MEASUREMENT OF PLANT BIO-DIVERSITY

Marthie Kemp

Centre for Environmenal Management

UFS

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

ANALYTIC PHASE SYNTHETIC PHASE

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

ANALYTIC PHASE• Reconnaissance of

study area• Homogenous• Characteristic • Relevé size• Environmental Factors

SYNTHETIC PHASE

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

5m

5m

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

5m

5m

10m

10m

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

5m

5m

10m

10m

10m

10m

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Some of the environmental factors:

1. GPS

2. Aspect

3. Slope

4. Exposure

5. Topography

6. % Area covered by rock / size of rocks

7. Biotic influences

Some of the environmental factors:

1. GPS

2. Aspect

3. Slope

4. Exposure

5. Topography

6. % Area covered by rock / size of rocks

7. Biotic influences

N

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

2a Cover between 5-12%

2b Cover between 12-25%

3 Cover between 25-50%

4 Cover Between 50-75%

5 Cover more than 75%

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

r

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%r++

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

r++

11

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

2a Cover between 5-12%

r

+

+2a

1 1

2a

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

2a Cover between 5-12%

2b Cover between 12-25%

r

+

+

2b

2b

2a

2a1 1

2b

2b

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

2a Cover between 5-12%

2b Cover between 12-25%

3 Cover between 25-50%

r

+

+

3

33

2b

2b

2a

2a1

2b

2b

1

3

3

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

2a Cover between 5-12%

2b Cover between 12-25%

3 Cover between 25-50%

4 Cover Between 50-75%

r

+

+

4

4

4

4

4

4

3

33

2b

2b

2a

2a1

2b

2b3

1

3

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:Braun Blanquet Cover-abundance scale:

r Very small cover, rare occurrence

+ Cover less than 1%

1 Cover between 1-5%

2a Cover between 5-12%

2b Cover between 12-25%

3 Cover between 25-50%

4 Cover Between 50-75%

5 Cover more than 75%

r

+

+

55

5

55

5

5

55

4

4

4

4

4

4

3

33

2b

2b

2a

2a1

2b

2b3

1

3

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

ANALYTIC PHASE• Reconnaissance of

study area• Homogenous• Characteristic • Relevé size• Environmental Factors

SYNTHETIC PHASE• TURBOVEG (Hennekens 1996)

• TWINSPAN (Hill 1979a) /JUICE (Trichy & Holt 2006)

• Megatab• Decorana

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUETABLE 6: PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE ACACIA KARROO COMMUNITIES

COMMUNITIES | 1 | 2 |SUB-COMMUNITIES | 1 1 | | 3VARIANTS | | | | |

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Relevé number | | | 5 5 5 5 5 4 | 1 1 2 3 3 3 |

