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Most of Southern Africa's endemic plants are concentrated in only
a few, relatively small areas known as regions or centres of
endemism. An endemic refers to a taxon that is limited in its
distribution to a specific geographical area, while a taxon that is
also marginally present elsewhere is termed near endemic (Lotter
et. al, 2002). Ideally
this indicator aims to provide an inventory of the different types,
distribution and abundance of endemic species or species that are
restricted to Mpumalanga, per taxonomic group. However, due to lack
of available data, especially for faunal (animal) endemics, a proxy
indicator of centres of plant endemism was used.
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| Assessment of
Data |
Within Mpumalanga there are three recognised
centres of plant endemism, with a fourth (the Lydenburg Centre)
proposed by Mpumalanga Parks Board. The table below illustrates the
total number of endemics or near endemics in each centre as well as
the percentage of that
centre that falls within a formally protected area, i.e. those officially
declared under the Mpumalanga Parks Board Act (Act 57 of
1976). it is evident from this data that the level
of formal protection of these centres of endemism, and therefore
valuable regions of biodiversity richness, is very low.
|
Centre |
Area(km2) |
Total No.
Species / Taxa |
Endemics /
near Endemics |
Rate of
Endemism (%) |
% Protected
in Mpumalanga |
|
Barberton |
3988.4 |
2210 |
>
80 |
3.6 |
22.01 |
|
Sekhukhuneland |
5449.4 |
2200 (aprox.) |
>
100 |
4.5 |
0 |
|
Wolkberg |
5691.0 |
2500 (aprox.) |
97 |
3.9 |
12.01 |
|
Lydenburg (proposed) |
7397.6 |
2266 |
51 |
2.5 |
1.94 | |
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