Indicators and targets

The systematic approach to conservation planning involves setting quantitative indicators and targets for biodiversity features. For example, a target might be a certain number of hectares of a vegetation type; or the number of occurrences of a species; or the number of hectares of a river corridor.

There are 4 key indicators and targets against which the Grasslands Programme will be assessed over the initial phase and longer 20 year timeframe. These are:

  • Contribution towards the achievement of the biodiversity target for the grasslands biome. The target is to secure 22,3% of vegetation types within natural areas in the grasslands biome.
  • Knowledge about how to conserve and rehabilitate river ecosystems, and the impact of agriculture. This indicator reflects the extent to which knowledge about how to conserve and rehabilitate river ecosystems in the grasslands biome has improved and impacted on the 20% river ecosystem target set in the NSBA.
  • Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII). The BII was developed for use in the Southern Africa Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as an indicator of the state of biological diversity within a geographic area. It uses spatial data on species richness and land use activities per ecosystem type to weight estimates, provided by taxon experts, of the reduction in abundance of all well-known species under a range of land uses.
  • Degradation indicator. For all districts predominantly falling in the grasslands biome, SANBI has calculated the average extent of soil erosion and veld degradation (due to change in species composition, alien plant invasions, loss in vegetation cover, bush encroachment, and deforestation). Soil erosion was estimated at 8% and veld degradation at 10%. A degradation range of 11-20% is estimated. The goal is to ensure no major increase in degradation.

Click here to view a table containing a more detailed explanation of the indicators and targets against which the Grasslands Programme will be assessed over the initial phase and longer 20 year timeframe.
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