Southern African Invertebrates Specialist Group (SAISG) NewsletterNewsletter No. 2 of the IUCN/SSC Southern African Invertebrates Specialist Group (SAISG) April 2002
WHAT IS IN A NAME?Two responses were received as to what we should call our newsletter, in chronological order: Jason Londt - “how about BUGS – being short for Biodiversity Under General Scrutiny.” Brian Stuckenberg - “You ask for suggestions regarding a name for the newsletter – here is a possibility – COLOPHON – it commemorates one of our particularly interesting genera (apterous stagbeetles on the fold mountains of the SW Cape, made famous originally by KH Barnard) – the name also has another meaning, a colophon being a publisher’s ornamental device or signature on the spine or title page of a book.” Ray Miller – “Just scanned your newsletter and sounds good. How about its name being 'The Onychophoran' - it's the most appropriate red data invertebrate for southern Africa and needs the advertisement?” Please let me know which name you would prefer. Name with the most votes gets the heading! SOME QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONSFROM JASON LONDT 1. “How frequently is the newsletter to appear?” Response: As regularly as possible, and when items of interest are available. 2. Perhaps a few general headings could be provided to stimulate contributions? e.g. New Initiatives, Recent Research Results, News and Views; Requests for information and assistance; etc.” Response: Whoever would like to use the forum to reach other invertebrate biologists is welcome to do so. I’m not acting as editor but rather just a catalyst to improve networking, which emerged as a major need of invertebrate conservationists a the Invertebrate Conservation Scoping Workshop in Washington. 3. The first issue of the Natal Museum’s new flagship natural science journal ‘African Invertebrates’, with David Barraclough as editor, has appeared.
SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL SURVEY OFARACHNIDA (SANSA)-2001 At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the world community recognized the necessity of continued economic growth while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the biosphere. Through a global action plan named AGENDA 21, these nations called for increased knowledge of the Earth's biodiversity. In November 1995 South Africa ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which emanated from the convention. Signatories are obligated to develop a strategic plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. To meet these goals will require an intensive national effort involving three interrelated scientific missions: to discover, describe and to make an inventory of the species diversity of the world; to analyze and synthesize the information into predictive classification systems that reflect the history of life; and to organize this information in an efficiently retrievable form that best meets the needs of science and society. Based on its extensive specimen and literature reference sources, the ARC-PPRI Biosystematics Division’s Arachnida Unit decided in 1997 to launch the “South African National Survey of Arachnida” (SANSA) in accordance with the country’s obligations to the CBD. The main aim of SANSA is compile an inventory of the arachnid fauna of South Africa that will provide essential information needed to address the above mentioned issues concerning the conservation and sustainable use of our biological diversity. The survey will be conducted on a national basis in collaboration with other researchers and institutions countrywide. SANSA is an umbrella project dedicated to the unification and enhancement of biosystematic research on Arachnology in South Africa. Participation is based on free association and collaboration and gives specialists of the various arachnid groups the opportunity to manage and co-ordinate their own field of expertise while receiving full credit for their inputs. Progress on SANSA activities will be reported on annually in the newsletter of AFRAS (African Arachnological Society) and the African Acarology Association (Afri-Acari). Numerous projects to assess the biodiversity of South African Arachnida have been initiated and are in progress by various researchers in South Africa. 1. Species checklists of the Arachnida orders of South Africa · Pseudoscorpions:- a checklist of pseudoscorpions has been completed and was published in Koedoe 1999. · Amblypygi:- a list of species from South Africa is included in the new book of P. Weygoldt "Whip Spiders". · Solifugae:- a checklist is been prepared by Andrea Corronca & Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman. · Araneae: a. checklist of Araneomorphae of South Africa is in preparation (Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman), The Mygalomorphae part has been completed and will soon be in press.
2. Projects in progress to assess the arachnid diversity in the different Provinces of South Africa Gauteng: spiders-GAP project of Gauteng Nature Conservation (Marianne Forsyth and Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman). Mpumalanga: spiders-BIOBASE project of Mpumalanga Parks Board (Koos de Wet). KwaZulu-Natal: spider survey of the Durban Natal Science Museum (Tanza Crouch and Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman). Free-State: arachnid surveys of the National Museum and University of the Free State (Leon Lotz). Western Cape: arachnid surveys of the South African Museum (Norman Larsen).
