Additional Quantitative Ecological Studies in the Hawaan Forest, Natal

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Hawaan Forest was chosen as an experimental area where two parameters (i.e. density and frequency), various sample sizes (i.e. 10x10, 10x20, 20x20, 20x40 and 40x40m) and synusial combinations (i.e. shrub, intermediate and canopy) could be studied with a view to ascertaining which set of information would yield the most ecologically meaningful results in an analysis. Hawaan was selected because the forest ecology was already fairly well understood. In addition, density, local frequency, homogeneity and regeneration of the woody species occurring in the three synusiae recognised were studied. The results of the ordination showed that canopy tree density data for the 20 x 20 m sample size gave the best ordination. The forest ecology is related to the three topographic aspects present in Hawaan. Canopy and intermediate trees show much clearer patterns on the ordination than do shrub species.