DEMOGRAPHY AND DYNAMICS OF THE DOMINANT WOODY SPECIES IN A COMMUNAL AND PROTECTED AREA OF THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL LOWVELD

The size class distributions of the seven most abundant woody species in an area of the Transvaal Lowveld were determined for two contrastin g management systems, i.e. communal land and a protected area. Most of the size class profiles indicated that the populations were not stabl e, experiencing fluctuating recruitment and/or mortality rates. This i s probably the norm in semi-arid environments characterized by large f luctuations in the timing and intensity of controlling variables. Comm unal management reduced absolute densities and altered the size class profile of all but one of the species considered. This was usually man ifested as a reduction in the proportion of larger individuals.