Reserve selection in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa: coping with high compositional turnover

Reserve selection in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa: coping with high compositional turnover The Succulent Karoo biome is home to the world's richest succulent flora. It has approximately 1954 endemic plant species, and is the only semi-arid region to qualify as a hotspot of global significance. Despite its importance, only 2% of the biome is currently protected. Based on its flora, the biome can be divided into 12 bioregions, reflecting its high compositional turnover in relation to environmental and geographical gradients. Only three of these bioregions (the Gariep Centre, the Namaqualand Rocky Hills and the Tanqua Karoo) contain National Parks, and three contain large (over 10 000 ha) provincial reserves (the Gariep Centre, the Namaqualand Rocky Hills and the Little Karoo). The current reserve system does little to conserve biodiversity, with only one reserve significantly conserving Red Data Book (RDB) plant diversity. Using a RDB plant species database of 3874 records at a quarter degree scale (QDS = 15′×15′), we used hotspot analyses and iterative reserve selection algorithms to identify possible locations for future reserves. The hotspot analysis and iterative analyses yielded similar results for the top 11 QDS, mainly due to very high local endemism. Also because of the local endemism and the high species turnover within the biome, the real-world iterative algorithm (starting with the seven already reserved QDS) selected a very large total number of QDS (59% of the total in the biome) to conserve all RDB species. As a possible alternative to conservation planning based on QDS, we also assessed priorities at the scale of bioregions, but showed that representation at this geographic level misses important areas defined at a finer scale. We suggest that if the objective is to maximise the retention of RDB species in the landscape (to pre-empt extinction by scheduling the allocation of limited conservation resources), at least the top 5% of QDS (n=11) selected by the iterative procedure, and identified as the core conservation sequence by analysis of endemicity and threat, should be given priority for reservation. Less extensive and, in some cases, less formal conservation action can be applied to QDS later in the sequence, based on species-specific monitoring and action plans. Of the 11 core areas, four fall in a node centred on the Vanrhynsdorp Centre, two fall in a node centred on the Kamiesberg, and the remaining five are isolated. With existing reserves, the core areas capture 50% of the RDB flora in 8% of the biome. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Plant Ecology Springer Journals

Reserve selection in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa: coping with high compositional turnover

Download PDF
21 pages
Read Article

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/reserve-selection-in-the-succulent-karoo-south-africa-coping-with-high-PFM7y28KAe
Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 by Kluwer Academic Publishers
Subject
Life Sciences; Plant Sciences
ISSN
1385-0237
eISSN
1573-5052
DOI
10.1023/A:1009866126729
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The Succulent Karoo biome is home to the world's richest succulent flora. It has approximately 1954 endemic plant species, and is the only semi-arid region to qualify as a hotspot of global significance. Despite its importance, only 2% of the biome is currently protected. Based on its flora, the biome can be divided into 12 bioregions, reflecting its high compositional turnover in relation to environmental and geographical gradients. Only three of these bioregions (the Gariep Centre, the Namaqualand Rocky Hills and the Tanqua Karoo) contain National Parks, and three contain large (over 10 000 ha) provincial reserves (the Gariep Centre, the Namaqualand Rocky Hills and the Little Karoo). The current reserve system does little to conserve biodiversity, with only one reserve significantly conserving Red Data Book (RDB) plant diversity. Using a RDB plant species database of 3874 records at a quarter degree scale (QDS = 15′×15′), we used hotspot analyses and iterative reserve selection algorithms to identify possible locations for future reserves. The hotspot analysis and iterative analyses yielded similar results for the top 11 QDS, mainly due to very high local endemism. Also because of the local endemism and the high species turnover within the biome, the real-world iterative algorithm (starting with the seven already reserved QDS) selected a very large total number of QDS (59% of the total in the biome) to conserve all RDB species. As a possible alternative to conservation planning based on QDS, we also assessed priorities at the scale of bioregions, but showed that representation at this geographic level misses important areas defined at a finer scale. We suggest that if the objective is to maximise the retention of RDB species in the landscape (to pre-empt extinction by scheduling the allocation of limited conservation resources), at least the top 5% of QDS (n=11) selected by the iterative procedure, and identified as the core conservation sequence by analysis of endemicity and threat, should be given priority for reservation. Less extensive and, in some cases, less formal conservation action can be applied to QDS later in the sequence, based on species-specific monitoring and action plans. Of the 11 core areas, four fall in a node centred on the Vanrhynsdorp Centre, two fall in a node centred on the Kamiesberg, and the remaining five are isolated. With existing reserves, the core areas capture 50% of the RDB flora in 8% of the biome.

