Long-Term Grassland Defoliation Experiment in South Africa, 1950 Onwards

A long-term experiment established in 1950 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, tests the effects of burning and mowing on mesic grassland. The dataset, authored by Craig D Morris, contains results on grass abundance, species composition, and diversity analyzed using ANOVA and PERMANOVA. It compares annual dormant-season mowing and burning, combined with different summer mowing regimes.

Use Cases

• Modeling species composition shifts based on different defoliation regimes described in the experiment.
• Analyzing the differential responses of specific grass species like Themeda triandra and Aristida junciformis to management practices.
• Comparing the ecological effects of burning versus mowing as non-selective defoliation methods over long time scales.

Strengths

• Long-term experimental data spanning from 1950 onwards.
• Analyzes interactive effects of multiple treatments (dormant-season and summer mowing, burning).
• Includes statistical analysis results (ANOVA, PERMANOVA) on species composition and diversity.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is small (169.3 KB), indicating limited scope or summary-level data.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Craig D Morris.

Collection Method

Data from a long-term field experiment with controlled burning and mowing treatments.

Time Range

Experimental data from 1950 onwards.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-21 07:19:32; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.