Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assessment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

Abstract

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.