Functional traits and symbiotic associations of geoxyles and trees explain the dominance of detarioid legumes in miombo ecosystems.

The miombo region in Africa is covered by a mosaic of woodlands and geoxylic grasslands and is subject to disturbances such as fires, frost and drought, and low nutrient availability. The dominance of Fabaceae Detarioideae species in miombo ecosystems is remarkable but little understood. We therefore compared plant functional traits (PFTs) of common woody species of the Angolan plateau, grouped by life form (trees, geoxyles), lineage (Fabaceae: Detarioideae, non-Detarioideae) and symbiont association (ectomycorrhiza, rhizobia). PFTs reflect group-specific adaptations to prevalent environmental conditions. To analyse the impact of environmental drivers, we selected PFTs reflecting ecophysiological aspects of leaf morphology, nutrient content and water transport. Traits were measured following standardized protocols. We found differences in key PFTs between trees and geoxyles reflecting both life form-specific adaptations to environmental conditions and lineage-specific strategies to cope with environmental stresses. We interpret higher leaf thickness and higher wood density of geoxyles as responses to harsher open environments. Fabaceae in general and ectomycorrhizal species showed better nutrient status. Symbiotic associations of detarioid legumes with ectomycorrhiza show specific advantages for phosphorous uptake as compared to Rhizobia-associated Fabaceae and to non-Fabaceae and thus may be crucial for the stunning dominance of Detarioideae in miombo landscapes.

The Cuito catchment of the Okavango system: a vascular plant checklist for the Angolan headwaters.

This paper aims to provide a baseline for conservation planning by documenting patterns of plant diversity and vegetation in the upper catchment of the Cuito River. 417 species are recorded from this region. Nine of these are species potentially new to science. Ten species are newly recorded from Angola, with an additional species only recorded previously within Angola from the northern enclave of Cabinda. The 108 new provincial records for Moxico clearly indicate the lack of collections from Angola's largest province. We note the existence of extensive peat deposits in the Cuito river system for the first time and suggest that one of Barbosa's vegetation types in the area needs to be reassessed.

A brief botanical survey into Kumbira forest, an isolated patch of Guineo-Congolian biome.

Kumbira forest is a discrete patch of moist forest of Guineo-Congolian biome in Western Angola central scarp and runs through Cuanza Norte and Cuanza Sul province. The project aimed to document the floristic diversity of the Angolan escarpment, a combination of general walk-over survey, plant specimen collection and sight observation was used to aid the characterization of the vegetation. Over 100 plant specimens in flower or fruit were collected within four identified vegetation types. The list of species includes two new records of Guineo-Congolian species in Angola, one new record for the country and one potential new species.