Fine-scale floristics: Rethinking the boundaries of Namaqualand Sand Fynbos vegetation unit in Namaqua National Park, South Africa

Abstract

• The study supports SANBI’s updated mapping of the vegetation of Southern Africa for Graskom and Taaiboschvlakte as true Namaqualand Sand Fynbos, while confirming Driekop as Coastal Duneveld. • Species composition and habitat preferences are documented, offering essential insights for restoration and management planning. • A variant at the Graskom study site reflects past agricultural use, highlighting secondary succession and the resilience of fynbos elements. To identify, classify, and describe the plant communities of three sites in Namaqua National Park and evaluate their alignment with the Namaqualand Sand Fynbos vegetation unit. Namaqua National Park, Northern Cape, South Africa. Three study sites within the park boundary namely, Driekop, Graskom and Taaiboschvlakte were selected to identify, describe, and classify the plant communities associated with the Namaqualand Sand Fynbos. A total of 100 Braun-Blanquet vegetation plots were surveyed within the three sites. Within each survey plot, all rooted plant species were recorded and their cover-abundance estimated while environmental data was also collected. A fixed-point photograph was taken at each plot and its geolocation was recorded. The floristic data were exported into the JUICE software package. A modified TWINSPAN classification provided an initial tabular overview of the plant communities. These communities were then further classified and described based on their diagnostic and dominant species as identified from the synoptic table. A total of seven plant communities and one variant were identified. The plant communities showed strong associations with land types, terrain units, soil texture and soil forms. The Graskom and Taaiboschvlakte study sites corresponded to updated SANBI delineations of Namaqualand Sand Fynbos vegetation unit, while the Driekop site contains elements aligning it to the Namaqualand Coastal Duneveld. Vegetation patterns are shaped by soil depth and texture, terrain unit, soil forms and historical land use. The study refines vegetation classifications, highlights floristic diversity within Namaqualand Sand Fynbos, and provides essential baseline data for conservation management, ecosystem monitoring, and restoration in the NNP. Taxonomic reference: SA-Plant Checklist-2019-2020, South African National Biodiversity Institute, 2020, Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) ( http://posa.sanbi.org/ ) [accessed January 2025].