Survey of the veld condition in the Riemvasmaak Rural Area and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Survey of the veld condition in the Riemvasmaak Rural Area and Gordonia Duneveld

Nokubonga Mgqatsa1,2, Anthony R. Palmer1, Andiswa Finca1, Akhona Zweni1, Kwezi Booi1 & Thembisile V. Mabuza1 NokubongaM@sanparks.org

1Agricultural Research Council, P.O. Box 101, Grahamstown 6140; 2Scientific Services

SANParks, Skukuza

Introduction

• Regular

rangeland condition surveys are necessary to provide feedback to graziers and managers

• GIS and remote sensing products provide the

decision-making framework for optimizing the distribution of samples

• Careful stratification and location of sample sites

ensures that future sampling efforts will be able to detect trends in species composition and production

Aim

• Determine the veld condition of the RRA and

adjacent commercial farms

Study area

Methodology

• Site

selection:

identified gradients

• f

elevation, slope, aspect and biomass within the study area using GIS

• A high resolution (30 m) digital terrain model

(ASTER DEM) was used for elevation, aspect and slope. MODIS fPAR used for biomass

• Sites were selected to represent examples of the

full range

• f

edaphic conditions and were located away from obvious disturbances

Methodology cont…

• Surveyed 100 m line transects at each 35 sites
• Summarised data by species and canopy cover

for each transect

• Defined 5 veld condition classes based on cover

and species composition

Methodology cont…

Table 1. Tables representing PTD calculations

Results & conclusions

• The overall condition of the study area

was poor

• Good condition = 3 sites, moderate = 4

sites, poor = 18 sites & very poor = 10 sites

• Low cover & low species diversity
• There were no samples in the very good

condition class

Results & conclusions cont…

Acknowledgements

• ARC/DAFF
• SANParks

Thank you!!!!