South Africa’s unique terrestrial biodiversity is globally recognised, with high species diversity and exceptional levels of endemism (especially for plants). The wide climatic range and varied geology and topography result in an equally diverse set of 463 terrestrial ecosystem types. This natural heritage supports vibrant rural and urban land uses and provides essential ecosystem services. The steady loss of terrestrial habitat and decline in species populations due to various human activities, set against a backdrop of accelerating climate change, paints an overall picture of decline in the biodiversity and ecosystem services on which we rely. Gains in protection of species and ecosystems (through biodiversity stewardship programs) and growing sustainable use and restoration efforts are a positive trend. Biodiversity inclusive spatial planning, a well-established practice in South Africa, is a key tool in striking the balance between development and biodiversity.
of 463 ecosystem types
Threatened
of 463 ecosystem types
Well Protected
of 24 678 taxa assessed
Threatened
of 2345 taxa assessed
Well Protected
Thirty percent of South Africa’s terrestrial ecosystem types are listed as threatened, this translates to 11% of the remaining natural habitat. There has been an overall increase in the risk of collapse of terrestrial ecosystems since 2014. While a quarter of terrestrial ecosystem types are Well Protected, the same percentage are Not Protected. The overall trend for protection is positive, with a steady increase in the Protected Areas network - primarily due to biodiversity stewardship programs. The full results can be found on the Terrestrial ecosystem threat status page and Terrestrial ecosystem protection level page.
A total of 24 678 terrestrial taxa have been assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria. Of these, 14% are threatened, while in 2018, 13% of 22 667 assessed taxa were threatened. The only new taxonomic group included is the Spiders (2214 taxa) that have very low levels of threat (4%), so the overall increase in the proportion of species threatened is an indication of many species in other taxonomic groups becoming more threatened. Species Protection Levels are increasing, but greater gains could be made through more effective management of protected areas. An overview of species threat status and protection level in the terrestrial realm can be found on the Terrestrial species page. Detailed findings per taxonomic group can be found on the Species findings pages
The state of biodiversity is shaped by both current and historical pressures. Croplands cover a very large portion of the terrestrial realm (>16%), but there has been limited expansion into natural areas in recent times. In contrast, the expansion of settlements and mining are relevant both historically and currently. Certain activities, such as targeted poaching of succulent plant species and renewable energy installations represent new pressures on biodiversity. Climate change impacts on terrestrial biodiversity are increasingly prominent, with studies more clearly attributing species declines and landscape changes to temperature and rainfall regime change. A summary of the main pressures in the terrestrial realm can be found on the Terrestrial pressures page.
Priority actions across all realms are summarised on the Priority actions page, and discussed in Key messages A2, A4, A6, B1, B3, B4, B5.