Insect species thriving in verdant Cape world heritage site

Insects are thriving in one of South Africa's eight world heritage sites.

While working in the Cape floristic region, researchers from Stellenbosch University identified a positive correlation between insect and plant richness.

The researchers suggest that insect diversity is higher in the Cape than in other parts of the world with similar conditions because of the vast diversity of plant species.

"We assessed this relationship by looking at Restionaceae, one of the dominant plant families in the region, and [found that] plant species richness was a persistent significant predictor of insect richness," said Jurene Kemp and Allan Ellis, writing in the journal Plos ONE.

Known as South Africa's most important biodiversity area, the Cape floristic region is home to more than 9000 plant species.

Kevin Balkwill, president of the SA Association of Botanists, said that knowing how biodiversity was dispersed around the planet enabled scientists to prioritise areas for conservation.

"It helps us understand what factors contribute to a rich or poor number of species, which allows us to manage conservation more effectively," Balkwill said.