Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
Marloth Park Management Plan. - Nkomazi Local Municipality
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OBJECTIVES<br />
The objectives of this study are to:<br />
METHOD<br />
• Determine the tree density within the different homogenous units.<br />
• Determine the leaf production and of the various woody species in the<br />
homogenous units.<br />
• Determine the available browse and browsing capacity of the different<br />
homogenous units.<br />
Due to the factors that determine available browse such as variability in leaf density,<br />
palatability and tree structure, it is difficult to find a method that combines applicability and<br />
practicability. Different methods for determining browse have been developed and assessed<br />
over time. The belt transects have been found to be more accurate and less biased than plot<br />
surveys – at least in canopy cover estimates for woody vegetation. With the BECVOL model<br />
it is possible to set up a standard procedure to measure browse potential and browse capacity<br />
using fairly simply measurements while still obtaining a sufficiently accurate estimation.<br />
To determine the total volume of woody plant material in this study the BECVOL method is<br />
applied, where the volumetric dimensions of trees are recorded and related to available leaf<br />
biomass. The measurements taken are based on an ideal tree, which is regarded as a single<br />
stemmed sweet thorn Acacia karroo with a canopy consisting of a dome-shaped crown and<br />
cone-shaped base (Figure 11). These measurements are recorded for each tree rooted and<br />
identified in a 200 m 2 belt-transect survey. A 2 m long range-rod is used to estimate the tree<br />
dimensions.<br />
The data collected is then captured and analysed using the BECVOL programme. Primary<br />
analysis consists of volumetric calculations to determine the total leaf volume of each tree<br />
species recorded. The total leaf volume is then related to potential dry leaf mass, based on<br />
known regression equations from harvested trees. Although common bushveld tree species<br />
such as sweet thorn Acacia karroo, red bushwillow Combretum apiculatum, sickle bush<br />
Dichrostachys cinerea, raisin bush Grewia species and silver cluster leaf Terminalia sericea<br />
have specific regression equations, it was found that a strong correlation exists between some<br />
of these tree species based on leaf size. Other tree species were thus related to standard<br />
regression equations based on this phenomenon. For other tree species general regression<br />
equations are based on either microphyllous (small-leaved) or macrophyllous (broad-leaved)<br />
tree species.<br />
© Ecological Associates/ <strong>Marloth</strong> <strong>Park</strong> 47