DRAGONFLY (ODONATA) DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN URBAN AND FOREST LANDSCAPES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT

Odonata species are particularly sensitive to human disturbances. Thei r diversity relative to four landscape types (plantation forest, parkl and, residential area, industrial area) along a small river (the Dorps pruit) that runs through Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, is described. Individual species-environment relations were investigated using the multivariate analysis package CANOCO. Four biotope types were identifi ed and characterised. The analysis also illustrated the extent to whic h the urban, suburban and forestry environments affected the Odonata s pecies. Multispecies assemblages were good environmental indicators. I ndividual indicator species included Chlorolestes tessellatus and Croc othemis erythraea. Chlorolestes tessellatus is a good indicator of the minimal width (> 30 m) of the indigenous strip of riparian vegetation between the stream edge and commercial plantations. This study sugges ts that there should be a riparian strip between the water's edge and plantation trees of at least 20 m (preferably 30 m), This finding is i ntegrated with earlier ones to arrive at a general conservation manage ment recommendation, at least for dragonflies, for rivers in South Afr ica. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Limited