Soil and vegetation recovery following alien tree clearing in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
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Published source details
Ndou E. & Ruwanza S. (2016) Soil and vegetation recovery following alien tree clearing in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. African Journal of Ecology, 54, 460-470.
Published source details Ndou E. & Ruwanza S. (2016) Soil and vegetation recovery following alien tree clearing in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. African Journal of Ecology, 54, 460-470.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Cut trees Action Link |
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Cut trees
A site comparison study in 1999–2014 in two fynbos sites in Eastern Cape, South Africa (Ndou & Ruwanza 2016) found that after clearing non-native acacia Acacia spp. the number of plant species was similar to that found in a nearby undisturbed, but cover of trees and shrubs was lower and grasses higher. After 15 years the number of plant species at the site where non-native acacia trees had been cleared (13 species) was not significantly different from that at an undisturbed site (15 species). The cover of trees and shrubs was lower at the site that had been cleared (39%) than in the undisturbed site (69%). Grass cover was higher in the site that had been cleared (27%) than in the undisturbed site (11%). In 1999 non-native acacia trees were cleared from a fynbos site. In 2014 three 100 m2 plots were established where non-native acacias were cleared and three in an undisturbed site nearby. Vegetation cover in each plot was assessed in June 2014.
(Summarised by: Phil Martin)
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