A survey of grazed and ungrazed grassland in the south‐eastern Transvaal highveld 2. Potential floristic composition and patterns of degradation

Abstract

The floristic composition of selected veld communities which, by virtue of their location were ungrazed but regularly burned, and which were judged to reflect potential floristic composition, was measured at 112 sites in the southeastern Transvaal highveld. Relevant environmental parameters were established for each site and the composition of the adjacent grazed veld was determined. The potential floristic composition appears to conform to part of a eutrophy‐dystrophy gradient, with Themeda triandra most abundant in the relatively eutrophic environments. Patterns of degradation in grazed communities, involving undesirable floristic changes, were found to differ between eutrophic and dystrophic environments.

Die floristiese samestelling van geselekteerde veldgemeenskappe wat as gevolg van hul ligging onbewei maar gereeld gebrand is, en beoordeel is om die potensiële floristiese samestelling te weerspieël, is by 112 lokaliteite in die Suidoos Transvaal gemeet. Die toepaslike omgewingsparameters is vir elke lokaliteit vasgestel en die samestelling van die aangrensende beweide veld bepaal. Potensiële floristiese samestelling neig om by ‘n deel van ‘n eutrofie‐distrofie gradiënt te konformeer met Themeda triandra as die algemeenste in die relatiewe eutrofiese omgewings. Daar is bevind dat die pairone van agteruitgang in beweide gemeenskappe, wat onwenslike floristiese veranderinge insluit, tussen eutrofiese en distrofiese omgewings verskil het.

Additional index words:

• Environmental parameters
• eutrophy‐dystrophy gradient