A sketch of the vegetation and flora of the Kappel Savanna near Tafelberg, Suriname. I

In February and early March, 1961, the senior author spent three weeks on a small savanna in the approximate centre of Suriname, South of Tafelberg, (map 1). He was accompanied by Mr. W. H. A. Hekking. The time was spent in exploring the flora of the savanna and the adjacent forest. As a detailed study of the vegetation of the savannas of northern Suriname was then in progress, several extensive papers being in preparation (Heyligers, 1963; Van Donselaar, 1965; Van Donselaar-Ten Bokkel Huinink, 1966), it was felt that a more thorough inventory of the vegetation and the flora of the savanna might be rewarding. When a general impression of the plant-cover of the area had been obtained, eight representative sample-plots were selected, their vegetation was analyzed and described after the method of the French-Swiss school of phytosociology, and pits were dug in the soil down to bedrock, samples being taken in every distinctive-looking layer. This work was carried out jointly by the senior author and W. H. A. Hekking; part of the floristic exploration was also done by or with Dr. R. M. Tryon, Harvard Herbarium, Cambridge, Mass. The results are here presented. It was felt that in order to integrate them with those obtained elsewhere in Suriname, the collaboration of a specialist familiar with the Suriname savannas in general was required. This was the junior author’s task, who, after his prolonged work on the savannas of northern Suriname, later expanded his work to those of the southern part of the country. The preliminary results of the last-named study are in the press; more detailed field work is in progress as this paper goes to the press.