In 2019 Eddy covariance instruments were mounted on a flux tower in the EFTEON KIMTRI Landscape at Benfontein Nature Reserve just east of Kimberley. These instruments measure various atmospheric parameters. An understanding of the landscape in the flux tower footprint is necessary to interpret the data collected by the instruments. To describe the vegetation within the footprint we tested the SEOSAW (Socio-Ecological Observatory for the Southern African Woodlands) protocol. Woody vegetation was surveyed in five square 1 ha plots while the herbaceous layer was sampled across 105 circular plots following the protocol. These vegetation data will contribute to the interpretation of data collected by the flux tower instruments now and in the future. Furthermore, long-term data collection in this reserve is needed to capture the woody vegetation dynamics and its interaction with the herbaceous layer and these current data can serve as a baseline.
A recent publication by Mogonong et al. (2023) presented the woody and herbaceous vegetation findings:
- Five tree species, dominated by Vachellia erioloba, were found in the plots with recruits (0-1 m tall) significantly more abundant than large trees (1.2-9.5 m high)
- Ten grass and 32 forb species were found in the herbaceous layer with the grass Schmidtia pappophoroides dominant in terms of count, basal cover and aboveground biomass
- It was concluded that the vegetation around the flux tower represents a wooded grassland, which is a type of a savanna.
