A study of rainfall variability of South Africa as revealed by multivariate analysis

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.