Term

Explanation

Biological diversity or biodiversity

The variability among living organisms from all sources including, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part, and includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Translocation

The human-mediated movement of living organisms from one area to another (IUCN SSC 2013); in the context of this document, translocation is used broadly to include: release from rehabilitation facilities into the wild in a different place from the origin, the introduction or re-introduction into the wild from another location, the release of a captive individuals into the wild, the movement of problem animals to another location. The release into the wild may be intentional or unintentional (escape), and may happen within the former natural range or introduced outside of the natural range.

Introduction

The intentional movement and release of an individual outside its natural range (such individuals would then be known as extra-limital) (IUCN SSC 2013).

Re-introduction

The intentional movement and release of an individual inside its indigenous range from which it has disappeared (IUCN SSC 2013), including species that have undergone de-extinction. Synonyms include augmentation, supplementation, restocking and enhancement (plants only).

Conservation management unit, CMU

A distinct group of individuals within a species that require management interventions. CMUs may exist at or below the species level.

Evolutionarily significant unit, ESU

A population or group of populations within a species that are evolving independently due to geographic isolation or isolation by distance.

Genetic management unit, GMU

Distinct genetic subgroups which are not as different from each other as ESUs. There is some gene flow between these units.

Gene flow

The movement of genes into or out of a population.

Import

Bringing animals into the Republic of South Africa from another country; import has the same legal meaning when used in the context of bringing organisms into one province from another.

Hybridisation

The breeding of individuals from different species or genetically distinct populations.

Isolation-by-distance, IBD

The differences between populations at opposite ends of a continuous distribution if dispersal distances are relatively low; useful for determining the distribution of gene frequencies over a geographic region.

Inbreeding

Natural, indigenous or natural distribution range

The known or inferred distribution generated from historical (written or verbal) records, or physical evidence of the species’ occurrence within the past 500 years. Where direct evidence is inadequate to confirm previous occupancy, the existence of suitable habitat within ecologically appropriate proximity to proven range may be taken as adequate evidence of previous occupation (IUCN SSC 2013). The indigenous range excludes areas where individuals have been introduced.

Species

A kind of animal, plant or other organism that does not normally interbreed with individuals of another kind, and includes any subspecies, cultivar, variety, geographic race, strain, hybrid or geographically separate population.

Indigenous species

A species that occurs, or has historically occurred, naturally in a free state in nature within the borders of the Republic, and that has not been introduced in the Republic as a result of human intervention, and includes migratory species.

Population

a group of geographically isolated individuals of a species or otherwise distinct group in a species (e.g. ESU), between which there is little demographic or genetic exchange

Metapopulation

A collection of populations that experience a certain degree of gene flow among them.