Listing of the diverse vegetation types of South Africa that have been sampled, classified, described, and mapped by the SANBI VEGMAP project. Vegetation types of Lesotho and Eswatini are included in the project. The vegetation map is useful for biodiversity assessment, research, conservation management and environmental planning, and includes a database. The project is ongoing as more data becomes available over time. The first map was published in 2006, and has been updated in 2009. 2012 and 2018.
The classification system uses a hierarchy to organise the vegetation types within the nine defined biomes and a tenth azonal group. Bioregions are described within the biomes, and the vegetation types are at the more detailed level, and represent groups of communities with similar biotic and abiotic features. The vegetation types are plotted on the map in as much resolution as is available using a GIS system.
Mapping of the distribution and extent of natural vegetation of South Africa started in 1918 when the Botanical Survey of the Union of South Africa was established. Maps by Pole-Evans (1936), Acocks (1953), and Low and Rebelo (1996) preceded the current system, which is the combined effort of participants from various centres in the country.
Listed by biome:
Savanna
88 Savanna vegetation types, code SV:
Andesite Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 11) Aoub Duneveld (SVkd 3) Barberton Serpentine Sourveld (SVl 13) Bhisho Thornveld (SVs 7) Cathedral Mopane Bushveld (SVmp 3) Central Sandy Bushveld (SVcb 12) Delagoa Lowveld (SVl 4) Dwaalboom Thornveld (SVcb 1) Dwarsberg-Swartruggens Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 4) Eastern Valley Bushveld (SVs 6) Gabbro Grassy Bushveld (SVl 6) Gauteng Shale Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 10) Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld (SVk 7) Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 9) Gordonia Duneveld (SVkd 1) Gordonia Kameeldoring Bushveld (SVkd 2) Gordonia Plains Shrubland (SVk 16) Granite Lowveld (SVl 3) Gravelotte Rocky Bushveld (SVl 7) Kaalrug Mountain Bushveld (SVl 12) Kathu Bushveld (SVk 12) Kimberley Thornveld (SVk 4) Koranna-Langeberg Mountain Bushveld (SVk 15) Kuruman Mountain Bushveld (SVk 10) Kuruman Thornveld (SVk 9) Kuruman Vaalbosveld (SVk 8) KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld (SVs 3) KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld (SVs 5) Lebombo Summit Sourveld (SVl 17) Legogote Sour Bushveld (SVl 9) Limpopo Ridge Bushveld (SVmp 2) Limpopo Sweet Bushveld (SVcb 19) Loskop Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 13) Loskop Thornveld (SVcb 14) Lowveld Rugged Mopaneveld (SVmp 6) Madikwe Dolomite Bushveld (SVcb 2) Mafikeng Bushveld (SVk 1) Makatini Clay Thicket (SVl 21) Makhado Sweet Bushveld (SVcb 20) Makuleke Sandy Bushveld (SVl 1) Malelane Mountain Bushveld (SVl 11) Mamabolo Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 24) Marikana Thornveld (SVcb 6) Molopo Bushveld (SVk 11) Moot Plains Bushveld (SVcb 8) Mopane Basalt Shrubland (SVmp 4) Mopane Gabbro Shrubland (SVmp 8) Musina Mopane Bushveld (SVmp 1) Ngongoni Veld (SVs 4) Norite Koppies Bushveld (SVcb 7) Northern Lebombo Bushveld (SVl 15) Northern Zululand Sourveld (SVl 22) Nossob Bushveld (SVkd 4) Nwambyia-Pumbe Sandy Bushveld (SVl 2) Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 26) Olifantshoek Plains Thornveld (SVk 13) Phalaborwa-Timbavati Mopaneveld (SVmp 7) Pilanesberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 5) Polokwane Plateau Bushveld (SVcb 23) Postmasburg Thornveld (SVk 14) Poung Dolomite Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 25) Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld (SVl 10) Roodeberg Bushveld (SVcb 18) Schmidtsdrif Thornveld (SVk 6) Schweizer-Reneke Bushveld (SVk 3) Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 28) Sekhukhune Plains Bushveld (SVcb 27) South Eastern Coastal Thornveld (SVs 8) Southern Lebombo Bushveld (SVl 16) Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 21) Springbokvlakte Thornveld (SVcb 15) Stella Bushveld (SVk 2) Swaziland Sour Bushveld (SVl 14) Tembe Sandy Bushveld (SVl 18) Thukela Thornveld (SVs 2) Thukela Valley Bushveld (SVs 1) Tsende Mopaneveld (SVmp 5) Tshokwane-Hlane Basalt Lowveld (SVl 5) Tzaneen Sour Bushveld (SVl 8) Vaalbos Rocky Shrubland (SVk 5) VhaVenda Miombo (SVcb 22) Waterberg Mountain Bushveld (SVcb 17) Western Maputaland Clay Bushveld (SVl 20) Western Maputaland Sandy Bushveld (SVl 19) Western Sandy Bushveld (SVcb 16) Zeerust Thornveld (SVcb 3) Zululand Coastal Thornveld (SVl 24) Zululand Lowveld (SVl 23)
Grassveld
73 Grassveld vegetation types, code G: