Abstract
M.Sc.
The Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens is one of eight National Botanical Gardens in South Africa. These gardens were established with the main goals and objectives being to protect and conserve the vast biodiversity of South Africa.
The Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens covers 300 hectares of land and is situated 24 kilometres west of the city center of Johannesburg. The Gardens are found on the Witwatersrand Ridge, which has important historical value because it was here that the first gold was discovered on the Reef. The source of the Crocodile River is located at the top of the Witwatersrand Ridge, and as this river flows over the Ridge the well-known Roodepoort Falls exist.
When the Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens was established in 1982, the area was largely a rural environment. Presently, this developing area is the fastest growing and developing area in Gauteng. The results of this are the impacts of humans and human activities on the Garden. In the near future the Garden’s will represent an open and naturally occurring environment within an urban setting. It is therefore imperative that the significant impacts that affect the Garden are identified, and mitigatory actions are proposed in order to protect this natural environment. In this study the significant impacts that are closely looked at are:
• Storm Water
• Featherbrooke Estate
• Waste Disposal
• Alien vegetation
• Veld fires
The purpose of this study is to identify the impacts caused by humans on the Witwatersrand Botanical Gardens and propose possible ways to mitigate these impacts.