 Reference Base  An aerial survey of rhino and elephant in Chobe National ... |
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| Location: |
Africa - Southern Africa - Botswana |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
African Rhino Species |
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The survey area incorporated the Chobe National Park (CNP) (except the area north of the 18S) and the area between the northern border of the Moremi Game Reserve, and the Caprivi Strip, Namibia (Figure 1 A). With the exception of a few hills in the Savuti area, the flood plains of the Kwando and Linyanti rivers in the north and the Okavango delta to the south, the vast majority of the survey area was flat featureless (Figure 1). The perennial Kwando and Linyanti rivers formed the north western border of the survey area while the Khwai river (part of the okavango Delta) formed the southern border. The predominantly dry Savuti channel and Magwegqana (or Selinda spillway) run from the Linyanti swamps and Okavango delta, respectively. The former river periodically drained into the Savuti 'marsh', part of the larger Mababe Depression. Similarly, the ephemeral Ngwezumba river also drains into the Depression in exceptionally high rainfall years. Bisecting the study area is a sand ridge that runs from the northern side of the Mababe Depression, southwards to the eastern side of the Okavango delta.
The region receives between 400-800 mm of rain between October and March, with the greatest proportion falling in the latter half of the summer sea,;on. The remainder of the year is dry.
The vegetation consists predominantly of deciduous dry woodland and scattered grasslands on either Kalahari sands or shallower clay soils. The vegetation consists of open grasslands in association with large pans in the east. From this, a northern band of open stands of Baikiaca plurijuga, B urkea africana and Pterocarpus angolensis on deep Kalahari sands stretches to the western extreme of the study area. Large areas of the southern sections of the survey area, north of the Khwai river, consist of Colophospermum mopane on shallower soils with a higher clay component.
Along the Savuti channel large trees of Acacia crioloba, A.nilotica, A. nigrescens and Combretum itnberbe were found. The riparian vegetation along the Kwai, Linyanti and Kwando rivers appeared similar with stands of Kigelia africana, Ficus natalensis, A. nilotica, Hyphaene benguellensis and Phoenix reclinata in association with short green grazing lawns.
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