A TEST OF THE APPLICABILITY OF A WILDLIFE CONSERVATION EVALUATION TO AN AFFORESTABLE REGION OF MPUMALANGA

The suitability of a wildlife conservation evaluation method, develope d in an afforestable region of the southern Drakensberg, for use in a similar northern Drakensberg area was investigated. Sampling of grassh oppers, butterflies and birds was done during late summer along a 700 m altitudinal gradient in the Carolina-Machadodorp-Dullstroom region o f the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The number of grasshopper gen era and species of butterflies and birds was greatest at the low-altit ude locality, and least at the high-altitude locality (except for bird s). Most montane endemics were recorded at both the mid-altitude and h igh-altitude localities. The method distinguished between localities i n terms of species composition, taxon richness and endemicity, and the refore could be used during a wildlife conservation evaluation of that region. However, species composition and the patterns of taxon richne ss and endemicity along the altitude gradient differed somewhat from t hose found in the Maclear district, southern Drakensberg region. This indicates that results of wildlife conservation evaluations may differ between superficially similar regions.