Methuselah's beard lichen Ursnea longissima in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest

Methuselah's beard lichen, Usnea longissima,  a well know medicinal plant  is a lichen in the family Parmeliaceae grows epiphytically on trunks and branches of trees in the eMalangeni forest.

Usnea longissima is a  pale grayish-green fruticose lichen that grows like leafless  tassels which anchored themselves on bark or twigs.

Like other lichens Usnea longissima is a symbiosis of a fungus and an alga. In the genus Usnea, the fungus belongs to the division Ascomycota, while the alga is a member of the division Chlorophyta. The branches of Usnea have an inner central cord which is elastic when wet.

Methuselah's beard lichen Ursnea longissima in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest

Usnea lichens have a history of use that spans centuries and countries from ancient Greece and China to modern Turkey, from rural dwellers in South Africa to modern-day naturopathic physicians and herbalists in the United States.

Usnea lichens are rich in usnic acid, which has demonstrated in vitro antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Additionally, it exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. 

Usnea longissima reproduces via vegetative means through fragmentation, asexual means through soredia, or sexual means through ascogonium and spermatogonium. The growth rate of Usnea longissima in nature is slow. An aid in identifying the genus Usnea is the elastic chord or axis running through the middle of the thallus that can be revealed by gently pulling a filament apart from either end.

Methuselah's beard lichen, Usnea longissima

Usnea longissima is very sensitive to air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide, it can therefore be used as a bioindicator, because it tends to only grow in those regions where the air is clean and of high quality. Where the air is totally unpolluted, they can grow to 10–20 cm long.

Usnea longissima where it occurs is often used as nest insulation material by birds such as the cape white eye.

When dry Usnea longissima is extremely flammable which makes it ideal to be used as a fire starter.

Michael Hickman

10.05.21

please visit my websites 

www.ecoman.co.za 

www.hlem.co.za 

as well as my other blogs at

http://luthulienvironment.blogspot.com/ 

http://ecomandurban.blogspot.com/

http://ecoman.co.za/projects/emalangeni.html

https://www.hlem.co.za/emalangeni.html

The Gaboon Adder Bitis gabonica in the eMalangeni Forest

The Gaboon Adder Bitis gabonica is a large, colourful and highly venomous snake that with a measure of good luck can be seen in the eMalangeni Peat Swamp Forest in the southern portion of the Kosi Bay System.

The Gaboon Adder Bitis gabonica

Although the Gaboon Adder has a wide distribution throughout the tropical rainforests of Africa, in South Africa they are confined to the hot and humid coastal forests that stretch south from the Mozambique border to the Mapelane Nature Reserve which is the southern most reserve within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park just South of lake St. Lucia then further south to Mtunzini being their southern limit.

The Gaboon adder is the largest of the adders in Africa, weighing up to 20 kilograms and reaching lengths of up to 1.8 meters, with a head up to 15 cm across at the widest point. In South Africa they are a little smaller averaging from .90 to 1.20 meters in length. The fangs which are the longest of any venomous snake may reach a length of 55 mm. Unlike most snakes the Gaboon Adder gives birth in late summer to up to 60 live young.

The colouration is a striking combination of light and dark brown, pink and purple arranged in diamonds and stripes along its back.  Light and dark lines radiate from around its small eyes. The  broad head mimics a fallen leaf, right down to the central vein, this striking pattern is excellent camouflage in the snake's native habitat, helping it blend into the leaf litter on the forest floor.

Gaboon Adders with are primarily nocturnal have a reputation for being slow-moving and placid, locomotion is mostly rectilinear, in a sluggish walking motion of the ventral scales.

Gaboon Adders are passive ambush hunters, waiting often for considerable periods of time, often in puddles of water, concealed to strike at whatever variety of birds, mammals, and amphibians such as doves, guineafowl, francolins, many different species of rodents, including field mice and rats, as well as hares, rabbits, frogs and toads, even prey items, such as monkeys, that pass within range.  It has been reported that the occasional kid goat belonging to local farmers has been caught and eaten by the Gaboon adder at eMalangeni. Unlike most venomous snakes that strike and release the Gaboon adder holds onto its prey until its dies.

