S. Afr. J. Bol. 2000, 66( I): 15- 21 15 Foodplain vegetation in the Nxaraga Lagoon area, Okavango Delta, Botswana M.C. Bonyongo" *, G.J. Bredenkamp' and E. Veenendaal' , Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre, University of Bo tswana, Private Bag 285, Maun. Botswana 20 epartment of Botany. University of Pretoria , Pretoria, 0002 Republic of South Africa Ueceived 2 June 1999, reVIsed 2() Ocwher /999 The phytosociology and patterns of vegetation distribution of the seasonal fi oodplains were studied. Cover-abundance data were collected from a total of 200 sample plots and captured in TU RBO(VEG), a software package for input and processing and presentation of phytosociological data. Application of the Braun-B lanquet methods of vegetation survey followed by a polythetic divisive classification technique (TWINSPAN) resulted in the delineation of eight vegetation communities of which five were further divided into sub-communities, The eight commun ities are Cyperus articulafus-Schoenopleclus corymbosus community, Alternanthera sessilis-Ludwigia sio/anitera community, Vetiveria nigritana-Setaria sphacelata community, Miscanthus junceus-Digitaria sea/arum community, Imperata cylindrica-Setana sphacelata community, Paspalidium oblusifolorum-Panicum repens community, Setaria sphaeefata- Eragrostis inamoena community and Sporobolus spicatus community. All plant commun ities are related to specific flooding regime namely time and duration of inundation . Keywords: Braun-Branquet, classification , plant community types, releve, TWINSPAN. "To whom correspondence should be addressed. Introduction re lative humidity at 0800 hours between 60% and 78% ( Ellery f!f Vegetation description is the starting point of both small and al. 1991 ) The cooler, drier winter months (June- August) have ,\ large scale vegetation research. Vegetation description aims to mean monthly maximum of25.3°(. to 28.rC and a mi ni mulll of enable people. oth er than the observer, to bui ld a mental picture 7.0°C to 10.0°C. The relative humidity ranges between 43% and of the area and its vegetation and to allow comparison and classi­ 63% (Ellery et al. 199 J). Soils consist predom inately of sands ficati on of different vegetation units (Kershaw 1973). The with an increase in th e amount of peat and other organic matter description of vegetation, with or without concurrent recording in the lower floodplain. Vegetation types were divided into of fac tors of the environment. has played a major part in the aquatic communities (e.g. C:VPf!/"lIS papyrus zone). primary development of plant ecology and continues to be importan t floodplain communities. (e.g . .\/is canl/llls sedgelands) secondary (Greig-Smith 1(83). Vegetation description is. therefore. an grassland (tall, wet and short. wet and dry grasslands) and island essenti al and integral part of vegetation science as it provides a grassland and riverine woodland communities (S.M.E.C. (986 ). scientific inventory for conservation and monitoring pu rposes as Primary fl oodplains are the low lyi ng arens adjacent to the chan­ well as for further research (Coetzee 1993). nel which get fl ooded first. while secondary fl oodplains are those Although a consi derable proportion of ecological work has areas lyi ng above the floodlinc and receive fl ood water rifle r the been directed towards the description of vegetation of various primary floodplains. ecosystems in th e world (Kershaw 1973). not much has been done on the phytosociology of the Okavango Delta seasonal Materials and Methods fl oodplain vegetation. Papers by Smith ( 1976), Biggs (1979), The I3raun-B lanqllct approach to th~ study of vc.:gC:lat iol1 is th e most and Ell ery (1987), Ellery el at. ( 1990; 1991; 1993) are so me ofa widdy uSl.!d lhroughoul thc world. and it has proven to bl.! a reli able few publications on the vegetation of the Okavango Delta, but and efli cient method fo r vegetation sur\'ey and cl assifi cat ion III most none of these paid special attention to a quantitative classifica­ cOllnlrit:s (Wt:rgcr 1974). This approach tak t:s a pract ica l. inh:rml.!d i­ tion of seasonal floodplain vegetation. Biggs (1979) described <lIt: position that recognlscs the h t:tc: rogen eit ~ of spc.:c ies di strihlll ioll s the vegetation types of the Okavango Delta using a visual physi­ hUl c.:mphasises. nonc.:thelcss. the int eraction hdween plants in Illc ognomic class ifi cation based on dominant species. Ellery el al. community. which have a cl! rtain individualit > because of rd ati\'c ( 1991) employed some quantitative objective methods of cl assi­ discontinuities betw\;,:en communi ti es in th e tield (Whittaker 19RU) . fication but concentrated on the vegetation of the back-swamps. In this method an analysis of the vcgdation. as a ruie. is preceeded In thi s study. the vegetati on of the Okavango Delta fl oodplains hy a prdiminary survey of the area. This rl.!collnai ssallec survey was described at a community level, thus a flori stic approached includes the study of general vegetation patterns and thc estahlish ­ was employed. ment of the apparent relations of vari ous vegetation typcs \\ itb geology lopography and soil l:onditions (Whittaker 1980). Siudyarea In a rcconnaissancl! survey o r the study ;m.:a eight diflercnl wiles \vere identified. The sampling dl.! sign was strati tied in rdation to The main study site is by the Nxaraga lagoon (19°35' S 23° 10' zones but rand omiscd withi n the zones. Overall 200 sa mph! pints W) on the Southwest side of Chiefs Island in Moremi Wildlife \vere placed randomly \vi thin the eigh t zones. A 5 m x 5 III plot size Reserve (Figure I ). The area is seasonally flooded by the Bora was selected after determi ning the min imum species arc as dl!si.:rihed River currently th e main out flowing river from the delta. The in Kershaw ( 1973). Muclicr-Dombois and Ellen berg (1974). Wager main fl oodi ng months are May to October. Rainfall in the area (1974), Whittaker (1980). and Kent and Coker ( 1992). Floristic data varies between 500 and 550 mm with the main rainfall months wen! collected when most of the spccics were in their th)\\cring being November to February (S.M.E.C. 1986). The mean stage to allO\v for casy identirication. The total species composition monthly maximum and minimum temperatures during summer and relative abundance of ench s pecit.~ s \Vere rc:corded in c: ach sa mp k range from 30.5°C. to 33.7°C and 14.8°C to 19.2°C with mean plot using the 13raun-Branquet cov..:r abundance scak. with the s. Afr. J. Bot. 2000. M( I) II i o 10 20 OJ)...,...,...., ........ o 5W(lIW. ....,.... __ ~KNCR$ 230- CONT'01JRS IN 1L.A..W.5.L Figure 1 I"opugrarhy ilnd zonation oflhe Okavango Fan (Stainsln:ct et 01 1993) . 1l1lldi l1t.:a lHlIl h~ IVludkr-DomboJs and Ellenb ~rg ( 197.t) and Elkn­ Africa (Fuls 1993 : Eckhmdt ]()t)3 : CO..:tl.l·~ It)93 : COl"lZl:": ('{ «/ hnh.'k ( l l)1-:7). The following moddied Bruun-B1an4uct l:ovcr­ 19')5) agglomerative (luster analys is (( )rl m:i I()67) or Lli\ isi\c clus­ ilnUndanl:L' :\l:'lk \\as used: tering (B redcnkamp et (II 199 1: 13r..:Jenkamp & 8ezuidcnhoul ]99)) \\ere applkd on the samples of lolal tloristic ((Imposition 10 {iL.: ri \l' \cr) r{lrc \\ ilh a ncgligihk c()\cr (usuaIJ) a singk ind i\ itlual): the ti rst approximation uf plant community lypes oj" the n.'le\c.U1t prc:-o:nl hut not ahllndant and \\'it h a small coycr \"<Jlu~ (less an:a. After deri ving th e appro:\imate malll communit ies by applymg than ["n (Jj"t\lc sample plot area): th~ divisive clustering algorithm . TWINSPAN (1Iil! 1979a) to th c nUlllcrous hu t wYering less 1% urthe sample plot tlr nOl than nnristic datil. fu rther n.:linemelll is c.lL"hicYed b) application or the S(l ahundant but cu\ering 1- 5% of the area: Bruun-[3mnquet procedures (B redenkamp 1982. 1(87). The cm.! 2a \ cr~ llumerous and covering less than 5% of the plot arca: product is an hierarchical classilication. \\11[1.:11 can be presented in a 2h ClHC fl ng. between 6-12% of the plot an;a independent of diagrnm or in table form . and where plan t communities arc dclined ahlHltlance: m terms of their total Ilor istie composition. with emphasis on 2111 w\cring het\H!en 13-25% of the plot area independent of indicator or diagnostic spcl:ics. ahllnuance: In this study the cover-abundance data wc re thell captured in 1 cnn::ring 26- 50% of the p[OI independent of abundance: TURBO{VEG). a software package for input. processing. and pres­ .t c{ln.'ri ng 51 - 75% of the pl ot independent of abundance: entation of phytosociologica l dC1la (Hennekens 1996a). The data 5 cm cring. 76- 100% of the independent of abundance. were then subjected to a t\\o-wa)' indicator species unalysis (TW IN­ In ph) to'im: iological work done in the savanna (B redcnkamp SPAN), (H ill 1979a) in MEGATAB, a visual editor ror phytosocio­ 1982. ]()R7 . Bwwn et ai. 1995) and grassland biomes of South logical tables (Hennehns \ 996b). After construction of a S. Afr. J. Ilot. 2000. 66( I) 17 ph~ tl):-{lCioitlgical tahle ( B on~ ongo 19(9). <l s~ Iloplic labk \\as con­ Table 1 Synoptic table of the floodplain vegetation in ..;tfueled h~ calculating the constaJl{:~ \alllC for each species in cal:h the Okavango Delta (% constancy) planl community. thus rcdw.; ing each l.:omTnUnil y to a single column Lli lh l' lahlc.