Grassland (28.9%)
Nama-Karoo(20.6%)
Albany Thicket (2.8%)
Succulent Karoo (6.9%)
Savannah (33.2%)
Desert (0.6%)
Forests (0.4%)
Fynbos (6.6%)
Taxa (groups of
species)
Number of known Species
South Africa
World
South African
Species as % of
earth’s known
species
Mammals
295
5.8%
Birds
880
8.0%
Amphibians
110
2.1%
Reptiles
286
4.6%
Freshwater fish
220
1.3%
Marine fish
2150
16.0%
Insects
80 000
5.5%
Vascular plants (e.g.
flowering plants,
conifers, cycads and
ferns
23 420
7.5%
 ENDEMIC: when a species is only found in
ONE specific area or habitat in the world
 SA = 5th -richest country in Africa
 SA = 24th-richest in the world
 3 Hotspots:
1. SUCCULENT KAROO
2. FYNBOS
3. MAPUTALAND-PONDOLAND-ALBANY
 Species and ecosystem diversity ensures the




health of our planet.
Loss of biodiversity leads to unstable
ecosystems
Also the loss of clean water, fresh air , food
and medicines.
HUMAN ACTIVITIES contribute to loss of
species 100 to 1000 times faster than before
Worldwide = we’re losing 70 species a day.








HABITAT DESTRUCTION
Cutting down indigenous forests
Filling in wetlands
Damming up rivers
Clearing land for new settlements
When species lose habitats …..
They are deprived of food and shelter
Isolated from others – leads to in breeding
(loss of genetic diversity)
 HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH
 Increased demand on energy, food,
minerals
 Using more land, water, trees, fossil
fuels. Minerals, plants and animals
 Increased usage – devastating effects
on biodiversity
 Climate change (global warming)
 AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY
 Indigenous, natural vegetation is cleared
for cultivation and afforestation
 Wetlands are filled to create more land
for farming
 Overgrazing destroys natural vegetation
 Results in soil erosion




INDUSTRY AND MINING
Industries pollute water, air and soil
Destroy natural habitats
Timber industry – loss of habitat for
wildlife
 Trade in wildlife- rhino horn, buchu
 Invasive species (black wattle)
 Food and medicine for everyone
 Aesthetic value
 Tourism potential
Bryophytes (e.g. Mosses)
Pteridophytes (e.g. Ferns, horsetails)
ORIGIN OF
PLANTS
EARLY
VASCULAR
PLANTS
FIRST SEED
PLANTS
Gymnosperms (e.g. Conifers, Cycads)
RADIATION OF
FLOWERING
PLANTS
Angiosperms
OORSPRONG
VAN PLANTE
VROEË
VAATPLANTE
Briofiete (bv. Mosse)
Pteridofiete (bv. Varings, perdesterte)
Gimnosperme (bv. Konifere, sikadieë)
EERSTE
SAADPLANTE
UITSTRALING
VAN
BLOMPLANTE
Angiosperme
PERIOD
NUMBER
OF
MILLIONS
OF YEARS
AGO (MYA)
SILURIAN
435-410
MYA
EARLY
DEVONIAN
LATE
DEVONIAN
EARLY
CRETACEOUS
EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT
Land plants evolve from aquatic algae. A cuticle
reduces moisture loss. Sex organs have
protective coat to protect the gametes and
embryos
410 MYA
Land plants develop vascular tissue to conduct
water and food, and give structural support
360 MYA
Some plants develop seeds, which protect the
embryo from drying out
135 MYA
Flowering plants appear. Flowers attract
pollinators. Ovaries (fruit) protect the
developing seeds.
PERIODE
AANTAL
MILJOENE
JARE
GELEDE
(MJG)
SILUUR
435-410
MJG
VROEË
DEVOON
LAAT
DEVOON
EVOLUSIONÊRE ONTWIKKELING
Landplante ontwikkel uit akwatiese alge. ‘n
kutikula verminder vogverlies.
Voortplantingsorgane het ‘n beskermende lagie
om die gamete en embrio’s te beskerm.
410 MJG
Landplante ontwikkel vaatweefsel om water en
voedsel te gelei, en verleen strukturele steun.
360 MJG
Sommige plante ontwikkel sade, wat die embrio
teen uitdroging beskerm.
VROEË KRYT
135 MJG
Blomplante verskyn. Blomme lok bestuiwers.
Vrugbeginsels (vrugte) beskerm die
ontwikkelende sade.
Plantdiversiteit
Algemene eienskappe –aanwesig / afwesig
 Vaatweefsel / Vascular Tissue
 Ware wortels / blare / True roots; leaves
 Sade / spore /Seeds / spores
 Vrugte / Fruit
 Hul afhanklikheid van water vir voortplanting
/ dependency on water for reproduction
*
BRIOFIETE – Bryophyta (BRYOPHYTES)
* PTEROFIETE – Pterophyta (PTERIDOPHYTES)
* SPERMATOPHYTA (SAADPLANTE MET
TWEE GROEPE) (SPERMATOPHYTES- 2 Groups)
1.
GIMNOSPERME - GYMNOSPERMS
2.
ANGIOSPERME - ANGIOSPERMS
 Habitat
- skaduryk /shady places
- klam /moist
* Struktuur /Structure
- klein plantjies small
- 1 tot 5 cm hoog/high
- nie ware wortels,
stingels, blare,
vaatweefsel (tallus)/no true
roots, stems leaves or
vascular tissue (thallus)
 Nie goed aangepas vir lewe
op land nie
 Kutikula is afwesig/delikaat
 Hele plantoppervlak kan
water absorbeer of verloor
 Tallusplant (nie ware
wortels, stingels of blare nie)
 Geleidende en versterkende
weefsel is swak ontwikkel
 Not well adapted for life on




