scholarly journals The floristics of Sand Forest in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Bothalia ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kirkwood ◽  
J. J. Midgley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Sand Forest ◽  
Cohesive Group ◽  
Subdominant Species

We use multivariate analyses (ordination and classification) to assess both the floristic uniqueness of the woody vegeation of Sand Forest in relation to a range of other forest types in the region, and the range of variation within Sand Forest. Two broad Sand Forest subtypes and related Ecotonal Forests are described and grouped under the term Tropical Dry Forest, distinct from all evergreen forests in South Africa. Sand Forest, a dry semi-deciduous type in northeastern KwaZulu-Natals defined by the presence of the canopy dominant Cleistanthus schlechteri as well as Hymenocardia ulmoides, Psydrax fragrantissima, Croton pseudopulchellus and  Drypetes arguta. Sand Forests form a cohesive group in both DCA and TWINSPAN analyses, with similar composition of canopy dominants at sampled sites. This implies that ecological funcioning is similar across the geographical range in northeastern KwaZulu-Natal. However, turnover of subdominant species between recognisable Sand Forest types emphasizes the need to conserve the full range of extant forests.

scholarly journals Using birds to set conservation priorities for Pantanal wetland forests, Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOÃO BATISTA DE PINHO ◽  
MIGUEL ÂNGELO MARINI
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Point Counts ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Local Species Richness ◽  
Bird Richness

SummaryThe Pantanal of Brazil, one of the largest wetlands in the world, is suffering severe threats, such as forest and grassland clearance on the surrounding plateau, conversion of forests and savannas for cattle ranching and effects of large development projects. We used richness, abundance and composition of bird species in four forest types to propose conservation priorities for the northern Pantanal. Birds from 11 sites (a total of 41 points) were sampled through point counts and mist-netting. In total 215 species were recorded in the forests. Two evergreen forest types (cambarazal and landi) had higher estimates of bird richness and abundance than two dry forest types (carvoeiro and cordilheira). The evergreen forests also had more species exclusive to them and were more similar to each other than the dry forests. Selection of forests to be conserved in the northern Pantanal should give priority to evergreen forests and secondarily to dry forests. Cambarazal should be the first forests to be conserved. If the Pantanal inundation cycle is altered by the construction of hydroelectric dams or the Paraguay-Paraná waterway, cambarazal and landi may no longer become flooded, decreasing local species richness. Before our recommendations are considered for conservation and management decisions, more studies on other groups of organisms should also be taken into consideration, and similar studies should be conducted in other regions of the Pantanal. Conservation of Pantanal forest birds depends on a deeper understanding of their use of several habitats, stronger protection of the forests with higher diversity, and public policies that guarantee the long term maintenance of natural flooding cycles.

scholarly journals Phenology of Leaf Flushing, Flower Initiation and Fruit Maturation in Dry Deciduous and Evergreen Forests of Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, Southern India

Our Nature ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Nanda ◽  
H.M. Prakasha ◽  
Y.L. Krishna Murthy ◽  
H.S. Suresh
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Flower Initiation ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Fruit Maturation ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Leaf Initiation ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

Varying with altitude and rainfall of two forest types of tropical forest were studied. Community wide pattern in both vegetative and reproductive phenophases among various tree species of Bhadra wildlife sanctuary, Karnataka is reported here. Leaf initiation peaks in the month of April in dry forest, after leaf less period of 1-2 months, in evergreen forest leaf initiation peaks in the month of January simultaneously with leaf senescence. Flower initiation begins from January till June with a peak in April in dry forest. Evergreen forest starts from November to march with a peak in January and February. Fruit maturation in dry forest starts from March to December with a peak in August and November, in evergreen forest from January to July with a peak in April.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v9i1.5738

scholarly journals Evaluating the adequacy of reserves in the Tembe–Tshanini Complex: a case study in Maputaland, South Africa

Oryx ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Y. Gaugris ◽  
M. W. Van Rooyen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Minimum Area ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Sand Forest ◽  
First Time ◽  
Plant Endemism

