Vegetation and flora of the Kosi Bay Coastal Forest Reserve in Maputaland, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

The vegetation of the Kosi Bay Coastal Forest Reserve was classified by means of Braun-Blanquet and TWINSPAN procedures. Twelve major plant communities were identified, occurring along a gradient from the inland fresh water habitats, to the beach with influences from strong winds and salt spray. Some of these communities were further divided into plant communities and sub-communities giving a total of 27 plant communities and three sub-communities. A vegetation map was compiled for the study area using Geographical Information System procedures. Veld condition was good and the grazing capacity high ranging between 2.9 and 5.6 ha/LSU (cattle). A checklist of 1 164 vascular plant species collected in the study area was compiled. The distribution of 71 plant species endemic to the Maputaland Centre of Endemism was related to plant communities. The coastal grassland communities were prioritized for conservation, as a large number of Maputaland Centre endemics are restricted to these communities.