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In another exciting breakthrough discovery in South Africa, scientists have found 18 new invertebrate species in the Mkhambathi Nature Reserve on the Wild Coast in the country’s Eastern Cape Province.
The 18 previously undocumented spiders including worms, snails, centipedes and millipedes were unearthed by a group of South African scientists and volunteers from the Earthwatch organization, working over an eight-day period.
The 18 species, found along with the new creatures are currently being examined and described in research facilities around the country.
This finding once again highlights the unique biodiversity found in South Africa, as well as the natural importance of this particular area.
However, as it has been the case over the years, plans for infrastructure and mining developments could upset the ecology of the Wild Coast and deny scientists any further chance of finding more new species.
Furthermore, the ongoing pressure to develop tourism in the area may also pose a threat.
Eastern Cape Parks ecologist Jan Venter told Xinhua News Agency on Saturday that the area is very special in conservation terms, and that if another survey were to be done, just as many new species would be found.
Invertebrate specialist Dr Michelle Hamer, a senior lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and supervisor of a number of Earthwatch projects in South Africa, agreed with him, saying these discoveries are important because they show that a lot still needs to be discovered about the country’s biodiversity.
The external threats posed by urban development might well have caused the newly discovered species to disappear before scientists had even laid eyes on them, Hamer added.
Understanding the area in terms of its importance to the invertebrate world could be a key factor in getting support for the protection of the reserve.
While new species have been discovered on other expeditions, this one has yielded a particularly rich bounty. Many of the species collected seem to be unique to a small area in or around Mkhambathi.
Hence this area should be a prime spot for the development of ecotourism, which will be positive since it will naturally boost the regional economy and hopefully filter down to communities living nearby.
Earthwatch is a multinational environmental organization with a focus on scientific expeditions and research. In addition to over 150 permanent staff, the organization works with 50 conservation organizations and 50 corporate partners.
This teamwork enables Earthwatch to support around 130 scientists each year, and arrange research expeditions for its global network of 20 000 members and 4 000 volunteers.
Nigel Winser, Earthwatch vice president, praised the new discoveries made by Hamer and her team, and told Xinhua correspondent that proper management of delicate ecosystems such as these hinge on systematic surveys of the plants and animals living there.
He also said that Earthwatch is proud to be supporting this invertebrate research over many years, adding that such findings give a boost to conservation commitments in South Africa. The organization has supported Hamer’s research for seven years.
The 7,720 hactare Mkhambathi reserve is located on the coast of north-eastern Pondoland, between Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal and Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape.
The regional amaPondo are an isiXhosa-speaking ethnic group, with a number of tribal sub-divisions. The reserve falls into the ecoregion known as Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets, which is characterized by montane shrubland.
The ecoregion is part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot, one of three in South Africa. The other two are the Cape Floristic Region and the Succulent Karoo. A vast variety of creatures make their home in this region, including the white rhino and, the critically endangered, black rhino.
Besides the large diversity of vertebrates found in the region, Maputaland-Pondoland is also exceptionally rich in invertebrate fauna, including many butterflies and moths, caterpillar-like velvet worms, a family of giant earthworms and a variety of scarabs or dung beetles. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa is ranked as the third most biologically diverse country on earth in terms of species richness and indigenity amongst higher plants and vertebrates. Yet just 6 percent of this natural wealth is formally conserved; which then requires an acceleration of projects such as this one, to ensure that as much of the country’s natural wealth is formally conserved as possible.
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This news article was not written by Africa Game Farms
For original source, click here.