Aphytosociological study of the South-eastern transvaal highveld grasslands

Abstract

The grassland vegetation in the Amersfoort area of the south-eastern Transvaal is classified into a number of syntaxa using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological approach. The syntaxa are informally arranged into a hierarchical system of Vegetation Types (4), Units (5), Sub-Units (2) and Variants (29). The Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DECORANA) ordination supports the results of the classification to the level of the Vegetation Sub-Unit, but does not differentiate between the habitats of the syntaxa. Statistical analysis reveals statistically significant differences in the most commonly occurring habitat features of comparable syntaxa. There has been a marked deterioration in the species composition of the vegetation since Acocks' (1953) survey, and there is a gradient of increasing vegetation degradation operative within the syntaxa. The present vegetation in the Amersfoort area has developed in response to a history of veld mismanagement.