scholarly journals The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) – phase 2 successfully completed

Author(s):  
Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Charles R. Haddad

The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) was initiated in 1997, with the main aim of documenting the arachnid fauna of South Africa at a national level.

Author(s):  
Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Almie Van den Berg ◽  
Robin Lyle ◽  
Charles Haddad ◽  
Stefan Foord ◽  
...  

The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) was initiated in 1997 by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), with the main aim of documenting the Arachnid fauna of South Africa at a national level. Through their Endangered Species Programme, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) came on board for the project’s second phase, called SANSA II, from 2006 to 2010, in partnership with the ARC. During this four-year project an attempt was made to consolidate all available data on South African spiders into one database. This data was used to determine the spatial coverage of the already available data, and to determine where ‘gaps’ in the data lie to identify priority areas for focused field work. Due to extensive collecting done by SANSA field work managers, specimen bycatches from other research projects, student projects, and through public participation in collecting specimens, more than 40 degree square grids were sampled in previously poorly sampled areas. This effort has provided valuable material that has improved our knowledge of the distribution of species, and provided specimens for future taxonomic studies. All this data was used to compile the First Atlas of the Spider Species of South Africa, including georeferenced locality data, distribution maps and information on the level of endemicity of each species. Following SANSA II, 71 spider families, 471 genera and 2028 species are presently known in South Africa. The third phase of SANSA started in 2011 and several actions, such as Red Listing of species, a handbook series for all the biomes, publication of the atlas, and description of new species are underway.


Koedoe ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Astri Leroy ◽  
Marie De Jager ◽  
Annette Van den Berg

A check list of the spider species of the Karoo National Park collected over a period of 10 years is presented. Thirty-eight families, represented by 102 genera and 116 species have been collected. Of these species, 76 (66.4 ) were wanderers and 39 (33.6 ) web builders. The Araneidae have the highest number of species (14) followed by the Thomisidae (10) and the Gnaphosidae (8), while 14 families are represented by a single species. Information on spider guilds, their habitat preference and web types is provided. This study forms part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA).


Koedoe ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Annette Van den Berg ◽  
Lorenzo Prendini

Among other activities, the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) aims to survey the biodiversity of arachnids in protected areas of South Africa. The study presented here documents the diversity of spiders and scorpions collected from the Nylsvley Nature Reserve (NNR), South Africa over a 30-year period. The spider fauna of NNR contains 175 species (7.5% of the total recorded in South Africa), in 131 genera and 37 families. Thomisidae is the most diverse spider family in the reserve, with 33 species (18.9% of the total), followed by Salticidae, with 20 species (11.4%), and Araneidae, with 18 species (10.3%). The majority of species (125) are wandering spiders (71.4%), whereas 50 species (28.6%) build webs. Wandering grounddwelling spiders comprise 52 species, whereas 73 wandering species have been collected from the vegetation. A total of 158 species are new records for the reserve and Oxyopes tuberculatus Lessert, 1915 is newly recorded for South Africa. Six spider species may be new to science. The scorpion fauna of NNR comprises five species (5% of the total recorded in South Africa) in three genera and two families. Buthidae are more diverse in the reserve, with four species and two genera represented. The scorpion fauna of the reserve includes two fossorial and three epigeic species, representing five ecomorphotypes: semi-zpsammophilous, pelophilous, lithophilous, corticolous and lapidicolous. Five additional scorpion species may be recorded if the reserve is sampled more intensively using appropriate techniques.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Van der Merwe ◽  
Melville Saayman ◽  
Waldo Krugell

According to a national survey conducted in 2005, biltong hunters contribute significantly to conservation and the South African economy. This research indicated that the economic contribution of biltong hunting is just over R3 billion (US$ 500 million) per season. The aim of this article is to establish the determinants of biltong hunters’ spending in South Africa. This information could be used to increase spending by biltong hunters on tailor-made packages.The sample population included all members of the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association. A regression analysis was undertaken to identify the determinants of spending by biltong hunters. The main findings of the research indicated that income, number of game items hunted, number of days spent hunting and distance travelled are the main determinants.


