Threatened Biodiversity Research Programme

This relatively new research programme has two main thrusts: namely threatened species and threatened ecosystems. There is sometimes considerable overlap between the two.

The main recognized threats to biodiversity of South Africa are:

• rates of land transformation (urban development, cultivation, plantation, mining, roads and dams)
• alien invasion
• environmental pollution
• climate change
• land degradation

Land transformation is the most well-defined and detectable threat. Alien invasion is extensive and locally severe, but varies considerably between biomes and ecosystems. Pollution threats tend to be local. The most extensive and pervasive threats to biodiversity are climate change and land degradation. The futuristic threat of climate change is still poorly understood. The consequences for biodiversity of the long history of, and on-going, land degradation processes in South Africa are largely unknown. Consequently degradation cannot even be used as a criterion in the listing of threatened ecosystems at the national level.

Threatened Species Research
Threatened species research has to date focussed primarily with servicing SANBI's mandates of monitoring and evaluating South Africa's Biodiversity. This is primarily in collaboration with the various departments within the SANBI and other national and provincial organizations.

This includes developing guidelines and protocols for monitoring the national status of biodiversity (National Monitoring Framework), for listed species (Threatened Species Programme), for listed ecosystems (Threatened Ecosystems), for biodiversity management plans (Ecosystem & Bioregional Programmes) and restoration ecology (Kirstenbosch Gardens Threatened Species Programme). One of the key databases at SANBI for these analyses was collated by the unit: the Protea Atlas Project

In the immediate future it is planned to focus additionally on animals and population and demographic issues pertaining to threatened species. What is also required is more databases on species distributions and threats within conservation areas, vegetation types and remnants. Methods and protocols for rehabilitation of threatened species are also required, especially species extinct in the wild or with insignificant areas of ideal habitat left.

Threatened Ecosystem Research
In threatened ecosystems research we are concentrating on improving our understanding of the consequences of degradation for biodiversity. A national pilot project will focus on degradation thresholds of plant species extirpation (local extinction). Also part of the programme is the management of updating the national vegetation map (recently published in Strelitzia volume 19) where the vegetation units are used nationally for the assessment and monitoring of ecosystem threat and conservation status.

Key research questions include:

• Which indicators of ecosystem degradation are most sensitive to biodiversity change?
• How closely coupled are indices of ecological integrity and biodiversity intactness?
• What threshold levels of land degradation lead to local species extinctions (extirpation) per vegetation type/biome?
• What is the role of spatial fluctuating disturbance (and Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis) on maintenance of biodiversity?
• What are the patterns of vegetation fragmentation and loss in vegetation types of South Africa ?
• What is the susceptibility of vegetation type to habitat loss and fragmentation?
• Which areas of the SA national vegetation map need revising or refining?
• Which are the main habitats of SA vegetation types and what is the habitat specificity of threatened species?

Team

Permanent staff
Dr Mike Rutherford (PhD) - Programme Leader and Threatened Ecosystems
Dr Tony Rebelo (PhD) - Threatened Species
Fahiema Daniels (MSc) - Threatened Species
Les Powrie (MSc) - Threatened Ecosystems