The vegetation of Swartboschkloof, Jonkershoek, Cape Province, South Africa

Swartboschkloof forms part of the Jonkershoek catchment complex at the headwaters of the Eerste River, Cape Province, South Africa. It has been selected for multi-disciplinary studies of Mountain Fynbos vegetation. The study area has a mainly equatorial aspect (north-facing) and receives an average of 1600 mm rain per annum, mainly in winter. Temperatures do not reach extremes. Winds blow mainly from the south-east, increasing in strength in summer. North-west winds blow intermittently in winter, bringing rain. The altitude of Swartboschkloof ranges between 285 m and 1200 m and the soils are derived from quartzitic Table Mountain Sandstone and porphyritic Cape Granite. Using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method, vegetation and environmental data were collected at 201 relevés throughout the study area; 101 of these relev~s are correlated with a survey of soils of part of the same area. Sixteen fynbos communities, grouped into three groups and five forest communities, grouped into two groups, have been identified. The data of a previous study by Werger, Kruger and Taylor (1972) have been interpreted in the context of this study. A map of the plant communities has been drawn and an attempt has been made to explain the distribution of the communities in terms of environmental factors. There is a strong link between the vegetation and soil geology but application of a method such as principal components analysis would be necessary to explain the relationship clearly.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• McDonald, David Jury

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Moll, EJ

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7607

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7607