Vegetation classification of the proposed Heritage Park, North-West Province, South Africa. Mari la Grange 13007912 Dissertation submitted in the fulfilment of the degree Magister Scientiae in Environmental Sciences at the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University Supervisor: Prof S.S. Cilliers Co-supervisor: Prof K. Kellner May, 2010 The earth will be filled with the knowledge and the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 Dedicated to my Creator, Redeemer and Friend, Who gave me life in abundance and promised to never leave, nor forsake me. Abstract The proposed Heritage Park will link Pilanesberg National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve with a corridor of approximately 170 000 ha, to form a conservation area of roughly 250 000 ha. This proposed Heritage Park will contribute to reaching the conservation target set for the Savanna biome. Developing a conservation area for eco-tourism will lead to job creation and it will increase the livelihoods of the people from the local communities. The escalating tourism demand at Pilanesberg and Madikwe, unique features, such as the Molatedi Dam, Marico River and Dwarsberg Mountains and the archaeological importance of the area further provides a strong motivation for the development of the proposed Heritage Park. For effective planning, development and management of the proposed Heritage Park, it is essential to have a sound knowledge base of the ecosystems present and its biota. Several sub-research projects have been planned, including a soil and vegetation survey (of which the current study forms a part), a land and biodiversity audit, a socio-economic impact assessment, a game carrying capacity survey, spatial planning, heritage status and development and traditional knowledge surveys. No vegetation studies have previously been carried out in the central part of the corridor area, which covers a surface area of more than 90 000 ha. The aims of this study were to classify and describe the vegetation of the Central Corridor Area (CCA), to map plant communities, to identify and describe broad vegetation units and to integrate this study with previous studies carried out in other parts of the proposed Heritage Park. Stratified, random sampling was done and 222 relevés were completed in the CCA. A total of 20 plant communities and 17 sub-communities were identified and described in four land types in the CCA, using the Braun-Blanquet approach. Data was processed using the TURBOVEG database and a visual editor for phytosociological tables, MEGATAB. The correlations between environmental variables and plant communities were identified with the use of Correspondence Analysis (CA) ordinations and Principal Component Analyses (PCA) ordinations in CANOCO. The plant communities and also the areas with serious bush thickening and old cultivated fields were mapped. The plant communities from different land types were combined into three vegetation units and four vegetation sub-units, which were described in terms of species composition and environmental variables and management recommendations were given. The first vegetation unit (the Acacia robusta – Acacia tortilis Vegetation Unit) was found on deep soil, on plains. The second vegetation unit (the Mundulea sericea – Vitex zeyheri Vegetation Unit) was also found on plains, but on shallow sandy soil. The third vegetation unit (the Grewia flavescens – Panicum maximum Vegetation Unit) was found on shallow, sandy and rocky soil on mountains. The vegetation classification of the CCA was also compared with the vegetation studies carried out in the Expansion Areas of Madikwe and Pilanesberg. i Opsomming Die voorgestelde Heritage Park gaan die Pilanesberg Nasionale Park en die Madikwe Wild Reservaat aan mekaar verbind deur ʼn korridor van nagenoeg 170 000 ha, om sodoende ʼn bewaringsgebied van ongeveer 250 000 ha te vorm. Die voorgestelde Heritage Park sal daartoe bydra dat die bewaringsdoelwit wat vir die Savanna bioom gestel is, bereik word. Die ontwikkeling van ʼn bewaringsgebied vir ekotoerisme sal tot werkskepping lei en dit sal ekstra inkomste vir die plaaslike gemeenskappe genereer. Die toenemende aanvraag vir toerisme by Pilanesberg en Madikwe, unieke kenmerke, soos die Molatedi Dam, Marico Rivier en die Dwarsberge sowel as die argeologiese belangrikheid van die gebied verskaf verder ʼn sterk motivering vir die ontwikkeling van die voorgestelde Heritage Park. Vir die effektiewe beplanning, ontwikkeling en bestuur van die voorgestelde Heritage park, is dit noodsaaklik om deeglike agtergrondskennis van die ekosisteme wat teenwoordig is te hê asook van die biota wat voorkom. Verskeie sub-navorsingsprojekte is beplan, insluitende ʼn grond- en plantegroeistudie (waarvan hierdie studie ʼn deel vorm), ʼn land en biodiversiteit oudit, ʼn sosio- ekonomiese impakstudie, ʼn wild drakapasiteit