Ongoing determination of Carrying Capacity & Veld & Wildlife Management recommendations & Management program for eMalahleni Nature Reserve, eMalahleni / Witbank January 1991 – Present Geology, soil type, vegetation surveys, several carrying capacity determinations, ecological, plant leaf phenological, grazer & browser habitat preference, animal studies, constant game counts of eMalahleni N/Reserve, comprising 847 hectares, to implement an effective wildlife management program, conducted since onset of eNR in 1991. Phytosociological data used to identify plant communities, as well as to determine alpha and beta diversities. 11 plant communities were recognised, 2 subdivided into sub - communities, resulting in 14 vegetation units. These communities represent 4 main vegetation types, namely grassland, woodland, wetland and disturbed vegetation. Grassland communities highest plant diversity and wetland vegetation the lowest. Floristic composition indicates that the vegetation of the Rocky Highveld Grassland has affinities to grassland & savanna biomes, also to the Afromontane vegetation of the Great Escarpment. Ordination scatter diagram shows distribution of the 14 plant communities or sub - communities along soil moisture gradient, & along a soil depth/surface rock gradient. Sequence of communities along soil moisture gradient used for calculating beta-diversity indices. Carrying Capacity determined ranging from 5 to 7ha / LSU with GRAZE Method of Prof. George Bredenkamp @ UP & BECVOL Method of Prof Nico Smit @ UFS. Concluded that relatively small size of eNR unlikely to have significant negative effects on phytodiversity of various plant communities. Nature reserve is therefore of considerable importance in conserving representative sample of Rand / Rocky / Bankenveld Highveld Grassland. These vegetation and other surveys resulted in a publication in Kudu 40(2):85-104, the SANParks Scientific Journal (1997), several reports, presentations, assignments and a M(Env. Mngmnt) degree at UFS (2000), as well as 2 recent articles about the seasons & unique woody phanerophytes & geosuff elements of the reserve published in Dendron, November 2012. less (Open)10 team members, including:Johan Combrink Johan Combrink Horticulturist at Emalahleni Local Municipality No photo Me. Renette Smit No photo Hester Gerbregta / Melchior Willem / San- Marie Combrink No photo Gideon Visser
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:06:28 +0000
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