Impact Of Veld Management on Aloe Ferox in Western Cape Province

Eight relic stands of Aloe ferox. one of South Africa's widest ranging and most common aloes, were studied near Swellendam during 1981. One stand had not been burned in recent years and had been only lightly grazed by sheep and cattle, another had been frequently burned and heavily grazed for several years. and the remaining six stands fell between these two poles. A system for estimating ages of individuals of A. ferox was developed, permitting demographic analyses of populations of this species growing under differing conditions of veld management. Seedlings to 10 years of age appear most susceptible to fire and mechanical damage, and the most disturbed of the eight stands showed minimal rates of population recruitment. Older plants, with their greater mechanical strength and fire resistance, Seem less affected: maximum age expectation (estimated at 140–150 years) was the same in each of the eight stands. It is concluded that even South Africa's more common plant species face potentially serious reduction in population size and geographical range under prevailing veld management practices.