The vegetation of the southern Langeberg , Cape Province . 1 . The plant communities of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area

An analysis of the fynbos shrublands and forests of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area, southern Langeberg, Cape Province, South Africa, is presented. Data were collected at 119 sites in mature fynbos vegetation (>10 years old) and at five sites in patches of Afromontane Forest. Emphasis was placed on the fynbos shrublands and sample sites were subjectively located along a transect from south to north across the Langeberg range in the study area. This south to north orientation follows a complex gradient of changes in aspect, slope, geology, soil form and climate. Data were initially analysed using TWINSPAN and the resulting classification refined using Braun-Blanquet procedures. One forest subassociation and 12 fynbos communities were identified and described. A proposed hierarchical classification of the fynbos communities is presented.


INTRODUCTION
The position of the Langeberg on the west-east axis of the Cape Fold Belt places it between the mountains of the southwestern Cape and those of the southern Cape (Figure 1).It therefore forms an important highland phytogeographical link between the montane floras of these respective regions.
The southern Langeberg is defined as the Langeberg Range between Kogmanskloof and the Gouritz River.The description and classification of the plant communities of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area presented in this paper form part of a broad-scale phytosociological study of the southern Langeberg.

Location
The Boosmansbos Wilderness Area (BWA) near Heidel berg, Cape Province, is more or less centrally situated in the southern Langeberg and extends across its widest part (13 km).The area forms part of the Grootvadersbosch State Forest and was proclaimed a wilderness area in 1978.The mountain catchments are managed for conservation, limited-access recreational hiking and production of potable water.The Duivenhoks River has its origins in these catchments.
The BWA is approximately 14 200 ha in extent.It is bounded on the south side by agricultural land, on the north side by a private nature reserve and on the west and east sides by privately owned mountain land.
An access road, the Barend Koen Road, traverses the area from the lower south slopes, adjoining the farm Goedehoop, to Helderfontein at 1 150 m.The road is used for management and forms part of the hiking trail network in the area.During this study the road and paths gave ready access to the area for sampling purposes.North of Grootberg is a series of sandstone ridges with interspersed shallow valleys.There is one main, relatively broad valley with a shallow gradient eastwards towards Brandrivier.North of the valley is Deception Ridge, so named because of its deceptive height.The north slopes of Deception Ridge are steep and rocky, giving way lower down to mesa-like plateaux of gravels and sandstone conglomerate (see below).

Geology
The Langeberg is one of the west-east trending mountain ranges with northward-verging folds, in the eastern zone of the Cape Fold Belt, It consists mainly o f sediments of the Table Mountain Group (Cape Supergroup) and in part, of pre-Cape Malmesbury Group sediments.The range was formed during the Cape orogeny when the rocks o f the Cape Supergroup were folded in a single phase, multiple event orogeny of Permian to Late Triassic age (De Villiers 1944;Halbich et al. 1983) A transect over the Langeberg at any given locality has its own peculiar local geology owing to folding, faulting and consequent positioning of strata and fault valleys.Only one detailed geological study o f a section o f the Lange berg exists (Le Roux 1974, 1983).Fortuitously this coincides in part with the area proclaimed as BWA and with the vegetation sampling transect chosen for this study.(Le Roux 1974, 1983).However, Nardouw sandstones were not encountered on the south side o f the range on the vegetation transect as designated in BWA.

Five formations o f the Table Mountain
Above Witbooisrivier, on the north side o f the transect, high terrace gravels are found (Lenz 1957;Le Roux 1974).These gravels are cemented by a siliceous matrix, forming resistant silcrete caps or duricrusts (Schlom s et al. 1983) and are remnants of the African Erosion Surface (Partridge & Maud 1987).Gravels of the Enon Formation are found at the southern extremity of the vegetation transect.Le Roux (1974) described the Enon sediments as 'weakly consolidated gravels and mudstones in alternating strata ... composed of vein quartz, quartzitc (derived from the Table Moun tain Group), greenish sandstones and shales (apparently from the Bokkeveld Group), as well as conglomerates older than the Enon Formation.'

