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The extinction of indigenous plants and animals is not only a conservation problem. There is growing evidence that native species contribute to sustainable agriculture. |
Conservation in South Africa
South Africa has an exceptionally rich natural diversity of plants and animals. Although the country represents only about 0,8% of the Earth's land surface area, more than 8% of all plants grow in South Africa. It is also home to between 2% and 7% of the world's amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Only 6% of South Africa's land surface area is formally conserved, far less than the figure of 10% recommended by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). In South Africa, wild animals enjoy greater protection than plants, with about 90% of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals being found in nature reserves. However, there are different natural vegetation types and some are very poorly conserved. Depending on the vegetation type, only 34% to 74% of plant species occur in nature reserves.
Farmers manage about 80% of the land in South Africa. Although many farmers have developed land use practices that conserve biodiversity, agriculture can also damage the environment and threaten biodiversity. Because our network of nature reserves is inadequate, any national conservation assessment or strategy must take account of the role of farmers in conservation.
The National Botanical Institute has co-ordinated the Conservation Farming Project, which was supported by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and Mazda Wildlife Fund.
The aims of the Conservation Farming Project were to:
The Botanical Society of South Africa has instituted a programme to lobby for greater incentives for private landowners should they choose to practice conservation-friendly forms of landuse. For more details, click here.
Approaches
The project chose four areas with high biodiversity and insufficient reserves as study sites. The effects of various land use practices in these areas were determined by researchers, and attitudes of local farmers to various aspects of land use management was assessed. Once data from the four study sites was available, an economic model was developed to assess the benefits of conservation farming, both for the farmer, and for the environment.
More detailed accounts of aspects of the project may be found by following the links below:
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© National Botanical Institute SA | Back to top | Home |last edited 6 August 2004
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