The vegetation of the southern Langeberg, Cape Province. 2. The plant communities of the Marloth Nature Reserve

Abstract

The Marloth Nature Reserve, encompassing the mountain catchments of the southern Langeberg immediately above Swellendam, Cape Province. South Africa, is described. The vegetation of the reserve was sampled along a transect representing the variation in plant communities over the range from the lower south to the lower north slopes. Eighty-three sample sites were subjectively located in mature stands of fynbos vegetation (>10 years old). The relev£ data were initially classified using TWINSPAN and then refined by Braun-Blanquet (BB) phytosociological procedures. The Afromontane Forest patches which occur mainly on the lower south slopes were not sampled but are briefly discussed. The fynbos plant communities are described, based on tables, and a hierarchical classification is proposed.