A Plant-ecological study of the Eastern Transvaal escarpment in the Sabie area

Abstract

The indigenous vegetation of the Eastern Transvaal Escarpment in the Sabie area is classified into a number of forest, thicket, woodland, shrubland and grassland syntaxa by means of the Braun-Blanquet table method. Syntaxa are arranged hierarchically in four informal, successively subordinate ranks viz, ecological-formation class (4), vegetation type (14), plant community (53) and variant (18). Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) ordination of the plant communities confirms the classification and assists in its environmental interpretation. The practical significance of the phytosociological classification for landuse planning is evaluated in a landscape context, with special reference to vegetation types and land types.