3. Arachnid diversity of the different plant biomes Coastal dune forest: surveys of the KwaZulu-Natal Coastal dunes at Richardsbay -University of Pretoria (UP) & ARC-PPRI Afromontane forest: surveys of spider in forests- University of Pretoria & ARC-PPRI Savanna: various projects in progress: University Natal, Durban Science Museum, ARC-PPRI, University of the Free State, University of Venda. Nama Karoo: surveys in the national parks: ARC-PPRI and Spider Club Grassland: National Museum Bloemfontein, University of the Free State, Gauteng Nature Conservation, ARC-PPRI, Spider Club, Durban Science Museum.
4. Arachnida in Agroecosystems cotton (ARC-PPRI); tomatoes (ARC-PPRI), citrus (ARC-PPRI & Citrus International), macadamia (ARC-PPRI), avocado (ARC-PPRI); pistacio orchards (University of Free State & ARC-PPRI)
5. Arachnida in reserves and parks Kruger National Park (ARC-PPRI & Spider Club); Western Soutpansberg (University of Venda & ARC-PPRI); Ndumu Game Reserve (University of the Free State); Tembe Elephant Park (University of the Free State); Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve (Gauteng Nature Conservation & ARC-PPRI); Mkhuze Game Reserve (Durban Natural Science Museum). Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve near Nieuwoudtville (Spider Club)- Witsand Nature Reserve near Postmasburg (Spider Club) Rustenburg Nature Reserve (ARC-PPRI) Roodeplaat Nature Reserve(ARC-PPRI) Nylsvley Nature Reserve (ARC-PPRI) Swartberg Nature Reserve (ARC-PPRI).
6. OTHER SURVEYS Caves: MEDUNSA (Jan Myburg), University of Pretoria and ARC-PPRI
Contact person: Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute P/Bag X134 Pretoria 0001 e-mail: AFRICAN ARACHNID DATABASE - 2001 REPORT by Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman The ARC-PPRI and the African Museum, Tervuren decided in 1995 to launch the African Arachnid Database (AAD). The main aim of AAD is to make an inventory of the arachnid fauna of Africa (Afrotropical Region) that will provide essential information needed to address issues concerning the conservation and sustainable use of Africa's biological diversity. The inventories will be conducted on an international basis in collaboration with other researchers and institutions worldwide. AAD is an umbrella project dedicated to the unification and enhancement of biosystematic research on Arachnology in Africa. Participation is based on free association and collaboration and gives specialists of the various arachnid groups the opportunity to manage and co-ordinate their own field of expertise while receiving full credit for their inputs. Progress will be reported on annually in the newsletter of AFRAS (African Arachnological Society) I. PROJECTS COMPLETED
· SPIDERS FAMILIES OF AFRICA Several actions within AAD have been identified of which the first, " An identification manual on the African spider families" has been successfully completed in 1997. For the first time an inventory of families and genera from the Afrotropical Region are available. With this as reference, a historical review of past and present research on spiders in the Afrotropical Region has been compiled with keys. · SPIDERS OF NAMIBIA A checklist of the spiders of Namibia is available. · SPIDERS OF ZIMBABWE A checklist of the spiders of Zimbabwe is now available [see FitzPatrick list of publications]. · SPIDERS OF BOTSWANA · ARACHNIDS OF SOUTH AFRICA See SANSA p. 15 II. SPIDER PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
· South Africa: A checklist and catalogue of the spiders of South Africa is well underway ARC-PPRI. · Lesotho: survey of the spiders of Lesotho in progress with Dr. Grzegorz Kopij, National University of Lesotho, e-mail: ) · Swaziland :survey of the spiders of Swaziland in progress with Dr. A. Monadjem, University of Swaziland, e-mail: ) · Kenya: survey of the spiders of Kenya organized by Charles Warui, National Museums, Kenya, e-mail: ) · Botswana: survey of spiders of Botswana in progress ARC-PPRI. · Ethiopia survey in planning stage (Negusu e-mail: ) · Tanzania: surveys of the spiders of Tanzania in progress: Greg O'Callaham e-mail: . · Madagascar: surveys organized by Dr Charles Griswold CAS · Yemen: survey od arachnid fauna well advance: Tony van Harten · Ivory Coast: Dr R. Jocqué, African Museum Tervuren At the moment the greatest need is the lack of keys to genera and species to assist and enable these African researchers to continue with their surveys. A project to prepare and publish keys to the genera and where possible species of the African fauna is under discussion. This could be an umbrella project and involve specialist worldwide. Persons interested to participate in these projects or have material that could be included could contact me at ,za GUIDES TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF FRESHWATER INVERTEBRATES OF SOUTHERN AFRICA After a gestation period of over 10 years, the Water Research Commission agreed to publish these guides. It is a 10 volume series, with 3 volumes already published and the other seven (including volume 1 which is the