The long-term establishment sequences of the herbaceous and woody component of the Mopani veld of the Limpopo Valley were studied and documented. Based on vegetation surveys conducted at three enclosed sites at the Messina Experimental Farm during the period 1964 to 2001, no clear fixed grass species establishment sequence was observed. The classic plant succession model of the grass component, as usually found in other veld types, is absent in Mopani veld of the Limpopo Valley. Shallow, nutrient poor, gravelly, severely eroded soils with low moisture retention and a high runoff rate are mainly colonised by annual grasses and forbs. Perennial grasses take long to establish. This results in an unstable herbaceous component that is vulnerable to changes, which in turn depends on the erratic availability of soil moisture. Where the woody component is concerned, eight tree species appeared to be early colonisers, five intermediate colonisers and seven late colonisers. Tree numbers increased at sites with deeper soils, indicating that bush encroachment is a general, natural process that occurs irrespective of rest treatmentsapplied to the herbaceous component. At a site with an extremely shallow soil, bush density decreased, suggesting that the bush encroachment process in the Limpopo Valley is much more affected by soil and climate than in other veld types and climatic zones of the Limpopo Province.

No abstract

To cite this article: C.S. Dannhauser (1982) Die geskiedenis van smutsvingergras met spesiale verwysing na die hoëveldstreek the history of smuts finger grass with special reference to the highveld region ,

UITTREKSEL'n Literatuuroorsig oor die gebruikswaarde van tropiese grassse as staande hooi, in die winter, word voorsien. Die invloed van klimaat op die keuse van spesies en bestuur van die grasse, gedurende die voorafgaande groeiseisoen, word bespreek. Meer onlangse gegewens oor die gebruik van Digitaria eriantha (Smutsvingergras) as staande hooi in die semi-ariede gebied van Wes-Transvaal word verskaf. Uit hierdie gegewens blyk dit dat Smutsvingergras 'n belangrike rol kan speel in die oorwintering van diere. ABSTRACTA literature review on the value of tropical grasses as foggage, during winter, is presented. The influence of climate on the choice of species and the management of the grasses, during the previous growing season, is described. More recent results on the use of Digitaria eriantha as foggage in the semi-arid regions of the Western Transvaal are given. It is clear from these results that Smuts finger grass can play an important role during the winter period as animal feed. INLEIDINGDie gebrek aan redelike kwaliteit ruvoer, vir die oorwintering van diere, lei dikwels tot massaverlies en swak reproduksie. In die soetvelddele kan gespaarde veld gebruik word, maar in die suurvelddele bestaan daar oorwinteringsprobleme. I'Ons (1968) en Rethman & Gouws (1973) beveel die moontlike gebruik van staande hooi vir die winterperiode aan waar die kwaliteit of kwantiteit van gerusde veld beperkend word. Alhoevel boere in 'n groot mate van staande hooi van somergroeiende grasse gebruik maak, is daar nog relatief min navorsing oor die onderwerp gedoen.Van die min wetenskaplike publikasies oor die waarde van staande hooi sluit die werk van Barnes (1966) in Zimbabwe, I'Ons (1968) in Swaziland en Rethman & Gouws (1973) by Ermelo in. Meer onlangse populer-wetenskaplike inligting word deur Brockett (1983), Rethman (1984 en Dickinson, Hyam, Metcalf, Rudert & Williams (1984) verskaf.Na aanleiding van navorsing wat oor die afgelope dekade deur die Weidingkundiges op Potchefstroom gedoen is, is Smutsvingergras besig om een van die mees gewilde aangeplante weidings in Suid-Afrika te word. In hierdie algemene oorsig oor staande hooi vir die Sentrale Grasveld sal die rol van Smutsvingergras, vir veral die laer reenvaldele, uitgelig word, terwyl ander gewasse vir die hoer reenvaldele bespreek word.

No abstract