Description of vegetation types secured through the biodiversity stewardship programme within the North Eastern Cape Grasslands Priority Site, South Africa

Abstract

A study was undertaken in the northern region of the Eastern Cape Province within the Grassland Biome located in the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area. Vegetation surveys were undertaken on two privately owned properties, the Glencoe Farm (~1 007 ha) and the Reedsdell Farm (~1 158 ha). Livestock (cattle and sheep) grazing is the primary land-use activity for both properties. The aim of this study was to determine and describe the different plant communities, their veld condition as well as their biodiversity value for inclusion into the biodiversity stewardship programme in the North Eastern Cape Grasslands Priority areas. The Braun-Blanquet technique was employed for the classification and description of vegetation, the Ecological Index Method for the veld condition assessment, and the Biodiversity Site Assessment Tool (BSAT) developed by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) to evaluate the biodiversity value of the two study sites. The Glencoe study site falls under the Lesotho Highlands Basalt Grasslands vegetation type. Not only the Lesotho Highlands Basalt Grasslands vegetation type but also the Southern Drakensberg Basalt Grasslands vegetation type are present on the Reedsdell study site. Both areas are homogeneous and only two major plant communities were identified for each. The veld for both study sites is in a moderate condition (49 for the Glencoe study site and 48 for the Reedsdell study site) and dominated by the Increaser II species. Based on the Biodiversity status results, both properties qualify for Nature Reserve protected area status in accordance with the ECPTA’s Biodiversity Stewardship Programme assessment procedures (total score of 32,5 for Glencoe and 35,7 for Reedsdell).

Kukho isifundo esathi senziwa kwingingqi eseMntla Mpuma Koloni kummandla wohlaza ekuthiwa yiGrassland Biome okwisithili semithombo yamanzi esingakwiintaba zoKhahlamba. Esi sithili kuthiwa yiEastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area. Iintlolo zimvo ezimalunga nohlaza zenziwa kwiziza ezibini nezinabanini babucala: iifama iGlencoe (ebukhulu buziihektare ezili~1 007)kuney neReedsdell (ebukhulu buziihektare ezili ~1 158 ha). Ukutyisa imfuyo (iinkomo neegusha) ngowona msebenzi ungundoqo wenziwayo kwezi fama zombini. Injongo yesi sifundo yayikukunakana nokuchaza iindidi ezahlukeneyo zohlaza, imo yamadlelo nexabiso lohlaza olukwezi fama, ukwenzela ukuba zifakwe kwiNkqubo Yokuququzelela Uhlaza kwimimandla eyaziwa ngokuba yiNorth-Eastern Cape Grasslands Priority areas. Kwasetyenziswa indlela yokuhlela ekuthiwa yiBraun-Blanquet technique, kwaze kwasetyenziswa iEcological Index Method ekuvavanyeni isimo samadlelo, kwabuya kwaqulunqwa isixhobo esiyiBiodiversity Site Assessment Tool (BSAT) sisenzelwa iarhente yamaziko ezokhenketho, iEastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) ngenjongo yokuvavanya ixabiso lohlaza kwezi fama zimbini. Isifundo esikwisiza saseGlencoe siphantsi kodidi lohlaza ekuthiwa yiLesotho Highlands Basalt Grasslands. Ayilodidi lweLesotho Highlands Basalt Grasslands lodwa olufumaneka kolu hlaza, kufumaneka nolunye ekuthiwa yiSouthern Drakensberg Basalt Grasslands kwisiza saseReedsdell. Zombini ezi ngingqi ziyafana kwaye mabini kuphela amaqela ohlaza awafumanisekayo kwisiza ngasinye. Idlelo lazo zozibini iziza likwimeko ephakathi nje (ngama49 kwisiza sophando iGlencoe kanti ngama48 eReedsdell) kwaye udidi oluphambili yiIncreaser II. Xa kuqwalaselwa iziphumo zesimo seyantlukwano yohlaza, zozibini iziza zophando zifanelekile ukuba zibe phantsi kokhuseleko ngokwenkqubo yooVimba Bendalo (Nature Reserve) ngokokulandela izikhokelo zohlolo zeNkqubo Yokuququzelela Uhlaza eMpuma Koloni (ECPTA) (amanqaku ewonke aba ngama32,5 eGlencoe kwaze kwaba ngama35,7 eReedsdell).

Ucwaningo lwenziwe esifundeni esisenyakatho yeSifundazwe saseMpumalanga Kapa ngaphakathi komphakathi omkhulu wezitshalo nezilwane otholakala ngokwemvelo endaweni enkulu etholakala eMpumalanga Kapa Endaweni Yomthombo Wamanzi Wamasu eDrakensberg. Uhlolo lwezitshalo lwenziwa ezakhiweni ezimbili eziphethwe abantu abazimele: Ipulazi iGlencoe (~1 007 ha) kanye nePulazi iReedsdell (~1 158 ha). Amadlelo emfuyo (izinkomo nezimvu) awumsebenzi oyinhloko wokusetshenziswa komhlaba kuzo zombili izakhiwo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukunquma nokuchaza imiphakathi yezitshalo ehlukene, isimo samadlelo, kanye nenani lokwehlukahluka kwemvelo zalezi zakhiwo ezimbili ukuze zifakwe ohlelweni lokunakekela ukuhlukahluka kwemvelo ezindaweni zotshani ezibaluleke kakhulu eziseNyakatho-Mpumalanga Kapa. Indlela ye-Braun-Blanquet yasetshenziswa ekuhlukaniseni, Indlela Yenkomba Yemvelo yokuhlola isimo sedlelo, kanye neThuluzi Lokuhlola Izindawo Zokwehlukahluka kwemvelo (i-BSAT) lathuthukiselwa Amapaki aseMpulamalanga -Kapa kanye neNhlangano yeZokuvakasha (i-ECPTA) ukuze lihlole ukubaluleka kokuhlukahluka kwemvelo kwezindawo ezimbili zokufunda. Indawo yocwaningo yaseGlencoe ingaphansi kohlobo lwezitshalo zaseLesotho i-Highlands Basalt Grasslands. Akulona kuphela uhlobo lwezitshalo ezimila eLesotho Highlands Basalt Grasslands kodwa nohlobo lwezitshalo zase-Southern Drakensberg Basalt Grasslands zikhona endaweni yocwaningo sase-Reedsdell. Zombili lezi zindawo ziyafana futhi mibili kuphela imiphakathi emikhulu yezitshalo ezikhonjiwe endaweni ngayinye. Idlelo lazo zombili izindawo zocwaningo lisesimweni esimaphakathi (49 endaweni yocwaningo yaseGlencoe kanye nama-48 endaweni yocwaningo yase-Reedsdell) futhi ligcwele ngohlolob lwezinto eziphilayo lwe-Increaser II. Ngokusekelwe emiphumeleni yesimo sokwehlukahlukana kwemvelo, zombili izindawo zocwaningo zifanelekela isimo sendawo evikelekile Sokulondolozwa Kwemvelo ngokuhambisana nezinqubo zokuhlola ze-ECPTA Zohlelo Lokunakekela ukuhlukahluka kwemvelo (inani eliphelele lamaphuzu angu-32,5 e-Glencoe kanye nama-35,7 e-Reedsdell).