Swimilani swa Richtersveld

Mbango wo Hlamarisa

©Roger DelaHarpe

Ndzhawu ya Richtersveld yina mbango lowu hlamarisaka swinene lowu tlhontlhaka miehleketo, xikan’we na swimilani leswinga tolovelekangiki leswi kokaka rinoko ra vapfhumba emisaveni hinkwayo. Loko ndziri eka ndzhawu liya, ndzi hlangane na ti botanists timbirhi leti pfumalaka ntokoto kusuka e Germany leti atiri eku lulamiseni rendzo ra tona kuringana malembe yotala. Aswa ha zi swilava ndzi vula leswaku, avati yimiserile swinene naswona ava tsandzeka kuti khoma hikwalaho ka ntsako wa vona.
Ndza tshemba leswaku avanga khomisiwanga tingana. E Richtersveld, tinxaka ta 360 ta swimilani swa mabilomu swihlayiwile eka ndzhawu ya 1 square kilometre. Memsemb, kumbe vygie,i ndyangu lowunga yimeriwa hiku ringan, laha wungana kwalomu ka 50 eka tinxaka ta 160 letinga kona eka ndzhawu liya. Sweswi hileswa kahle eka mananga lawa yangana kwalomu ka 68 mm ya mpfula hi lembe.

Bio-Diversity yoka Yinga Tshamisekangi

©Roger de la Harpe

Xin’wana xa swivangelo swa biodiversity leyi yoka yinga tshamisekangi hileswaku Richtersveld yitshame eka ndzhawu leyi exikarhi laha kungana timpfula ta xixika ta Namaqualand na laha kungana timpula ta ximumu eka ndzhawu ya Nama-Karoo. Eka tindzhawu tin’wana xiphemu lexi xikwalomu ka 10 kumbe 20 km hiku anama, leswi endlaka leswaku kuva na kucinca kohlamarisa swinene eka tinxaka ta swimilani.
Ku engetela kwalano, kuna ti biomes tinharhuletikulu e Richtersveld: kuna Succulent Karoo biome, leyintsongo ya ‘Desert’ Biome (e nwalungwini nale vuhuma dyambu) na swiphemu leswinga swoxe swa Fynbos Biome (ehenhla ka ntshava). Iswikahle kutlhela u tekela enhlokweni tintshava leti, ti famba onge tiya eka tlhelo ra nwalungu kuya e dzongeni, swisivela kuva malmokkies na mapapa ya mpula kuva yanghenelela endzeni. Se, tlhelo leringa langutana nale lwandle hirona rikumaka mpfula yotala kasi lerin’wana (ngopfu ngopfu evuhuma dyambu) ri omile naswona rina swivumbiwa leswi fambelanaka na Nama-Karoo (kufana na euphorbias).

Ku Vumbeka ka Swivumbiwa Swohlawuleka

©David Fleminger

Swipimela leswi hinkwaswo swi endla leswaku kuva nati micro-climates e Richtersveld, naswona nkova wun’wana na wun’wana wuna nhlanganelo wakona wa mpfula, moya, misava, na kuhisa loku yinga langutana na kona. Tindzhawu letinga sala toxe tihlohletela leswi hinge i ‘speciation’ – maendlelo lawa swimilani swihetelelaka switolovela xiyimo xa ndzhawu yaleyo swa mbango kufikela xivumbeko xaxona xitolovela kusuka laha xinga tswariwa kona. E ndzhawini ya Richtersveld, swinwana swa swimilani leswinga tolovela kahle eka tindzhawu tin’wana tokarhi, tikumeka eka nkova wun’we kumbe eka ndzhawu leyinga anama.
Swaha tetano, swingari na mhaka leswaku hileswikulu kumbe switnsongo, mongo lowunga kona eka swimilani hinkwaswo swale Richtersveld iku hlayiseka. Tani hileswi swinga hlm\amuseriwa laha henhla, swimilani swotala swihlayisa mati, kungava e matlukeni kumbe eka timintsu, kambe swirhalanganya leswi swa vutomi swihundza kwalano. Swin’wana swimilani swiva swiri subterranean, laha swingana tinhompfu nyana letinga hlometela e handle ka sava.
Swin’wana swimila switlela kwala hansi emisaveni leswaku swinga karhatiwi hi moya, na matluka lawa yo anama lawa ya hlayisaka kutsakama ka misava. Swin’wana swiva swiri na misisi kumbe mimitwa kuva swikota ku amukela mathonsi ya mpfula. Swinwana swikota kupfala tombovo ta swona leswaku swisivela kuhaha ka mati. Swintsongo swa swona swi psammophorous, leswivulaka leswaku swihumesa mati lawa ya damarhelaka lawa tekaka misava leyi swisirhelelaka himinkarhi ya moya.

Tindlela to Pona

©Shem Compion

Hambi leswi swimilani swotala e Richtersveld switshamaka swiri rihlaza (leswinga tolovelekangiki eka mananga lawa yangana mpfula hi xixika) kuna swintsongo leswi wisaka matluka ya swona hi ximumu kuhunguta kulahleka ka mati. Swin’wana switlherisa miseve ya dyambu hikwalaho ka magwaru ya matluka, kumbe kuva na mahanti kumbe kuhlayisa matluka ya khale. Swinwana se swihundzuke leswintsongo swinene, ku hunguta kuva swilava swakudya swotala leswi swikalaka swinene. Swinwana swimila ehansi ka maribye nalomu kunga pandzekela laha swikumaka ndzhuti kona. Himarito yan’wana, swimilani leswi swale Richtersveld swina tindlela tohlamarisa taku kota kutumbela kuva swipona.
Hinkwaswo ka swona, ndzhawu ya Richtersveld yivikiwa kuva na 4849 wa tinxaka ta swimilani, laha 40% ya swona yikumekaka hinkwako. Swotala swa swimilani leswi swina mintirho yaswona naswona switirhisiwa hiku hetiseka hi vanhu vale ndzhawini liya. Kwalomu ka 70 wa tinxaka titirhisiwa eka swakudya (kumbe veldkos – bush food), 40 swina vuswikoti byo horisa mavabyi kasi 54 yitirha swin’wana, kufana na ku endla tingoti, xisibi kumbe kutirhisiwa ku tshivela ndzilo. Kuna swimilani leswi pfunaka eka ku hallucination, leswi minkarhi yin’wana switirhisiwaka eka timhaka ta vukhongeri. Kambe unga tshuki u famba uri karhi unantswetela swimilani leswi hikuva swin’wani swina poyizeni!
Ku engetela eka hinkwaswo leswi swo hlamarisa naku hlamarisa leswi switshamaka emilorhweni ya ti botanists letinga talela hiku navela, ndzhawu ya Richtersveld yina nhlayo ya swimilani swotala leswi fanaka leswinga hlawuleka eka ndzhawu leyi.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni