Ellenbroek Ecology and productivity of an African wetland system

The Kafue Flats, Zambia
1987
ISBN: 978-94-009-4051-2
Verlag: Springer Netherland
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 9, 272 Seiten, eBook

Reihe: Geobotany

Three and a half years of field study in Zambia and another three years of processing the data and writing up the results and conclusions preceded the publication of this book. During this period many people have assisted me with the collection of field data in Zambia and, after repatriation, with the processing of these data in the Netherlands. The research work carried out in Zambia was initiated by the Kafue Basin Research Committee of the University of Zambia. The members of this Committee felt the need to gather quantitative ecological data to enforce their position in the struggle for the water rights on the Kafue Flats. It was hoped that a study of the productivity of the grasslands on the floodplain and adjacent areas would confirm the expected high rates of primary production and the relation of these to the natural flooding pattern. These results would then serve as a base for the nature conservationist, the agriculturalist and the local people to challenge the demands of the Zambia Electricity Company, that presently governs the artificial flooding pattern. The methods attained to collect the data on productivity and vegetation structure are very time consuming.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ellenbroek, Gerard A.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction.- 2. The physical environment.- 2.1. Geology and geomorphology of Southern Africa.- 2.2. Palaeogeomorphology of the Kafue Flats.- 2.3. Geomorphology of the Kafue Flats.- 2.4. Characteristics of the Kafue river.- 2.5. Climate.- 2.6. Hydrology.- 2.7. The soils.- 2.8. Relief.- 3. Major vegetation zones of the Kafue Flats and adjacent areas.- 3.1. Introduction.- 3.2. Kafue river and tributaries.- 3.3. Levees.- 3.4. Lagoons and lower-lying areas of the floodplain.- 3.5. Floodplain.- 3.6. Littoral zone.- 3.7. Termitaria zone.- 3.8. Palm savannas.- 3.9. Woodlands.- 3.10. Hot springs and surrounding areas.- 4. Phytosociology and phenology.- 4.1. Introduction.- 4.2. Methods.- 4.3. The floodplain.- 4.4. The termitaria grasslands.- 4.5. The alkaline grasslands and the vegetation on termitaria.- 5. Diversity.- 5.1. Introduction.- 5.2. Methods.- 5.3. Results.- 5.4. Discussion.- 6. Canopy structures and aboveground production.- 6.1. Introduction.- 6.2. Methods.- 6.3. Results.- 7. Belowground vegetation and root/shoot ratios.- 7.1. Introduction.- 7.2. Methods.- 7.3. Vossia cuspidata — Echinochloa scabra floodplain grassland.- 7.4. Paspalidium obtusifolium water meadow.- 7.5. Panicum repens — Leersia denudata water meadow.- 7.6. Acroceras macrum water meadow.- 7.7. Vernonia glabra community.- 7.8. Panicum sp. aff. porphyrrhizos — Setaria sphacelata grassland.- 7.9. Eragrostis inamoena grassland.- 7.10. Other termitaria grasslands.- 8. Decomposition.- 8.1. Introduction.- 8.2. Methods.- 8.3. Results.- 8.4. Discussion.- 9. Estimation of the net annual production.- 10. Fire and the ecology of termitaria grasslands.- 10.1. Introduction.- 10.2. Methods.- 10.3. Results.- 10.4. Discussion.- 10.5. Adaptations of plants to fire.- Summary.- Samenvatting.- References.-Appendix I: List of plant species and authors’ names.- Appendix II: List of animal species and authors’ names.