Benfontein Private Nature Reserve - South Africa

Basic Information
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Site Name
Benfontein Private Nature Reserve
Short name
Benfontein
Country
South Africa
Web Address
https://arid.saeon.ac.za/node-projects/
Operating Organisation
South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON)
Site Manager
Dr. Zanele Ntshidi
Site Description
The site is located 10 km outside of the Kimberley on the border of the Northern Cape and Free state. Previously used for grazing land, the area is currently a Private Nature Reserve, home to various game species. Research at the site has been active since the late 1900s, primarily focussing on mammals and birds. SAEON got involved in research at the site in 2017. The site can be characterized by having Nama-Karoo, Arid Grassland, and Arid Savanna.
Last modified
2025-08-08 08:08:06

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
2018
Observed properties
Affiliation and Network Specific Information
Affiliation
SAEON✖The affiliation of this site with "SAEON" is not verified by the network on DEIMS-SDR.
Photos
Flux tower at Benfontein
Flux tower at Benfontein
Geographic
View in site map
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: -28.858397 Longitude: 24.81453

Size
ca. 9486.67ha
Elevation (average)
1183.00msl
Elevation (min)
1160.00msl
Elevation (max)
1200.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]
GEO-BON Biome
Terrestrial
Biome
Savanna
Ecosystem Type
Grasslands
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
EUNIS habitat
Grasslands and lands dominated by forbs, mosses or lichens (E) » Dry grasslands (E1)
Grasslands and lands dominated by forbs, mosses or lichens (E) » Dry grasslands (E1) » Perennial calcareous grassland and basic steppes (E1.2)
Air Temperature: Average Annual
25.00°C
Precipitation Annual
420.00mm
Protection Level (IUCN category)
Category Ia – Strict Nature Reserve
Site Type
Platform
Design of Experimentation
partly experimentation
Scale of Experimentation
micro sites
Design of Observation
mainly observation
Scale of Observation
beyond catchment
Permanent Power Supply
Yes
Accessible All Year
Yes
All parts of Site Accessible
Yes
Access Type
dirt road (4WD)
Permanent Operation
Yes
Site Visit Interval
14
Maintenance Interval
30
General Data Policy
Formal acknowledgement of the dataset providers