Analysis of the riparian vegetation (Ia land type) of the proposed Vhembe-Dongola National Park, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The establishment of the Vhembe-Dongola National Park has been an objective of several conservationists for many years. The ultimate objective is that this park would become a major component of a transfrontier park shared by Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The aim of this study was to identify, classify and describe the plant communities present in the Ia land type of the proposed area for the park. Sampling was done by means of the Braun-Blanquet method. A total of 70 stratified random relevés were sampled in the Ia land type. All relevé data was imported into the database TUR-BOVEG after which the numerical classification technique TWINSPAN was used as a first approximation. Subsequently Braun-Blanquet procedures were used to refine data and a phytosociological table was constructed, using the visual editor, MEGATAB. From the phytosociological table four plant communities were identified and described in the Ia land type. The ordination algorithm, DECORANA, was applied to the floristic data in order to illustrate floristic relationships between plant communities, to detect possible gradients in and between communities and to detect possible habitat gradients and/or disturbance gradients associated with vegetation gradients.

Termite mound density and distribution patterns across three land‐use types in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…According to Low and Rebelo (1996), the savannah biome is the largest biome in southern Africa and covers about one‐third of the area. The vegetation is dominated by grass species such as Cynodondactylon , Panicum maximum , Cymbopogoncitratus , Setariaverticillata , Urochloamosambicensis , Hyparrheniahirta (Götze, Cilliers, Bezuidenhout, & Kellner, 2003; Nthakheni, 2006). Sclerocaryabirrea , Brachystegiaspiciformis , Diospyrosmespiliformis , Combretumapiculatum , Ficussycomorus and Annona senegalensis were amongst the common tree species found in the study plots.…”

“…According to Low and Rebelo (1996), the savannah biome is the largest biome in southern Africa and covers about onethird of the area. The vegetation is dominated by grass species such as Cynodondactylon, Panicum maximum, Cymbopogoncitratus, Setariaverticillata, Urochloamosambicensis, Hyparrheniahirta (Götze, Cilliers, Bezuidenhout, & Kellner, 2003;Nthakheni, 2006).…”

Analysis of the vegetation of the sandstone ridges (Ib land type) of the north-eastern parts of the Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…Land types were used to stratify the study area. Other land types that were studied included the Ia (Götze et al 2003), db, Fb and Ae land types (Götze 2002). A total of 48 stratified random relevés, each covering an area of 50 x 50 m, were sampled.…”

“…The aims of this study were to identify, classify and describe the plant communities of the study area based on plant species composition, environmental variables and anthropogenic influences. Information generated by this study could be further used in conjunction with vegetation studies on all the other land types in the Mapungubwe National Park (Götze 2002;Götze et al 2003) to identify and map ecologically sound management units on which the optimal management of the park could be based, including recommendations on restoration practices for degraded areas (Götze 2002).…”

Spectral Discrimination of Archaeological Sites Previously Occupied by Farming Communities Using In Situ Hyperspectral Data

“…Erosion is rampant, in particular in areas closer to the river channels, therefore, forming sandstone ridges and outcrops which cover most parts of the SLCA with a sparse distribution of volcanic intrusions [71,72]. Generally, soils in the Limpopo mobile belt include clays and sands originating from the Karoo system [73].…”