Soils
The soils of BWA agree with the general pattern describ ed by Campbell (1983)

Champagne Form
Champagne Form soils are found at sites where drainage is impeded and where deep accumulation of organic matter has occurred.This soil form is typically found at 'seeps' where Restionaceae form dense, matted peat-like deposits.On some of the high peaks (e.g.Grootberg, 1 627 m) and ridges (Repeater Kop, 1 506 m) Champagne Form soils are found on south aspects, on steep slopes.The slopes have a mean gradient of 30° and organic material has accumulated to an average depth of 700 mm.Podzoliza tion may occur in the parent rock beneath, but this would presumably have little influence on the vegetation which is rooted in the humus.

Mispah Form
At sites where bedrock is close to the surface and where soil development is poor (due to a combination of excessive drainage, high insolation, low organic matter accumula tion), Mispah Form soils with shallow orthic A-horizons over hardrock are found.This form is found on the highaltitude north-facing slopes of Repeater Kop ridge, Groot berg and on the terraced gravel-conglomerates above Witbooisrivier.mountain areas vary considerably from place to place; therefore it is only possible to make generalized statements about the effect of latitude and altitude on temperature (Fuggle 1981.)

Glenrosa
The nearest reliable temperature data are from Karring melksrivier (192 m a.s.l.) near Heidelberg, well away from the BWA.However, these data are used to give general trends in seasonal temperature variation.In Figure 2

Solar radiation
No measured data are available for incoming solar radiation on the slopes of the Langeberg.However, estimates of incoming radiation will be obtained from the RADSLOPE model (Schulze & Lambson, unpublished) and presented in a later paper (M cDonald, unpublished).
Bond (1981) calculated potential radiation for a range of slopes and aspects for 33° 30' south latitude using Swift's (1976) algorithm.Incoming radiation in summer was shown to be similar on all slopes and aspects, whereas in winter steep north slopes receive the highest and steep south slopes the lowest radiation.This is true for the Langeberg, and since the range lies between 33° 30' and 34° South, Bond's results could safely be extrapolated here.Similar to the Outeniqua Mountains and the Swartberg, the Langeberg is also often capped with cloud, further limiting incoming radiation, particularly on the high-elevation south slopes.(1983,1988) where rectangular plots of 5 x 10 (50 m2) were used to sample fynbos shrublands; 5 x 10 m plots are commonly used in surveys of fynbos (e.g.Boucher 1978;Bond 1981;Campbell 1985;Boucher 1987).The long axis of each plot was oriented parallel with the contour, with the plot being subdivided into 10 equal-sized subplots to facilitate data recording.

Methods employed in sampling the vegetation of Boos mansbos Wilderness Area follow those o f McDonald
In Afromontane forests circular plots with a radius of 11.3 m ( * 400 m2) were used to collect both floristic and structural data (Geldenhuys et al. 1988;Knight 1989).
Only permanently recognizable species were recorded.Geophytes such as Bobartia spp.were recorded and included in the analyses.In general 'ephemeral' geophytes and annuals encountered were noted but not used in the analyses.The Braun-Blanquct (BB) cover-abundance scale was applied as shown in Tables 1 & 2 Boosmansbos Wilderness Area is the only area of the Langeberg for which 1:20000 colour aerial photography is available (Job 824).It was therefore possible to stratify the study area, identify major land type/vegetation units and predetermine general location of plot positions in these units prior to fieldwork.Precise positions of sample plots were subjectively determined with plots placed in stands of mature fynbos (> 1 0 years old).Floristic composition of communities was compared using diagnostic or character species of each community as the main criteria.Those communities that were not immediately obviously equivalent were subjectively judged on the basis of character species, taxonomic relatedness or morphological similarity e.g.Berzelia lanuginosa found in the southwestern Cape versus B. intermedia found on the Langeberg, in similar habitats.These relationships do not reflect strict 'synonymy' but serve as a guide for future synthesis of communities found in fynbos vegetation.In the intermontane valley between Grootberg and Deception Ridge (north of Grootberg) the vegetation has a high cover of tall proteoid shrubs and fits the category of Mesic Mountain Fynbos (Moll et al. 1984)  A population of the rare Spatalla colorata was found in this community on the summit of Repeater Kop in close proximity to an undescribed endemic Erica species.These species apparently favour moist, high-altitude habitats with highly leached soils.

