Photo: SANBIThe South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is responsible for coordinating a range of programmes to monitor and report on the conservation status of South African plant and animal species. The two recently launched publications are part of SANBI’s work under the Threatened Species Programme, a programme made possible by funding from the Norwegian Embassy.
While South Africa is one of the five “mega-diverse” countries in the world with approximately 6% of the worlds biodiversity, one in every five of the country's mammal and frog species is facing extinction, as is one in every eight plant species, one in every ten reptile species, and one in every twelve bird species.
The Threatened Species Programme has the mandate to monitor and report on the conservation status of South Africa’s indigenous plant and animal species. One of the two recent publications, Monitoring threatened species in South Africa, is a review of SANBI’s Threatened Species Programme between 2004 and 2009. The work on threatened species conducted under the Programme is considered to be world leading, and is considerably contributing to the global responsibility to protect and sustain biodiversity. The Programme involves development of a national species monitoring strategy, capacity development of individuals and organizations and development of Red Lists and programmes to bridge gaps in Red Listings.
The monitoring objective involves collecting information about species, particularly those who are not well known, such as reptiles, spiders and marine fishes. The collections are being undertaken by civil volunteers, scientists, taxonomists and conservationists. Dr. Tanya Abrahamse, chief executive to SANBI, emphasized at the launch the unique feature of collaborative effort given by both professionals and volunteering “citizen scientists” to protect and highlight biodiversity.
Photo: SANBIAs a part of SANBI’s capacity building Norway has over the last three years sponsored students doing MSc and PhD projects related to threatened species.
Earlier this year SANBI launched the Red List of South African Plants as the first of its kind in South Africa, and as the first of the “mega diverse” countries to publish a Red List. The list assesses the risk of extinction of over 20 000 plants and 13 265 endemic species according to the world standard of The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List scientific system of categories and criteria. The other recent publications, Threatened Species: A guide to Red Lists and their use in conservation, provides a manual that takes you through the steps of the IUCN Red-listing process. The Red Lists are valuable in relation to both preservation and studies – and they play an important role in the challenge and work of correct identification to stop the trade of protected and threatened flora and fauna. The manual provides background information and various definitions related to the threatened species work in South Africa, a presentation of IUNC’s Red List system and finally some examples of Red List species found in South Africa.