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Disaggregating Hydroperiod: Components of the Seasonal Flood Pulse as Drivers of Plant Species Distribution in Floodplains of a Tropical Wetland

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Abstract

Wetland hydroperiod consists of different components, including frequency, duration and depth. A significant proportion of the seasonally flood-pulsed Okavango Delta is inundated for part of each year. Variation in hydroperiod, driven by the interaction of climate and ecological factors, results in a mosaic of vegetation communities. These communities are highly dynamic over temporal and spatial scales. This study aimed to identify quantitative relationships between hydroperiod components and floodplain vegetation, to better understand the potential effects of hydrological change. A stratified random sample of 30 floodplains was surveyed for species composition and abundance. Hydroperiod components for sample quadrats were estimated from remote sensing and field measurement. Ordination demonstrated strong correlations between species composition and flood frequency, duration, years-since-last-flood and depth. Eight statistically discrete vegetation communities were derived from cluster analysis. Generalized linear models of species distributions along hydrological gradients were used to derive frequency and duration optima. Means of these parameters differed significantly between communities. Increasing hydroperiod corresponded with a progression from grasslands through sedge-dominated to aquatic communities. Species in infrequently flooded areas indicated disturbance and a succession trend towards open woodland. In the sedgelands, average depth was the strongest correlate, while in grasslands and aquatic communities, this was duration.

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Acknowledgments

The research on which this article is based was funded and supported by various agencies: The University of Botswana, the University of Florida Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship - Adaptive Management: Water, Wetlands and Watersheds (AMW3) program funded by the National Science Foundation, and the BiOkavango project (Global Environment Facility). In addition the support of Wilfred Khaneguba, Moagisi Diare, Florian Bendsen and Aulter Karumendu, for their unflagging enthusiasm, willingness to do transects chest deep in crocodile-infested waters, and for very fine goat stews in very remote places must be gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also due to the following hunting and photographic safari operators for their cooperation: Harry Charalambous (Johan Calitz Safaris), Horseback Safaris, Elephant Back Safaris, and Rann Hunting Safaris. We would also like to acknowledge the help of two anonymous reviewers, whose comments helped to improve this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Botswana Okavango Research Institute, Maun, Botswana

    Michael Murray-Hudson, Frances Murray-Hudson & Keotshephile Kashe

  2. University of Cape Town Climate Systems Analysis Group, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa

    Piotr Wolski

  3. Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Mark T. Brown

Authors
  1. Michael Murray-Hudson
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  2. Piotr Wolski
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  3. Frances Murray-Hudson
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  4. Mark T. Brown
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  5. Keotshephile Kashe
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Correspondence to Michael Murray-Hudson.

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Table 8 Vegetation survey site data
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Murray-Hudson, M., Wolski, P., Murray-Hudson, F. et al. Disaggregating Hydroperiod: Components of the Seasonal Flood Pulse as Drivers of Plant Species Distribution in Floodplains of a Tropical Wetland. Wetlands 34, 927–942 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-014-0554-x

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