Ordination as a tool for substantiating and interpreting floristic  classifications: a case study

Deall, G. B.; Theron, G.K.

doi:10.4102/abc.v20i2.927

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 2 publications

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“…Based on initial field observations and a study in a similar environment (Deall & Theron 1990), elevation and geology were identified as being of major impor tance. Using six elevation classes, starting at 600 m asl and each spanning 200 m, and the 12 geological sub strates, a total of 51 elevation-geology combinations are present in the SGR.…”

Section: Landscape Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Stalmans¹,

Robinson²,

Balkwill³

1999

Bothalia

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A vegetation survey was undertaken of the 49 000 ha Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland of Mpumalanga. South Africa with the aim to identify constituent plant communities and to assess their relative value to wild herbivores. The vegetation is highly diverse with representation of three biomes: Savanna. Grassland and Forest A total of 428 plots were sampled by means of a semi-quantitative technique. Data were subjected to ordination (CANOCO) and classification (PATN). The composition of the 19 distinct communities is determined through an intricate combination of environmental factors as evident from the ordination results. Firstly drainage line' position is critical, followed by land use history and further by the interplay between elevation and geology. These findings are in line with results obtained from other studies along the eastern Escarpment. Alluvium, mafic and ultramafic lavas support mixed veld, whereas felsic lavas, sandstones and quartzites support sour veld which has a very low forage value in the dry’ season. Each community, through its specific species assemblage, structure and location, forms a distinctly different habitat in terms of its value to the various species of herbivores in the SGR

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Section: Landscape Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Stalmans¹,

Robinson²,

Balkwill³

1999

Bothalia

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Vegetation analysis of Pedlar’s Bush, Mpumalanga, and its conservation

Morgenthal

Cilliers

1999

South African Journal of Botany

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Evaluating the Ecological Relevance of Habitat Maps for Wild Herbivores

Stalmans¹,

Witkowski²,

Balkwill³

2002

Journal of Range Management

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JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Allen Press and Society for Range Management are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Range Management. AbstractInformed management of large herbivores depends largely on how well habitat availability and suitability are understood. The aims of the study were to quantify and map the distribution of sour and mixed grasslands in the 48,000 ha Songimvelo Game Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Mixed grassland retains its forage quality and hence its ability to sustain animal production for longer in the year than sour grassland. An unsupervised classification technique was applied to a LANDSAT 5 TM image acquired in 1993. The probability that each resulting cluster represented either sour or mixed grassland was calculated based on the proportional allocation of 428 sample plots. The 2 resulting probability maps were combined into a single image by selecting the class image that contained the maximum posterior probability and assigning that class to the output pixel. The accuracy of the vegetation map was assessed by ground-truthing with an independent set of 85 plots. This yielded a correct classification of 84.8% for the sour and 76.9% for the mixed plots. The mixed grasslands covered only 31.0% of the area but accounted for 66.1% of the game stocking. Water is widely distributed and is not a limiting factor to habitat selection. Based on a GIS analysis, the qualitative difference between mixed and sour grasslands overrides quantitative differences in forage availability, fire history and human disturbance in influencing herbivore distribution. The integration of field data and satellite imagery into a GIS system thus offers a powerful tool for the objective quantification and mapping of available habitat.The informed management of large herbivores in conservation areas depends largely on how well habitat availability and suitability are understood. The Songimvelo Game Reserve (henceforth SGR) is spatially very diverse in terms of its average annual rainfall, underlying geological substrate, elevation, slope, and aspect (Barnes 1998). This results in a very diverse vegetation pattern with marked differences in habitat suitability for herbi-Funding and logistical support were provided by the Mpumalanga Parks Board. Authors wish to acknowledge the support by Wilna Heymans who collected the independent data set used for the validation of the satellite map. Magda Rall, Annelize Steyn and other management staff assisted with the collection of vegetation, fire and game monitoring data. Dr Y. Bai and 2 anonymous reviewers provided useful comments and recommendations.Manuscript accepted 12 Apr. 2001.

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Ordination as a tool for substantiating and interpreting floristic classifications: a case study

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Vegetation analysis of Pedlar’s Bush, Mpumalanga, and its conservation

Evaluating the Ecological Relevance of Habitat Maps for Wild Herbivores

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Ordination as a tool for substantiating and interpreting floristic classifications: a case study

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess­ ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess­ ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Vegetation analysis of Pedlar’s Bush, Mpumalanga, and its conservation

Evaluating the Ecological Relevance of Habitat Maps for Wild Herbivores

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assess ment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality