Threatened Species Programme
Conserving South Africa's Threatened
Biodiversity
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TSP and CREW] [Red data list
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Launched by the NBI in May 2003, the Threatened Species Programme (TSP) aims to facilitate the conservation of South Africa's rare and endangered species. In its initial phase, the project will focus on plant biodiversity, but as the NBI expands to become the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), the TSP will expand to address the full spectrum of biodiversity.
Red List and threats facing SA plant biodiversity
The
Threatened Species Programme is in the process of producing a updated and
comprehensive national Red List of South Africa plant species which will
be available in book and electronic form by March 2006 (see accompanying
pages for details). This list will help to prioritise species in need of
conservation and will guide conservation planning. Land transformation
(e.g. for agriculture, urban spread), over-utilization (e.g. collection
for medicinal use or illegal trading), alien plant invasion and climate
change are some of threats facing South Africa's plant biodiversity. The
Threatened Species Programme is currently researching the impacts of these
threats and the effectiveness of strategies minimising their impacts. In
order to fully understand how these threats will affect future
biodiversity, the programme is developing an "early warning system" to
model projected biodiversity threats. This will allow us to advise on
pre-emptive measures for minimising biodiversity loss.
CREW
One of the greatest challenges facing the Threatened
Species Programme is the deficiency of information on rare, remote and
newly described species as well as about the impacts of threats in
specific areas. The TSP's Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers
(CREW) project provides a solution to this problem. CREW is made up
largely of members of the public who volunteer to undergo training on
plant identification and then collect much-needed data on rare and
endangered plants in their local areas. So far 7 interest groups and
communities have become involved in this challenging and enjoyable project
and are actively participating in the conservation of their plant
resources. At present CREW is operating in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape
and Mpumalanga but we're hoping to identify interest groups and volunteers
in order to launch projects throughout South Africa during the next 3
years. In the year since CREW was launched, the large amount of momentum,
enthusiasm and interest that has been generated amongst communities and
landowners is very encouraging.
Outputs
With the powerful combination of an up-to-date Red
List and an understanding of biodiversity threats, the Threatened Species
Programme is able to provide guidance and recommendations for conservation
decisions. We actively participate in both national and international
policy development and initiatives including the National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), CITES, on National Committees of the
IUCN and the Biodiversity Working Group , and the Global Strategy on Plant
Conservation (Convention on Biological Diversity). The TSP's greatest
commitment, however, is to provide reliable, relevant and accessible
information to South Africa's policy-makers, conservation organizations,
scientific institutions and members of the public.
Staff
The Threatened Species Programme is directed by Kristal
Maze and John Donaldson. The national team, based in Pretoria, consists of
Wendy Foden (programme manager), Mark Keith (researcher), Janine Victor
(Red List coordinator) and Deshni Pillay (Red List officer). The national
Threatened Species Programme is funded by the Norwegian agency NORAD. The
CREW team is lead by Domitilla Raimondo (programme manager) Ismail Ebrahim
(coordinator) and Rosanne Stanway(assistant), and is based at
Kirstenbosch, Cape Town. CREW is a CAPE programme, funded by the Critical
Ecosystem Partnership Fund. The Botanical Society of South Africa and
Western Cape Nature Conservation Board are also important
partners.
