1. SITE DESCRIPTION
The Cathedral Peak research catchments, which form part of a strategic
water source area for South Africa, consist of ten (named I – X) well
defined hydrological catchments, ranging in altitude from 1 820 m.a.s.l
to 2 463 m.a.s.l (Figure 1). The catchments fall within the summer
rainfall region of South Africa, experiencing wet, humid summers and
cold, dry winters (Everson et al ., 1998). The mean annual
precipitation (MAP) for the area is approximately 1 400 mm (Bosch,
1979), with 84 % of this rainfall occurring between the months of
October and March (Schulze, 1976). Half of the rainfall events in the
catchments are thunderstorms (Schulze, 1976). Approximately 49 % of the
rainfall is converted to streamflow, with two thirds of the streamflow
yield occurring during the four months from January to April (Bosch,
1979). The natural vegetation of the catchments is fire-adapted montane
grassland, dominated by the grass (Themeda triandra) . Woody
communities dominated by Leucosidea sericea and Buddleia
salvifolia occur in narrow, fire-protected zones along the streams in
some catchments (Bosch, 1979).