Notes on the threatened lowland forests of Mt Cameroon and their endemics including Drypetes burnleyae sp. nov., with a key to species of Drypetes sect. Stipulares (Putranjivaceae)

SummaryThis paper reports a further discovery of a new endemic threatened species to science in the context of botanical surveys in the lowland coastal forests of Mount Cameroon in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa. These studies now focus on species discovery and conservation through the Tropical Important Plant Areas programme. New species to science continue to be discovered from Mt Cameroon. Most of these species are rare, highly localised, and threatened by habitat destruction, increasing the justification for improved conservation management of surviving habitat. Drypetes burnleyae is placed in and keyed out in Drypetes sect. Stipulares, a group mostly confined to Lower Guinea, here adjusted to accommodate nine species. The conservation status of Drypetes burnleyae is assessed as Endangered (EN B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. An updated overview of the plant endemics of Mt Cameroon is presented.

Download Full-text

Notes on the threatened lowland forests of Mt Cameroon and their endemics including Drypetes njonji sp. nov., with a key to species of Drypetes sect. Stipulares (Putranjivaceae)

10.1101/825273 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Martin Cheek ◽

Nouhou Ndam ◽

Andrew Budden

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Central Africa ◽

Habitat Destruction ◽

Coastal Forests ◽

Additional Species ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Mount Cameroon ◽

Lowland Forests ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens

ABSTRACTBackground and aimsThis paper reports a further discovery of a new endemic threatened species to science in the context of long-term botanical surveys in the lowland coastal forests of Mount Cameroon specifically and generally in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa. These studies focus on species discovery and conservation through the Tropical Important Plant Areas programme.MethodsNormal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied to study the material collected. The relevant collections are stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London and at the Limbe Botanic Garden, Limbe, and the Institute of Research in Agronomic Development – National Herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.Key resultsNew species to science continue to be discovered from Mt Cameroon. Most of these species are rare, highly localised, and threatened by habitat destruction. These discoveries increase the justification for improved conservation management of surviving habitat. Drypetes njonji is described as an additional species new to science and appears to be endemic to the lowland coastal forests at the foot of Mt Cameroon. It is placed in and keyed out in Sect. Stipulares, a group confined to Lower Guinea. The conservation status of Drypetes njonji is assessed as Endangered (EN B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of IUCN. An updated overview of the lowland plant endemics of Mt Cameroon is presented.

Download Full-text

Notes on Tricalysia elmar sp. nov. (Rubiaceae, Coffeeae), and cloud forest of the Cameroon Highlands

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2020.1661 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 153 (1) ◽

pp. 167-176

Author(s):

Martin Cheek ◽

Isla Causon ◽

Barthelemy Tchiengue ◽

Eden House

Keyword(s):

Cloud Forest ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Central Africa ◽

Habitat Destruction ◽

Similar Species ◽

Botanical Survey ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Mt Kupe ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens

Background and aims – This paper reports a further discovery in the context of a long-term botanical survey in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa, focussing on species discovery and conservation.Methods – Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied to study the material collected. The relevant collections are stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London and at the Institute of Research in Agronomic Development – National Herbarium of Cameroon. Key results – Species new to science recently discovered from the cloud (submontane) forests of the Cameroon Highlands in Cameroon are reviewed. Most of these species are rare, highly localised, and threatened by habitat destruction. These discoveries increase the justification for improved conservation management of surviving habitat. Tricalysia elmar Cheek (Coffeeae-Rubiaceae) is described as an additional cloud forest species new to science. Its taxonomic position is discussed, and it is compared with similar species of the genus. Restricted so far to four locations, Mt Kupe, Bali Ngemba, Lebialem and Nta Ali, its conservation status is assessed as Endangered (EN B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of IUCN.

Download Full-text

Notes on the endemic cloud forest plants of the Cameroon Highlands and the new, Endangered,Tricalysia elmar(Coffeeae-Rubiaceae)

10.1101/709303 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Martin Cheek ◽

Isla Causon ◽

Barthelemy Tchiengue ◽

Eden House

Keyword(s):

Cloud Forest ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Central Africa ◽

Habitat Destruction ◽

Similar Species ◽

Additional Species ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Mt Kupe ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens ◽

Forest Plants

ABSTRACTBackground and aimsThis paper reports a further discovery in the context of a long-term botanical survey in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa, focussing on species discovery and conservation.MethodsNormal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied to study the material collected. The relevant collections are stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London and at the Institute of Research in Agronomic Development – National Herbarium of Cameroon.Key resultsNew species to science continue to be discovered from the cloud (submontane) forests of the Cameroon Highlands in Cameroon. Most of these species are rare, highly localised, and threatened by habitat destruction. These discoveries increase the justification for improved conservation management of surviving habitat.Tricalysia elmarCheek (Coffeeae-Rubiaceae) is described as an additional species new to science and is compared with similar species of the genus. Restricted so far to four locations, Mt Kupe, Bali Ngemba, Lebialem and Nta Ali, its conservation status is assessed as Endangered (EN B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of IUCN.

