Progress with vegetation studies in the Sourish Mixed Bushveld of the western Transvaal

Abstract

The Sourish Mixed Bushveld of the western Transvaal is being studied using the Braun-Blanquet method. The vegetation includes: (a) woodland of cooler sites on crests and steeper south-facing slopes; (b) woodland of warmer sites on gentle north-facing slopes; and (c) grassland and woodland of plains with slight relief on calcareous substrata. Six vegetation types are provisionally described in terms of their main structure, floristic composition (dominant and characteristic species) and habitat. The syntaxonomic relationships between these types are mentioned briefly and the types are considered in terms of Acocks’s classification of South African veld types.