**2. Methods**

The field-derived data was analysed using phytosociological principles. The statistical analysis of vegetation and environmental data, which underpins phytosociology, provides a measure for biodiversity that is incorporated in the concepts of species richness and evenness or relative abundance. A total of 393 relevés where analysed for the entire Platberg. The scope of the study was to sample vegetation plots above the 1 800 m contour in order to work within the limits set by Killick (1978a) who regarded the region in the Drakensberg above the 1 800 m as a distinct floristic region - the Afroalpine Region. The topography of the plain in which Platberg is situated, is relatively flat, rising abruptly at the 1 900 m contour, this being the start of the footslopes, which was used as the lower limit set for sampling.

Additionally, the PRECIS (National Herbarium Pretoria [**PRE**] **C**omputer **I**nformation **S**ystem) data from the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Pretoria, was used to compare species with the Platberg data. The PRECIS list is compiled from field collections and plotted on a grid square frame with each grid covering 30 x 30 km². Even though the PRECIS data covers the same grid square as Platberg, it is mostly flatland under 1 800 m lower than the footslopes of Platberg which start at 1 900 m. The comparison was done to reveal correlations and connections, which exist with Platberg and the vegetation of the lower lying regions, in which the vegetation of Platberg is embedded. The disadvantage of the PRECIS list is that very few of the common species are normally recorded which will result in there being a lower number of species per hectare.
