Realm: Terrestrial
Climate: Temperate
Biome: Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrubs
Central latitude: -34.270630
Central longitude: 18.423828
Duration: 2 years, from 1966 to 1996

4834 records

418 distinct species

Across the time series Restio cincinnatus is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

63 five by ten metre permanently marked rectangular sample plots with the long side oriented to true North (Taylor 1984) were systematically placed at intersections of the grids of the ~1960 1:18 000 topographical map of the Cape Peninsula at 1 000 yd (914 m) intervals. Each survey generated lists of species for each plot with each species scored into one of five abundance classes (1 = 1–4 individuals. 2 = 5–10. 3 = 11–50. 4 = 51– 100. 5 = >100; Privett et al. 2001). Plants were positively identified to species wherever possible and the species lists and synonyms updated to the taxonomy of Manning and Goldblatt (2012). Following Taylor (1984) and Privett et al. (2001). species without permanently recognizable aerial parts were excluded from the dataset (i.e. seasonally active geophytes and annuals). since species appearing temporarily at different seasons would obscure differences between plots surveyed at different times of year. Some species or species-complexes were amalgamated. either because they could not be specifically identified in the field. because their taxonomy had been inadequately worked out. or taxonomic revisions had split or lumped species in the period between surveys. Unit of abundance = IndCountInt, Unit of biomass = NA

Citation(s)

Privett, S., Cowling, R. & Taylor, H. (2001) Thirty years of change in the fynbos vegetation of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, South Africa. Bothalia, 31(1), 99–115. doi:10.4102/abc.v31i1.509.
Taylor, H. (1984) A vegetation survey of the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. I. The use of association-analysis and Braun-Blanquet methods. Bothalia, 15, 245–258.
Thuiller, W., Slingsby, J. A., Privett, S. D. J. & Cowling, R. M. (2007) Stochastic Species Turnover and Stable Coexistence in a Species-Rich, Fire-Prone Plant Community. PLoS ONE, 2(9), e938. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000938