Management options to maintain the stability of Drakensberg grasslands need to incorporate their dynamic nature in response to fire. This study addressed the lack of information on the spatial and temporal changes of these grasslands at a small (tuft) scale. The basal area of every tuft in three 0.25 m2 quadrats per replicate (3) of four burning treatments was mapped over two years in a long-term burning trial using a pantograph. The extent of change in size and shape of tufts indicated the dynamic nature of these grasslands from year to year. Basal cover of Themeda triandra was high in the annual winter (62.5%) and biennial spring (50.5%) burns, lower in the five-year burn (36.1%) and low in the biennial summer burn (11.5%). The bare area in the biennial summer burn increased by 5.6%, remained the same in the annual winter, and decreased in the biennial spring (6.1%) and five-year (7.8%) burns. The disappearance of Stiburus alopecuroides from the summer burn and increase in basal cover of Tristachya leucothrix indicates a directional change in composition that is likely to be irreversible. The biennial spring burn, where the three dominant species were in a state of equilibrium, is recommended for stability.

维持德肯斯伯格草原稳定性的管理选择需要结合其动态特性来应对火灾。这项研究解决了在小（簇）尺度上缺乏有关这些草原的时空变化的信息的问题。在一项长期的燃烧试验中，使用受电弓绘制了每组（三个重复试验）的三个重复0.25平方厘米（3个）中每簇的基部面积（3个）。簇绒的大小和形状的变化程度表明这些草地每年都有动态的性质。Themeda triandra的基础罩在每年的冬季（62.5％）和两年期的春季（50.5％）烧伤中较高，在五年的烧伤中（36.1％）较低，而在两年的夏季烧伤中较低（11.5％）。每两年一次的夏季燃烧的裸露面积增加了5.6％，在每年的冬季保持不变，而每两年一次的春季（6.1％）和五年（7.8％）的燃烧减少了。的消失Stiburus豆子从夏天燃烧和增加的基底盖Tristachya leucothrix指示组合物的方向变化很可能是不可逆的。为稳定起见，建议每两年进行一次春季燃烧，其中三个优势种处于平衡状态。