Table 5.
Biodiversity status in the three major Gariep basin biomes.
| biome | area (km2) | species richnessa | endemic spp.b | endangered spp.c | protected aread (%) | transformed areae (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grasslands | 215 508 | 1377 | 144 | 112 | 2.7 | 28.8 |
| Savannah | 190 646 | 1424 | 106 | 102 | 10.6 | 6.7 |
| Nama Karoo | 237 147 | 979 | 99 | 73 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
a
Species data for birds, butterflies, mammals, reptiles and scarabs from SA-ISIS (http://spatial.csir.co.za/website/).
b
Endemic to South Africa.
c
Endangered if listed in the Red Data Books for birds and mammals. Other taxa assessed by expert opinion.
d
Based on data from Department of water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), Pretoria, South Africa.
e
Based on National Land-Cover Database (Thompson 1996).