Gaboon adders have a placid nature and very rarely bite humans, most bites that do occur happen when the snake is stepped on before it has an opportunity to get away. If harassed, it will raise the upper part of its body and they may hiss loudly as a warning, doing so in a deep and steady rhythm, slightly flattening the head at the expiration of each breath. Despite this, they are unlikely to strike unless severely provoked, however, they are one of the fastest-striking snakes in the world, so care should be taken in regards to provoking them.

A bite from a Gaboon adder is extremely rare, due to their unaggressive nature, their sluggishness and unwillingness to move even when approached. Bites most often occur due to persons accidentally stepping on a Gaboon adder, but even then in some cases this does not guarantee a bite. When a bite does occur, though, it should always be considered a serious medical emergency. Polyvalent anti venom is effective in the treatment of a bite from the Gaboon adder.

Please pay a visit to the African Snake Bite Institute for more information and lots more photos

https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/snake/gaboon-adder/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwytOEBhD5ARIsANnRjVgY8o5GH_LqwWppznLB048ZSuneDrU_1Q4cKLmbO3tgmuiMrPiaZVIaAlFTEALw_wcB

Michael Hickman

06.05.21

please visit my websites 

www.ecoman.co.za 

www.hlem.co.za 

as well as my other blogs at

http://luthulienvironment.blogspot.com/ 

http://ecomandurban.blogspot.com/

http://ecoman.co.za/projects/emalangeni.html

https://www.hlem.co.za/emalangeni.html

What is a peat swamp forest?

What is a peat swamp forest?

Peat swamp forests known as idobo in the Zulu language are moist forests that are formed where waterlogged soil prevents dead leaves and wood from fully decomposing. Over time, this creates a thick layer of acidic peat inhabited by unique plant communities adapted to these wet, acidic, nutrient and oxygen poor soils.

Swamp fig Ficus trichopoda growing on the banks of the aManzimnyama river in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest

Peat swamp forests form in areas where saturated soils or frequent flooding prevent organic material from fully decomposing. As this organic material slowly accumulates, it retains even more water through capillary action, up to 13 times its weight, acting as a giant sponge that holds in the moisture. Peat swamps known as ixhaphozi in the Zulu language eventually form a dome of wet organic material that can rise  above the surrounding flood levels.

It takes thousands of years for peatlands to form, with organic matter accumulating at 0.5 – 2 mm per year . Peat layers over 4 meters  are common, while depths of up to 20 meters  have been reported.

 Above is a photograph of the water well known as Kwa Ginga that has been used by the eMalangeni community for over 100 years in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest. the well was named after the royal son of Makhuza Tembe

The unique hydrology of this habitat provides a critical buffer against flooding during the wet season, and insurance against drought in the dry season. The swamp retains heavy rainfall and slowly releases the moisture over an extended period of time. As climate change results in more extreme weather events and irregular precipitation, this ecosystem service is becoming even more critical.

The jewel of the eMalangeni Forest Euphaedra neophron,  the gold banded forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae

In many ways, Peat swamp forests are similar to other tropical and sub-tropical lowland forests such as in the size and density of large trees. Unique biological communities are specially adapted to thrive in the flooded, oxygen poor environment.

Many tree species have large buttresses and Seepage of black water stained by tannins  in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest to hold themselves up in the soft peat soil. Others have pneumatophores or are covered with lenticels at the base of the stem to permit gas exchange with the air, as soils are waterlogged and often inundated.

The red mangrove Rhizophora mucronata with prop roots to support it in the unstable peat soil

Wetland associated plants are also very common in the understory and on the forest floor, epiphytes growing on the trees right up into the canopy are numerous, such as ferns and orchids.

 

The epiphytic fern Microsorum punctatum growing on threes in the eMalangeni peat Swamp forest in the Kosi Bay System 

Peat Swamp Forests supply numerous ecosystem services to human communities.  These are natural services that are beneficial to humans but not paid for directly, these  services include timber and non timber forest products such as honey, nuts, fruits, medicines, latex, dyes, and fiber.   Peat swamps also provide fresh water and fish to local communities.

