Preventing plant extinctions in the Richtersveld, South Africa

The Richtersveld region of South Africa faces severe biodiversity loss driven by extreme drought, sandstorms, diamond mining, and poaching, with some plant populations declining by 85%. To combat this, SANParks established an offsite plant conservation greenhouse ten years ago and constructed a second, larger 3,200 square foot facility in 2024 with support from the Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund. This new facility has re-homed 11,492 plants from 716 taxa, including over 400 threatened species. The project utilizes IUCN Red List assessments to prioritize species and collaborates with institutions like the Millennium Seed Bank and Kew Royal Botanic Gardens to ensure long-term genetic safekeeping through seed and specimen exchange.

• The Richtersveld region is experiencing severe biodiversity loss caused by a combination of intensifying climatic conditions, including extreme drought and sandstorms, land degradation from nearly 100 years of diamond mining, and poaching. Some key plant species have seen population declines of up to 85%, and the rare Othonna armian has lost 90% of its population to poachers.
• In 2024, SANParks constructed a second greenhouse facility supported by the Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund to expand its capacity for conserving vulnerable plants. The facility is 3,200 square feet and utilizes a raised tunnel design and an overhead misting system.
• The new greenhouse has successfully re-homed 11,492 plants from 716 plant taxa, including more than 400 threatened species. Four of these species are now presumed extinct in the wild due to poaching and climate change, and over 40 species in the facility were only recently discovered.
• Conservation priorities were determined using the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. To prevent duplication and ensure long-term survival, SANParks coordinates with the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the Millennium Seed Bank, and the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, having already sent over 50 species' seeds to the Millennium Seed Bank's vaults.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Preventing plant extinctions in the Richtersveld, South Africa. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/preventing-plant-extinctions-in-the-richtersveld-south-africa/

Chicago

WWF International. Preventing plant extinctions in the Richtersveld, South Africa. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/preventing-plant-extinctions-in-the-richtersveld-south-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Preventing plant extinctions in the Richtersveld, South Africa |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/preventing-plant-extinctions-in-the-richtersveld-south-africa/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndpreventing, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Preventing plant extinctions in the Richtersveld, South Africa}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-adaptation-innovation-fund/preventing-plant-extinctions-in-the-richtersveld-south-africa/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }