The National Red List of South African Plants and Animals offers a comprehensive evaluation of species threat status using the IUCN 3.1 Red List Criteria and Categories. This system categorizes the species based on their risk of extinction. A range of data is used to determine a species' threat status, including population size, trends, and threats to their survival. These assessments are then used along with other considerations to prioritize species for conservation actions. The Red List serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, conservation practitioners, educators, and anyone interested in learning about the status of biodiversity and taking action to protect threatened species and ecosystems.
The IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria are used to assess the threat status of species on a global scale. However, they can also be applied to smaller geographical areas, known as regional assessments. These assessments consider only a portion of a species' global range, often delimited by human-defined boundaries like national borders. Regional assessments follow the same criteria as global assessments but may include additional steps to account for species movement between populations within and outside the region.
South Africa's Red List focuses solely on the South African portion of the distribution range of plant and animal species. As a result, a species' threat status on the national Red List may differ from its global status on the IUCN Red List. We use an amended system of categories designed to highlight those species that are at low risk of extinction but are nevertheless of conservation concern; for example, range-restricted endemic species. If adjustments are made to the category based on regional assessment procedures, they are indicated by adding an asterisk (*) to the category abbreviation (Fig 1).
South African Red List assessments are coordinated through the Threatened Species Programme (TSP), at the South African National Biodiversity Institute. Since South Africa is a megadiverse country, and the TSP only has 3 team members, these assessments are conducted by groups of experts coordinated by one or more champion members of the IUCN South Africa Species Specialist Group. These assessments are supported by a range of partner institutions, including key NGOs working on species conservation, such as the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), BirdLife South Africa, the Botanical Society of South Africa, WWF South Africa, and the Lepidoptera Society of Africa, amongst others.
South Africa uses the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA) to report on the state of biodiversity. The Red List of Species is one of the NBA's headline indicators. While comprehensive assessments are conducted for the majority of taxonomic groups, certain groups—such as beach and marine invertebrates—undergo thematic assessments due to limited knowledge and resources. To date, South Africa has assessed the threat status of 25,474 indigenous taxa across 16 taxonomic groups. Many of these assessments can be accessed on the plant and animal Red List websites, while others are still being published.
Access the South African Red Lists of Plants and Animals, hosted by SANBI, through the following links:
