The vegetation of ash disposal sites at Hendrina Power Station II: Floristic composition

Abstract

An important component of any ecosystem is the species it contains. Species also serves as good indicators of the ecological condition of a system. A list of all species collected during the three-year period was therefore compiled together with their life form spectra. The floristic composition of the ash disposal area at Hendrina Power Station was also compared with the floristic composition of an adjacent natural grassland. A total of 278 species were identified of which 151 occurred on the ash disposal sites and 163 in the natural grassland. Of all the species, 35 occurred in both areas of which most were annual pioneer species. The species composition and life form spectra of the two areas were considerably different. Therophytes were, for example, more abundant on the ash disposal areas. The reconstruction of an ecosystem on ash disposal sites with a species composition similar to that of the natural grassland will require far more financial inputs and habitat amelioration than is presently the situation.