Vegetation change and vegetation type stability in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve 1966 - 2010

Vegetation stability was investigated within the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve by incorporating three vegetation surveys spanning a 44 year time period. The goals of this study were to investigate changes in overall species diversity within the reserve, stability of community composition within and between sites, and which factors are influencing stability. A survey was conducted on 26 vegetation plots across the reserve. Data from this survey and two previous surveys was used to compare species diversity between time periods. Vegetation compositional similarity was also compared between sites. I tested for the effect of difference in vegetation age and soil type as predictors of vegetation groups. Results showed an overall decrease in species diversity. Analysis ofvegetation groups showed that vegetation types are mostly stable as current vegetation can be predicted by groups based on 1966 data. Vegetation is influenced significantly by fire history and soil types