Vegetation analysis of wetlands in the Klerksdorp Municipal Area, North West Province, South Africa

Wyk, E. van; Cilliers, Sarel S.; Bredenkamp, G.J.

doi:10.1016/s0254-6299(15)31051-6

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The results show significantly lower species richness and a higher cover of invasive species in urban wetlands. Van Wyk et al [13] demonstrated that stormwater discharges along urban streams can provide hydrologic conditions for vegetated habitats without other types of intervention or management. Asongwe et al [14] sampled urban wetlands and found that the expansion of urbanization has contaminated wetland soils in the city of Bamenda, resulting in progressively less wetland plant diversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of Different Plant Taxonomic Groups to Complex Environmental Factors in Peri-Urban Wetlands

Hou,

Li,

et al. 2023

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wetland plants are essential for ecosystem functions. However, wetland plants in peri-urban areas have been affected by increased human interference. Hence, analyzing the drivers of plant diversity could be extremely useful for biodiversity conservation. The main objective was to investigate the response of plant diversity in wetlands (e.g., plant richness, plant abundance, and taxonomic distinctness) to the environment in peri-urban areas. The results show that the wetland area is the most important factor influencing plant diversity in peri-urban areas. Plant richness and abundance decreased significantly with a decreasing wetland area. The cultivated land decreased the abundance of native plants and indirectly promoted native plant growth and spread by increasing the total organic carbon content of the water. Forest encroachment on wetlands significantly reduced native plant abundance. The effects of soil pH, water body pH, soil organic matter, and slope on introduced species showed opposite trends to those on native plants. Introduced plants were significantly more adapted to the land use around the wetland than native plants. The green land and forest areas promoted the spread of introduced plants. Introduced plants were significantly less adapted to the physicochemical properties of the soil and water than native species. Humans, through agricultural cultivation, have caused introduced plants in cultivated lands to escape to wetlands, resulting in an increase in introduced species. The riparian zone length showed opposite effects for aquatic and terrestrial plants. Pollution from urbanization and agriculture both positively and negatively affects aquatic plants. The response of aquatic plants to nutrients in the water was better than their response to soil nutrients and the response of terrestrial plants to soil nutrients. Terrestrial plants can better withstand pollution from urbanization and agricultural activities, as well as the erosion of wetlands from forested and cultivated lands.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of Different Plant Taxonomic Groups to Complex Environmental Factors in Peri-Urban Wetlands

Hou,

Li,

et al. 2023

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies of urban vegetation in South Africa are lacking and only a limited number of vegetation surveys have been carried out in these areas: for example, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province (Roberts 1993); Potchefstroom, North West Province (Cilliers, Van Wyk & Bredenkamp 1999); Klerksdorp, North West Province (Van Wyk, Cilliers & Bredenkamp 2000); and Pretoria, Midrand, Johannesburg and parts of the West Rand, Gauteng Province (Grobler, Bredenkamp & Brown 2006). The aim of this study was therefore to identify, classify and describe the grassland communities of the natural open areas in Bloemfontein.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Appendix: Grassland communities of urban open spaces in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa

Dingaan

Preez

2013

Koedoe

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Natural vegetation in urban environments is greatly impacted by human activities and it is in constant threat of degradation and destruction as a result of urbanisation. This vegetation, although fragmented, serves an important ecological function and needs to be properly managed and conserved. Studies on urban vegetation are lacking in South Africa, with only a handful having been carried out since the end of the last century. This study was initiated to identify, classify and describe the grassland communities of the urban open spaces in Bloemfontein. Relevés were compiled in 61 sample plots, where species present and habitat information were recorded. Care was taken to restrict sample plots to vegetation in pristine condition, wherever possible, and severely degraded stands were avoided. A two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) classification, refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures, revealed two distinct major communities, seven communities and four sub-communities. Both detrended and canonical correspondence analyses indicated the vegetation units to be associated with soil texture and pH, although biotic factors such as overgrazing, burning and mowing also influence the composition of the vegetation. The proper management and conservation of urban open spaces requires in-depth knowledge of the spatial distribution, floristic, structural and functional compositions within the major vegetation types in this environment. The present study further contributed towards formulating ways for the proper management, utilisation and functioning of the open spaces within the Bloemfontein area.

show abstract

“…Cilliers & Bredenkamp ; van Wyk et al. ). Furthermore, much of this work remains in unpublished reports or theses (see Mucina & Rutherford ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A first formal classification of the Hardeveld vegetation in Namaqualand, South Africa

Luther-Mosebach

Dengler

Schmiedel

et al. 2012

Applied Vegetation Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Questions The Succulent Karoo is a winter‐rainfall desert in southern Africa with a highly diverse flora. Which environmental factors differentiate vegetation composition at the plot level: How can compositional pattern be best represented by a formal phytosociological classification. Location Soebatsfontein communal area and surroundings in the Namaqualand Hardeveld Bioregion of the Succulent Karoo Biome, Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Methods We recorded vascular plant species composition, together with a range of structural and soil parameters as well as grazing intensity, in 355 plots of 100 m² size. This sample covered all vegetation types of the study area except those of river beds and anthropogenic sites. Vegetation classification was carried out using modified TWINSPAN followed by manual re‐arrangement of a subset of plots with the aim of increasing floristic distinctiveness of the vegetation units. For the final vegetation units, we determined diagnostic species and environmental parameters, according to phi‐values and ANOVA, respectively, and translated these into a phytosociological classification. Results The major factor influencing species composition and richness was soil salinity. At a broad scale, the less saline sites could be differentiated into sandy plains and rocky hills, and the saline sites into quartz fields, the centres of heuweltjies (termitaria) and the matrix between. We translated these patterns into two phytosociological classes with four orders, six alliances and 16 associations. Most of the syntaxa are very well defined in floristic terms, and all except the Othonnion cylindricae are new to science. The Hermannio trifurcae‐Zygophylletea morgsanae represents the zonal vegetation of marginally saline soils, the Didelto carnosae‐Cephalophylletea inaequalis the vegetation of saline soils. The vegetation of the extremely saline quartz patches probably belongs to a third class not described here due to the scarcity of representative plots. Conclusions Our phytosociological approach allowed the various degrees of ecological and floristic similarity to be represented by syntaxa of different ranks. A comparison with previous classifications from the Succulent Karoo revealed a high spatial turnover, with only two of our alliances and none of our associations coinciding with those found in previously studied areas of the Succulent Karoo. Our formal classification has the potential to be a powerful tool for local land use, ecological comparison and conservation, and to contribute to a future national phytosociological classification of South Africa.

show abstract

Vegetation analysis of wetlands in the Klerksdorp Municipal Area, North West Province, South Africa

Cited by 11 publications

References 19 publications

Responses of Different Plant Taxonomic Groups to Complex Environmental Factors in Peri-Urban Wetlands

Responses of Different Plant Taxonomic Groups to Complex Environmental Factors in Peri-Urban Wetlands

Online Appendix: Grassland communities of urban open spaces in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa

A first formal classification of the Hardeveld vegetation in Namaqualand, South Africa

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About