Ordination and classification of vegetation of Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland, South Africa for the assessment of wildlife habitat distribution and quality

A vegetation survey was undertaken of the 49 000 ha Songimvelo Game Reserve in the Barberton Mountainland of Mpumalanga, South Africa with the aim to identify constituent plant communities and to assess their relative value t o wild herbivores. The vegetation is highly diverse with representation of three biomes; Savanna, Grassland and Forest. A total of 428 plots were samp led by means of a semi-quantitative technique. Data were subjected to ordin ation (CANOCO) and classification (PATN). The composition of the 19 distinc t communities is determined through an intricate combination of environment al factors as evident from the ordination results. Firstly 'drainage line' position is critical, followed by land use history and further by the inter play between elevation and geology. These findings are in line with results obtained from other studies along the eastern Escarpment. Alluvium, mafic and ultramafic lavas support mixed veld, whereas felsic lavas, sandstones a nd quartzites support sour veld which has a very low forage value in the dr y season. Each community, through its specific species assemblage, structur e and location, forms a distinctly different habitat in terms of its value to the various species of herbivores in the SGR.