land
Cuticle either absent/delicate
Entire surface of plant can
absorb or lose water
Thallus (primitive roots,
stems and leaves)
Conducting and
strengthening tissue poorly
developed
Briofiete bestaan eintlik uit twee groepe:
die blaarmosse en die lewermosse
Veenmos/ Peat moss
(Sphagnum)
Life cycle of moss plant
Ecological Importance of moss
 Pioneer plant – first to grow in new area
 Plays an important role in Plant succession
 E.g. mosses trap dust and organic material- organic
material rots – produces acids – acids break down
rock to form soil particles – seed of large tree falls on
mossy carpet - germinates
 Bind soil, prevent erosion
 Soil richer in organic matter
 Economic value – source of peat (marshland with
carbonized plant material)
Ecological Importance of moss
 Pionierplant – groei eerste in nuwe area
 Plantsuksessie
 E.g. mosse vang stof en organiese materiaal vasorganiese materiaal verrot – produseer sure – sure
breek af rots tot grondpartikels – sade van groot
bome val op mosmat - ontkiem
 Bind grond voorkom erosie
 Grond is ryker aan organiese stowwe
 Ekonomiese waarde – bron van veen (moerasgrond
met halfverkoolde plantstowwe)
 Habitat :
- Moist , shady
klam, skaduryke plekke
* Structure:
- Sporophyte – roots,
stem (rhizome),
compound leaves
Sporofiet - wortels,
stingel (risoom),
saamgestelde blare
 2de stap in evolusie
 Besit vaatweefsel (xileem en floeëm) –
(versterkende en geleidende weefsel)
 Ware wortels – anker in grond +
absorbeer water en mineraalsoute
 Blare en stingels is gedifferensieer
(sterkte en ondersteuning)
 Bogrondse dele = kutikula (om
waterverlies te verminder)
 Blare het stomata vir gaswisseling
 2nd step in evolution
 Have conducting tissue (xylem and
phloem) – (strengthening and vascular)
 True roots – anchor in soil + absorb
water and mineral salts
 Leaves and stems are differentiated
(strength and support)
 Parts above ground = cuticle (to
reduce loss of water)
 Leaves have stomata for gaseous
exchange
Life cycle of fern
risoiede
 Ekologies – rol in
 Ecological– role in plant
plantopvolging
succession, replace
(suksessie), vervang
mosses
mosse
 aesthetic – gardens,
 Esteties – tuine,
blommerangskikkings floral arrangements
 Medicinal – as tea,
 Medisinaal –
prevent cough outbursts
vratvarings as tee,
keer hoesbuie sap of leaf as enema
blaarsap as enema
(injection of liquid in
(inspuiting van
rectum
vloeistof in rektum
abscesses
absesse
• Ekonomies - tropiese • Economical - tropical
boomvaring –as
tree fern as building
boumateriaal
material
 400 MYA
 400 MJG
 Most land plants grew in
swamps (WHY?)
 Meeste landplante groei
in moerasse (WAAROM?
 Depended on moist
 Afhanklik van water vir
environment for
reproduction
 3rd stage in evolution =
breakthrough to survive
in drier areas WHY?
DEVELOPMENT OF
SEEDS
voortplanting
 3de stadium van
evolusie = deurbraak om
in droër habitats te
oorleef. Waarom?
ONTWIKKELING VAN
SADE
Gimnosperme (250-140 Mjg) Angiosperme (120 Mjg)
- Gamete binne-in keëls gedra
- Gamete in blomme gedra
- Ware wortels, stingels en blare - Ware wortels, stingels en blare
- Beter-ontwikkelde geleidende - Beter-ontwikkelde geleidende
-
en versterkende weefsel
Vroulike keëls vervaardig
saadknoppies
Manlike keëls – stuifmeel
(onafhanklik van water – wind)
Saadknoppe naak - nie deur
vrug beskerm nie
700 spesies
en versterkende weefsel
- Saadknop deur vrugbeginsel
omsluit
- Een / twee saadlobbe
-
 235 000 spesies
Gymnosperms (250-140 Mya) Angiosperms (120 Mya)
- Gametes in cones
- Gametes carried in flowers
- True roots, stems and leaves
- True roots, stems and leaves
- Better developed conducting