Erica h ispidu la-R estio inconspicuus Shrublands
This community comprises all the shrublands apart from the Erica hispidula-Spatalla nubicola Shrublands.Restio inconspicuus and several prominent species, namely This community (Figure 5) has no differential species but shares many species with the Erica hispidula-Spatalla nubicola Shrublands (see Table 1 1).Oakleaf Form soils.Mean annual precipitation is estimated at 1 000 mm.

Hypodiscus aristatus-Berzelia intermedia Shrublands
The Hypodiscus aristatus-B erzelia intermedia Shrub lands comprise two communities, the Berzelia inter m edia-Erica melanthera Shrublands and the Berzelia intermedia-Erica blenna Shrublands.These shrublands occur at altitudes not higher than 875 m (3 3 0 -8 6 0 m) on the south slopes of the BWA, and give these slopes their characteristic ericoid-brunioid (fine-leaved) appearance.The parent rock is Peninsula Formation sandstone through out.Berzelia intermedia is conspicuously present through out these shrublands.As noted above, Berzelia intermedia is characteristic of the Hypodiscus aristatus-Berzelia intermedia Shrublands (1.2.4.2).It is most dominant in the Berzelia intermedia-Erica blenna Shrublands (Figure 11).Erica hispidula also attains its highest degree of dominance in this communi ty.Erica melanthera is present but much less evident than in the Berzelia interm edia-Erica melanthera Shrublands.Widdringtonia nodiflora is a conspicuous emergent shrub (up to 4 m) in most stands, whereas it is almost totally absent from the latter community.E. blenna var.blenna is endemic to the Langeberg and is restricted to the Swellendam -H eidelberg part o f the range.It is used in the name of the Berzelia interm edia-Erica blenna Shrub lands because it has its strongest expression here and the community is otherwise poorly defined.Psoralea pinnata is also found commonly here but it has a wider tolerance, occurring in other communities as well (Table 1).Two other species of particular note which occur in this com munity are the rare Langeberg endemics Linconia alopecuroides L. (Bruniaceae) and Carpacoce gigantea Puff (Rubiaceae).

Berzelia intermedia-Erica melanthera
This community is also found on highly leached, low pH, shallow ( < 300 mm) soils o f Cartref and Houwhoek Forms.Rock cover is mostly 2% or less except in plots 18 (10%) and 76 ( 25%).The slopes where these shrub lands are located vary in aspect from east-to south-facing; one sample plot ( 73 of the Hypodiscus aristatus-Erica versicolor Community varies between the two forms stated above.

Cannomois parviflora Shrublands
Species with distribution common to all plant commu nities and with high cover-abundance are not a feature of the vegetation on the north slopes of the Langeberg in the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area.Broad-scale characteri zation of the plant communities occurring in this area is therefore not simple.Cannomois parviflora has been chosen as the k base' species equivalent to Erica hispidula on the south slopes, since it is readily identifiable and found in all the communities in question (Table 2).Camp bell (1985) notes that Cannomois parviflora (his Elegia parviflora) is common as a dominant in Mesic Restioid Fynbos and is also a feature of Dry Restioid Fynbos and Dry Proteoid Fynbos.This supports the use o f this species in the nomenclature of the shrublands described here.
The Cannomois parviflora Shrublands are found on soils derived exclusively from sandstone of the Nardouw Sub group.The communities described may or may not reflect the respective geological formations within the Nardouw Subgroup but distinctions in geological formation were not recorded and correlations between plant communities and geological formations are therefore not possible here.Four communities are identified and described, two as subdi visions of the Cannomois parxiflora-Leucadendron eu calyptifolium Shrublands and two as subdivisions of the Cannomois parviflora-Passerina obtusifolia Shrublands.Correlation between environment and plant communi ties enhances the descriptive and predictive value of any phytosociological classification (Campbell 1983;McDonald 1987;Deall et al. 1989).Such correlations have necessarily been superficially described in this paper.Therefore, attempts to explain the gradients underlying the distribution of the communities described here will be presented in a later paper (McDonald, unpublished) where data from two additional sample transects will be available.

