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Extending from the Outenique and Tsitsikama Mountains Of DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICAN INDIGENOUS FORESTS An objective classification for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Forestwood cc UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Environmentek report ENV-P-C 2003-017 CSIR Pretoria CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICAN INDIGENOUS FORESTS An objective classification for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Project Manager Graham von Maltitz CSIR Environmentek Pretoria Research Team Prof. Laco Mucina University of the North, QwaQwa Campus Dr Coert Geldenhuys Forestwood cc Prof. Mike Lawes, Dr Harriet Eeley and Dr Hylton Adie Forest Biodiversity Programme University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg Graham von Maltitz, Dineke Vink, Gavin Fleming, and Cathy Bailey CSIR Environmentek Cover Photo: Tom Voster ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This classification has only been possible through the work and data of a large number of forest specialists who have added to the knowledge of indigenous forests in South Africa. The following people and groups are especially thanked: • All the researchers who over the years have collected forest plot data that could now be combined into this classification. They are too many to mention, but are referenced in the appendix to this report. • The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, firstly for funding the project, and secondly, for making their staff available for commenting on drafts of the document and for being involved in workshops and discussions. • KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation Services for supplying their updated GIS coverage of forest type and distribution. • To the provincial conservation authorities who have made staff available for this process. • Karin Harding and Alet Visser for final editing. • All the forest ecologists and specialists who have aided in the workshop sessions, and in making comments and inputs into drafts of the forest type classification documents. Classification System for South African Indigenous Forests Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 SUBJECT AND AIMS OF THIS REPORT....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIGENOUS FORESTS OF SOUTH AFRICA .................................... 2 1.3 FOREST USE AND MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................................. 3 1.4 FOREST PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION STATUS ................................................................................. 4 2. OVERVIEW OF PREVIOUS INDIGENOUS FOREST CLASSIFICATIONS............................................. 6 2.1 AFROTEMPERATE/AFROMONTANE AND INLAND FOREST TYPES ................................................................. 6 3. METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS................................................................................................................ 11 3.2 MAPPING AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF FORESTS ................................................................................ 11 3.3 CLIMATE AND SOIL CLASSIFICATION ..................................................................................................... 12 3.4 VEGETATION DATA SOURCES................................................................................................................ 13 3.4.1 Number of parameters sampled ................................................................................................ 15 3.4.2 Taxonomic reliability and nomenclature .................................................................................... 15 3.4.3 Structural and textural definitions .............................................................................................. 15 3.4.4 Completeness of taxon lists....................................................................................................... 15 3.4.5 Sampling intensity...................................................................................................................... 15 3.5 DATA TRANSFORMATIONS AND DATABASING.......................................................................................... 15 3.6 NUMERICAL DATA HANDLING OF VEGETATION DATA................................................................................ 16 3.6.1 Computer-assisted derivation of forest types ............................................................................ 16 3.6.2 Analysing similarity patterns among derived forest types.......................................................... 17 3.7 FAUNAL ANALYSES .............................................................................................................................. 17 3.7.1 Characteristics and sources of faunal data................................................................................ 17 3.7.2 Analyses..................................................................................................................................... 18 3.8 CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION ..................................................................................................... 19 4. CLIMATIC AND EDAPHIC PATTERNS.................................................................................................. 20 4.1 PRECIPITATION.................................................................................................................................... 20 4.1.1 Mean precipitation...................................................................................................................... 20 4.1.2 Seasonality of precipitation........................................................................................................ 20 4.2 TEMPERATURE .................................................................................................................................... 20 4.2.1 Maximum temperature............................................................................................................... 20 4.2.2 Minimum temperatures of the coldest month............................................................................. 21 4.4 SOIL FERTILITY .................................................................................................................................... 21 4.5 CLIMATE CLASSIFICATION..................................................................................................................... 21 5. MAJOR VEGETATION PATTERNS........................................................................................................ 28 5.1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE HIERARCHICAL SYSTEM ........................................................................................ 28 5.2 GENERAL NATURE OF THE UNITS ......................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Zonality, intrazonality, and azonality patterns............................................................................ 31 5.3 GENERAL CLASSIFICATION PATTERNS ................................................................................................... 32 5.3.1 Position of azonal forest types................................................................................................... 32 5.3.2 Position of Western Cape forests .............................................................................................. 33 5.3.3 Position of Drakensberg and Highveld forests........................................................................... 33 5.3.4 Position of the Northern Escarpment forests............................................................................. 34 5.3.5 Position of the Scarp Forests, Eastern Cape and Midlands mistbelt forests............................. 34 5.3.6 Position of the Coastal forests ................................................................................................... 35 5.4 CONCLUSIONS..................................................................................................................................... 40 6. MAJOR FAUNAL PATTERNS ................................................................................................................ 41 6.1 BIRDS ................................................................................................................................................. 41 6.2 REPTILES ............................................................................................................................................ 43 6.3 FROGS................................................................................................................................................ 45 6.4 MAMMALS ........................................................................................................................................... 47 6.5 COMPARISON WITH FLORAL CLASSIFICATION ......................................................................................... 48 Environmentek CSIR. April 2003 i Classification System for South African Indigenous Forests 6.5.1 Southern Afrotemperate group .................................................................................................. 48 6.5.2 Northern Afrotemperate Group / Northern Mistbelt Group .......................................................
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