Browsing by Author "Grobler, Adriaan"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    CREW Eastern Cape Node: Research Assistant
    (2017-04-01) Grobler, Adriaan
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    CREW News, Volume 11
    (2015-04) Raimondo, Domitilla; Parbhoo, Suvarna; Browne, Catherine; Johnson, Isabel; Lalla, Reshnee; Nxumalo, Menzi; Cheek, Michael; Parring, Shannon; Kotze, Donna; Claassens, Koos; van der Colff, Dewidine; Stummer, Hedi; Johns, Amida; McMaster, Rhoda; Cameron, Flora; Turner, Di; Grobler, Adriaan; Grieve, Kate; Sutherland, Jocelyn; Young, Alison; Middleton, Felix; Brighton, Nikki; Braby, Julie; Hankey, Andrew; Lotter, Mervyn; Khöne, Sylvie; Egan, Khöne; Grieve, Graham; Mkhize, Mbali; Laidler, Gigi; Mogale, Mahlatse
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    Exploring functional vegetation groups for the National Vegetation Map
    (South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), 2019-06) Desmet, Phillip; Todd, Simon; Geldenhys, Coert; Lotter, Mervyn; Hoare, David; Grobler, Adriaan; Slingsby, Jasper; Moncrieff, Glenn; Forsythe, Katherine
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    Integrating STEP in the Thicket biome for VEGMAP 2017
    (South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), 2018-06-12) Grobler, Adriaan
    Aim. The national vegetation map of South Africa (VEGMAP) has been updated on two previous occasions to improve the representation of ecosystems in the map. The third update of the VEGMAP coincided with the 2018 National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). Several changes to the classification and polygon boundaries were made to vegetation types in Namaqualand, Bushmanland, West Coast, City of Cape Town, at the coastal edge, to forests in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, wetlands and the Thicket Biome. Location. Namaqualand, Bushmanland, West Coast, City of Cape Town, coast, forests in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, wetlands across the country and the Thicket Biome. Activities. Changes to the national vegetation map were obtained from various sources and incorporated into the map. A modification of the Subtropical Thicket Ecosystem Project (STEP) map was used to update the Thicket Biome in the VEGMAP in a collaborative effort between SANBI and thicket experts who developed STEP. The focus of this phase of the project was to review all solid thicket STEP vegetation types that could be integrated into the national vegetation map. During this process many STEP types were merged, and portions were split to form a slightly different configuration of types. Over 10% of the total area of the national vegetation map was refined in this update. Three percent of this area emerged from refinements to the Thicket Biome. Furthermore, the Thicket Biome now contributes to 10 percent (43 types) of the number of types in the VEGMAP compared to three percent (14 types) in 2012. Main Conclusions. Overall the map for the Thicket Biome no longer has types stretching across multiple soil and climate gradients. It is likely to be a better representation of vegetation for this biome. Management Implications. These refinements will improve decision-making in this area and the updated version will be included in the 2018 NBA assessment.
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    A lost biome: A tale of the South African coastal flora
    (2018-06-21) Potts, Alastair; Grobler, Adriaan; Cowling, Richard
    South African coastal vegetation is poorly defined and lacking consistent treatment as it is spread across different vegetation type definitions. However, in this talk, we suggest that this “dune thicket/fynbos mosaic” (also known as strandveld) should be considered a unique vegetation type based on floristics and ecology. This coastal flora is exceptionally rich when compared to similar habitats globally, with an initially surprising long list of endemics. Ecologically, it comprises fire-adapted underground forests (i.e. thicket lineages) that intermingle with fynbos elements. We argue that the “thicket/fynbos mosaic” are not competing vegetation types but a co-evolved community that arose on the PalaeoAgulhas Plain. The current coastal slivers of this vegetation represent the remains of an extensive biome that existed for most of the Quaternary, during lowered sea-levels, on the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain.
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    Port Elizabeth CREW Group
    (2015-04-01) Grobler, Adriaan
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    Port Elizabeth CREW, Volume 14
    (2018-04-01) Grobler, Adriaan
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    A STEP in the right direction: Updating the Thicket Biome for the National Vegetation Map 2017
    (2018-06-21) Grobler, Adriaan
    The National Vegetation Map of South Africa (VEGMAP) has been updated on two previous occasions to improve the representation of ecosystems in the map. The third and latest update of the VEGMAP coincides with the 2018 National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA), and a key focus of this update is a refinement of vegetation types of the Thicket Biome. To achieve this, a modification of the Subtropical Thicket Ecosystem Project (STEP) vegetation map was used in a collaborative effort between the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Nelson Mandela University, and thicket experts who developed STEP. The focus of this phase of the project was to review all solid thicket STEP vegetation types that could be integrated into the VEGMAP. During this process many STEP types were merged, and portions were split to form a revised configuration of types. This update of the Thicket Biome incorporates 3% of the total VEGMAP area, while the Thicket Biome now contributes 10% (43 types) of the number of types in the VEGMAP compared to 3% (14 types) in 2012. The Thicket Biome map no longer has types stretching across multiple soil and climate gradients, and it is likely a better representation of vegetation for this biome. These refinements will therefore improve decision-making in this bioregion and the updated map will be used in the 2018 NBA assessment.
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