PlantLife Volume 57.11, July 2024. The VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project on iNaturalist

 

Capturing South Africa’s biodiversity: how the VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project on iNaturalist plays a role.

by Kagiso Mogajane

Documentation of flora is a story of discovery, mapping and understanding that dates back centuries. The narrative abounds with efforts by devoted botanists and scientists to unravel the mysteries of diverse plant life in the country. The names of Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans, John Phillip Harison Acocks, Barrie Low and Tony Rebelo are some of the people notable for their contributions toward shaping our modern comprehension of South Africa’s flora.

South African vegetation was first documented in text during colonial times when European explorers and settlers started encountering the country’s unique plant species. However, it was not until the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries that systematic efforts to map and classify this vegetation into landscape level types began in earnest. Botanist Pole-Evans was one of the pioneers in this field. In the early 1900s, he undertook extensive botanical expeditions across South Africa, meticulously recording the diversity of plant species found there (Gunn, 1971). This work laid the foundation for future botanical surveys and provided valuable knowledge about the distribution patterns and ecology of South African plants.

Another key figure in the history of South African vegetation mapping was Acocks, a well-known South African botanist who followed Pole-Evans’ lead. Most of his life’s work involved studying flora from this region and in the middle of the 20^th century, he wrote the classic “Veld Types of South Africa” that classified the nation’s plant life into different types according to ecological variables such as climate, soil and topography (Moll, 1986). This classification scheme is still important and underlies our knowledge about plants in this part of Africa, although it was intended to map agricultural areas and not biodiversity.

As technology progressed, our knowledge grew, and as pressures on our natural landscapes increased the focus moved from the need to understand different areas of agricultural potential to the need to understand the diversity of our natural systems. There have been more recent studies that continued with botanic exploration, such as that by Low and Rebelo (1996). These researchers combined traditional field-based ground-truthing with aerial photography, satellite imagery, spatial predictive modelling and large databases to refine our knowledge about patterns in South African vegetation. They also provided insights for the identification of areas that should be conserved while monitoring changes in vegetation cover over time and guiding land use planning decisions.

Mapping South African vegetation is not merely an academic exercise; it is essential for conservation, land use planning and sustainable development. In 2006, a collaborative effort was undertaken to create a comprehensive, countrywide map classifying biodiversity in South Africa, known as the National Vegetation Map. There have been five iterations (2006, 2009, 2012, 2018 and the 2024 Beta version) of the National Vegetation Map of South Africa since. Feedback from users and custodians has fuelled the iterative creation and refinement of our mapping and classification systems over time. Empirical data and expert evaluation have been the usual procedure for classification and mapping across different landscapes. There are three key objectives for classifying ecosystems: the provision of biologically relevant ecosystem management units, a coarse-filter substitute that approximates the pattern of biodiversity, and ecosystem units connected to ecological infrastructure and/or ecosystem services (Dayaram et al., 2021).

In the terrestrial landscape, the vegetation types described by Mucina and Rutherford (2006) are composed of many different but functionally related communities. However, the variety of expressions of each type is represented by a single image in each vegetation type. Vegetation types span a large area and a single image is not sufficient to represent the entire vegetation type. To ensure more comprehensive plant community composition data, the VEGMAP team at SANBI has developed the VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project on iNaturalist.

 

Figure 1. Homepage of the VEGMAPhotos (s Afr) Project

The VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project involves professional botanists, ecologists, and citizen scientists. This project uses photos showing vegetation in a landscape. To do this, we capture and upload both plant species and landscape photos for each observation. With this project, we can make the most of the data collected, we show representative images of various vegetation types and plant species that occur in them while gaining valuable ecological data.

We write blog posts on the project page updating members on the progress of the project. In these posts, we share details of the most and least recorded vegetation types. On the homepage there is a map (as in the picture below) that shows parts of the country where there are few or no observations and we would appreciate citizen scientist’s help in exploring the areas where there is a gap.

Figure 2. Second image showing another section of the VEGMAPhoto project homepage. This includes a map that indicates parts where there have and have not been observations uploaded to VEGMAPhoto.

Like other projects on iNaturalist, the most recent observations are shown on the homepage and all members of the project have access to all project observations.

Figure 3. Recent observations submitted to VEGMAPhoto (s Afr)

To improve this effort, we are calling all passionate nature enthusiasts and photographers to participate!

What we're looking for:

1.  Images showcasing the vegetation types across South Africa and in under-explored regions.

2. Unique and rare species.

 What may seem like a simple image like the one below, provides a wealth of information regarding the landscape and the vegetation.

