Abstract
South Africa is considered to be one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. The conversion, degradation, and fragmentation of natural habitats have caused a loss of biodiversity in many areas. Grasslands have been widely recognised as important for both biodiversity and economic development. Many conservation efforts have in the past been theory driven, without actionable, feasible results. We hypothesised that correct implementation of the available data will indicate where conservation efforts should be focused to move closer to achieving targets for biodiversity conservation in the Grassland Biome in South Africa. We identified an area (near Heilbron and Petrus Steyn in the Free State) that is representative of the biodiversity in the region and is suitable for modern conservation efforts in the ‘real world’. This approach provides a practical look at conservation in the modern era and a feasible result for conservation efforts.Significance:
 
 An area in the Free State Province was identified that has a high level of biodiversity representative of the Grassland Biome in South Africa. A subjective process was implemented to ensure that the area represents the factors that are considered important for conservation, land use and appropriate location in order to make the area a feasible target for conservation. The result therefore represents not only a theoretical finding that is based on data analysis, but also a practical approach to ensure that the findings can be implemented. This study is an effort to provide a baseline for a more modern approach to conservation, in which current land use, economic value and conservation value are all considered to achieve a sustainable result in terms of the conservation of biodiversity.
Highlights
The need for conservationGrasslands have been widely recognised as important for both biodiversity and economic development
This study was a scientific exercise, but involved many subjective inputs. This approach constitutes a radical change in relation to previous conservation plans that lack subjective input for streamlining the possibility of implementation
The vast amount of data available are not being translated into action, rendering the data without purpose in the application of conservation
Summary
Grasslands have been widely recognised as important for both biodiversity and economic development They occur within a range of climates from semi-arid (400 mm mean annual precipitation) to moist (1000 mm mean annual precipitation).[1]. The Grassland Biome is the second largest biome in South Africa and covers 29% of South Africa’s land area (339 237 km[2]). It harbours many species of birds, mammals, reptiles and butterflies and it is the preferred habitat for South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane (Anthropoides paradiseus), the critically endangered blue swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea), oribi (Ourebia ourebi) and the vulnerable sungazer lizard (Smaug giganteus). The Grassland Biome is considered to have extremely high species diversity, second only to the well-known Fynbos Biome, and includes many rare and threatened species, but is one of the most critically threatened southern African ecosystems.[3]
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