Assessment of veld condition and trend

Advice on veld management generally assumes that the productivity of veld can be improved by management. There is thus a need in agricultural extension work, where botanical surveys are impractical, for a basis on which changes in veld condition can be judged and recorded. It is suggested that a score sheet for the assessment of condition be based on five criteria, namely, cover density, botanical composition, vigour, soil surface condition and insect damage. Using score sheets and photographs, trend in veld condition may be established by comparing successive condition assessments recorded at representative sites at similar growth stages or seasons. Knowledge of potential climax condition is presupposed in the use of "present-condition" score sheets.Keywords: cover densities|trends|photographs|score sheets|insect damages|soil conditions|vigour|seasons|veld condition|productivity|assessments|surveys|condition|veld management|veld|agricultural expansions|botanical composition