostly on the altitude, latitude and substrate in which they grow...