| 5 6 4 | 1 2 3 | 5 6 7 8 4 1 | 5 7 9 7 0 1 3 |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Turboveg Database Number| 4 4 4 | 4 4 4 | 4 4 4 4 4 4 | 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 || 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 || 3 3 3 | 3 3 3 | 9 9 9 9 9 7 | 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 || 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 | 0 1 1 1 0 3 | 6 6 9 3 9 0 7 || 8 9 7 | 4 5 6 | 9 0 1 2 8 4 | 4 6 8 6 9 0 3 |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Number of species / relevé| 0 1 1 | 1 1 1 | 1 2 2 1 1 0 | 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 || 9 1 1 | 8 7 8 | 7 2 1 6 2 5 | 4 8 5 2 0 3 9 |- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SPECIES GROUP ACyperus rupestris | r 1 + | 1 r 1 | . . . . . . | . . . . . . . |Commelina africana | + + r | r 1 + | . . . . . . | + . . . . . . |Chenopodium album | + + r | + + + | . . r . . . | + . . . . . . |SPECIES GROUP B |Ledebouria luteola | 1 1 r | . . . | . r . + . . | . + . . . . . |Lactuca inermis | . + r | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . . . . . |Limeum aethiopicum | . + r | . . . | . . . . . . | . . . r . . . |SPECIES GROUP C |Berkheya onopordifolia | . . . | + + 1 | . . . . . . | . . . . . . . |Thuranthos basuticum | . . . | + + + | . . . . . . | . . . . . . . |Felicia muricata | . . . | r r + | . . . . . . | . . r . . r r |Selago densiflora | . . . | r + r | . . . . . . | . . . . . . . |SPECIES GROUP D |Setaria sphacelata | . . . | . . . | + + r + + . | . . . 1 . . . |Rhus burchellii | . . . | . . . | 1 + . . 1 3 | . . . . . . . |Rhus lancea | . . . | . . . | a 1 . . a . | . . . . . . . |Melica decumbens | . . . | . . . | r + + 1 . . | . + . . . . . |Asparagus suaveolens | . . . | . . . | . + r + + . | . . . . . . . |Clematis brachiata | . . . | . . . | + + r . + . | . . . . . . . |Pentzia globosa | . . . | . . . | + + . . . 1 | . . . . . . . |Rosenia humilis | . . . | . . . | . + r + . . | . . . . . . . |Aptosimum procumbens| . . . | . . . | + + . . r . | . . . . . . . |Zinnia peruviana | . . . | . . . | + r r . . . | . . . . . . . |Cineraria lyrata | . . . | . . . | . . + + . . | r + . . . . . |Tragus berteronianus | . . . | . . . | . . + r . . | r . . . . . . |Salvia verbenaca | . . . | . . . | . + r . . . | . . . . . . . |Aristida bipartita | . . . | . . . | . + . . + . | . . . . . . . |Duthiastrum linifolium | . . . | . . . | . . + + . . | . . . . . . . |Nidorella resedifolia | . . . | . . . | . r r . . . | . . + . . . . |SPECIES GROUP E |Cynodon hirsutus | . . . | . . . | . a a 1 . . | 1 1 3 . 4 . . |SPECIES GROUP F |Salsola glabrescens | . . . | . . . | . . . . . . | 1 . 3 + 3 + + |Eragrostis obtusa | . . . | . . . | . . . . . + | . + + a + . r |

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUEThe hierarchical classification of the 53 relevés, 5 communities, 4 subcommunities and 3 variants in which Acacia karroo is dominant, are:

1. Cyperus rupestris – Cynodon dactylon Community1.1 Ledebouria luteola – Digitaria eriantha Sub-community1.2 Berkheya onopordifolia – Cynodon dactylon Sub-community

2. Setaria sphacelata – Acacia karroo Community3. Diospyros lycioides – Rhus pyroides Community

3.1 Salsola glabrescens – Cynodon hirsutus Sub-community3.2 Sphaeralcea bonariensis – Eragrostis curvula Sub-

community 3.2.1 Setaria verticillata Variant3.2.2 Phyla nodiflora Variant3.2.3 Asparagus laricinus Variant

4. Eragrostis lehmanniana – Acacia karroo Community5. Eragrostis trichophora – Eragrostis curvula Community

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNITIES:• Diagnostic species• Dominant species• Associated with environmental factors

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

3

5

8.2 - 11.3

8.1

1 & 6.1

2

8.1

7.1 & 7.2

4

11.1 & 11.2

DECORANA Ordination diagram indicating the distribution of the various grassland communities in relation to environmental factors (Axes 1 & 2).

Sh

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w so

ils So

il de

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De

ep

K

ala

ha

ri o

n d

ole

rite

san

ds

Ax

is 2

Montane grassland Habitat Sandy plainsPristine Habitat Disturbed

Axis 1

BRAUN BLANQUET TECHNIQUE• Hennekens SM (1996a) MEGATAB – A visual editor for phytosociological

tables. Giesen and Geurts• Hennekens SM (1996b) TURBO(VEG) – Software package for input,

processing and presentation of phytosociological data. User’s guide. University of Lancaster

• Hill MO (1979a) TWINSPAN – A FORTRAN Program for arranging multivariate data in an ordered two-way table by classification of the individuals and attributes. Department of Ecology and Systematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

• Hill MO (1979b) DECORANA – A FORTRAN Program for detrended correspondence analysis and reciprocal averaging. Department of Ecology and Systematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

• Kent M, Coker P (1992) Vegetation description and analysis: A practical approach. John Wiley and Sons, New York, pp1 – 275. ISBN 0-4719-4810-1

• Mueller-Dombois D, Ellenberg H (1974) Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. John Wiley Sons, New York, pp 10 – 66. ISBN 0-4716-2291-5

• Müller ME (2002) The phytosociology of the central Free State. M.Sc Dissertation. University of the Free State

• Tricky L, Holt J (2006) JUICE – Program for management, analysis and classification of ecological data. Program Manual. Masaryk University Brno.