Koedoe ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan M. Dippenaar ◽  
Ansie S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
Mogadi A. Modiba ◽  
Thembile T. Khoza

As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), spiders were collected from all the field layers in the Polokwane Nature Reserve (Limpopo Province, South Africa) over a period of a year (2005–2006) using four collecting methods. Six habitat types were sampled: Acacia tortillis open savanna; A. rehmanniana woodland, false grassland, riverine and sweet thorn thicket, granite outcrop; and Aloe marlothii thicket. A total of 13 821 spiders were collected (using sweep netting, tree beating, active searching and pitfall trapping) represented by 39 families, 156 determined genera and 275 species. The most diverse families are the Thomisidae (42 spp.), Araneidae (39 spp.) and Salticidae (29 spp.). A total of 84 spp. (30.5%) were web builders and 191 spp. (69.5%) wanderers. In the Polokwane Nature Reserve, 13.75% of South African species are presently protected.


Koedoe ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
A.X. González Reyes

As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) inventories are underway to determine the diversity of the South African Arachnida fauna (Dippenaar- Schoeman & Craemer 2000). Several SANSA projects are in progress, including inventories of the arachnid faunas of protected areas. One such project is an inventory of the Solifugae (sun spiders) from protected areas. Meaningful conservation can not take place if the species involved are not known.


Koedoe ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
M.S. Harvey

A check list of the Pseudoscorpiones of the class Arachnida of South Africa is presented. A total of 135 species and 10 subspecies of pseudoscorpions are known from South Africa, represented by seven superfamilies, 15 families and 65 genera. This represents about 4.4 of the world fauna. Of the 135 species, 97 species (73 ) are known only from South Africa, 33 species have a wider distribution pattern throughout the Afrotropical Region and three are cosmopolitan. This study forms part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA).


Koedoe ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman ◽  
A. Leroy

As part of the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA), projects are underway to determine the biodiversity of arachnids present in protected areas in South Africa. Spiders have been collected over a period of 16 years from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. A check list is provided consisting of 152 species, 116 genera and 40 families. This represents about 7.6 % of the total known South African spider fauna. Of the 152 species, 103 are new records for the park. The ground dwelling spiders comprise 58 species from 25 families. Of these, 21 % are web dwellers and 62 % free living, while 17 % live in burrows. From the plant layer, 94 species have been collected of which 53 % were web builders and 47 % free living wandering spiders.


Author(s):  
Shawren Singh

South Africa is a multi-lingual country with a population of about 40.5 million people. South Africa has more official languages at a national level than any other country in the world. Over and above English and Afrikaans, the eleven official languages include the indigenous languages: Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele, Tsonga, and Venda (Pretorius & Bosch, 2003). Figure 1 depicts the breakdown of the South African official languages as mother tongues for South African citizens. Although English ranks fifth (9%) as a mother tongue, there is a tendency among national leaders, politicians, business people, and officials to use English more frequently than any of the other languages. In a national survey on language use and language interaction conducted by the Pan South African Language Board (Language Use and Board Interaction in South Africa, 2000), only 22% of the respondents indicated that they fully understand speeches and statements made in English, while 19% indicated that they seldom understand information conveyed in English. The rate of electrification in South African is 66.1%. The total number of people with access to electricity is 28.3 million, and the total number of people without access to electricity is 14.5 million (International Energy Agency, 2002). Although the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” is narrowing, a significant portion of the South African population is still without the basic amenities of life. This unique environment sets the tone for a creative research agenda for HCI researchers and practitioners in South Africa.


Koedoe ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Modiba ◽  
S.M. Dippenaar ◽  
A.S. Dippenaar-Schoeman

The South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) was initiated to make an inventory of the arachnid fauna of South Africa. Various projects are underway to prepare inventories of the spider fauna of the different floral biomes and provinces of South Africa. During April and May 2004 five different collecting methods were sed to sample spiders from four slopes on Sovenga Hill, an inselberg situated in the Savanna Biome, near Polokwane, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. A total of 793 specimens represented by 29 families, 62 genera and 76 species were recorded over the twomonth period. The Thomisidae was the most abundant (n = 167) representing 21.1 % of all spiders sampled, followed by the Gnaphosidae (n = 101) with 12.7 % and the Lycosidae (n = 77) with 9.7 %. The most abundant species was a thomisid Tmarus comellini Garcia-Neto (n = 82), representing 10.3 % of the total, followed by a clubionid Clubiona godfreyi Lessert (n = 66) with 8.3 %. The Thomisidae was the most species-rich family with 12 species, followed by the Gnaphosidae with 11 species and the Araneidae with 10 species. Of the species collected 83.9 % were wandering spiders and 16.1 % web builders. This is the first quantitative survey of the Savanna Biome in the Polokwane area.


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