Jerome Y. Gaugris

A spatial and temporal analysis of Sand Forest tree assemblages in Maputaland, South Africa

Abstract Maputaland is a centre of plant endemism, within the Maputaland–Pondoland–Albany hotspot of biodiversity shared by Mozambique and South Africa. The Sand Forest vegetation is the most valuable vegetation type in this region due to the endemics it harbours, but it is currently under threat from growing animal population densities within conserved areas and from a growing human population outside. To improve our understanding of Sand Forest dynamics the present study investigated the woody plant assemblages in Tembe Elephant Park. A total of 59 plots were sampled and analysed using classification and ordination methods. The results indicate that Sand Forest in Tembe is a complex assemblage of at least three floristically and structurally distinct woody communities. An ordination of the combined results from the present study together with two other studies could link the floristics and structure of the Sand Forest to the level of disturbance by herbivores and humans. Large herbivores induce both structural and floristic changes in the Sand Forest of Tembe Elephant Park and a lack of disturbance in the nearby Tshanini Community Conservation Area leads to a state of equilibrium. The results therefore suggest that Sand Forest dynamics and complexity may be strongly linked to small- to medium-scale animal disturbance.

The effect of herbivores and humans on the Sand Forest species of Maputaland, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Sand Forest in the Maputaland region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa is deemed the most valuable, but also probably the most complex vegetation type of this part of the Maputaland–Pondoland–Albany hotspot of biodiversity. However, Sand Forest is under threat from the current human population growth in that region as well as from uncontrolled increases in wild herbivore numbers in conservation areas. The present study compares the impacts of herbivores and humans on the state of woody resources between two sites under differing utilisation regimes. Sand Forest was found to be a complex association of tree assemblages defined by different canopy and subcanopy properties. Although marked differences in the abundance of selected species were noted at the two sites, the Sand Forest remained dominated by fine-grained species under both utilisation regimes. The fine-grained nature of Sand Forest implies that regeneration depends on the creation of small canopy gaps either by natural processes, humans or elephants, while the creation of large gaps could transform it into woodland. Management of conservation areas where Sand Forest occurs should therefore concentrate efforts on regulating animal populations to levels that provide gap properties that favour forest regeneration.

Evaluating patterns of wood use for building construction in Maputaland, South Africa

A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate the level of wood utilization for house building In the community of Manqakulane In Maputaland, northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, In 2003. The questionnaires aims were to evaluate In both a descriptive and quantitative manner the utilization of wood In building construction. House building design In that community has abandoned the traditional round huts with thatched roofs of 20 years ago and now favours square or rectangular houses made with wooden walls covered with mud or cement and with a corrugated Iron roof. While wooden houses represented the majority of buildings, houses made of bricks were on the Increase. Square or rectangular houses with a corrugated Iron roof required significantly less elements for the roof beams than round thatched houses. The wall panels were the most wood-consuming part of a house. It was estimated that the average household would have to source 11 main posts, 10 main beams, 27 roof laths and 277 wall laths annually to replace old buildings. Between 40 and 50% of the material used In house building was obtained from species with an established sustainable harvesting potential. The high preference for Brachylaena huillensis as main posts Is, however, cause for concern as the current population of this species In the communal land of the Manqakulane people cannot sustain such high levels of harvesting.

Evaluating the adequacy of reserves in the Tembe-Tshanini Complex: a case study in Maputaland, South Africa.

The 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.

The development of secondary industries through the sustainable utilisation of reeds and forest timber in the Tembe Elephant Park, Maputaland, South Africa

The harvesting of Phragmites australis reeds in the Tembe Elephant Park has to be managed pro-actively. Solutions to potential problems should be sought before they arise. This paper offers a potential solution to the problem of instating a winter-only reed harvest in the Muzi Swamp. The potential for manufacturing finished products such as prefabricated huts from sustainably harvested reeds and forest timber is examined and a cost estimate is presented. A prefabricated reed hut is three-times cheaper than a similarly-sized house made of bricks and cement. The manufacturing of finished products from the harvested material will add secondary value to the resource and also offer an alternative employment to harvesting reeds in the summer. The higher prices obtained for a processed article will also, hopefully, reduce the demand for the resource in its raw form, thereby increasing the perceived value of the resource and reducing wastage from raw materials that are not sold.