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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
The influence of Pechuel-Loeschea leubnitziae (wild sage) on grass sward and soil seed bank composition
African Journal of Range and Forage Science, Volume 29, No. 3, Year 2012
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Description
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. © 2012 Copyright NISC Pty Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Tedder, Michelle J.
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Kirkman, Kevin P.
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Morris, Craig D.
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Trollope, Winston S.W.
South Africa, Nelspruit
Research and Development
Bonyongo, Mpaphi Casper
Botswana, Gaborone
University of Botswana
Statistics
Citations: 7
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 3
Identifiers
Doi:
10.2989/10220119.2012.720280
ISSN:
10220119
Study Locations
Botswana
Eswatini
Namibia
South Africa
Zimbabwe