New record of Monsonia herrei for Namibia

Background: The southern part of Namibia’s terrain is highly inaccessible making it difficult to explore. Expeditions into difficult terrain can result in new biological discoveries for Namibia. Monsonia herrei has been recorded for South Africa, but has not previously been recorded for Namibia. Objectives: As part of updating the biodiversity records of Namibia, we report the occurrence of a species not previously recorded for the Namibian flora. Method: A botanical field trip was undertaken in September 2014 to the far south of Namibia in the Aussenkehr region along the Orange River. Plant identification was carried out based on herbarium vouchers, observation and photographic records. One collection constituted a new record of the species for Namibia. A voucher specimen of this new record was collected and deposited at the National Botanical Research Institute Herbarium (WIND). Plant identification was confirmed by experts on plants from the region. Results: One species not previously recorded for Namibia, namely Monsonia herrei (L. Bolus) F. Albers, was found during the exploration of the Aussenkehr area. Conclusions: This new record for Namibia confirms the need to update the inventory of the flora of Namibia

NON-DELIBERATE ORGANIC INPUT IN RELATION TO LAND USE IN A SEMI-ARID AGRO-ECOSYSTEM IN NORTHERN ZIMBABWE

Animals via excretory processes are important in nutrient cycling in agro- ecosystems and can supply nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) at rates comparable to major nutrient sources. Land use influenced nutrient levels with mixed areas (wildlife and livestock) indicating the potential of improved nutrient cycling than wildlife and livestock as stand alones. The time of application for both plant residues and faecal material may influence the nutrients available to the crops. The time of application of faecal material should be aimed to increase N and P availability which is during the early dry season. Nitrogen levels in faecal material were comparable to levels found in legume cover crops indicating the high quality of faecal material. This study reports that non-deliberate organic inputs by livestock and wildlife can be important in fertility improvement in mixed farming systems in northern Zimbabwe