As a biodiversity hot spot, SA gets ready to glow
Government invests in natural museum infrastructure road map
Across SA, thousands of plant and animal specimens are languishing in poorly catalogued museum collections. Although an important part of scientific research, the collections have suffered from systemic underfunding and neglect. But that is about to change with the launch of the Natural Science Collections Facility. SA is a globally recognised biodiversity hot spot, and has more than 100,000 plant and animal species. Over the past 200 years, scientists have been collecting samples across the country, and more than 30-million plant, animal and fossil specimens are now scattered among about 40 museums. "The collections are essential as a reference for accurately identifying materials for bioprospecting, agriculture and health sciences," says the South African National Biodiversity Institute, which will act as a hub for the facility. "They can be used to track pathways of disease and pest spread and to analyse past diets and movements of animal species, which is especially relevant for...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.