Journal

Plant Ecology – Springer Journals

Published: Oct 15, 2004

References

  • A new approach for selecting fully representative reserve networks: addressing efficiency, reserve design and land suitability with an iterative analysis
    Bedward, M.; Pressey, R. L.; Keith, D. A.
  • Null models for assessing ecosystem conservation priorities: threatened birds as titers of threatened ecosystems in South America
    Beissinger, S. R.; Steadman, E. C.; Wohlengenant, T.; Blate, G.; Zack, S.
  • The Aizoaceae-a new approach
    Bittrich, V.; Hartmann, H.
  • The tortoises (Testudinidae) and terrapins (Pelomedusidae) of southern Africa: their diversity, distribution and conservation
    Branch, W. R.; Benn, G. A.; Lombard, A. T.
  • Deforestation predicts the number of threatened birds in insular southest Asia
    Brooks, T. M.; Pimm, S. L.; Collar, N. J.
  • Namaqualand, South Africa-an overview of a unique winter-rainfall desert ecosystem
    Cowling, R. M.; Esler, K. J.; Rundel, P. W.
  • Botanical diversity in southern Africa. Strelitzia 1
    Cowling, R. M.; Hilton-Taylor, C.
  • Biotic diversity in southern Africa: concepts and conservation
    Cowling, R. M.; Gibbs Russell, G. E.; Hoffman, M. T.; Hilton-Taylor, C.
  • Extraordinarily high regional-scale plant diversity in southern African arid lands: subcontinental and global comparisons
    Cowling, R. M.; Rundel, P. W.; Desmet, P. G.; Esler, K. J.
  • Where birds are rare and fill the air: the protection of the endemic and the nomadic avifaunas of the Karoo
    Dean, W. R. J.
  • Biodiversity, habitat and range-size aspects of a flora from the winter-rainfall desert in arid north-western Namaqualand, South Africa
    Desmet, P. G.; Cowling, R. M.
  • Anuran distribution, diversity and conservation in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland
    Drinkrow, D. R.; Cherry, M. I.
  • Patterns of distribution and current protection status of the endemic mammals in South Africa
    Gelderblom, C. M.; Bronner, G. N.
  • Patterns of distribution and current protection status of the Carnivora, Chiroptera and Insectivora in South Africa
    Gelderblom, C. M.; Bronner, G. N.; Lombard, A. T.; Taylor, P. J.
  • The Atlas of southern African Birds
  • Centres of plant diversity: a guide and strategy for their conservation
    Hilton-Taylor, C.
  • The Biodiversity of African plants
    Hilton-Taylor, C.
  • Biotic diversity in southern Africa: concepts and conservation
    Hilton-Taylor, C.; Le Roux, A.
  • Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland
    Hoffman, M. T.
  • A new approach to the Namib Region. 1: Phytogeographic subdivision
    Jürgens, N.
  • Remarkable medium-term dynamics of leaf succulent Mesembryanthema (Aizoaceae) in the winter-rainfall desert of northwestern Namaqualand, South Africa
    Jürgens, N.; Gotzmann, I. H.; Cowling, R. M.
  • Threatened status, rarity, and diversity as alternative selection measures for protected areas: a test using Afrotropical antelopes
    Kershaw, M.; Mace, G. M.; Williams, P. H.
  • An iterative method for establishing priorities for the selection of nature reserves: an example from Tasmania
    Kirkpatrick, J. B.
  • The problems with multi-species conservation: do hotspots, ideal reserves and existing reserves coincide?
    Lombard, A. T.
  • Where should nature reserves be located in South Africa? A snake's perspective
    Lombard, A. T.; Nicholls, A. O.; August, P. V.
  • Plant species richness, endemism and genetic resources in Namibia
    Maggs, G. L.; Craven, P.; Kolberg, H. H.
  • Selecting networks of reserves to maximise biological diversity
    Margules, C. R.; Nicholls, A. O.; Pressey, R. L.
  • Parks for life
  • Vegetation of southern Africa
    Milton, S. J.; Yeaton, R. I.; Dean, W. R. J.; Vlok, H. J.
  • Biodiversity hotspots and major tropical wilderness areas: approaches to setting conservation priorities
    Mittermeier, R. A.; Myers, N.; Thomsen, J. B.; da Fonseca, G. A. B.; Olivieri, S.
  • Distribution and protection of endemic or threatened rodents, lagomorphs and macrosceledids in South Africa
    Mugo, D. N.; Lombard, A. T.; Bronner, G. N.; Gelderblom, C. M.; Benn, G. A.
