A national range inventory for the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Abstract

With the need for an understanding of the nation's rangelands, the Division of Range Management of the Kingdom of Lesotho has undertaken a national range inventory. This resource study has utilised as aids in this task, the up-to-date techniques of satellite remote sensing and the interpretation of new colour aerial photography. Data were collected to provided a basic understanding of plant community relationships and from this information a classification system of ecological sites was developed. The actual inventory involved the mapping of the ecological sites on 1:20 000 scale aerial photography, while collecting data for further refinement of the site descriptions. The first area to be mapped has had a management plan prepared for it and implementation of that plan has started.

Keywords: classification; Colour aerial photography; Ecological sites; ecology; inventory; lesotho; management; management plan; mapping; National range inventories; photo interpretation; photography; plant communities; Plant community relationships; range; range management; rangeland; rangelands; remote sensing; satellite remote sensing; Satellites; technique

Journal of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa.