Abstract
The Kruger National Park is an outstanding wildlife site and ecological resource where ecosystems and their functions are strongly influenced by underlying geology, geomorphology, soils, climate and water resources. This chapter outlines the general geology and geomorphology of the Kruger area. Landscape evolution and landform development during the Cenozoic has also been strongly controlled by the varied geological formations present in Kruger. Landscape development has included the exposure of bedrock surfaces by uplift and erosion, the accumulation of weathered products to form soil s and the subsequent transportation of alluvial sediments within the riparian zone of Kruger’s rivers. The interrelationships between these factors and their role in ecosystem development and cultural landscape features are examined.
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Acknowledgments
The input of MV’s co-authors on the book: Earth/Life Link in the Kruger Park (in prep.), Vanessa Strydom and Ingrid Booysen, is gratefully acknowledged. Ingrid Booysen is thanked for drafting the map. Improvements to the manuscript, offered by two anonymous referees, Stefan Grab, Jasper Knight, Richard Viljoen and Vanessa Strydom, are gratefully acknowledged.
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Viljoen, M. (2015). The Kruger National Park: Geology and Geomorphology of the Wilderness. In: Grab, S., Knight, J. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of South Africa. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03560-4_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03560-4_13
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