Bosch Luys Kloof encompasses five vegetation/veld types. The borders overlap, but overall demarcation is fairly distinctive. The karroid thicket covers some 4 000 hectares and stretches east/west over the middle part of the Reserve, just south of the river bush. It is an endless sea of Karoo-koppies that extend to the Hartmansberg and is home to the Cape Hyrax and Verreaux Eagle, including the antelope that roam the area. More than 1 300 hectares are covered in spekbos with patches of grass. Trees and shrubs include sweet thorn, karee, ghwarrie and taaibos. Many drainage lines contain water for long periods.

The Karoo broken veld extends some 3 500 hectares in an east/west line to the north of the river thicket. It consists largely of smaller shrubs and trees along the drainage lines. Although similar to the karroid thicket, it lacks the large spekboom thickets. You also find succulents here that are again scarce in the thicket. Common trees, shrubs and bushes are ysterbos, sosatiebos, kougoed, kriedoring, ankerkaroo, ribbokbos, granaatbos, numnum, ghwarrieson and vanwyksbos. Our mountain fynbos area extends over the highveld of the southern reserve, stretching east/west over some 3 000 hectares and incorporating Hartmansberg that runs through the middle of Bosch Luys Kloof. It contains all three elements of fynbos, but the proteas are scarce. Patches of grass are present but tend to be sour. It overlooks the valley of the ‘Hell’ and is magnificent for sightseeing across the great Swartberg mountains. Our river bush follows the Bosluiskloof river for about 18 kilometres down to the Gamkapoort Dam and covers some 1 500 hectares. It is covered by mainly sweet thorn trees that wonderfully don’t lose their leaves in winter because of the high water table. Apart from grasses, shrubs like ghwarrie, kunibush, ganna, karee and jakkalsbos occur. Right up in the far north-west corner is a unit of renosterveld that extends some 1 500 hectares. Resembling a transition between fynbos and broken veld, it is mountainous, not easily accessible and somewhat isolated.

 Because of overgrazing, for example, during South Africa’s ‘wool boom’ between 1955 and 1960, parts of the reserve were over utilised. Fortunately, and unplanned, this all ended with the construction of the Gamkapoort dam. It cut off the valley from Prince Albert in the east, which was close and easy to reach. Since then, very conservative or no stocking took place, and we can see the improvement. However, it is a long process that is mostly advanced by above-average rainy periods/seasons. And for those, we can only pray! It appears as if there are fortunately still enough adequate seed resources.