AN ECOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE MIDLANDS OF NATAL. 485 



An (Ecological Survey of the Midlands of Natal, 

 with Special Reference to the Pietermaritz- 

 burg District. 



By 



J. W. B«'w«, M.A., I>.Sc.(E4liii.)^ 



Professor of Botany, Natal University College. 



With Plates XL-XLVI and Map. 



Contents. 



PAGE 



Introduction ...••• 485 

 I. REGIONAL FACTORS: 



1. Edaphic Factors . . . • 489 



2. Climatic Factors . . . • 494 



3. Influence of Man . . ■ • 495 

 II. PLANT FORMATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS: 



1. Veld Formation 



2. Bush Formation 



3. Thorn Veld Formation . 



4. Rocky Hillside Formation 



5. Alpine Formation 



6. Vlei Formation . 



7. Plant Formations of the Streams and 



8. Plantations 

 General Summary 

 Explanation of Map and Plates 



. 502 

 . 516 

 . 523 

 . 526 

 . 529 

 . 532 

 Rivers . 535 

 . 537 



. 539 

 . 543 



Introduction, 



In the year 1912 the author^ wrote a general account of 

 the vegetation of Natal, and that paper is introductory to the 



' Bews, J. W., " "f he Vegetation of Natal," ' Annals of the Natal 

 Museum,' vol. ii, p. 253, 1912. 



