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A Phytosociological Synthesis of Mopaneveld

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A Phytosociological Synthesis of Mopaneveld A phytosociological synthesis of Mopaneveld by Frances du Plessis Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree l\1AGISTER SCIENTIA in the African Vegetation and Plant Diversity Research Centre Department of Botany Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences University of Pretoria Pretoria Supervisor: Prof Dr. GJ. Bredenkamp OCTOBER 2001 © University of Pretoria ABSTRACT A phytosociological synthesis of Mopaneveld by Frances du Plessis Supervisor: Prof. Dr. GJ. Bredenkamp Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER SCIENTIA (Botany) Mopaneveld, a vegetation type dominated by Colophospermum mopane, covers an area of approximately 550 000 km2 over eight countries in southern Mrica. A phytosociological synthesis of this extensive vegetation type is presented. TWINSP AN classification was based on existing, adequate, raw vegetation data of southern Mrican Mopaneveld, which included fifteen data sets. Despite the limitations in sound vegetation data, 2 298 rei eves contributed to the identification of seven vegetation types and six major plant communities by the application of TWINSP AN. A new method to treat large vegetation data sets is also presented. The wealth of adequate vegetation data from the South African Lowveld Mopaneveld motivated further analysis of this vegetation type. Four major plant communities were identified of which two are discussed in this dissertation. Apart from the phytosociological contribution of this study, TWINSPAN results revealed motivation for the southern African Mopaneveld being an event­ driven system which follows non-equilibrial models to explain vegetation change. Keywords: Mopaneveld, Mopani Veld, Colophospermum mopane, TWINSPAN, DECORANA, large vegetation data sets, savanna, phytosociology, synthesis, vegetation dynamics, non-equilibrium, South African Lowveld, southern Africa TAB OF CONTENTS LIST OF "',LP.'-'-LAV AND FIGURES .... "\I ....... \I"" ............ II ................................................ " .... <11 ........... CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .......... ................... ................................ 1 1.1 Background ................................................... '" ......... ....... ... ....... .... 1 1.2 Motivation ... ...... ......... ...... ......... ...... ......... .... ..... ...... ....... .......... ...... 3 1.3 Objectives 3 Rationale ............... ............ .................. ..................... .................. ... 4 CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW ................. .. ................ .. ... .......... .. 5 2.1 Phytosociological syntheses .......... ... ......... ........... ...... .... ....... ..... ...... .... 5 2. L I Introduction ....................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Previous attempts to treat data sets ...... ... ................ ...... 5 2.1.3 The possibility to apply methods to the Mopaneveld 8 2.1.4 New trends in syntheses sets ........... .... ... .... 8 2.2 Mopaneveld in Africa .................... ........................................ 9 2.2.1 Definition of Mopaneveld .......................................................... .. 9 2.2.2 The Colophospermum mopane .......................................... .. 10 11 description .............. ...... .. .. .. ... .. .. .... ..... .. ............. 11 2.2.2.3 Adaptations Colophospermum mopane ................................... 14 Colophospermum mopane ........................................ .. 15 Management and of the Mopaneveld ....................... .. 16 Review of previous studies in the Mopaneve1d ................................. 17 the Mopaneve1d .................................. 17 Vegetation types containing Mopaneveld ........... , ., ................... , .. 17 18 2.2.4.1 Introduction ...................................................................... 2.2.4.2 PhysiognOlTIY ..................................................................... 18 2.2.4.3 Distribution of Mopaneveld ." ........... ................ ...... ... ...... ...... 22 Ii Floristic ................................. " .................... , ... ...... 24 Discussion of Mopaneveld In eight hosting countries .. ....... 26 Angola .................................................................. '" ...... ". 26 Bots\vana .. .. ... ,. ................................................................. , 27 Malawi ...... ..... .. ....... ...... .. .......... ............. ............. ........ 30 2,2.5.4 MozaIllbique .............................................. '" ..... ................ 31 Namibia ...... .............. .......... ............... ..... ... ............ ......... 32 2.2.5.6 Africa.. .. ...... .......... .. ...... .. ................ ....... ....... 