Plant community structure and possible vegetation changes after drought on a granite catena in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

Abstract

The Earth’s environment is dominated by three great natural components, namely, climate, vegetation and soil. Climate is considered the most important factor influencing the distribution and composition of vegetation on a micro and sub-continental scale (Campbell et al. 2008; Furley 2010; Scholes 1997; Schulze 1997). Vegetation development is controlled largely by light, temperature and moisture (Bond, Midgley & Woorward 2003; Schulze 1997). Topography and the chemical and physical compositions of the soil also influence vegetation and, in conjunction with climate, are responsible for the intricate interactions that govern the worldwide distribution of vegetation (Campbell et al. 2008; Furley 2010; Scholes 1997). Understanding how these interactions regulate the ecology of plant communities is critical for characterising the impacts of global change on biodiversity at local and regional scales.