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the minimum conservation area needed to conserve vegetation types and their landscape and to apply it to an area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which is within the Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism and part of the Maputaland–Pondoland–Albany biodiversity hotspot. Outside conservation areas this Centre of Plant Endemism is under threat from human utilization. We used a method initially designed to determine minimum conservation areas for rare plant species, which we adapted from its original country and context, to determine minimum conservation areas for landscape species in Maputaland’s little-documented environment. The minimum area required for conservation was established for the Sand Forest and Woodland vegetation types in the region. We found that sufficient habitat is presently conserved to preserve the Sand Forest but not the Woodlands. The method holds promise to provide answers to critical conservation issues in lesser-known environments and, although relatively difficult to establish for the first time, is an efficient and easy to use tool that can be refined once more knowledge becomes available.

scholarly journals How BFAST Trend and Seasonal Model Components Affect Disturbance Detection in Tropical Dry Forest and Temperate Forest

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2033
Author(s):  
Yan Gao ◽  
Jonathan V. Solórzano ◽  
Alexander Quevedo ◽  
Jaime Octavio Loya-Carrillo
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Seasonal Model ◽  
Model Components ◽  
Disturbance Detection

Time series analysis has gained popularity in forest disturbance monitoring thanks to the availability of satellite and airborne remote sensing images and the development of different time series methods for change detection. Previous research has focused on time series data noise reduction, the magnitude of breakpoints, and accuracy assessment; however, few have looked in detail at how the trend and seasonal model components contribute to disturbance detection in different forest types. Here, we use Landsat time series images spanning 1994–2018 to map forest disturbance in a western Pacific area of Mexico, where both temperate and tropical dry forests have been subject to severe deforestation and forest degradation processes. Since these two forest types have distinct seasonal characteristics, we investigate how trend and seasonal model components, such as the goodness-of-fit (R2), magnitude of change, amplitude, and model length in a stable historical period, affect forest disturbance detection. We applied the Breaks For Additive Season and Trend Monitor (BFAST) algorithm and after accuracy assessment by stratified random sample points, and we obtained 68% and 86% of user accuracy and 75.6% and 86% of producer’s accuracy in disturbance detection, in tropical dry forests and temperate forests, respectively. We extracted the noncorrelated trend and seasonal model components R2, magnitude, amplitude, length of the stable historical period, and percentage of pixels with NA and tested their effects on disturbance detection employing forest-type specific logistic regression. Our results showed that, for all forests combined, the amplitude and stable historical period length contributed to disturbance detection. While for tropical dry forest alone, amplitude was the main predictor, and for the temperate forest alone, the stable historical period length contributed most to the prediction, although it was not statistically significant. These findings provide insights for improving the results of forest disturbance detection in different forest types.

A new species of Combretum sect. Ciliatipetala (Combretaceae) from South Africa

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 434 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
RICHARD G.C. BOON ◽  
MARIE JORDAAN ◽  
ABRAHAM E. VAN WYK
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Radial Wall ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Tangential Wall ◽  
Sand Forest ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Plant Endemism ◽  
A New Species

Combretum eugeneanum, a new species from northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and confined to the Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism, is described, illustrated, mapped, and compared with southern African members of the genus with which it may be confused. In a narrowly defined genus Combretum, the new species belongs to Combretum sect. Ciliatipetala. In herbaria, it has usually been confused with close relatives C. apiculatum and C. edwardsii, as well as several other more distantly related members of the genus, in particular C. woodii. The new species is also closely related to the recently described C. stylesii. It is readily distinguished as an essentially glabrous woody climber or scrambling shrub needing other vegetation for support, leaf apices rarely apiculate, tertiary veins raised on the adaxial leaf surface, inflorescences few-flowered and subcapitate, upper hypanthium cupuliform, flowers with orange-red centres (discs) and peltate scales comprised of essentially eight radial cells, most of which are subdivided by at least one tangential wall, the resulting outer and inner cell(s) often with at least one additional radial wall. Combretum eugeneanum grows in Sand Forest and associated sandy bushveld, and its range and habitat does not overlap with that of C. edwardsii or C. stylesii, both of which are also very often lianas.

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