Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank composition

The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank... Soil seed banks provide not only a historical record of vegetation composition but also the potential for post-disturbance revegetation. Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) is a multistemmed, aromatic shrub, occurring in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the northern regions of South Africa, that colonises disturbed regions on sandy, alkaline soils. The influence of differing levels of P. leubnitziae cover on soil seed-bank characteristics and aboveground herbaceous species composition was determined by examining aboveground species composition, recorded in the field, and soil seed-bank species composition, determined by recording germinations from topsoil samples collected at each of 104 sites in the southern Okavango Delta. No correlation was observed between aboveground and soil seed-bank composition (p = 0.209). Cover of P. leubnitziae did not affect soil seed-bank species composition (p = 0.31) or the grass:non-grass ratio within the seed bank (p = 0.308). It did, however, affect aboveground grass composition (p = 0.018), with increasing P. leubnitziae cover associated with increasing abundance of poor-quality, shade-tolerant grass species. This confirms the observations that encroachment of P. leubnitziae may be associated with a decrease in veld quality and carrying capacity, and highlights the necessity for further study to facilitate a better understanding of the species for management purposes. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png African Journal of Range & Forage Science Taylor & Francis

The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank composition

Download PDF
7 pages

The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank composition

Abstract

Soil seed banks provide not only a historical record of vegetation composition but also the potential for post-disturbance revegetation. Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) is a multistemmed, aromatic shrub, occurring in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the northern regions of South Africa, that colonises disturbed regions on sandy, alkaline soils. The influence of differing levels of P. leubnitziae cover on soil seed-bank characteristics and aboveground herbaceous species...
Loading next page...
 
/lp/taylor-francis/the-influence-of-pechuel-loeschea-leubnitziae-wild-sage-on-grass-sward-7hrrVej7b6
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright NISC Pty Ltd
ISSN
1727-9380
eISSN
1022-0119
DOI
10.2989/10220119.2012.720280
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Soil seed banks provide not only a historical record of vegetation composition but also the potential for post-disturbance revegetation. Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) is a multistemmed, aromatic shrub, occurring in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and the northern regions of South Africa, that colonises disturbed regions on sandy, alkaline soils. The influence of differing levels of P. leubnitziae cover on soil seed-bank characteristics and aboveground herbaceous species composition was determined by examining aboveground species composition, recorded in the field, and soil seed-bank species composition, determined by recording germinations from topsoil samples collected at each of 104 sites in the southern Okavango Delta. No correlation was observed between aboveground and soil seed-bank composition (p = 0.209). Cover of P. leubnitziae did not affect soil seed-bank species composition (p = 0.31) or the grass:non-grass ratio within the seed bank (p = 0.308). It did, however, affect aboveground grass composition (p = 0.018), with increasing P. leubnitziae cover associated with increasing abundance of poor-quality, shade-tolerant grass species. This confirms the observations that encroachment of P. leubnitziae may be associated with a decrease in veld quality and carrying capacity, and highlights the necessity for further study to facilitate a better understanding of the species for management purposes.

Journal

African Journal of Range & Forage Science – Taylor & Francis

Published: Dec 1, 2012

Keywords: Okavango Delta; rangelands; semi-arid savanna; shrub encroachment

References

  • The coastal grasslands of Maputaland, South Africa: effects of fire and grazing on vegetation structure, diversity and composition
  • A review of similarity between seed bank and standing vegetation across ecosystems
  • Management plan for NG33 and NG34
  • PC-ORD. Multivariate analysis of ecological data version 6
  • Dry woodland and savanna vegetation dynamics in the estern Okavango Delta, Botswana