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PLANT DIVERSITY IN PROTECTED AREAS ALONG GEOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATIC GRADIENTS IN THE GRASSLAND BIOME OF SOUTH AFRICA

M. Dingaan

Published 2025 in Applied Ecology and Environmental Research

ABSTRACT

. Grassland ecosystems globally are under enormous pressure brought about by anthropogenic activities such as agricultural intensification, habitat modification and destruction, and urban expansion. These anthropogenic pressures have resulted in the loss of biodiversity, and protected areas are seen as crucial ecological infrastructure that can assist in mitigating the process. The aim of the study was to analyse plant diversity in twelve protected areas across the Grassland Biome of South Africa, and to determine the environmental factors influencing diversity patterns. Plant diversity was determined as species richness ( S ), Shannon-Wiener diversity ( H’ ), and Pielou evenness ( J’ ), and interactions between environmental factors were analysed. The study area was characterised by an increase in mean annual rainfall with increasing longitude, and rainfall also increased along an elevation gradient. In addition, there was a monotonic decline in mean annual rainfall and temperature along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, respectively. Plant diversity declined along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. Protected areas located at lower elevations generally had higher local diversity but those with heterogeneous environments presented higher regional diversity. Insights on species diversity patterns in relation to environmental conditions are vital for developing effective conservation measures needed to arrest the current decline in biodiversity. Furthermore,

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