Water Wheel Nov/Dec 2020: Freshwater And Ecosystems

Abstract

Embracing biodiversity stewardship to help protect SA’s unique frogs South Africa is home to almost a tenth of all known species of birds, fish and plants in the world, as well as 6% of mammal and reptile species. It is a mega diverse country, hosting some of the most unique biodiversity on the planet. The country’s extraordinary diversity of fauna and flora is also one of the most threatened. Many of South Africa’s frog species are in dire straits. As part of a new area of focus for its threatened amphibian work, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) recently launched a research project in the Western Cape. The organisation is zooming in on some of the most threatened frogs in the province. The need to conserve threatened frogs remains critical, according to Dr Jeanne Tarrant. She heads up the EWT’s threatened amphibian programme. “Many of our frogs and their habitats are in trouble, and urgent interventions are needed to turn the tide,” she says. Globally, around half of all amphibian species are declining.

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