A floristic assessment of grassland diversity loss in South Africa

Background: Land-use effects on grassland flora are difficult to predict due poor understanding of species losses caused by transformation.Objectives: To determine changes in diversity and composition comparing transformed with untransformed grassland.Methods: Floristics paired plots were sampled within 18 sites (representing agricultural urban land-uses) neighbouring grassland.Results: Endemic threatened negatively affected transformation, particularly belowground bud-banks storage organs. Species composition, clear shifts dominant families, was changed over 90% average transformation.Conclusion: transformation leads the loss native increased alien invasive species.