28.10.2014 Views

Biodiversity (1 - SRK Consulting

Biodiversity (1 - SRK Consulting

Biodiversity (1 - SRK Consulting

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

6. METHODS<br />

Prior to the field visits, a desktop study of the available literature and relevant reports<br />

was made.<br />

The EcoAgent team (Prof G.J. Bredenkamp (vegetation scientist) Dr I.L. Rautenbach<br />

(mammalogist), Dr A. Kemp (ornithologist) and Mr J.C.P. van Wyk (herpetologist).<br />

Conducted a site visit on 27-28 June 2011; accompanied by the <strong>SRK</strong> Environmental<br />

Assessment Practitioners (Ms Lyn Brown and Dr Jenny Lancaster ). The available<br />

roads on the site were driven using a 4x4 pick-up. The farm owner, Mr Deon<br />

Maasdorp and his family (and Hester, Olivia, Waldo and Dayle) guided the EcoAgent<br />

team on site, and Ms Jennifer Brown (SATO) and technology consultant Mr Alfred<br />

Ostenreid (SLC Group) advised on details of the development.<br />

Regular stops were made to record diversity and veld conditions by walking random<br />

transects. Coordinates were taken at localities of note.<br />

6.1. Flora<br />

6.1.1 Vegetation and flora<br />

The vegetation was stratified into relatively homogeneous units on recent aerial<br />

photographs of the area. At several sites within each homogeneous unit a description<br />

of the dominant and characteristic species was made. These descriptions were<br />

based on total floristic composition, following established vegetation survey<br />

techniques (Mueller-Dombois & Ellenberg 1974; Westhoff & Van der Maarel 1978).<br />

Data recorded included a list of the plant species present, including trees, shrubs,<br />

grasses and forbs. Comprehensive species lists were therefore derived for each<br />

plant community / ecosystem present on the site. These vegetation survey methods<br />

have been used as the basis of a national vegetation survey of South Africa (Mucina<br />

et al. 2000) and are considered to be an efficient method of describing vegetation<br />

and capturing species information. Notes were additionally made of any other<br />

features that might have an ecological influence.<br />

SATO Aggeneys July 2011 31

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!