Abstract
Dune vegetation changes were studied qualitatively with the aid of air photos taken in 1937, 1957 and 1976.Results were transferred to 1:10 000 scale maps. In 1937 roughly 80% of the dune forest habitat was occupied by planted fields and post cultivation serai stages such as Secondary Grasslands and Dwarf Shrubland, Secondary Scrub and Acacia karroo Woodland. In three areas, the vegetation cover had been completely destroyed and drift sands had formed. In the 1950’s the trend of vegetation degradation was changed by the implementation of an afforestation programme by the Department of Forestry. The 1976 air photos indicate that the post cultivation serai stages of 1937 had been largely replaced by forest plantations. In secondary, unafforested areas the vegetation is evolving rapidly towards a Secondary Dune Forest.
Highlights
Huntley (1977), in reviewing terrestrial ecology in South Africa, indicated that whereas considerable progress had been made in mapping our country’s vegetation, little effort had been made to obtain information on vegetation trends
The objectives of this study of the MlalaziRichards Bay area of Natal were: (1) to provide an inventory of mapping units as determined from air photos; (2) to produce 1:10 000 vegetation maps that could serve for management and vegetation monito ring purposes; and (3) to study vegetation changes and their causes, by using historic photos taken in 1937 and 1957
Additional information on the vegetation of the Richards Bay section of the study area is provided by Venter (1972)
Summary
Huntley (1977), in reviewing terrestrial ecology in South Africa, indicated that whereas considerable progress had been made in mapping our country’s vegetation, little effort had been made to obtain information on vegetation trends. This work aims to provide information in this field. The objectives of this study of the MlalaziRichards Bay area of Natal were: (1) to provide an inventory of mapping units as determined from air photos; (2) to produce 1:10 000 vegetation maps that could serve for management and vegetation monito ring purposes; and (3) to study vegetation changes and their causes, by using historic photos taken in 1937 and 1957. Aerial photography has been used before to show qualitative changes and trends in coast-dune and estuarine ecology in the Natal coastal region (Ward, 1971 vide Edwards, 1972) and Weisser & Marques (1979). The coastal zone between Richards Bay Sanctuary and Mlalazi Estuary is a vegetated strip of dunes 28 km long, on the Natal Coast between 28°50' and 28°57£' South and 31°46*' and 32°03' East (Fig. 1). The maximum width of the dune field is 2 250 m, averaging about 1 500 m and the area covers about
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