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Priority ranking scheme for Red Data plants in Gauteng, South Africa
Abstract
The Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land
Affairs is often faced with the necessity of priority setting for the distribution
of limited resources. As conservation action cannot be targeted simultaneously
to all 32 Red Data plant taxa in the province of Gauteng, a hierarchical priority
ranking scheme was developed using criteria reflecting species distribution,
current conservation status and factors of threat. The current top five Red
Data plant taxa in Gauteng are Khadia beswickii, Delosperma macellum, Ceropegia
decidua subsp. pretoriensis, Delosperma purpureum and Delosperma
gautengense. The resulting priority list will be used to distribute resources
for the development of long-term monitoring programmes and extensive ecological
and population studies for priority taxa. The priority ranking scheme forms
the basis of a departmental policy to assist with the evaluation of development
applications and environmental impact assessments affecting Red Data plant
taxa in Gauteng. The scheme will also be used as a factor in setting priority
conservation areas for future conservation action in the province.
South African Journal of Botany 2002, 68: 299–303
Affairs is often faced with the necessity of priority setting for the distribution
of limited resources. As conservation action cannot be targeted simultaneously
to all 32 Red Data plant taxa in the province of Gauteng, a hierarchical priority
ranking scheme was developed using criteria reflecting species distribution,
current conservation status and factors of threat. The current top five Red
Data plant taxa in Gauteng are Khadia beswickii, Delosperma macellum, Ceropegia
decidua subsp. pretoriensis, Delosperma purpureum and Delosperma
gautengense. The resulting priority list will be used to distribute resources
for the development of long-term monitoring programmes and extensive ecological
and population studies for priority taxa. The priority ranking scheme forms
the basis of a departmental policy to assist with the evaluation of development
applications and environmental impact assessments affecting Red Data plant
taxa in Gauteng. The scheme will also be used as a factor in setting priority
conservation areas for future conservation action in the province.
South African Journal of Botany 2002, 68: 299–303
