Abstract:
The vegetation of the Kasi Bay Coastal Forest Reserve was classified by means ofBraunBlanquet
and TWINSP AN 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 subcommunities.
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 ofEndemism was related to plant communities. The coastal grassland
communities were prioritized for conservation, as a large number ofMaputaland Centre
endemics are restricted to these communities.
