In total, 21 critically endangered ecosystems occur in the Western Cape.
The list is one of a suite of new legal tools designed to promote biodiversity conservation outside formally protected area. Once an ecosystem has been listed, it has implications in terms of requirements under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act. This applies to planning and proactive-management, as well as monitoring and reporting.
Other critically endangered ecosystems occur in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng and involve particularly grasslands and coastal forests. According to Independent Online, Mpumalanga is the overall leader, with 2.866 million hectares or 37.5 percent of the total, of which 6 000ha is critically endangered and 634 000ha endangered. KwaZulu-Natal has the second-highest extent of critically endangered ecosystems, at 224 000ha. The Western Cape has 12.5 per-cent, or 1.611 million hectares, of South Africa's 11.547 million hectare total.
Read the full article on www.iol.co.za.
