Ecology of the vegitation in the draw-down zone of Lake Kariba

Abstract

The present contribution is a study of the vegetation of the "draw-down zone" e g. the area between highest and lowest water level in a reservoir, of the artificial Lake Kariba. It aims at providing a renewed description of the shore vegetation along the Zimbabwean side of the lake for comparison with the older records (see, for instance. White 1965. Bowmaker 1968, Child 1968, Magadza 1970). In addition, pilot studies of above-ground biomass production of the dominating vegetation types and on relations between grazing by large herbivores and growth form of Panicum repens, a largely dominant species, were intended as a base for further research. In this contribution, names of plant species follow Flora Zambeziaca' (London 1960-1990), and for genera not yet treated there, 'Flora of Southern Africa1 (Pretoria 1963-1989).