A survey of grazed and ungrazed grassland in the south‐eastern Transvaal highveld 2. Potential floristic composition and patterns of degradation

Abstract

The floristic composition of selected veld communities which, by virtue of their location were ungrazed but regularly burned, and which were judged to reflect potential floristic composition, was measured at 112 sites in the southeastern Transvaal highveld. Relevant environmental parameters were established for each site and the composition of the adjacent grazed veld was determined. The potential floristic composition appears to conform to part of a eutrophy‐dystrophy gradient, with Themeda triandra most abundant in the relatively eutrophic environments. Patterns of degradation in grazed communities, involving undesirable floristic changes, were found to differ between eutrophic and dystrophic environments.