Topo-edaphic environment and forest plantation disturbance explain patterns of grassland species richness, composition and structure in an agro-ecological landscape, Maputaland, South Africa

dc.contributor.authorStarke, Allister Patrick
dc.contributor.authorO’Connor, T.G.
dc.contributor.authorEverson, Colin Stuart
dc.date.accessioned2021-02-23T13:00:46Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractGrasslands of the Maputaland coastal plain are biologically diverse and provide a variety of ecosystems services. Yet grasslands in this region are vulnerable to continuing development by plantation forestry that provides economic benefits to local communities. In order to provide a framework for land use that maintains grassland heterogeneity in complex agro-ecological systems, this paper characterises the main relations between grassland species composition, the physical environment and forestry plantation disturbance. Grassland species composition corresponded with landscape position and soil organic carbon. Grasslands occurring in infertile, elevated landscape positions were the most diverse having a greater richness of tufted graminoids, herbaceous forbs and geoxylic suffrutices than grassland occurring in low-lying dystrophic sites, which were dominated by rhizomatous and stoloniferous graminoids. Previously afforested grasslands (i.e. secondary grassland) were species poor, lacked keystone grasses, such as Themeda triandra, were dominated by a few species of rhizomatous or stoloniferous grasses and had been colonised by pioneer or ruderal forbs. Grassland species composition affects the provision of ecosystem services so to maintain a full complement of these attributes, grassland landscapes in Maputaland should comprise intact grasslands that cover both elevated and low-lying topographic positions.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentPlant Production and Soil Scienceen_ZA
dc.description.embargo2021-12-08
dc.description.librarianhj2021en_ZA
dc.description.urihttps://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tarf20en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationAP Starke , TG O’Connor & CS Everson (2020): Topo-edaphic environment and forest plantation disturbance explain patterns of grassland species richness, composition and structure in an agro-ecological landscape, Maputaland, South Africa, African Journal of Range & Forage Science, 38(3): 206-219, DOI: 10.2989/10220119.2020.1815081.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1022-0119 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1727-9380 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.2989/10220119.2020.1815081
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/78813
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherNISC (Pty) Ltd and Informa UK Limited (trading as Taylor & Francis Group)en_ZA
dc.rights© NISC (Pty) Ltd. This is an electronic version of an article published in African Journal of Range and Forage Science, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 206-219, 2021. doi : 10.2989/10220119.2020.1815081. African Journal of Range and Forage Science is available online at : http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tarf20.en_ZA
dc.subjectSubtropical grasslanden_ZA
dc.subjectHygrophilous grasslanden_ZA
dc.subjectGeoxylic suffrutexen_ZA
dc.subjectGrassland afforestationen_ZA
dc.subjectSecondary grasslanden_ZA
dc.titleTopo-edaphic environment and forest plantation disturbance explain patterns of grassland species richness, composition and structure in an agro-ecological landscape, Maputaland, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typePostprint Articleen_ZA

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