Threatened Plant Species in Fernkloof
The Red List of South African plants gives the conservation status of all 20255 indigenous species in South Africa.
Most are labelled LC (Least Concern) as their existence is not threatened. However 4734 species are threatened to some degree and have been accorded the appropriate conservation status. The Red List is updated annually on the SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) website www.redlist.sanbi.org
12% of plants in Fernkloof Nature Reserve are threatened to some degree and have been labelled according to their Threatened status. They are highlighted as follows:
| Critically Endangered | A species is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the five IUCN criteria for Critically Endangered and is therefore facing an extreme high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Endangered | A species is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the five IUCN criteria for Endangered and is therefore facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Vulnerable | A species is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the five IUCN criteria for Vulnerable and is therefore facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. |
| Near Threatened | A species is Near Threatened when available evidence indicates that it nearly meets any of the IUCN criteria for Vulnerable, and is therefore likely to become at risk of extinction in the near future. |
| Rare | A species is Rare when it meets any of the four South African criteria for Rarity, but it is not exposed to any direct or plausible potential threat and does not qualify for a category of threat according to the five IUCN criteria. |
