plant poaching in south africa

Plant poaching is a significant problem facing South Africa's unique biodiversity and natural heritage, but if landowners, biodiversity professionals, citizen science volunteers and law enforcement agencies work together, illegal poachers pillaging the country's imperilled species can be discouraged, caught and ...

How does poaching affect plants?

Plant poaching involves the illegal removal of rare and endangered plants from their natural habitats. ... In most cases, the plants are then shipped elsewhere to be sold via illegal plant trade. In a single day, plant poachers are able to remove hundreds of valuable plants from their native habitats.

Why are cycads so valued?

In respect to this, why are cycads so valued? Obviously, the bigger the plant, the more valuable it is, and female plants are worth more than males. So cycad poaching is big business. But it's not only their commercial value that is lost when plants are stolen or removed.

Why are cycads poached?

“One of the reasons they get poached so much is they are easy to transport. The thieves would remove all the leaves then dig them out. They don't have a complex root system. They are very hardy.” Both the stolen species are indigenous to South Africa, one of the world centres of cycad diversity, with 38 species.

How many plant species are there in South Africa?

20,000. plant species are found in South Africa – an astonishing 10% of all plants found on Earth.

What efforts are being made to stop poaching?

The current wave of poaching is carried out by sophisticated and well-organised criminal networks – using helicopters, night-vision equipment, tranquilisers and silencers to kill animals at night, avoiding law enforcement patrols.

What will happen if poaching continues?

Continued Poaching Will Result in the Degradation of Fragile Ecosystems. ... As soon as a number of animals (of specific species) get poached, the life of such animals is threatened and their extinction possible.

Why do you need a permit for cycads?

Because cycads are protected by the national and provincial legislation, as a buyer you must ensure that you know where your plants come from and that you have a permit for owning the plant. Various permits are needed for any activity that relates to cycads such as possession, transport, growing, buying or selling.

Do cycads like full sun?

Cycads are fascinating. ... This is probably the most common Cycad, and it's a really hardy plant. It grows in full sun, semi-shade, coastal conditions, in a pot, and will produce either a single-trunk or multi-stemmed plant.

Can you grow a cycad from a cutting?

How to do it: Cut off the side bud and remove all the fronds. Place the bud on a seed tray of composted pine bark and leave it somewhere relatively dry for about a year. The bud will slowly produce roots but it won't be ready to pot on until it produces new shoots – this can happen quite suddenly.

Are cycads poisonous to humans?

Cycad sago is extremely poisonous to animals (including humans) if ingested. ... Effects of ingestion can include permanent internal damage and death. All parts of the plant are toxic; however, the seeds contain the highest level of the toxin cycasin.

What are the most endangered plants?

5 of the World's Rarest and Most Endangered Plants

Western Underground Orchid. This is truly a weird one: a plant that spends its entire life living underground. ...
Pitcher plant. If you've never seen a pitcher plant before, you might be a little shocked by its appearance. ...
Jellyfish tree. ...
Corpse flower. ...
Wood's cycad.

Are cycads rare?

On the other hand, most cycads are very rare, and two-thirds are officially listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. A few species are so rare that they are now designated as “extinct in the wild”; this means that they are only known from plants growing in botanic gardens and collections.

What animals are only found in South Africa?

South Africa Animals: Mammals

Springbok. The springbok is the national animal of South Africa. ...
Lion. These big cats live in prides that are led by a male lion. ...
Elephants. The African elephant is the largest land-based mammal and can grow up to almost 4 m/13 ft tall. ...
Buffalo. ...
Rhinoceros. ...
Leopard. ...
Baboons. ...
Hippopotamus.

What is the flower of South Africa?

The giant or king protea is widely distributed in the south-western and southern areas of the Western Cape, from the Cedarberg up to just east of Grahamstown. The artichoke-like appearance of the flower-heads of the king protea lead to the specific name 'cynaroides', which means 'like cynara' (the artichoke).

What does it mean if a plant is indigenous to South Africa?

Indigenous plants are plants that are native to a particular area. South Africa has many indigenous species that which are found only in Africa. 'Fynbos' is one example. ... It is important to protect indigenous species because they have often evolved to cope with particular conditions, circumstances or situations.

Where is poaching most common?

Most of the poaching takes place in Africa. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) reports that 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa in 2012, though other observers say it could be many more.

Who is trying to stop poaching?

1. The International Anti-Poaching Foundation. As its name suggests, the IAPF is a non-profit organization dedicated to forming effective strategies to prevent poaching. Founded in 2009, IAPF engages with communities and encourages research and development for new technologies in managing wildlife biodiversity.

Why do people poach?

Poaching can be defined as illegally killing wildlife or any animal for food, pleasure, ivory, fur or more. One main reason that people poach animals is for rare products, such as ivory and fur. In a broad sense, hunting and poaching mean the same thing but one major difference is that hunting is legal in countries.

Is poaching good or bad?

Wildlife biologists and conservationists consider poaching to have a detrimental effect on biodiversity both within and outside protected areas as wildlife populations decline, species are depleted locally, and the functionality of ecosystems is disturbed.

How does animal poaching affect humans?

Animal Poaching's Impact on Humans

Two serious problems that impact humans due to poaching are the spread of food borne illness and lack of natural resources. These are both due to the the amount and type of animals that are caught and sold. ... Poaching affects humans because it also affects our natural resources.

What are the negative effects of poaching?

Poaching can have negative effects on the environment because when one species is declining at a rate too fast to replenish, other species can increase or decrease as well. Plant life can overgrow or cannot regrow due to the other species that was normally hunted by a poached animal.