Biodiversity describes the variety of life in an area, including:
These benefits of biodiversity are often referred to as ecosystem goods and services. These services are categorised:
And biodiversity is also directly related to the quality of life you may expect.
The loss of biodiversity has lead to economic gains in some cases, but increasingly people are seeing that there are material costs that were not considered. The Green Jobs report, South Africa’s Green Fund and exploration of financing schemes for the payment of ecosystem services (PES) are important developments.
Incentives provided for the conserving of biodiversity set an economic value on this preservation. Areas served by this will include soil erosion prevention, landscape beauty, water flows, carbon sequestration and storage, and biodiversity protection generally. There is great job creation potential here (as evidenced in initiatives like government’s Working for Water programme), and the aligning of conservation efforts to national development goals should be encouraged.
Source: an excerpt from the opening page at (now defunct) www.stewardship.co.za
Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture. Maintaining biodiversity is essential for the production of food, agricultural goods, and all the benefits that come with these – food security, nutrition and livelihoods. The “Natural resources” section of this publication is a recognition that while agriculture contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the opposite is also possible: agriculture can be responsible for biodiversity loss.
The reader should note that there is information elsewhere in the book that could well have been in the Natural Resource Management chapter e.g. the information on best fertiliser practice (see “Fertiliser” page). Also, in order to mainstream them, several topics like “Biocontrol“, “Renewable and alternative energy” and “Rainwater harvesting” have been moved to the “Inputs” or “Farm infrastructure” chapters.
The biologist EO Wilson developed the acronym HIPPO to sum up the threats to biodiversity.
Habitat destruction and the changes to ecosystems is possibly the greatest cause of biodiversity loss.
Introduced species often become invasive when they breed and out-compete or eat the endemic species. Invaders impact on fauna and flora, but also on the soil, land and water resource. Invaders tend to resource-hungry and deplete the natural assets.
Since the industrial revolution, countries – mostly in the “industrialised west” – have been polluting for two centuries. Joined now by emerging economies such as India, China and South Africa, the pollution levels world-wide are soaring. Key focus areas to address pollution include water contamination by fertilisers, pathogens, acid-mine drainage; pesticides affecting plants, animals and the receiving environment; coal-fired electricity plants which produce high levels of air pollution and contaminate water; untreated sewage and effluent contaminating water systems, including rivers and groundwater; and landfill waste which grows exponentially with pollution and affluence.
Population growth is the main cause of pressure on the ecosystems and the degradation of the environment. The growth rate feeds the demand for natural resources, while the human settlements expand, encroaching on and transforming natural habitats.
From muti-plants to rhino horns, from forest trees to oceanic fish, we are living beyond our means. Society consumes the equivalent of what three planets would produce per year. Societies also do not consume equally. The richer nations far outstrip the poorer ones in terms of consumption. As a species, we have become predominantly urban and increasingly disconnected from nature. We are drawing on nature’s capital rather than living off its interest. Any economist would explain that bankruptcy is set to follow.
Wilson’s “HIPPO” summarises the key causes of destruction of the natural environment. Clearly evident is the common factor – our own excessive consumption of natural resources, and the massive footprint we leave on the earth.
Source: an excerpt from the home page at (now-defunct) www.stewardship.co.za
Even though biodiversity is the foundation of ecosystems and habitats (i.e. our natural environment), industrialised humanity has only just begun to take into account the connection between:
In addition its being undervalued, this contribution – particularly the economic contribution – is understudied. We need to know more these ecosystem services in order to make every provision for them to continue.
The reader interested in following this theme is referred to the following:
South Africa’s biomes – see here.
South Africa has a wide range of climatic conditions and many variations in topography (e.g. narrow coastal plain, steep escarpment, large plateau). In combination, climate and topography give rise to broad vegetation zones which, together with their associated animal life, are called biomes. These are the Succulent Karoo, Desert, Nama-Karoo, Fynbos, Forest, Grassland, Savanna, Albany Thicket and Indian Ocean Coastal Belt biomes. Each of these supports its own collection of plant and animal species. The Karoo, for example, is home to plants and animals well suited to hot, dry conditions such as the gemsbok and succulent plants. The fynbos biome is home to a variety of plants that are suited to a mediterranean climate and the poor soils of the south Western Cape.