studie, ruimtelike beplanning, erfenis status en tradisionele kennis studies. Geen plantegroeistudies is voorheen in die sentrale deel van die korridor gebied, wat ‘n oppervlakte van meer as 90 000 ha beslaan, uitgevoer nie. Die doelstellings van hierdie studie was om die plantegroei van die Sentrale Korridor Gebied (SKG) te klassifiseer en te beskryf, om die plantgemeenskappe te karteer, om breë plantegroei eenhede te identifiseer en te beskryf en om hierdie studie met vorige studies wat in ander dele van die voorgestelde Heritage Park gedoen is te integreer. Gestratifiseerde, onwillekeurige opnames is gedoen en 222 relevés is in die CCA voltooi. ʼn Totaal van 20 plantgemeenskappe en 17 sub-gemeenskappe is in vier landtipes in die SKG geïdentifiseer en beskryf, deur van die Braun-Blanquet benadering gebruik te maak. Data is met behulp van die TURBOVEG databasis en ʼn visuele verwerker vir fitososiologiese tabelle, MEGATAB, verwerk. Die korrelasies tussen die omgewingsveranderlikes en die plantegroei- gemeenskappe is met behulp van Korrespondensie Analise ordeninge en Hoof Komponent Analise ordeninge in CANOCO geïdentifiseer. Die plantegemeenskappe, sowel as die gebiede met ernstige bosverdigting en ou landerye is gekarteer. Die plantgemeenskappe van die verskillende landtipes is in drie plantegroei eenhede en twee plantegroei sub-eenhede gekombineer. Die eerste plantegroei eenheid (die Acacia robusta – Acacia tortilis Plantegroei Eenheid) is op diep grond, op vlaktes aangetref. Die tweede plantegroei eenheid (die Mundulea sericea – Vitex zeyheri Plantegroei Eenheid) is ook op vlaktes aangetref, maar op vlak, sanderige en klipperige gronde en die derde plantegroei eenheid (die Grewia flavescens – Panicum maximum Plantegroei Eenheid) is op vlak sanderige en klipperige grond, op berge aangetref. Hierdie eenhede is beskryf in terme van spesiesamestelling en omgewingsveranderlikes en bestuursvoorstelle is gegee. Die plantegroei-klassifikasie is verder vergelyk met die plantegroeistudies wat in die Uitbreidings Gebiede van Madikwe en Pilanesberg uitgevoer is. ii Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude towards the following persons, institutions and organisations for their assistance and contributions, without whom this study would not have been possible: My parents, Johan and Erna la Grange, for their encouragement and support. My supervisors, Prof. Sarel Cilliers and Prof. Klaus Kellner, for their guidance, advice and encouragement. Mr. Albie Götze who coordinated the fieldwork, for his invaluable contributions to this study. Ms. Sabine Kurzweg and Prof. Stefan Siebert who helped with the identification of plants. Mr. J.P. Wepener, Mr. Francois Viljoen, Ms. Kerryn Bullock, Ms. Noria Mosweu and Ms. Caroline Dibetsoe for assistance during fieldwork. The farmers that allowed surveys to be carried out on their farms. Ms. Marié du Toit for assistance with maps and general technical aspects. Prof. Franci Jordaan for guidance and language editing. Mr. Francois Botha for assistance with soil analyses and Prof Marthie Coetzee of the geology department. The North-West Provincial Government and the North-West University for financing this project. iii Table of contents Abstract………………………...……………………………………………………………………………… i Opsomming…………………...………………………………………………………………………………. ii Acknowledgements………...………………………………………………………………………………… iii List of Figures…………………………………………………………...…………………………………….. vi List of Tables………………………………………………………………...………………………………... xii Chapter 1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………........................... 1 1.1 The importance of conservation and ecotourism……………………………………………………. 1 1.2 Background to Pilanesberg National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve………….…………....... 3 1.3 Heritage Park plans and motivation…………………..……………………………………………...... 4 1.4 The importance of research in planning, development and management of the proposed Heritage Park……………………...…………………………………………………………………..…. 6 1.5 Previous vegetation studies in the Savanna biome surrounding the CCA………………………… 7 1.6 Aims of this study………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 1.7 Contents of this thesis…………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Chapter 2: Study area………………………………………………………………………………………. 11 2.1 Location…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 2.2 Current land use………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 2.3 Land type………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12 2.4 Geology……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13 2.5 Soil…….…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 2.6 Topography……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 2.7 Rainfall and temperature………………………………………………………………………………… 14 2.8 Vegetation………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 2.9 Settlements……………………………………………………………………………………………….