TY - JOUR

T1 - Fragmented Landscape, Fragmented Knowledge

T2 - A Synthesis of Renosterveld Ecology and Conservation

AU - Topp, Emmeline N.

AU - Loos, Jacqueline

N1 - Funding Information: The study was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG, LO 2323/1-1). Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Foundation for Environmental Conservation.

PY - 2019/6/1

Y1 - 2019/6/1

N2 - Knowledge of ecological patterns and processes is key to effective conservation of biodiversity hotspots under threat. Renosterveld is one of the most critically endangered habitats in the biologically unique Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. For the first time, we map and synthesize the current state of knowledge on renosterveld ecology and conservation. We investigated 132 studies for the themes, locations and taxa of renosterveld research and the fragmentation, threats, recommendations and barriers to renosterveld conservation. More studies focused on plants than any other taxa (48% of articles) and are conducted mostly in larger, intact renosterveld fragments. The most commonly identified threat to renosterveld was agricultural intensification; conservation recommendations spanned improved farming practices, formal protection and local patch management. Conservation implementation has been piecemeal and has depended largely on the goodwill of landowners, which can be constrained by costs of conservation measures and a lack of suitable restoration means. Citizen science is a promising potential solution to some barriers. Fragmented knowledge in such a transformed and relatively densely populated region highlights the scale of knowledge gaps for other biodiversity hotspots and has implications for ongoing conservation work.

AB - Knowledge of ecological patterns and processes is key to effective conservation of biodiversity hotspots under threat. Renosterveld is one of the most critically endangered habitats in the biologically unique Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. For the first time, we map and synthesize the current state of knowledge on renosterveld ecology and conservation. We investigated 132 studies for the themes, locations and taxa of renosterveld research and the fragmentation, threats, recommendations and barriers to renosterveld conservation. More studies focused on plants than any other taxa (48% of articles) and are conducted mostly in larger, intact renosterveld fragments. The most commonly identified threat to renosterveld was agricultural intensification; conservation recommendations spanned improved farming practices, formal protection and local patch management. Conservation implementation has been piecemeal and has depended largely on the goodwill of landowners, which can be constrained by costs of conservation measures and a lack of suitable restoration means. Citizen science is a promising potential solution to some barriers. Fragmented knowledge in such a transformed and relatively densely populated region highlights the scale of knowledge gaps for other biodiversity hotspots and has implications for ongoing conservation work.

KW - Cape Floristic Region

KW - farmland expansion

KW - fire regime

KW - fragmentation

KW - fynbos

KW - global biodiversity hotspot

KW - Mediterranean ecosystem

KW - South Africa

KW - value perception

KW - Environmental planning

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061144108&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S0376892918000498

DO - 10.1017/S0376892918000498

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85061144108

VL - 46

SP - 171

EP - 179

JO - Environmental Conservation

JF - Environmental Conservation

SN - 0376-8929

IS - 2

ER -