Renosterveld, part of the fynbos biome. Green Trust/WWF SA media trip. Photo used courtesy of Helen Gordon, WWF SA
Biodiversity Stewardship is an opportunity for farmers/land owners to gain conservation recognition for land under their ownership. Agricultural activities continue, but with improved environmental practices in place. The farmer, recognised as the custodian of the land, can draw on the support and advice of conservation experts, and funding in some cases.
There are different Stewardship models:
More information can be obtained from your provincial nature conservation agency (see later heading) or one of the other role players listed on this page.
Over the past few years, conservationists worldwide have identified the need to “mainstream” biodiversity by integrating biodiversity conservation into systems where the primary focus is on production. In South Africa this has meant a growing engagement between the business and conservation sectors and the development of some innovative models of “biodiversity-friendly” business, mostly in agriculture.
Industries where business and biodiversity initiatives have become well established are the wine, fishing, honey, indigenous cutflower, sugar, rooibos tea and potato industries, with emerging initiatives in others like red meat, citrus and ostrich. Initiatives in these industries fit in at various stages along the value chain, and involve market mechanisms such as those depicted below. The commitments are referred to as “voluntary” in the sense that they are not legislated requirements or regulatory mechanisms.
| PRODUCERS | PRODUCTS | RETAILERS | CONSUMERS |
| voluntary producer commitments | eco-labelling / procurement advice | voluntary procurement commitments | consumer awareness campaigns |
The major players in these initiatives are:
The costs of these initiatives and the biodiversity conservation measures they involve, while in some cases partially funded by donors, are increasingly being covered by the premium prices these producers are able to charge for their products in niche markets, sometimes overseas. They have achieved this through marketing their products as biodiversity-friendly, participating in labelling and certification schemes or working through international trade organisations that accredit producers.
The White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa Biodiversity, and the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy are both of relevance to this page.
Government also runs several natural resource management programmes like Working for Water, Working for Wetlands, and LandCare. Broader strategies look to the green economy where substantial opportunities exist for job creation, particularly in biodiversity, waste and natural resource management services.
A number of departments and agencies have responsibility for matters relating to biodiversity and agriculture, including the following:
Further reference:
Consultants
School environmental programmes
Research and training
Biosystematic Research
Biosystematic research contributes towards meeting the State’s obligation to the requirements of the International Convention on Biological Diversity in discovering, describing and documenting the biodiversity of South Africa.
Natural Science Collections. The Natural History Collections in South Africa are among the most important and comprehensive biological and taxonomic reference resources of their kind in Africa. The collections are a priceless indigenous biological resource to enable scientists to address South Africa’s need for information on pest control, conservation and the sustainable use of advantageous organisms.
The maintenance, safeguarding and development of natural science collections and associated biological reference resources are of strategic importance to natural resource management and biodiversity conservation in South Africa.
Several national surveys are undertaken in the country:
SANBI, Natural Science Museums, Research Councils and universities undertake biosystematic research.
Parks and museums
Find a list of all South African parks at http://liveoncelivewild.com/
Save our rhinos. For tip-offs, please call 082 385 9812.
Some international role players
Visit the websites listed earlier on this page.
Red Data Books (RDBs) and Red Lists are very useful tools and sources of information for use in species conservation. They are lists of threatened plants and animals specific to a certain region, and a vital source of information in guiding land-use decision making and conservation planning. South Africa has produced RDBs dealing with each of the following: birds, land mammals, fishes (fresh water and estuarine only), butterflies, plants, reptiles and amphibians. Read about the Threatened Species Programme at http://redlist.sanbi.org. Find international information at www.iucnredlist.org.
The information under this heading, “Websites and publications” could be so extensive that it would not be helpful at all, and has been drastically shortened. The reader is encouraged to:
