Phenology of nine common woody species in semi-arid, deciduous Kalahari Sand vegetation
✍ Scribed by Childes, S. L.
- Book ID
- 104621282
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag
- Year
- 1988
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 878 KB
- Volume
- 79
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1573-5052
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✦ Synopsis
The phenological patterns of 9 woody species that are common components of Kalahari Sand communities were observed over a period of 32 months. The observations were made on plants adjacent to the soil moisture study sites which have been described earlier (Childes & Walker 1987). A pre-rain flush was noted in the 2 shrub/small tree species Ochna pulchra and Terminalia sericea. Leaf fall in all species was related to a decrease in soil moisture and minimum temperature. The rooting habits and other adaptations of the species resulted in a sequential leaf fall in the communities. Open woodland and scrub species such as Pterocarpus angolensis showed a generally synchronised pre-rain flowering, while the closed woodland species e.g. Baikiaea plurijuga had protracted asynchronous flowering periods. Fruit ripening generally occurred in the dry season when conditions were ideal for fruit and seed dispersal.