Woody vegetation structure in conserved versus communal land in a biodiversity hotspot: A case study in Maputaland, South Africa

Gaugris, Jérôme Y.; Rooyen, M.W. van

doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2009.11.007

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The significant reduction in woody plant height on HU corresponds to a decline found in a communal area compared to conservation areas in Maputaland (Gaugris and van Rooyen 2010), and in areas with greater disturbance within communal land of the lowveld (Shackleton et al 1994) and in C. mopane savanna in northern Namibia (Strohbach 2000a). LiDAR data has confirmed a decrease in mean height of woody vegetation on the communal lands adjacent to the southern Kruger National Park (Fisher et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Impacts of high utilisation pressure on biodiversity components inColophospermum mopanesavanna

Rutherford

Powrie

Thompson

2012

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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This study aimed to quantify and evaluate the effects of heavy land utilisation, mainly grazing, on plant species richness and diversity, species abundance, vegetation structure and soil characteristics in a communal area in Colophospermum mopane dominated savanna in southern Africa. The treatment was benchmarked against a relatively lightly stocked neighbouring farm. An assessment of termite richness across the contrasting land-use areas was also made. Significant differences were found mainly in plant structure, with reduced plant canopy cover and plant height on the communal land, thus transforming a woodland to a predominantly shrubland physiognomy. There was no significant effect of heavy utilisation on richness or diversity of plant or termite taxa. Species compositional shifts were reflected by significant species associations with either land-use type. Forb species formed an important component of the vegetation irrespective of grazing intensity. Cover of annual plants did not increase with heavy utilisation owing to the increase of 'weedy' annual species being counterbalanced by declining cover of palatable annual plants. Biological soil crusts were markedly less common on the communal land, which may result in an increased hydraulic conductivity of the soil. Other soil properties measured appeared to be insensitive to the intense level of land utilisation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Impacts of high utilisation pressure on biodiversity components inColophospermum mopanesavanna

Rutherford

Powrie

Thompson

2012

African Journal of Range & Forage Science

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“…After five to seven years of cropping, the land is fallowed for at least twenty years. It has been shown in a neighbouring area that such duration is sufficient for a tree cover to establish (Gaugris and van Rooyen 2010). Consequently, when fallow land is brought into cultivation for the second time, it is a wooded land which needs to be cleared again.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity Conservation Through Farming: A Landscape Assessment in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Torquebiau

Dosso

Nakaggwa

et al. 2012

Journal of Sustainable Agriculture

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The integration of agriculture and biodiversity has become an acknowledged solution to concurrently address the development of sustainable food production systems and the preservation of natural resources. However, there are few alternative farming systems combining agricultural commodities and ecosystem services. We examined the farm and landscape dynamics of an area in South Africa which has been isolated from mainstream agriculture during a large part of last century. We used a time series of aerial photographs as well as farm surveys and interviews to analyze how historical and present trends can explain land use features. Results show that today's landscape is the result of dramatic socioeconomic transforms which have made original transhumant livestock keepers to become sedentary farmers. Although poverty is widespread, we found a well-balanced landscape with a regularly increasing tree cover and a high biodiversity potential. Beyond farm and household size, the main landscape impact factors are herd size and management as well as soil fertility management practices, including fallowing.We show that these conditions represent a good potential towards a multifunctional landscape, provided the relationships between farmers' practices and biodiversity are better formalized and there are tangible benefits for farmers to opt for this approach.

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“…The analyses in the current study were conducted to provide further insight into the results provided by the utilisation study. A total of 77 rectangular plots of varying lengths (25-50 m) and widths (4-10 m), depending on vegetation density (Gaugris and Van Rooyen 2010a), were sampled with 59 plots in Tembe and 18 in Tshanini. The numbers of plots per site were proportional to the total forest area within the sites.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tembe, a 30,000 ha statutorily conserved area, was proclaimed in 1983 with the dual mandate to conserve wildlife and protect Sand Forest, and was fully fenced off in 1989 (Matthews et al 2001)-an act that completely precluded human utilisation of natural resources in the reserve thereafter. Since 1989, wildlife populations have increased steadily (Gaugris and Van Rooyen 2010a), especially those of browsers such as kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros and nyala Tragelaphus angasii, but also megaherbivores such as elephants Loxodonta africana.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of herbivores and humans on the Sand Forest species of Maputaland, northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa

Gaugris

Rooyen

2010

Ecological Research

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(194 words)Sand Forest in the Maputaland region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa is deemed the most valuable, but also probably the most complex vegetation type of this part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot of biodiversity. However, Sand Forest is under threat from the current human population growth in that region as well as uncontrolled increases in animal numbers in conservation areas. In this study the impacts of herbivores and humans on the state of woody resources at two sites under differing utilisation regimes were compared. Sand Forest was found to be a complex assemblage of tree communities defined by different canopy and subcanopy levels. Although marked differences in abundance we noted for selected species at the different sites, Sand Forest was still dominated by finegrained species with an ideal population structure under both utilisation regimes. The finegrained nature of Sand Forest implies that regeneration depends on the creation of small canopy gaps either by natural processes, humans or elephants, while the creation of large gaps could transform it into woodland. Management of conservation areas where Sand Forest occurs should therefore concentrate efforts on regulating animal populations to levels that provide gap properties that favour forest regeneration.

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Woody vegetation structure in conserved versus communal land in a biodiversity hotspot: A case study in Maputaland, South Africa

Cited by 15 publications

References 39 publications

Impacts of high utilisation pressure on biodiversity components inColophospermum mopanesavanna

Impacts of high utilisation pressure on biodiversity components inColophospermum mopanesavanna

Biodiversity Conservation Through Farming: A Landscape Assessment in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The effect of herbivores and humans on the Sand Forest species of Maputaland, northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa

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