Conservation value of the Egoli Granite Grassland, an endemic grassland in Gauteng, South Africa

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Authors

Bredenkamp, G.J.
Brown, L.R.
Pfab, M.F.

Issue Date

2006

Type

Article

Language

en

Keywords

Egoli Granite Grassland , Conservation value , Hyparrhenia hirta , Gauteng

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Abstract

Gauteng is the most densely populated province in South Africa. Its remaining natural areas are constantly under threat from urban development and the associated impacts. Presently, the natural areas of Gauteng support a large diversity of ecosystems. One such ecosystem is the Egoli Granite Grassland, endemic to the province, poorly conserved and therefore highly threatened. This paper describes the original Egoli Granite Grassland and the anthropogenic Hyparrhenia hirta dominated grassland that has replaced it in many of the remnant areas. Human impacts on this sensitive ecosystem have resulted in an altered species composition, loss of many species, and a change from a species-rich grassland with high conservation value to a species-poor grassland with low conservation value. The conservation of the last emaining relicts of original Egoli Granite Grassland is essential.

Description

ABEERU Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit Unisa

Citation

Bredenkamp, G.J, Brown, L.R & Pfab, M.F 2006,' Conservation value of the Egoli Granite Grassland, an endemic grassland in Gauteng, South Africa', vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 59-66. [http://www.koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe]

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Koedoe

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DOI

ISSN

2071-0771

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