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Strategies for the Development of Plant Systematics in a Floristically Diverse Region

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Strategies for the Development of Plant Systematics in a Floristically Diverse Region Strategies for the development of plant systematics in a floristically diverse region by Janine Elizabeth Victor Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in the Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (Plant Science) University of Pretoria Pretoria Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A.E. van Wyk Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. G.F. Smith July 2015 DECLARATION I, Janine Elizabeth Victor, declare that the thesis/dissertation, which I hereby submit for the degree Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Pretoria, is my own work and has not previously been submitted by me for a degree at this or any other tertiary institution. SIGNATURE: .......JtU: c!o!. ........ .. DATE: 1 July 2015 II ABSTRACT Strategies for the development of plant systematics in a floristically diverse region Janine Elizabeth Victor Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Philosophiae Doctor In the Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (Department of Plant Science) University of Pretoria July 2015 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. A.E. van Wyk Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. G.F. Smith South Africa is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, and harbours one of the richest floras. Vast areas of the country remain under-collected, and a large proportion of species are taxonomically problematic and under-represented in herbarium collections. These factors hinder management of biodiversity. The main intention of this study was to develop a strategy for plant taxonomic research that would meet the needs of end users, and make efficient use of scarce human and financial resources in South Africa. The development of plant taxonomy in South Africa from 1600 to 2014 is reviewed, with emphasis on the main driving factors that have influenced the research direction, techniques used, and choice of taxonomic research topic. At present the predominant culture of taxonomy is directed towards electronic dissemination of taxonomic information, leading to increased accessibility and connectivity. An assessment of plant taxonomic capacity in South Africa is provided. From an analysis of the existing gaps in taxonomic information, current research trends, and existing resources, it is apparent that there is a critical shortage of human capacity in South Africa to conduct plant taxonomic research for the benefit of biodiversity and society. An objective method of prioritising taxa in urgent need of taxonomic research was developed and can potentially be used for all organisms and be equally applicable to other iii parts of the world. This methodology informed the development of a Strategy for plant taxonomic research in South Africa 2015–2020. Three research programmes are proposed to focus on the main gaps in taxonomic knowledge, and a plant collecting programme is suggested to improve foundational biodiversity data. The maintenance of high quality standards for information contained in taxonomic databases is crucial, hence recommendations are made for addressing data quality. Since implementation of the Strategy at SANBI in 2011, progress has been satisfactory. It is anticipated that by 2020, South Africa will have a centralised online electronic resource for plant taxonomic information; the number of genera in urgent need of revision will have halved; and taxonomically problematic taxa reduced by 20%. In this way strategic planning benefits both taxonomy and end users. Keywords: barcoding, biodiversity, botanical gardens, botany, capacity, connectivity phase, development, flora, herbarium, plant taxonomy, SABONET, SANBI, research, strategy, southern Africa, systematics, taxonomists, training. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Plant taxonomic research in South Africa in context of international initiatives ............ 2 1.3 Strategies for developing taxonomy in other parts of the world ...................................... 4 1.4 South Africa: a megadiverse country ............................................................................... 5 1.5 Problem statement and rationale for study ....................................................................... 5 1.6 Key questions ................................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Aims and objectives ......................................................................................................... 6 1.8 Hypotheses ....................................................................................................................... 7 1.9 Research approach ........................................................................................................... 7 1.10 Thesis structure .............................................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................................ 10 HISTORY AND DRIVERS OF PLANT TAXONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA: A LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Influence of exploration on plant taxonomy in South Africa ........................................ 10 2.3 Influence of establishment of formal botany in South Africa ........................................ 13 2.4 Influence of the South African botanical gardens and their herbaria ............................ 17 2.5 Modernisation of taxonomy in South Africa ................................................................. 20 2.6 Influence of funding on South African plant taxonomy ................................................ 23 2.7 International initiatives that drive South African taxonomy .......................................... 26 2.8 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................................ 31 METHODS .............................................................................................................................. 31 3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 31 v 3.2 History and drivers of plant taxonomy .......................................................................... 31 3.3 Determining capacity for taxonomic research in South Africa ..................................... 32 3.4 Determining indicators for research needs .................................................................... 33 3.5 Possible criteria for prioritising groups that require taxonomic research ...................... 33 3.6 Sources of information used in this study ...................................................................... 35 3.7 Needs analysis ................................................................................................................ 36 3.8 Development of the strategy .......................................................................................... 37 3.9 Implementation of the strategy and evaluation of results .............................................. 37 3.9 Summary of procedure for developing the strategy ....................................................... 38 CHAPTER 4 ............................................................................................................................ 39 ASSESSMENT OF PLANT TAXONOMIC CAPACITY IN SOUTH AFRICA .................. 39 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 39 4.2 Plant taxonomists in South Africa ................................................................................. 40 4.3 Current state of taxonomic research .............................................................................. 42 4.3.1 Progress with taxonomic treatments of South African plants ................................. 42 4.3.2 Trends in taxonomic research ................................................................................. 44 4.3.3 Publication output by taxonomists .......................................................................... 47 4.4 South African herbaria ................................................................................................... 50 4.5 Financial resources ......................................................................................................... 53 4.6 Discussion and conclusions ........................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER 5 ............................................................................................................................ 67 DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES FOR TAXONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA................. 67 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 67
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