agricultural production guidelines
m
Veld in KwaZulu-Natal
Co-ordinated Extension KwaZulu-Natal Veld 6.2 1999
Appendix 1
Example computation sheet used in the calculation of a veld composition score for a sample of Moist Highland Sourveld using the Benchmark Method.
Species
Benchmark site
Sample site
Composition (%)
Limit1
Composition (%)
Score
Decreaser
Brachiaria serrata
Diheteropogon amplectens
Monocymbium ceresiiforme
Themeda triandra
1
1
2
45
11
11
12
55
12
12
Subtotal
49
12
12
Increaser I
Alloteropsis semialata
Eulalia villosa
Trachypogon spicatus
Tristachya leucothrix
2
1
2
20
1
1
4
1
1
4
Subtotal
25
6
6
Increaser II
Eragrostis capensis
Eragrostis curvula
Eragrostis plana
Eragrostis racemosa
Harpochloa falx
Heteropogon contortus
Hyparrhenia hirta
Microchloa caffra
Paspalum scrobiculatum
Sporobolus africanus
Forbs
Sedges
1
1
1
1
3
4
1
1
0
0
5
1
8
10
4
9
5
12
21
6
4
12
12
12
42
12
12
02
02
4
Subtotal
19
79
13
Increaser III
Diheteropogon filifolius
Elionurus muticus
2
5
1
2
1
2
Subtotal
7
3
3
Total
100
100
343
1
The maximum limit is set to 10% above the abundance of the Decreaser species recorded in the benchmark, since dominance by a single species is considered undesirable. For Increaser species, the percentage recorded in the benchmark is taken as the maximum limit.2
The contribution of these Increaser II species to the composition score is subject to the limits imposed by the benchmark Increaser II species abundances.3
The score in each species class is totaled to provide the composition score, in this example 34%.
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