 

Peat Swamp forests regulate landscape hydrology, and have been described as “landscape sponges”, absorbing excess rainwater during wet seasons and during extreme storm events, and steadily releasing stored water during dry spells or droughts. They also serve as biofilters which trap sediments and excess nutrient runoff from agricultural activities upstream.  In their natural state, peat swamps are also globally significant sinks of atmospheric carbon.  

The Narina trogon Apaloderma narina is a most spectacular forest bird that is to be found in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest.

In South Africa peat swamp forests are highly threatened ecosystems, being the second rarest forest type in the whole country and only occur in isolated patches from the Mozambique border a few kilometers north of the Kosi Bay System  and the eMalangeni peat swamp forest to just south of the Msikaba River in the Eastern Cape 

The coastal peat swamp forests on the flat coastal plain of Maputaland which include the eMalangeni coastal peat swamp forest the largest of the peat swamp forests represent seventy five percent of all the swamp forest found in South Africa. 

 

The eMalangeni coastal peat swamp forest which has a total area of 880 ha feeds the Siyadla- aManzimnyama river that flows through it is the largest peat swamp forest in South Africa. The eMalangeni coastal peat swamp forest which is situated immediately south of lake aManzimnyama is the main source of fresh water for the Kosi Bay Lake System.  

The water that is released by the eMalangeni peat forest  into the aManzimnyama river (black water river) is stained dark brown by the tannins that leach from the fallen leaves and peat, hence the name aManzimnyama the Zulu name for black water.

The aManzimnyama river, black water river that flows through the eMalangeni peat swamp forest

The eMalangeni peat swamp forest displays a gradient between wet and dry swamp forest. Raphia australis, Syzygium cordatum, Schefflera umbellifera generally grow under drier conditions, while Syzygium cordatum, Voacanga thouarsii grow in intermediate conditions and Ficus trichopoda dominate the Riverine area of the forest.

The drier swamp forest on the western shore of Lake aManzimnyama has large stands of the endemic Kosi Bay Palm, Raphia australis palms. Syzygium cordatum which exhibits a grade of hydrological preferences, is mostly absent in the very dry Raphia australis and very wet Ficus trichopoda dominated vegetation areas.

The Kosi Bay palm Raphia australis growing in the eMalangeni peat swamp forest

Heavily disturbed areas of the forest which were caused primarily due to previous agricultural practices are characterized by a general lack of a fully developed tree canopy as well as hydrological modifications made to the peat by means of drainage ditches. Natural gaps in the forest are created where stands of the monocarpic Raphia australis palms die and fall over after flowering. 

Traditionally the light and durable wood of the endemic Raphia australis palms has been a very important component in the livelihood of the local peoples, the collection of fallen rachi is used for construction material for houses as well as canoes and rafts to cross the aManzimnyama river. 

A traditional boat used on the lakes at Kosi Bay made of the leaf rachi of the Kosi Bay palm Raphia australis

In the past traditional farming practices enabled the local communities who have been relocated to live in harmony with their wetlands for several generations, as they rotated their gardens on a chosen peatland  and still have wetland habitat that remain intact in spite of their presence over several centuries. 

Tourism in this largely pristine peat swamp forest area that has been placed under the protection of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority  is playing an increasingly important role in the local economy as access and tourist numbers improve due to better infrastructure, such as new roads and lodges, and wider circulated publicity. 

An African Jacana  Actophilornis africana and young on the lily pads of the blue water lily Nymphaea nouchali in the eMalangeni peat forest

Guided excursions that offer far more scientific knowledge and interesting facts in regards to the plants birds animals and other creatures encountered in the forest than the usual guided can be conducted in English, Zulu and German into the eMalangeni Swamp Forest and surrounding area including the nearby Tembe Elephant Park can be arranged and tailored to the individual needs of the client/s no matter at which establishment one will be staying at while at Kosi Bay. Please visit one of my websites for contact details.

Michael Hickman

29.04.21

please visit my websites 

www.ecoman.co.za 

www.hlem.co.za 

as well as my other blogs at

http://luthulienvironment.blogspot.com/ 

http://ecomandurban.blogspot.com/

http://ecoman.co.za/projects/emalangeni.html

https://www.hlem.co.za/emalangeni.html