introduction) are expected to come out this year. The editors are JA Day, BA Stewart, IJ de Moor and AE Louw. Volume 2 (Crustacea I) covers the Notostraca, Anostraca, Conchostraca and Cladocera. Volume 3 (Crustacea II) covers the Ostracoda, Copepoda and Branchiura. Volume 4 (Crustacea III) covers the Bathynellacea, Amphipoda, Isopoda, Spelaeogriphacea, Tanaidacea and Decapoda. Volume 5 relating to the Rotifera and Cnidaria is in press. Individual volumes are available from the Water research Commission, PO Box 824, . The cost per volume is approximately R50. A workshop was held from 5-7 September 2001 in the Zoology Department of the University of Cape Town. The authors of the crustacean guides were invited to guide the participants in the use of the keys. This was done in the form of a lecture and then hands on identification in the laboratory. The tutors were Prof. Rob Hart, Dr Koen Martens, Dr Michelle Hamer, Dr Barbara Cook and Dr Nancy Rayner. Participants included students and some representatives of freshwater organisations. Unfortunately the attendance was quite small compared with the time and effort involved in organising the workshop. The guides will fill an important need for researchers in the freshwater field. Until now, reliance has had to be placed on fragmented literature and guides from Britain and the United States of America. Nancy Rayner REINTRODUCTION OF ROBBER CRABS TO COUSINE ISLAND, SEYCHELLES (?) Would anyone like to reply to Ron Gerlach………. I thought you might be interested in a suggestion from Cousine that robber crabs should be reintroduced. It sounds like a good idea, at least as an experiment and the following has been distributed throught the Reintroduction SG, I'll also be contacting the crab people for their suggestions: Briefly, the robber crab, Birgus latro is thought to have been present on the granitic Seychelles islands in the past. On the island of Silhouette, there is a bay called Baie Cipailles - Robber Crab Bay. Birgus latro is now found only on the islands of the Aldabra group (part of Seychelles) but has disappeared from the central Seychelles. Two years ago two B. latro were found on Aride island (a seabird reserve) but disappeared after some months. The present proposal is to reintroduce B.latro from Cosmoledo in the Aldabra group, to Cousine Island in the central Seychelles. Cousine is privately owned and is managed for eco-tourism. Beside carrying important Populations of Seychelles passerines, the island has large breeding populations of seabirds, including ground nesting species (shearwaters and tropic birds). Other animals include nesting hawksbill turtles and giant tortoises. We would like to hear from members with experience with Birgus latro translocations. Ron Gerlach Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles,
Seychelles. Tel: HIGHLIGHTS FROM NATURE NEWS SERVICE: A NEW INSECT ORDER DISCOVERED IN NAMIBIA (From http://ens-news.com/ens/apr2002/2002L-04-17-03.html)New Order of Insects Discovered in Namibia WASHINGTON, DC, April 17, 2002 (ENS) - A new order of insects has been identified in a discovery that researchers say is equivalent to finding a live saber-tooth tiger. This first discovery of a new insect order since 1915 brings the total number of insect orders to 31. The insect is known by scientists as Mantophasmatodea, a predatory animal which resembles a mix between a stick insect and a preying mantis. It was originally found in a 45 million year old piece of Baltic amber by Oliver Zompro, a doctoral student at the Max-Planck Institute for Limnology in Ploen, Germany. Subsequently, the existence of a living population of these insects was discovered on the Brandberg Mountain in western Namibia by a team of scientists from the National Museum of Namibia in Windhoek. Living individuals were confirmed on a recently completed rediscovery expedition, funded by Conservation International, an organization based in Washington, DC that works in 30 countries on four continents to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity.
These insects are some of the last witnesses of the time when Africa and America were part of the same landmass, scientists said.
This discovery is comparable to finding a living mastodon or saber-tooth tiger, said Piotr Naskrecki, director of Conservation International's new Invertebrate Diversity Initiative, who attended the rediscovery mission and photographed the new order.
"It tells us that there are places on Earth that act as protective pockets, preserving tiny glimpses of what life was like millions of years ago," said Naskrecki. The new insect order may have lived in Brandberg's unique habitat for millions of years with no interaction with other species. Brandberg is a 120 million year old massif, isolated from other mountains by hundreds of miles of barren sand. Invertebrates are not seen as charismatic as tigers, pandas or dolphins, so they are often overlooked as conservation priorities. But insects, with more than 1.2 million known species, represent more than 80 percent of all living creatures on Earth.