- Better developed conducting
-
-
-
and strengthening tissue
Female cones produce ovules
Male cones – produce pollen
(independent of water – wind)
Seeds are naked - not
protected inside a fruit
700 spesies
and strengthening tissue
- Produce ovules within an ovary
- Mono-/ dicotolydenous
 235 000 species
 Habitat
different types – cold , windy , dry, sandy (koud,
winderig, droog, sanderig)
sporophyte – large tree, well-developed
taproot system( to obtain water, anchor) (groot
bome, goed ontwikkelde penwortelstelsel (om
water te absorbeer, anker)
Leaves - waxy layer (prevent water loss)Blare –
kutikula (wasagtige laag-voorkom waterverlies
 Immergroen – vir
Fotosintese
 Evergreen – for
Photosynthesis
 Houtpulp + papier
 Wood pulp + paper
 Timmerhout vir boubedryf Timber wood for building
industry
 Hout vir meubels
 Bosbouplantasies – 53,3%  Wood for furniture
oppervlakte
 Plantations – 53,3%
surface
 Hars – vir vernis
 Terpentyn – uit dennehout Resin – for varnish
 Turpentine – from pine
wood
 Building industry e.g. floor boards, roof beams
 Famous antiques
 Ripe fruits eaten by bats, bush pigs, birds
 Birds roost in dense crown
 Boubedryf bv. Vloerplanke, dakbalke
 Bekende antieke ware
 Ryp vrugte geëet deur vlermuise, bosvarke en
voëls
 Voëls slaap in digte kroon
Angiosperme (blomplante)
Angiosperms ( flowering plants)
Grootste / mees uiteenlopende plantgroep
largest group of plants (235 000 species)
Habitat :
- mesofiete mesophytes
- watervoorraad middelmatig (meeste)
average water (most)
- hidrofiete hydrophytes : in water
- xerofiete (bv vetplante) xerophytes (eg.
succulents) : baie droë gebiede, very dry and
arid areas
- Sporophytes (flowering plants) have true roots,
stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds
- Well-developed vascular system
- Taproot system (store food) e.g. Beetroot
- Stems (underground, store food) e.g potatoes
- Ware wortels, stingels, blare, vrugte en sade
- Goed ontwikkelde geleidingsweefsel
- Penwortelstelsel (berg voedsel) bv. Beet
- Stingels (ondergronds, berg voedsel) bv.
aartappels
meeldraad
stamper
ginesium
ovarium
ovulum
megaspoor
mikrospoor
stuifmeelkorrel
Verdeel 3 keer
deur mitose
poolkerne
Eiersel/ovum
 Agricultural – major food source e.g. wheat, rice,
maize, potatoes
 Biofuels
 Economic – building material eg Eucalyptus
 Cultural - thatching reeds (restios)
 Aesthetic – attract tourists
 Medicinal – acetyl-salicylic acid from willow bark
to treat leukaemia,
 Quinine from bark of cinchona tree -malaria
 Landbou – hoofbron van voedsel bv. koring, rys,
mielies, aartappels
 Bio-brandstof
 Ekonomie – boumateriaal bv. Eucalyptus/Bloekom
 Kultureel - strooidakke / riete (restios)
 Esteties – aanloklikheid vir toeriste
 Medisinaal – asetiel-salisielsuur van wilgerboombas
om leukemie te behandel
 Kinabas van Kinaboom – behandel malaria
 BRYOPHYTES




No vascular tissue
No true leaves and roots
Spores
Depend on water for
fertilisation
 PTERIDOPHYTES
 Vascular tissue
 True leaves and roots
 Spores
 Depend on water for fertilisation
 GYMNOSPERMS
 ANGIOSPERMS
 Vascular tissue
 Vascular tissue
 True leaves and roots
 True leaves and roots
 Seeds
 Seeds
 Fertilisation independent
 Fertilisation independent of
of water
water
 BRIOFIETE
 PTERIDOFIETE

 Geen ware blare en wortels 

 Spore

 Afhanklik van water vir
 Geen vaatweefsel
bevrugting
Besit vaatweefsel
Ware blare en wortels
spore
Afhanklik van water vir
bevrugting
 GIMNOSPERME
 ANGIOSPERME
 Vaatweefsel
 Vaatweefsel
 Ware blare en wortels
 Ware blare en wortels
 Sade
 Sade
 Bevrugting onafhanklik
 Bevrugting onafhanklik
van water
van water