Vegetation ecology of Soetdoring Nature Reserve: pan, grassland and karroid communities
| dc.contributor.advisor | Du Preez, P. J. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Venter, H. J. T. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Janecke, Beanelri Benene | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-06-21T08:29:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-06-21T08:29:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2002-09 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: The main aim of this study was to identify, classify, describe and ecologically interpret the plant communities and their variations for the pans, grassland and karroid grassland of Soetdoring Nature Reserve and to compare it to other similar units where possible. A further aim of the study was to provide the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism of a baseline study of the grassland and pan vegetation and to provide results which could serve as an ecological basis for future management, conservation and research. Soetdoring Nature Reserve is situated in the Free State Province, about 35 kilometres north-west of Bloemfontein and covers approximately 6 000 ha. The Modder River divides the reserve in two and the Krugersdrif Dam is also included in the reserve‟s boundaries. The main aim was achieved by undertaking a phytosociological investigation by means of the Braun-Blanquet method. The total data set consists of 229 relevés and 171 species. After refinement, the Braun-Blanquet procedures yielded 17 plant communities. Phytosociological tables were compiled for each of the pan, grassland and karroid grassland, and a synoptic table for the total data set, in order to determine the communities and their variants. An ordination algorithm (DECORANA) (Hill 1979b) was also used to indicate the floristic relationships among the vegetation units. The pan unit was classified into five communities and eleven subcommunities. Two pans are present in the reserve, on the southern and northern side of the Modder River respectively. The northern pan was classified as a Grass Pan and characterised by Cynodon transvaalensis, Panicum schinzii and Echinochloa holubii. The southern pan was classified as a Diplachne Pan and is dominated by Diplachne fusca and Eragrostis bicolor. Two permanent earth dams and a hot spring are also present inside the southern pan basin. Earth Dam A is dominated by Eleusine coracana and Phyla nodiflora, while Earth Dam B is characterised by Cyperus bellus and Eragrostis biflora. The vegetation of the hot spring consists of a dominant zone of Phragmites australis, surrounded by a dense zone of Juncus rigidus. The grassland unit was divided into grassland and karroid communities, due to the state of degradation thereof. The classification resulted in five grassland communities and seven karroid communities. The grassland communities are characterised by climax grasses, with the dominant species being Themeda triandra and Digitaria eriantha. The karroid communities are dominated by dwarf karroid shrubs, like Salsola glabrescens, Rosenia humilis and Felicia muricata, as well as subclimax and pioneer grasses, like Eragrostis obtusa, Chloris virgata and Aristida adscensionis. This study provides important information on especially the pans in the reserve, since little information is available for the vegetation of pans in the Free State. The chapters on pans serve to bring all the available information together and to apply the information to the reserve‟s pans. This study is further of importance in indicating the degree of disturbance in the grassland unit. The impact of the animals and the importance of these mentioned areas for the game in the reserve, were taken into consideration for each vegetation type. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Die hoofdoel van die studie was om die panne, grasveld en bossieveld in Soetdoring Natuurreservaat se plantgemeenskappe en hulle variasies te identifiseer, te klassifiseer en ekologies te interpreteer en om dit dan te vergelyk met ander soortgelyke plantegroei-eenhede waar moontlik. 'n Verdere doelstelling van die studie was om vir die Departement van Omgewingsake en Toerisme navorsing en resultate te verskaf van die grasveld en pan-plantegroei wat as basis kan dien vir toekomstige bestuur, bewaring en navorsing. Soetdoring Natuurreservaat is in die Vrystaat Provinsie geleë, ongeveer 35 kilometer noord-wes van Bloemfontein en beslaan ongeveer 6 000 ha. Die Modder Rivier verdeel die reservaat in twee en die Krugersdriftdam word ook ingesluit in die reservaat se grense. Die hoofdoel is bereik deurdat 'n fitososiologies studie onderneem is deur gebruik te maak van die Braun-Blanquet metode. Die totale datastel bestaan uit 229 relevés en 171 spesies. Na verfyning, het die Braun-Blanquet prosedures 17 gemeenskappe opgelewer. Fitososiologiese tabelle is saamgestel vir die panne, grasveld en bossieveld onderskeidelik, asook 'n sinoptiese tabel vir die hele datastel, om sodoende die gemeenskappe en hulle variante te bepaal. 'n Ordeningsalgoritme (DECORANA) (Hill 1979b), wat die floristiese verwantskappe tussen die plantegroei-eenhede aandui, is gebruik om die klassifikasies aan te vul. Die pan-eenheid is ingedeel in vyf gemeenskappe en elf subgemeenskappe. Twee panne kom in die reservaat voor, aan die noorde en suidekant van die Modderrivier onderskeidelik. Die noordelike pan is geklassifiseer as 'n Gemengde Graspan en Cynodon transvaalensis, Panicum schinzii en Echinochloa holubii is kenmerkend. Die suidelike pan is geklassifiseer as 'n Diplachne Pan met die dominante Diplachne fusca en Eragrostis bicolor. Twee permanente gronddamme en 'n warmwaterfontein kom ook binne-in die suidelike pan voor. Gronddam A word gedomineer deur Eleusine coracana en Phyla nodiflora, terwyl gronddam gekenmerk word deur Cyperus bellus en Eragrostis biflora. Die plantegroei van die warmwaterfontein bestaan uit 'n dominante sone van Phragmites australis, omring deur 'n digte Juncus rigidus sone. Die grasveld-eenheid is verdeel in grasveld en bossieveld gemeenskappe, as gevolg van die degradasie daarvan. Die klasifikasie het gelei tot vyf grasveld gemeenskappe en sewe bossieveld gemeenskappe. Die grasveld gemeenskappe word gekenmerk deur klimaksgrasse met Themeda triandra en Digitaria eriantha as die dominante spesies. Die bossieveld gemeenskappe word gedomineer deur karoobossies, soos Salsola glabrescens, Rosenia humilis en Felicia muricata, asook subklimaks en pioniersgrasse, soos Eragrostis obtusa, Chloris virgata en Aristida adscensionis. Die studie voorsien belangrike inligting, spesifiek vir panne, aangesien daar relatief min inligting oor die plantegroei van panne in die Vrystaat beskikbaar is. Die hoofstukke wat handel oor die panne, dien die doel om al die beskikbare inligting bymekaar te bring en om dit ook toe te pas op die reservaat se panne. Die studie is van verdere belang deurdat dit die graad van versteuring van die grasveld-eenheid aandui. Die impak van diere en ook die belangrikheid van die genoemde areas vir die wild van die reservaat, is ook telkens in ag geneem by die bespreking van elke plantegroei-tipe. | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/9822 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dissertation (M.Sc. (Plant Sciences))--University of the Free State, 2002 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Game animals | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Brackish pan | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Braun-Blanquet method | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Conservation | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Decorana ordination | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Fire | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Free State province | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Grassland biome | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Impact of humans | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Overgrazing | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Playa and hot spring | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Phytosociology | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Wildlife | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Vegetation surveys | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Biotic communities | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Vegetation ecology of Soetdoring Nature Reserve: pan, grassland and karroid communities | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Dissertation | en_ZA |