Harvard University professor Edward O. Wilson, a two time Pulitzer Prize winning author and Conservation International board member, has made the study of insects his life work and the foundation of the science of evolutionary biology. "If human beings were to disappear tomorrow, the world would go on," Dr. Wilson said, "but if invertebrates were to disappear, I doubt that the human species could last more than a few months."
The new Invertebrate Diversity Initiative, part of The Center for Applied Biodiversity Science at Conservation International, recognizes invertebrates as an important conservation priority. Inspired by this latest discovery in Namibia, scientists intend to nominate the Brandberg region as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS (From http://222.nature.com/nsu/020408-5.html)Climate to change wildlifeLong-range forecast calls conservation priorities into question. 11 April 2002
Climate change will rearrange wildlife say researchers. Computer models of shifts in animals' homelands show that many areas may have radically different inhabitants within 50 years.
The results could help conservationists cope with global warming. But they also reveal that no one policy will protect every species - to assume that everything will move either north or uphill, for example, is simplistic, says ecologist Townsend Peterson of the University of Kansas1. "Each species is its own man, so to speak."
Peterson and his colleagues looked at Mexico, whose wildlife is exceptionally well studied. They used specimens in museums around the world to plot the geographical ranges of 1,870 mammals, birds and butterflies. They combined this with information on the environment of each location, matching each species to its preferred climate.
Powerful computer simulations calculated how each location might change over the next half-century, and so where each species would be able to survive. The researchers compared two climate-change scenarios, and varied their assumptions about the animals' mobility.
The most realistic models left most animals with smaller ranges in 2055 than now. Up to 2.4% of species lost 90% or more of their range, placing them in grave danger of extinction. But there were no overarching trends in what moved where.
The effects of climate change were weakest in the mountains, and strongest in flatlands such as the Chihuahuan desert, where as many as half of all species may change.
This reshuffling of ecosystems may be the most important consequence of climate change. "We're going to see new hosts and parasites, and new predators and prey coming together," says Peterson. "There'll be a lot of novel biological situations."
Conservation priorities may need to change, says evolutionary biologist Craig Moritz of the University of California, Berkeley.
"The current trend is to create geographically dispersed protected areas," he says. Instead, networks of reserves should let species migrate and keep track of the climate. There is also a risk that reserves set up today will lose the species and environments they were meant to protect.
The changes in climate and biology are comparable, although much more rapid, to those seen at the end of the last ice age, comments ecologist Eric Post, of Pennsylvania State University.
Peterson's team has "seen big changes using a fairly conservative approach", Post concludes. "This is probably the minimum."
References Peterson, A.T. et al. Future projections for Mexican faunas under global climate change scenarios. Nature, 416, 626 - 629, (2002).INLAND INVERTEBRATE INITIATIVEThe Inland Invertebrate Initiative was established by Professor Rob Slotow from the University of Natal (Durban) in 2001. The initiative is the bringing together of a wide range of invertebrate biologists, including taxonomists who work on a range of taxa and ecologists who work in a range of ecosystems. In essence the initiative aims to enhance the profile of invertebrates in order to promote their conservation. AIMS · To promote conservation of invertebrate diversity as the highest priority in conservation planning, and to produce practical conservation-management guidelines to this end. · To facilitate interaction among participants and enhance opportunities for research on invertebrate animals. · To enhance training in the study and understanding of invertebrate animals. · To enhance public knowledge and understanding of invertebrate animals and their ecological importance. OBJECTIVES · To target invertebrate animals as key groups for conservation planning. · To provide management guidelines to conserve invertebrates and their habitats. · To build staff capacity for invertebrate conservation and management within conservation agencies. · To serve as a forum which government, NGO’s, and the public can approach for guidance in conservation and management of invertebrate diversity.To provide an identity for publicising research and teaching activities involving invertebrate animals. · To create a centre of excellence based within the University of Natal and with wider representation. · To create research teams to address unified broad issues involving invertebrate animals. · To facilitate teaching and research by staff of associated research institutions at the University of Natal. · To facilitate access to associated research institutions by staff and students of the University of Natal. · To increase expertise and capacity in the field of invertebrate biology and conservation through undergraduate and postgraduate training. · To establish dedicated postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowships to encourage students into the field of invertebrate biology. · To provide the foundation for a Masters programme in Biodiversity Conservation. · To ensure the continuity of our invertebrate taxonomy capacity through the training of young taxonomists. · To enhance the value of the important collections of invertebrate animals housed in the associated museums. HAVE YOU ANYTHING OT NETWORK?Please send your contributions so that they may be electronically pasted straight in.
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