Floristic assessment of an Afromontane grassland fragmentation experiment in a pine plantation

Abstract

SummaryTwenty‐four grassland fragments were established in an area of high botanical diversity planted with Pinus patula plantations. This area is representative of the eastern Drakensberg escarpment, containing a large number of endemic plant taxa. The experimental fragments comprise six replicates of two fragment sizes (0.25 and 1.5 ha), with a similar grouping of control plots in adjacent undisturbed grassland designated for conservation. The plots form the basis of a long‐term study on fragmented plant and animal communities. Vegetation surveys were performed using nearest neighbour step point and Braun–Blanquet techniques. Analysis of similarity (anosim) indicates that in neither the large nor small fragments do the control plots differ significantly in floristic structure from the experimental fragments. Five variations of the Themeda triandra‐dominated grassland were identified, corresponding to slight variations in ground moisture. The experimental fragments and control plots were sufficiently similar to be analysed as replicates within the fragmentation study. This forms the foundation for the long‐term analysis of plant communities within the fragments, as well as for analyses of insect and vertebrate communities within the fragments.