South Africa
Location Southern Africa
National websites South African Government Home Page
Embassy / Chancery in U.S.  3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008
Agencies responsible for biological inventory and conservation  Department of Environmental Affiars and Tourism Chief Directorate, Environmental Conservation, 315 Pretorius Street, Private Bag x447, Pretoria 0001, South Africa (Tel +27 12 310 3700, Fax +27 12 322 2682)
The Endargered Species Protection Unit is under the jurisdiction  of
the Police Department Tel: (12) 339-1000 Fax: (12) 339-1640

Durban to Host Next World Parks Congress
Major Natural Resources  South Africa is rich in plant and animal species, having been rated the 3rd most biodiverse country in the world by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Plant species endemic to the area number well over 20,000.  While the semi-arid West Cape has many distinct plant species which can survive the dry summers, the eastern coast brings South Africa tropical plants.  South Africa is also rich in mineral resources such as diamonds, gold, and coal, which drew colonial settlers from Europe over the centuries.
Major Environmental and Conservation Issues Water is a valuable resource in South Africa as it lacks a main river network to support its popluation and the demands of agriculture.  With the recent problems of afforestation in the Transvaal region, what was once a sustainable farming area has become a forest monocultre for exotic trees. In other areas deforestation has led to severe soil errosion, which has led to siltation of rivers, lakes and fragile estuaries. While South Africa enjoys a rich and biodiverse set of endemic species, all of these factors threaten the habitats of over 2,000 plants and 25 mammals.
Statistics Information Sources
Land area 1,219,912 Sq. km  The World Bank, Agricultural Resources Dept.
Area of forest 8,208 ha  The World Bank, Agricultural and Natural Resources Department
Area of wetlands  while 15 areas are slated for protection, the exact size has yet to be finally determined  Environmental Conservation
Area of territorial waters 200nm off coast, roughly 10,320 Sq. km claimed  The World Bank, Agricultural Resources Department
Population 38,900,000   Population Reference Bureau: 1998 World Population Data Sheet.
Population Density 82/Sq. mi  Population Reference Bureau: 1998 World Population Data Sheet.
Area protected (ha) (only areas >1000ha) at all IUCN levels  6,970,000  The World Bank Agricultural Resources Department
Fraction of land area protected (%) 6.1   The World Bank, Agricultural Resources Department
Major Protected Areas  2.5% are greater than 100,000 ha in size,
0.4% are greater than 1million ha in size		  The Worl Bank, Agricultural Resources Dept.
 Species
Mammals  247
Birds 790
Reptiles   299
Amphibians  95
Freshwater Fish  94
Invertebrates  N/A
Plants  23,000

 

  
Endangered, Threatened and Vulnerable Species
Mammals  33
Birds  16
Reptiles  19
Amphibians  9
Fish  27
Invertebrates  101
Plants 2,215

 

 World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants
Extinct Species
Mammals   3
Birds   N/A
Reptiles  1
Amphibians   N/A
Fish   N/A
Invertebrates  7
Plants 53
World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Animal 

World Conservation Monitoring Centre - Plants
Species listed on CITES Appendix I 27  CITES
Species listed on CITES Appendix II  120 (approximately)  CITES
Legislation
Laws protecting endangered or threatened species signed Endangered Species 
Laws protecting endangered ecosystems  proposed legislation would help South Africa meet the conditions of  Ramsar, 15 sites have been designated as Wetlands of International Importance
Signatory to CITES July 15, 1975
Signatory to Ramsar Wetlands Convention March 1975
Signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity  Ratified 1995
Signatory to Migratory Bird Treaty  N/A
Member of International Whaling Commission signed
Signatory to other international treaties designed to protect or manage biological resources signed the Biodiversity Action Plan in 1991 
Natural Resource Use Information Sources
Fisheries  Marine Catch in 1993 (both in aquaculture and wild catch) was 560,853 tonnes  World Bank, Agricultural Resources Department
Forestry  $162,068,000 in exports  World Bank, Agricultrual Resources Department
Ecotourism  could be expanded as South Africa has 8% of the world's species. International tourism currently brings  15 billion Rand into South Africa.  South African Tourism Dept.
Trade in wildlife products  South Africa has an 80% compliance rate with the CITES ban on trade in wildlife products  World Bank, Agricultural Resources Department.
Hunting  not significant   Britannica Online
Other uses of natural resources  Mining of diamonds,gold, and coal  Britannica Online
Human Impacts on Natural Resources Information Sources
Air pollution is leading to acid rain   World Bank, Dept. of Agricultural Resources
Water pollution soil errosion is causing lakes, dams, rivers and estuaries to silt up   South African Department of Tourism
Development activities  monoculture forest-plantations which threaten local water supplies and endemic plant species  South African Environmental Affairs
Introduced species  exotic "cash" trees  South African Forests
Legislation addressing these issues  N/A  
Restoration and Reintroduction Information Sources
Programs for restoration of damaged habitat   N/A  
Programs for ex situ conservation (captive breeding and reintroduction) of endangered species Monkey sanctuary for formerly caged primates opens in South Africa. By Anne Silverstein 

Nine Tuli Elephants Move to Marakele National Park

  

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Page compiled by (Stacy E. Korn) as part of a class project in h90 "The Science of Biodiversity and Conservation" (Peter J. Bryant, Instructor), University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA