Assessment of carrying capacity

The number of herbivores that a natural savanna landscape can support is calculated based on average annual rainfall and the nutrient status of the soil. The higher the rainfall and more fertile the soil, the greater the carrying capacity.

In 1994, carrying capacity at Malilangwe was estimated at 34 –36 kg ha-1 (Goodman 1996). One year later, this estimate was increased to 40 kg ha-1 because the composition and cover of the grass layer had shown some recovery after the catastrophic drought of 1992 (Goodman 1997).

The incorporation of the Hippo Valley Game Section (HVGS) in 2009 boosted carrying capacity to more than 50 kg ha-1 because parts of this area are artificially irrigated by excess water from the sugar cane fields of Hippo Valley Estates.

In the north of the HVGS, a 1,400 ha swamp produces large amounts of green forage, which supports large herds of buffalo and other animals during the late dry season.