Cannomois parviflora-Leucadendron eucalyptifolium
In attempting to show relationships between the com munities described in this paper and those described by other workers in Mountain Fynbos, difficulty was experienced in equating one community with another.This is due to high geographic turnover (gamma diversity) of species in roughly similar montane habitats (Cowling & Holmes 1992).The relationships of communities shown in this paper are open to modification as greater under standing of the composition and functioning of commu nities is gained.As the synthesis of fynbos proceeds, the recognition of regional associations of limited extent or geographical races of an association may have to be recognized (Werger et al. 1972;Cowling & Holmes 1992) to overcome the problems of equivalence between com munities.For instance this may ultimately result in the recognition of southwestern Cape, southern Cape and southeastern Cape zones of the Fynbos Biome.
The vegetation of the BWA was almost completely burned in a summer wildfire in February 1988, subsequent to the sampling of releves reported on here.After three years (April 1991), apart from the predominance of 'fireephemerals' such as Ursinia trifida which dominate over large parts of the south slopes, the communities of BWA as described here are identifiable.As succession proceeds it is predicted that the robustness of the floristic classi fication will become even more evident as the fire ephemerals disappear and the perennial shrublands reach their mature expression.
FIGURE 1.-Map of the mountains of the Fynbos Biome showing the position of the Langeberg and the location of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area (BWA): B, Barrydale; C, Cape Town; G, George; H, Heidelberg; M, Mossel Bay; P. Port Elizabeth; R, Riversdale; S, Swellendam and W, Worcester.Separate papers cover the description and classification of the vegetation of two other similar transects at Swellen dam and Bergfontein (near the Gouritz River) (McDonald 1993a & b).
The transect was arbitrarily delimited through the centre of the BWA, straddling the Barend Koen Road on the south slopes and the path to Witbooisrivier on the north slopes.It does not follow a straight line over the mountain range but was positioned to cover as much topographical varia tion and plant community variation as possible.The transect area was approximately 3 000 ha. Physiography The southern plateau-like footslopes of the Langeberg in the BWA are deeply incised by the Duivenhoks River.At higher elevations, fault valleys such as Vaalrivierkloof, Bobbejaankloof, Platbosrivierkloof and Saagkuilkloof, which feed the Duivenhoks River, are encountered.Saag kuilkloof and Platbosrivierkloof fall within the delimited transect and have north-and south-facing slopes.North of Platbosrivierkloof is Repeater Kop, a high west-east ridge lying approximately between Vaalrivierkloof and Helderfontein.Behind (north of) Repeater Kop is the Helderfontein Valley and north of that a . The core o f folding in the Langeberg is at Tradouw Pass where the massive folding has resulted in what Le Roux (1974) describes as the Langeberg megastructure.
Group are found in the study area.The Peninsula Formation sandstone makes up the southern slopes from about 4 0 0 -1 600 m a.s.l.At 1 150 m the Cedarberg Formation is represented by a relatively thin band of shale in the vicinity of Helderfontein.It is deeply incised and eroded at the headwaters o f the Moeras and Duivenhoks Rivers.North of the Cedarberg Formation are the sandstone sediments o f the Nardouw Subgroup comprising the Goudini, Rietvlei and Skurweberg Formations.For the purposes of this study, the Nardouw Subgroup is equated with the Peninsula and Cedarberg formations since the finer distinctions are o f secondary importance.Nardouw Subgroup sandstone is also found on the south side of the mountain between Tradouws Pass and Grootvadersbosch Forest Station, Ertjiesvleiberg and in a narrow band eastwards from below Horingberg to beyond Palmyra form have an orthic A-horizon over a diag nostic neocutanic B-horizon.The detailed definition of a 'neocutanic' horizon