NASA planes begin Cape biome survey

NASA, in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the University of Cape Town, is conducting the BioSCape biodiversity research project in the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR).

The project uses satellite and airborne data, along with field observations, to study biodiversity in two global hot spots. BioSCape aims to understand biodiversity patterns, its impact on ecosystems, and climate change effects.

Dr. Jasper Slingsby, the South African lead scientist, emphasizes the project’s significance in informing conservation strategies and developing technologies for monitoring nature’s contributions.

NRF-SAEON, a leading partner, expresses commitment to using BioSCape data for environmental management decisions. The project, launched in 2021, is set to conclude in 2024, with data collection ongoing until December 2023.

Earlier this month, the Western Cape government also met with NASA to discuss the potential of a Deep Space Ground Station, in Matjiesfontein, right here in the Western Cape. The collaboration seeks to assist NASA in achieving the objectives of the Artemis programme, to further explore the moon’s surface and to send the first astronauts to Mars. The station would mainly be used as a bridge to maintain constant communication with distant space vehicles.

The current aerial monitoring project forms part of a broader conservation program to enhance protection and promotion of indigenous biodiversity. The City of Cape Town has pushed for six additional nature reserves, and the expansion of existing ones.

The Cape biome forms one of the most unique and diverse floral habitats in the world, and is increasingly under threat from invasive species, particularly Australian imports, as well as informal settlements.

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