  • An upgraded reserve selection algorithm
    Nicholls, A. O.; Margules, C. R.
  • The global 200: a representation approach to conserving the earth's most biologically valuable ecoregions
    Olson, D. M.; Dinerstein, E.
  • Rare species, the coincidence of diversity hotspots and conservation strategies
    Prendergast, J. R.; Quinn, R. M.; Lawton, J. H.; Eversham, B. C.; Gibbons, D. W.
  • National parks and protected areas: Selection, delimitation and management
    Pressey, R. L.
  • How well protected are the forests of north-eastern New South Wales?-Analyses of forest environments in relation to formal protection measures, land tenure, and vulnerability to clearing
    Pressey, R. L.; Ferrier, S.; Hager, T. C.; Woods, C. A.; Tulley, S. L.; Weinman, K. M.
  • Optimality in reserve selection algorithms: when does it matter and how much?
    Pressey, R. L.; Possingham, H. P.; Margules, C. R.
  • Efficiency in conservation evaluation: scoring versus iterative approaches
    Pressey, R. L.; Nicholls, A. O.
  • Effectiveness of alternative heuristic algorithms for identifying indicative minimum requirements for conservation reserves
    Pressey, R. L.; Possingham, H. P.; Day, J. R.
  • Beyond opportunism: key principles for systematic reserve selection
    Pressey, R. L.; Humphries, C. J.; Margules, C. R.; Vane-Wright, R. I.; Williams, P. H.
  • Botanical diversity in southern Africa. Strelitzia 1
    Rebelo, A. G.
  • Vegetation of southern Africa
    Rebelo, A. G.
  • Where should nature reserves be located in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa? Models for the spatial configuration of a reserve network aimed at maximizing the protection of floral diversity
    Rebelo, A. G.; Siegfried, W. R.
  • Biomes of southern Africa-an objective categorization
    Rutherford, M. C.; Westfall, R. H.
  • Patterns of distribution and conservation status of freshwater fishes in South Africa
    Skelton, P. H.; Cambray, J. A.; Lombard, A. T.; Benn, G. A.
  • A bioregional framework for planning the national system of protected areas in Australia
    Thackway, R.; Cresswell, I. D.
  • Optimal and suboptimal reserve selection algorithms
    Underhill, L. G.
  • The succulent riches of South Africa and Namibia
    Van Jaarsveld, E.
  • A comparison of richness hotspots, rarity hotspots, and complementary areas for conserving diversity of British birds
    Williams, P.; Gibbons, D.; Margules, C.; Rebelo, A.; Humphries, C.; Pressey, R.
  • Preliminary account of the floristic zones of the Sperrgebiet (Protected Diamond Area) in southwest Namibia
    Williamson, G.
  • Reserve systems for limestone endemic flora of the Cape lowland fynbos: iterative versus linear programming
    Willis, C. K.; Lombard, A. T.; Cowling, R. M.; Heydenrych, B. J.; Burgers, C. J.

You’re reading a free preview. Subscribe to read the entire article.

Try 2 weeks free now

DeepDyve is your
personal research library

It’s your single place to instantly
discover and read the research
that matters to you.

Enjoy affordable access to
over 18 million articles from more than
15,000 peer-reviewed journals.

All for just $49/month

Explore the DeepDyve Library

or browse the journals available

Search

Query the DeepDyve database, plus search all of PubMed and Google Scholar seamlessly

Organize

Save any article or search result from DeepDyve, PubMed, and Google Scholar... all in one place.

Access

Get unlimited, online access to over 18 million full-text articles from more than 15,000 scientific journals.

Your journals are on DeepDyve

Read from thousands of the leading scholarly journals from SpringerNature, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford University Press and more.

All the latest content is available, no embargo periods.

See the journals in your area

DeepDyve

Freelancer

DeepDyve

Pro

Price

FREE

$49/month
$360/year

Save searches from
Google Scholar,
PubMed

Create folders to
organize your research

Export folders, citations

Read DeepDyve articles

Abstract access only

Unlimited access to over
18 million full-text articles

Print

20 pages / month

PDF Discount

20% off

Sign up
for free
Start 14 day
Free Trial