The distribution of sweetveld and sourveld in South Africa's grassland biome in relation to environmental factors

Abstract

The distribution of sweet- and sourveld in relation to climate, parent material and soil nutrients hs been examined in South Africa's grassland biome. Sourveld occurs in areas with high water supply and where parent material gives rise to soils with a high base status. Sweetveld occurs in areas with low water supplyand where parent material gives rise to soils with a high base status. The distribution of sweet- and sourveld does not seem to determined by base status itself, but by the concentration of phosphorous and the size of the eady mineralizable nitrogen pool in the soil. The difference between the temperatures in the growth (wet) and no-growth (dry) seasons also appears important, but the relation is not clear. We propose that aspects of the environment which promote carbon assimilation (water supply and temperature) in relation to nutrient supply, and sweetveld where nutrient supply is high relative to carbon assimilation. Mixed veld is intermediate between these two.

Keywords: botany; carbon assimilation; distribution; environmental factors; forage quality; grassland; Grassland Biome; nutrient assimilation; sourveld; South Africa; sweetveld

African Journal of Range and Forage Science 1995, 12(1): 38–45