Vegetation habitat of White-winged flufftail

The White-winged Flufftail is listed as critically endangered and limited
knowledge about the species’ ecology has been identified as a limiting
factor to effectively conserving the bird. Little is known about the
vegetation inhabited by the White-winged Flufftail, which hampers the
identification and management of its habitat. This study presents a
fine-scale classification and description of the vegetation of wetland
sites where the bird is known to be present. A plant phytosociological
study was conducted to describe the plant communities and vegetation
structure of the habitat. Three sites were selected at Verloren Valei
Nature Reserve and two at Middelpunt Wetland, Mpumalanga, South Africa,
shortly after the White-winged Flufftail breeding season. A total of 60
sample plots were placed within the study sites, where all plant species
present were recorded and identified. Other aspects such as plant height,
water depth and anthropogenic influences were also documented. A modified
TWINSPAN analysis resulted in the identification of three sub-communities
that can be grouped into one major community. The Cyperaceae, Asteraceae
and Poaceae families dominate the vegetation, with the sedges Carex
austro-africana and Cyperus denudatus being dominant, and the grasses
Leersia hexandra and Arundinella nepalensis co-dominant. The broad habitat
structure consisted of medium to tall herbaceous plants (0.5-0.7 m) with
shallow slow-flowing water.