Figure 4. Landscape image example. Image courtesy of Samukelisiwe Msweli for the VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project on iNaturalist, taken near Rustenburg in the North West province. Here is an image that represents how the vegetation is assembled, within the Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld vegetation type.

There are a few things we can draw from the same image:

1.   The rockiness element of the landscape is captured in blue

2.   Grassy patches within the landscape in yellow

3.   The undulating hills and patchy tree cover

Figure 5. Landscape image explained

The elements described above are some of the key characteristics of the Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld vegetation type at this locality, which gives us a finer resolution of the community within the broad vegetation type. These are some of the incredibly important details we draw from these images.

It is important to note that within the same vegetation type, different plant communities and similar landscape features can be found. The image below, also captured within the Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld vegetation type at a different locality, highlights this variability. Unlike the previous image, this site features a shrubby landscape with little to no tree cover and more open grass patches. However, both sites share similarities, such as undulating hills and rocky ground.

Figure 6. Landscape image showing variability within a vegetation type

The VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project makes the most of iNaturalist’s database and the community-driven approach ensures that information is continuously updated and verified, offering reliable real-time data. Through capturing and uploading our species and landscape images, we continuously build a digital archive that houses images that represent our diverse vegetation types. Landscape images may also assist in the delineation of vegetation types where there is an overlap.

Figure 7. Two vegetation types within a landscape image

The image above is a good example of a landscape image (A) taken where there are two vegetation types within it. This image was taken within the Suurberg Shale Fynbos vegetation type near Cederburg in the Eastern Cape province, courtesy of Kagiso Mogajane. The vegetation enclosed in the white border on image B is the Vanstadens Forest Thicket vegetation type whereas the vegetation in the foreground is the Suurberg Shale Fynbos.

Our country’s diversity extends beyond the flora and fauna. It boasts habitats ranging from arid deserts of the Kalahari to lush subtropical forests. Coastal regions are characterized by stunning beaches and rugged cliffs. The Drakensberg Mountains present dramatic peaks and deep valleys. An example is this image captured by Dewald du Plessis near the Golden Gate Highlands National Park in the Free State province.

Figure 8. Landscape image of a different vegetation type

Lesotho Highland Basalt Grassland vegetation type captured by Dewald Du Plessis for the VEGMAPhoto project on iNaturalist. From this image we can see the plateau in the front with closed grass cover and high ridges of mountains in the background. These are some of the key landscape features of this vegetation type. A picture paints a much clearer image of the text descriptions.

How to contribute to the VEGMAPhoto (s Afr) project:

Here are guidelines on how to join or upload your photos:

1. Capture high-resolution photos of plant species and communities anywhere in South Africa.

2. Submit your observations along with the location details on our website.

Your contribution not only helps enrich our database but also contributes to the representation and understanding of our diverse ecosystems.

In addition to guidelines on how to join and upload your photos, we have a live-streamed presentation on YouTube on how to maximise your citizen science tools and contribute to the VEGMAP.

Contact us at vegmap@sanbi.org.za if you need any assistance.

 

 

References

Dayaram, A., Skowno, A.L., Driver, A., Sink, K., Van Deventer, H., Smith-Adao, L., Van Niekerk, L., Harris, L.R., Job, N. & Nel, J.L. 2021. The South African National Ecosystem Classification System Handbook: First Edition. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12143/7150

Gunn, M.D. 1971. Illtyd Buller Pole-Evans (1879–1968). Bothalia 10,2: 131–135. DOI:10.4102/abc.v10i2.1525

Low, A.B. & Rebelo, A.(T.)G. (eds) 1996. Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Dept of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria.

Moll, E., 1986. Acocks veld types versus the biome concept master and servant. Veld & Flora, 72(1), p.1.

About the author. Kagiso Mogajane is a passionate Vegetation Science intern at the South African National Biodiversity Institute within the VEGMAP project. He has an interest in plant ecology, stemming from early exposure to gardening. This exposure ignited his fascination with plant life and ecosystems. Driven by an insatiable curiosity about the world, Kagiso pursued formal education in BSc Biological Sciences where he learnt about the many aspects of Ecology and Conservation in his undergraduate studies. This led to him earning a BSc Honours degree in Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences. He received his education and training from the University of the Witwatersrand. Kagiso’s approach to vegetation science is holistic, recognizing the importance of each component in an ecosystem.