is given by SCWG (1991); briefly it is a horizon derived from recent sediments and other un consolidated materials.It shows little colour differentia tion and weak structural development.At low altitude (350 m ), at the southern extremity of the BWA vegetation transect, Oakleaf Form soils are encountered.These soils result from the weathering of Enon Formation sediments (see above).At one site (Relev6 59) on the Cedarberg Formation shale at Helderfontein, the soil was identified as Oakleaf Form.This soil has formed by weathering of shale in a moist situation as opposed to the formation of a Clovelly Form soil (described below) under slightly drier conditions.Cartref and Houwhoek Forms Cartref and Houwhoek Form soils are found from low (425 m) to high (1 600 m) elevations on south-facing slopes, mainly on parent rock of the Peninsula Formation.The form encountered at any position in the landscape is dependent on the land facet (convexity or concavity), its steepness and consequent drainage.The Houwhoek Form soils display weak ferrihumic character in the B-horizon and are very close to the more common Cartref Form soils with lithocutanic B-horizons, showing no podzolization.
Form Soils o f the Glenrosa Form are also found on the north aspect of the ridges and peaks of BWA but on the middle to lower slopes.Here the form is diagnosed by presence of Orthic A and Lithocutanic B-horizons.This form typically occurs on the well-drained terraced ridges of the Nardouw Subgroup strata north of Grootberg.Clovelly Form Clovelly Form soils are found at three different locali ties in BWA.These soils with a Yellow-Brown Apedal B diagnostic horizon below an Orthic A-horizon have mainly but not exclusively resulted from accumulation of trans ported material.The exception is on the Cedarberg Formation shaleband near Helderfontein where the in situ shale, with its fine-grained matrix has weathered to Clovelly Form soils.The south-facing slope of the ridge west of Grootberg is a debris slope of Nardouw Subgroup sandstone.These slopes which lie above the contact with the Cedarberg Formation and which are moderately well-drained, exhibit Clovelly Form soils (Releve 64).In the eastward-trending intermontane valley north of Grootberg, deposits of material eroded from Nardouw Subgroup sandstones have given rise to well-developed Clovelly Form soils.These soils are well drained and in one pit examined (Releve BO) pieces of reworked ferricrete were found at 700 mm depth.On Deception Ridge (northmost ridge on the transect), the south-facing terraced slopes have a mixture of Clovelly and Glenrosa Forms depending on the presence or absence of apedal and lithocutanic B-horizons respectively.Climate Local climate of the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area is poorly documented.A rainfall recording station is situated at Grootvadersbosch Forest Station (Strawberry Hill), however, this inadequately reflects rainfall as it occurs and changes in the montane environment along the BWA transect.The limited data available at best reflect lowaltitude conditions on the south slopes.Fuggle (1981) warns of the dangers of interpolation between climatic stations.However, since no climate measurements were made during this study, limited available data from Weather Bureau records (Strawberry Hill 025/599) and Fuggle (1981) are used to obtain at least seasonal trends in climate.Mean annual precipitation estimates were obtained from isohyet maps prepared by Dent et al. (1987).Wind In summer the prevailing winds from the southeast and southwest influence the Boosmansbos Wilderness Area the most.The onshore, moisture-laden southeast winds are trapped by the Langeberg and orographic rain occurs.During the winter the winds blow primarily from the northwest and southwest also bringing rain following cold fronts.Berg winds occur in winter heralding the approach of cold fronts (Fuggle & Ashton 1979; Fuggle 1981; Heydom & Tinley 1980; Tyson 1964, 1969).Temperature Temperature data for the study area are non-existent.This situation is commonly found since few weather stations are situated in the Cape mountains (

