The phytosociology of the De Rust section of the Mountain Zebra National Park, Eastern Cape

Brown, Leslie R.; Bezuidenhout, H.

doi:10.4102/koedoe.v43i1.204

Cited by 17 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…• Savanna: Bezuidenhout (1994), Brown (1997), Gertenbach (1978, Mostert (2006), Stalmans andPeel (2010), Van Rooyen (1983) and Van Staden (2002). • Nama-Karoo: Brown and Bezuidenhout (2000), Cleaver, Brown and Bredenkamp (2005), Rubin and Palmer (1996), Van der Walt (1980) and Werger and Coetzee (1977). • Succulent Karoo: Jurgens (2004) andLe Roux (1984).…”

Section: Selected Examples Includementioning

confidence: 99%

Guidelines for phytosociological classifications and descriptions of vegetation in southern Africa

Brown

Preez

Bezuidenhout

et al. 2013

Koedoe

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Changes in the environment are first observed in changes in the vegetation. Vegetation survey, classification and mapping form the basis on which informed and scientifically defendable decisions on the environment can be taken. The classification and mapping of vegetation is one of the most widely used tools for interpreting complex ecosystems. By identifying different plant communities we are essentially identifying different ecosystems at a particular hierarchical level. Phytosociologists in Europe have been involved in such studies following, in particular, the Braun-Blanquet approach since the early 1900s. In South Africa, such studies were undertaken on a limited basis from the early 1970s and have since then steadily increased. The surveying of the enormous diversity of South African vegetation is one of the objectives of phytosociological studies. The demand for such data has steadily increased over the past few years to guide conservation policies, biodiversity studies and ecosystem management. In South Africa, numerous publications on the vegetation of conservation and other areas in the different biomes have been produced over the last few decades. However, vegetation scientists in South Africa experience unique problems. The purpose of this article is therefore to provide an overview of the history and the specific focus of phytosociological studies in South Africa and to recommend minimum requirements and methods to be followed when conducting such studies. It is believed that the incorporation of these requirements will result in scientifically justifiable research of high quality by phytosociologists in South Africa. Conservation implications: Effective conservation cannot be obtained without a thorough knowledge of the ecosystems present in an area. Consistent vegetation classifications and descriptions form the basis of conservation and monitoring exercises to maintain biodiversity. The incorporation of these guidelines and requirements will facilitate quality phytosociological research in South Africa

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Section: Selected Examples Includementioning

confidence: 99%

Guidelines for phytosociological classifications and descriptions of vegetation in southern Africa

Brown

Preez

Bezuidenhout

et al. 2013

Koedoe

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show abstract

“…According to this study, plant communities with inherently different potentials because of different habitat conditions and therefore different species compositions, especially in the herbaceous layer, might be classified in the same SPIZE class. It is therefore argued that Braun–Blanquet descriptions of plant communities should form the basis of any ecological management plan, as these plant communities represent sound vegetation‐cum‐habitat units, that is ecosystems on the community level of organization, that are extremely useful for compilation of veld management plans (Brown & Bezuidenhout, 2000; Brown & Bredenkamp, 2000; Bredenkamp & Brown, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of structural species size classes in the description of the woody vegetation of a nature reserve

Brown

Bredenkamp

2004

African Journal of Ecology

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The need for a scientifically based wildlife management plan and more knowledge on the vegetation ecology of the Borakalalo Nature Reserve prompted an ecological investigation of the Reserve. One of the aims was to develop a structural classification of the woody component using species size (SPIZE) classes. A further aim was to compare the various structural classes identified with the recognized floristically derived plant communities of the Reserve. The frequency, density, percentage crown cover and importance value for each woody species were calculated. A classification of the woody component was done using a TWINSPAN classification algorithm on this structural density data. Fifteen structural SPIZE classes were identified, described and compared with the described plant communities. The results of this study indicate that structural SPIZE classes could also be used to explain the spatial distribution of woody species within and between various plant communities.

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“…It is clear that plant communities and their associated habitats form the basis of any scientifically based environmental management strategy for any natural area. The need for a suitable vegetation classification as a precursor to, and guiding principal behind, any long term monitoring and evaluation programme is essential (Brown and Bezuidenhout 2000). A vegetative inventory and plant community classification and description of the Chilapatta Reserve Forest for both management and record purposes is therefore required to support and enhance local decision making capacity, policy formulation, sound land-use planning and management practices in general (Tueller 1988;Fuls, Bredenkamp, and Van Rooyen 1992;Fuls 1993;Bezuidenhout 1993;Brown, Bredenkamp, and Van Rooyen 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual qualitative description of a humid tropical foothill forest in Indian eastern Himalayas

et al. 2013

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Understanding plant community characteristics is essential for analysing phyto-diversity. This is a basic prerequisite for understanding the structural and functional attributes specific to a location to enable better landscape management. A study was conducted from April 2007 to March 2009 at Chilapatta Reserve Forest in the humid tropical foothills of the Indian eastern Himalayas to obtain comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the plant community based on visual observations of qualitative characteristics. A total of 311 species of plants were recorded which were represented by 167 genera and 81 families. All the shrubs, herbs, climbers and lianas were observed to be evergreen, whereas trees were mostly deciduous. A total of 165 species were either much less present or less frequent. All the climber and liana species were found growing singly while all the fern species were growing in colonies. Unlike tree species, shrubs were found dominantly growing in colonies. Medium/small leaves dominated the forest. Among the tree species, 71.86% were growing intermixed. Tree stratum was dominated by medium height species. Tree species like Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta, Albizia spp., Swetenia mahogany, Gmelina arborea, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Bombax ceiba and Terminalia tomentosa were dominant in terms of solar radiation interception without any interference because they occupied the top most layer of the tree stratum/canopy. The forest is dense with no barren areas in its canopy cover intercepting more than 80% PAR. The study indicates not only rich diversity of the plant community but also heterogeneity in its composition and structure.

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The phytosociology of the De Rust section of the Mountain Zebra National Park, Eastern Cape

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Guidelines for phytosociological classifications and descriptions of vegetation in southern Africa

Guidelines for phytosociological classifications and descriptions of vegetation in southern Africa

The use of structural species size classes in the description of the woody vegetation of a nature reserve

Visual qualitative description of a humid tropical foothill forest in Indian eastern Himalayas

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