science

Red List of South African Plants

Red List of South African Plants is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Red List of South African Plants rather than just read about it. In short: The Red List of South African Plants is a system used to classify endemic species of plants in South Africa that are at risk of extinction. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) designates the conservation status of endemic species according to the IUCN Red List system of categories and criteria.

Key takeaways

Red List of South African Plants belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Red List of South African Plants to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Red List of South African Plants from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Red List of South African Plants is a system used to classify endemic species of plants in South Africa that are at risk of extinction. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) designates the conservation status of endemic species according to the IUCN Red List system of categories and criteria.

History Prior to publication of the Red List of South African Plants in 2010 was the Threatened Plants of Southern Africa in 1980 where 1893 taxa was assessed, the Red Data List of Southern African Plants in 1997 where 3916 taxa was assessed, and the Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report in 2002 where 948 taxa was assessed. In 2010, as part of SANBI's Threatened Species Programme, 20 456 indigenous plant taxa was assessed and each given a conservation status. This was the first time a megadiverse country had fully assessed the status of its entire flora; 13 265 of the assessed flora was endemic to South Africa.

Categories

Plants are assessed against the IUCN Red List system of categories and criteria.

IUCN categories Extinct EX For species when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. Extinct in the Wild EW For species known only to survive in cultivation. Regionally Extinct RE For species known to be extinct in an assessed region. Critically Endangered CR For when evidence of a species meets one of the five criteria in the IUCN Red List for Critically Endangered species. Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct CR PE A special tag associated with the category Critically Endangered. Endangered EN Equivalent to the IUCN category of Endangered. Vulnerable VU Equivalent to the IUCN category of Vulnerable. Near Threatened NT Equivalent to the IUCN category of Near Threatened. Least Concern LC For species that don't meet the criteria for Rare. Data Deficient - Insufficient Information DDD For when there is insufficient data to make an assessment Data Deficient - Taxonomically Problematic DDT For species that are difficult to describe taxonomically, thus assessment of its range and habitat is not well-defined. Not Evaluated For species that are hybrids, cultivars or naturalised exotic species.

Non-IUCN categories Critically Rare For species known to occur at a single site, but is not threatened and does not qualify against the five IUCN criteria for threatened species. Rare For species that meet one of the four South African criteria for rarity: Restricted range - Extent of occurrence (EOO) < 500 km2, OR Habitat specialist - Area of occupancy (AOO) < 20 km2, OR Low densities of individuals - The species occurs as single individuals or small subpopulations (fewer than 50 mature individuals), OR Small global population - The species has less than 10 000 mature individuals. Declining The species' overall population is in decline but a threshold of concern has not been reached.

Statistics A quarter of all assessed endemic species of plants are threatened with extinction or of conservation concern; in 2010, 13% of endemic plants were faced with extinction, with 11% of conservation concern.

See also South African Environmental Observation Network – Long-term ecological research network Forest conservation in South Africa List of Champion Trees (South Africa) – Trees of significance in South AfricaPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

References

External links Red List of South African Plants

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Red List of South African Plants

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Red List of South African Plants claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Red List of South African Plants before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Red List of South African Plants ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Red List of South African Plants

In research: Red List of South African Plants appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Red List of South African Plants in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Red List of South African Plants is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Biota by conservation status system, Flora of South Africa, Nature conservation in South Africa, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Red List of South African Plants outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Red List of South African Plants in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Red List of South African Plants means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Red List of South African Plants in simple terms?

Why does Red List of South African Plants matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Red List of South African Plants?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Red List of South African Plants.