FIGURE
FIGURE 3. -Mean monthly rainfall at Strawberry Hill (1978-1990) and Klein Doornrivier (1982-1990) located at the lower south and north extremes of the Boosmansbos sample transect respectively.Rainfall peaks occur in spring (October) and autumn (April) at Strawberry Hill and in autumn at Klein Doornrivier.

VEGETATIONBoosmansbos
Wilderness Area is named after the wellpreserved Afromontane Forest patch in the deep ravine below Grootberg Peak.There are a number of other smaller patches of forest below Repeater Kop as well.These forest patches represent one vegetation type of limited extent in the study area.Shrubby fynbos covers the greater proportion of BWA and is described in are described in the order of the proposed classification.Each community is given a species-binomial name which has no syntaxonomic hierarchical rank (McDonald 1988).The communities are placed in context in the Fynbos Biome (see Rutherford & Westfall 1986) by attempting to relate them to commu nities described by other workers; based on both floristic and structural similarities.The structural formation of each following the system for the Fynbos Biome proposed by Campbell et al. (1981).Riparian communities were not sampled because they form narrow ribbons along streams, and are restricted to the streambanks.Typical dominants found in the non-forest riparian communities are: Brachylaena neriifolia, Cunonia capensis, Elegia capensis, Empleurum unicapsulare, Laurophxllus capensis, Rapanea m elanophloeos, Todea barbara and Virgilia oroboides.Afromontane Forest The forest patches in the BWA are typical Afromontane Forest.They are found in deep secluded gorges which are cool and moist.These forests are floristically all o f one type, based on tree species com position.The Boosmans bos Forest tends to be much wetter than the other patches sampled, shown by the high cover-abundance of Cyathea capensis which favours such conditions.An apparently drier-phase forest patch (Relev£ 122) is characterized by Plectranthus fruticosus.However, this observation is at variance with that o f Muir (1929) who presented an early general account o f the 'Langeberg Forest' at Riversdale.He maintained that P. fruticosus is strongly moisture demanding.McKenzie (1978) gives detailed descriptions of the Boosmansbos forests which he classified as the Cunonia capensis-Platylophus trifoliatus Subassociation.A number o f 'variations' were distinguished within the Subassociation according to relative wetness and dryness.No additional information was recorded or change in the classification proposed based on the five 400 n r plots sampled in the present study.Structurally the forests are classified as Wet High Forest (w-H F) following Geldenhuys (1983).The canopy height varies from 2 0 -30 m and the species recorded, with synoptic Braun-Blanquet values in parentheses, are as follows: Trees: Cunonia capensis (5), H alleria lucida (4), H artogiella schinoides (2), Ilex m itis (2), Kiggelaria africana (1), Maytenus acuminata (3), Ocotea bullata (4), Olinia ventosa (1), Platylophus trifoliatus (4), Podocarpus latifolius (2), Pterocelastrus rostratus (5), Rapanea m elanophloeos (5), Virgilia oroboides (3).Shrubs: D iospyros whyteana (1), Plectranthus frutico sus (1).Ferns: Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (2), Blechnum giganteum (5), B. punctulatum (2), B. tabulare (2), Cyathea capensis (5), Hymenophyllum tunbridgense (2), Rumohra adiantiform is (1), Todea barbara (2).Climbers: Myrsiphyllum scandens (3).Herbs: Epischoenus adnatus (2), Galium undulatum (1), Osmitopsis osm itoides (1), Peperomia retusa var.retusa (1), Schoenoxiphium lanceum (5).Epiphytes: Elaphoglossum angustatum (3), M icrosorium ensiforme (4).Geophytes: Oxalis purpurea (4).Fynbos The cool south slopes of the southern Langeberg are covered with physiognomically uniform plant communi ties over large areas.The slopes are moist and may be likened to an extensive seepage zone.Apart from Muir s (1929) classification the vegetation has been variously referred to as: Wet Sclerophyll Bush (Adamson 1938), Hygrophilous Macchia or Fynbos (Phillips 1931; Taylor 1978); False Macchia (Veld Type 70) by Acocks (1988); Wet Mountain Fynbos (Moll et al. 1984) and Wet Ericaceous Fynbos(Campbell 1985).The apparent uniformity is deceptive, however, with close examination showing that the vegetation can be subdivided on species composition into the eight shrubland communities described under A below.Bothalia 23,1 (1993) or Dry Proteoid Fynbos(Campbell 1985).On the north slopes of Deception Ridge above Witbooisrivier the vegetation resembles that of the inland ranges and is classified as Dry Mountain Fynbos( Moll et al. 1984) or Dry Asteraceous Fynbos(Campbell 1985).The most striking feature o f the fynbos o f the BWA is the clear division between the vegetation of the southern and northern sides o f the mountain.Erica hispidula, a common dominant on the south slopes, is almost com pletely absent on the north slopes.Although a number of other species transgress the south-north boundary, for example Leucadendron eucalyptifolium , it is clear that a definite floristic distinction can be made between the shrublands on the south and north sides o f the mountain.This distinction is reflected in the treatment of the data from the respective areas in separate syntaxonomic tables (Tables1 & 2), where a hierarchical arrangement o f com munities is also presented.Using the default options, TWINSPAN clearly separated the mesic to dry shrublands north o f Grootberg from the largely mesic to wet shrublands o f the catchments south of Grootberg at Level 1.This is reflected in the treatment of the releves in two separate phytosociological tables (Tables1 & 2).Releves 41 and 48, however, were included in Table2, contrary