42 ZaIllbia 46 Conclusions 61 CHAPTER 3. STUDY J"1I.Jl ....£/,n, 62 3.1 Introduction .................. ...... ................... ......................................... 62 3.2 Locality ........................... ....................................................... ....... 62 3.3 Topography and Geomorphology ......................................................... 63 3.4 Climate ............................................................ ............ ...... ......... ... 64 3 1 Introduction .. ... ... ... ...... ... ............... ...... ...... .... ......... .... ... 64 3.4.2 ''''''''' u""' 3 Temperature , . ... ... ..... .. ... ... .. .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ............. ..... 65 3.5 Geology .................................................. ....................................... 68 3.6 Soils •. ........................................................ ......... ........................... 69 CHAPTER 4. METHODS ................. '" .... ,. .......................... ........ ., ...... to ..... 41 ................ " ......... ... ".. •••• 72 4.1 Introduction ... ........................... .............. ..... ............... ...... .......... .... 72 4.2 Steps preceding computer-based procedures ............. ....... ....................... 72 Study area selection ... ....... , .... , . , ..... '" ......... , ... ..... .. ... .............. 72 4.2.2 surveying ..................... ,..................... ...... ... ... ... ... ...... 73 ~73 1 for vegetation inclusion ........ , .... , ......... " ................ iii 4.3 Computer-based procedures ... ............ ... ..... .... .... ...... ..... ... ...... ............. 74 4.3 1 Classification ..................... ...... ... ......... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. .... 75 .2 Refinement procedures ....................................................... .... 76 .3 4.4 Synthesis ofthe South African Lowveld Mopaneveld 79 RESULTS: PHYTOSOCIOLOGY OF THE COMPLETE DATA SET 84 5.1 Introduction ......... ........ ............................................................... .... 84 5.2 Classification hierarchy.. .................................................. ...... ... ... ...... 84 5.3 """,,,,n"lnn of the major vegetation units ............ ................................ .... 87 Ordination ........... ............ ..... ...... ... ... ... ...... ...... ... ........... ......... ........ 104 CHAPTER 6. RESULTS: PHYTOSOCIOLOGY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN LOWVELD MOPANEVELD ....................................................................................... 108 6.1 Introduction ... ......................... ............ ...... ...... ........ ....... ...... ...... ..... 108 6.2 Description of the major plant communities within the South Lowveld Mopaneveld ....... ...... ......... ....... ........... ......... ...... ...... ... ......... 109 Terminalia sericea Colophospermum mopane major .. 109 The Acacia nigrescens - Colophospermum mopane major community... 120 CHAPTER 7. SPECULATIONS ON THE DYNAMICS OF THE MOPANEVELD 7.1 Introduction .......... ........ ....... ....... ................... ....... ........... ............... 136 7.2 The study...... ... .................. ...... ............... ....... ...... ............ .......... .... 137 7.3 Methods ......................................................................................... 137 7.4 Results 138 140 7.6 Conclusions ..................................................................................... 154 CHAPTER 8. DISCUSSION .... "' .. '" "' .. "' .................... Ol ... " .................. "' .. " .................. II ................. -. 8.1 Introduction ...... .......... .................................. ...... ...... ...... ...... ... ........ 156 iv 8.2 Methodology ................................................................................... 156 8.2.1 Introduction .. ... ........... ...... .............. ... ..... ............... ........... 156 8.2.2 Vegetation data surveying 157 The proposed method to classify large data sets 1 1 Notes on the limitations of the 160 8.2.4 Concluding remarks on the methodology 161 8.3 Can the dynamics of Mopaneveld vegetation be explained by non-equilibrial models? ... ................................................................... ...... ............ 161 8A ofthe southern African Mopaneveld ........................................ 163 Evaluation of the 163 8.4.2 Small-scale versus studies l.,,,,,,,,,,,VU on Mopaneveld vegetation 166 8.4.4 South African Mopaneveld 169 8.4.5 need studies of the southern Mopaneveld . .. .. ... 170 Future research 171 174 SUMMARY 176 OPSOMMIN'G ......................... "............... It ....................................'. ••••• •••• 178 ACKNOWL_EDGEMENTS . .... ........ .... ............ ....... ..... ....... ............. ... .........
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