Classification of the eastern alpine vegetation of Lesotho

Abstract

Five vegetation communities in the alpine catchment of Lesotho were identified by hierarchical classification of the botanical composition data. Discriminant analysis indicated that these communities occupy particular topographic positions. The community-environmental relationships identified in this study were similar to those reported from other alpine areas of Lesotho. Grasslands at high altitudes are temperate in nature, with a high proportion of C3 grass species. Below 2 950 m on the warmer aspects and below 2 750m on south-facing slopes, subtropical grass species (C4) dominate the sward. Within the temperate and subtropical vegetation belts, slope orientation dictates the proportion of C3 species present in the sward. It is proposed that topography acts to modify the factors that directly influence plant growth by modifying solar radiation patterns.

Keywords:aspect; botanical composition; botany; c3 grasses; c4 grasses; discriminant analysis; grassland; grasslands; lesotho; relationships; solar radiation; subtropical grasses; vegetation

African Journal of Range & Forage Science, Vol. 10(1), pp. 47-53