to the TWINSPAN classification.In the mesic to wetErica hispidula Shrublands, TWIN SPAN separates those releves (except releves 31, 33, 34, 36 & 37) which correspond with the Erica hispidula-Spatalla nuhicola and the Restio inconspicuus-Ant hochortus crinalis Shrublands in the BB classification from the remaining releves which constitute the Erica hispidula-Restio inconspicuus Shrublands, at Level 2. Correlations between the two classifications from TWINSPAN levels 3 -6 are not good but show general similarities.Nine com munities are identified using the BB classification method, whereas TWINSPAN separates the releves into 15 groups.In the mesic to dry shrublands the distinction between the Cannomois parviflora-Leucadendron eucalyptifolium Shrublands and the C. parxiflora-Passerina obtusifolia Shrublands (see below and Table 2) correlates directly with the separation indicated by the TWINSPAN classification at Level 2. Correlation at lower levels (3 -6) is not good.The BB classification results in four communities being identified, with further subdivision into 13 groups, as in dicated by TWINSPAN, considered to be too fine.1. Erica hispidula Shrublands Typical of the shrublands of the moist south-facing slopes of the southern Langeberg is the ubiquitous shrub Erica hispidula.This species is characteristic o f much of the mesic to wet ericaceous fynbos o f the mountains of the southwestern and southern Cape (Boucher 1978; Kruger 1979; Bond 1981; McDonald 1988), and is there fore used as a descriptor for these shrublands.In BWA E. hispidula is widespread and links the southslopc shrublands floristically across physiognomic bounda ries.with Restio inconspicuus playing a subordinate role.R. inconspicuus is absent only from the Erica hispidula-Spatalla nuhicola Community, a feature attributed to the dense, waterlogged, humic substrate.R. inconspicuus in turn, however, links all the communities falling under the Erica hispidula-Restio inconspicuus Shrublands in the classificationFigure 4) is found on the steep, cool, moist southerly slopes of the BWA, mostly at altitudes above 1 200 m.The community is found in the 'mist zone' where low stratus cloud commonly occurs around the high ridges and peaks.Annual precipitation is estimated at 1 200 mm and insolation is generally low.There is a consequent accumulation of organic material.Champagne Form soils with a strongly acid organic horizon (pH 2Spatalla nubicola (Proteaceae) is endemic to this com munity whereas Helichrysum capense, the second differen tial species has a wider distribution, being found at other localities in the Langeberg.Presence of at least one of these species is necessary to determine this community.The dominant species Brunia alopecuroides gives these shrub lands their characteristic 'brunioid' appearance.The B. alopecuroides shrubs seldom exceed 1.2 m in height and their closed canopy provides dense shade for the under storey restioid and ericoid elements.Anthochortus crinalis and Platycaulos anceps (Restionaceae) dominate the dense understorey stratum.Grasses are conspicuously lacking and are only represented by Ehrharta setacea subsp.scabra, a rare endemic in the fynbos biome (Gibbs Russell et al. 1990), in som e stands.
); is characterized by absence of Spatalla nubicola and Helichrysum capense; and is found at altitudes higher than 1 000 m on east-, southeast-, south-and southwest-facing slopes.Sample quadrats were located at five general localities; on the upper south-facing slopes above Saagkuilkloof (Releves 21 & 74), on the lower south-and southwest-facing slopes of Repeater Kop above Platbosrivierkloof (Releves 34, 36, 37, 77, 80, 83, 120), on the south-facing slopes of the ridge west of Grootberg Peak ( Releves 60, 61 & 86), on the slopes southeast o f Grootberg Peak overlooking Boos mansbos (Releves 90 & 91) and on the east-Widdringtonia nodiflora is present in some stands and is emergent up to 2 m.Erica hispidula and Ehrharta dura dominate with Anthochortus crinalis and Platycaulos anceps less conspicuous, forming part of the graminoid component.A number of releves (31, 36 & 92) do not have any of the differential species of the Restio inconspicuus-A ntho chortus crituilis Community.They are regarded as samples from depauperate stands and are included here on the basis of dominant species and geographical position on the sample transect and in the landscape.is localized on the southfacing lower to mid-slopes of the ridge west o f Grootberg, overlooking the Helderfontein Valley, at 1 180-1 295 m altitude.This locality lies more or less on the contact between the Cedarberg Formation and the Nardouw Subgroup.The soils are mainly Cartref Form, where sandstone is the parent rock (Releves 62, 63 & 71) and Clovelly Form, where shale is the parent rock (Releve 81).Mean annual precipitation at this locality is 1 0 0 0 -1 100 mm and the soils are well drained but slightly more nutrient-rich than soils derived from Peninsula Formation sandstone (G.N.Schafer pers.comm.).The poleward aspect permits lower insolation, and P. grandiceps ap parently favours the cooler slopes and richer soils.This community is structurally similar to those of most other parts of the high-altitude slopes.E. hispidula dominates the shrub component with P. grandiceps having notable cover-abundance in only two of the four plots sampled (Releves 62 & 63).Sedges such as Tetraria flexuosa and Tetraria bromoides dominate the herbaceous component.Close affinity exists between the Restio inconspicuus-Protea grandiceps Shrubland and the Restio inconspicuus-Protea aurea Shrubland, with these two communities sharing species not common to other com munities (see Table FIGURE 6 .-Restioinconspicuus-Protea grandiceps Shrubland localized on the south-facing slopes west of Grootberg.

FIGURE
FIGURE 1.-Restio inconspicuus-Protea aurea subsp.aurea Shrublands found on the Cedarberg Formation shale near Helderfontein.elements which allow subdivision into lower-ranking com munities; as such it is regarded as depauperate.These shrublands occur on shallow (0.1-0.15 m), welldrained and highly leached Cartref and Houwhoek Form soils at altitudes from 1 00 0 -1 500 m.Parent rock is main ly Peninsula Formation sandstone with Nardouw Subgroup sandstone found in plots 92 and 124.Aspect is generally north-and northwest-facing, with two exceptions, plots 29 and 30 which face south and southeast.Surface rock cover ranges between five and 75 %; boulders were found in all plots and exposed bedrock in more than 50%.Although rainfall probably exceeds 1 000 mm per annum, high in solation coupled with good drainage is most likely the rea son for the depauperate nature and low stature of the community.Shrubs such as Erica hispidula and Penaea cneorum subsp.ruscifolia are emergent up to 1.2 m but grasses (Ehrharta dura, Pentaschistis colorata), restios (Hypo discus aristatus, Restio inconspicuus) and sedges ( Tetrar ia spp.) dominate the low stratum (< 0 .5 m).Although strongly similar structurally and in species composition to the Restio inconspicuus-Anthochortus crinalis Shrub lands, the Restio inconspicuus-Hypodiscus aristatus Shrublands have Hypodiscus aristatus dominant, whereas it is absent from the former community.Apparently north versus south aspects and relative wetness-dry ness account for the change in species dominance and consequent dis tinction between these two communities.
ShrublandsNortheast of Grootberg is a shallow intermontane valley forming part of the catchment o f Brandrivier.There are also a number of east-trending rocky ridges, the highest of which is named Deception Ridge in this study.Altitude diminishes eastwards towards Brandrivier.The valley has a mesic to dry climate compared with the wet south slopes and the arid north slopes adjacent to the Little Karoo.

FIGURE
FIGURE 12.-Hypodiscus aristatus-Erica versicolor Shrublands found on rocky sandstone out crops on the south side of the Langeberg in BWA.

FIGURE 13 .
FIGURE 13. -Leucadendron eucalyptifolium -Protea lorifolia Shrub lands found on the ridges north of Grootberg, showing the proteoid shrub overstorey with P. lorifolia in the left foreground.