Download Full-text

Taxonomy of Atlantic Central African orchids 3. A new species of Bulbophyllum Thouars (Orchidaceae) from the Monts de Cristal, Gabon

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.177.1.2 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 177 (1) ◽

pp. 26 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tariq Stévart ◽

Jean Philippe Biteau ◽

Valérie Cawoy ◽

Vincent Droissart

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Leaf Shape ◽

Central Africa ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Preliminary Assessment ◽

Iucn Red List Categories ◽

Lowland Forests ◽

Distinguishing Features ◽

A New Species

Two specimens of an apparently new Bulbophylum species were found in the Monts de Cristal, Gabon. They have a unique leaf shape among the species of this genus in Continental Africa. The flower shares the general morphology of Bulbophyllum saltatorium, one of the most common members of Bulbophyllum in Central Africa. Eight other taxa of the Continental African Bulbophyllum possess unifoliate pseudobulbs and long hairs on the lip. Comparison with them indicates that the new collections from Gabon represent a distinctive species, not yet known in the genus. We describe it here as Bulbophyllum pauwelsianum. The distinguishing features of the species include its leaves, which are pendant, coriaceous, linear, semiterete and v-shaped in transverse section, and its sepals, which possess relatively long hairs on their margins. A table of the taxonomic treatments of the nine Continental African Bulbophyllum taxa considered here is included. A taxonomic key and a table of the diagnostic characters of these nine taxa are given to facilitate identification. The new species is restricted to lowland forests of the Monts de Cristal in Gabon. A preliminary assessment of the conservation status, using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria is provided.

Download Full-text

Notes on the plants of Bakossi, Cameroon, and the new Cola etugei and Cola kodminensis (Sterculiaceae s. str.)

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2020.1662 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 153 (1) ◽

pp. 108-119

Author(s):

Martin Cheek ◽

Barthelemy Tchiengue ◽

Isabel Baldwin

Keyword(s):

Cloud Forest ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Central Africa ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Tribal Area ◽

Mt Kupe ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens ◽

Endemic Plant Species

Background and aims – This paper reports a further discovery during preparation for a monograph of the genus Cola, and also in the context of a long-term botanical survey in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa, focussing on species discovery and conservation through the Tropical Important Plant Areas programme.Methods – Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied to study the material collected. The relevant collections are stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London (K) and at the Institute of Research in Agronomic Development – National Herbarium of Cameroon (YA). Key results – Two species new to science, small trees or shrubs of cloud forest, are formally named from the Bakossi tribal area and assessed for their conservation status. Cola etugei, is endemic to the western slopes of Mt Kupe with conservation status assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of IUCN. Cola kodminensis from the Bakossi Mts is also assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1+2ab(iii)). This publication increases the number of documented narrowly endemic, threatened species in the Bakossi tribal area, and helps make the case for formal protection of Mt Kupe, which with 33 endemic and near-endemic plant species remains an extremely high candidate for such protection. Further effort is needed to publish the remaining informally named species of this location, and investment to support the protection of the mountain by local communities.

Download Full-text

The use of herpetofauna and cultural values to identify priority conservation forests on Malaita, Solomon Islands.

Pacific Conservation Biology ◽

10.1071/pc140354 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 354 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Edgar Pollard ◽

Gilianne Brodie ◽

Randy Thaman ◽

Clare Morrison

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Cultural Values ◽

Local Community ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Solomon Islands ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Biological Indicator ◽

Coastal Forests ◽

Cultural Importance ◽

Lowland Forests

Due to limited financial and technical resources, there is a pressing need to identify priority areas and strategies for conservation globally. This study aims to prioritize important forest areas for conservation on the island of Malaita, Solomon Islands. Five different forest types were sampled to quantify biodiversity using the species richness of frogs and lizards (herpetofauna) as a biological indicator of conservation status. Unlogged coastal, unlogged lowland and unlogged upland forests have minimal disturbance whereas logged lowland forests and plantation teak forests are heavily disturbed. Subsequently, the effects of human modification on forest systems are also quantified based on anthropogenic disturbance. Interviews with local community members were conducted to gather associated local traditional knowledge on the cultural importance of frogs, lizards and forest habitats. Prioritization methods based on species richness, species uniqueness, cultural importance and threatened status are used to identify key forest areas. The four main results found are: 1) unlogged lowland forests have the greatest biodiversity value, 2) unlogged lowland forests also have the highest cultural value based on local uses, 3) logged lowland forests are biologically important, and 4) unlogged coastal forests and unlogged lowland forests are under the greatest threat from anthropogenic activities. Based on these results, the conservation of unlogged lowland forests on Malaita should be prioritized. These results also highlight the importance of combining biological sampling with cultural information to improve the efficiency and long-term success of conservation actions.

Download Full-text

Notes on the endemic plant species of the Ebo Forest, Cameroon, and the new, Critically Endangered, Palisota ebo (Commelinaceae)

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2018.1503 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 151 (3) ◽

pp. 434-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Martin Cheek ◽

Gerhard Prenner ◽

Barthélemy Tchiengué ◽

Robert B. Faden

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Central Africa ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Botanical Survey ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

Species Being

Download Full-text

A New Species of Eugenia subg. Pseudeugenia (Myrtaceae, Myrteae) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Systematic Botany ◽

10.1600/036364420x15935294613518 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (3) ◽

pp. 537-543

Author(s):

Karinne Sampaio Valdemarin ◽

Jair Eustáquio Quintino Faria ◽

Fiorella Fernanda Mazine ◽

Vinicius Castro Souza

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Forest Vegetation ◽

Vegetation Types ◽

Flower Buds ◽

Diagnostic Features ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Lowland Forests ◽

A New Species

Abstract—A new species of Eugenia from the Atlantic forest of Brazil is described and illustrated. Eugenia flavicarpa is restricted to the Floresta de Tabuleiro (lowland forests) of Espírito Santo state and is nested in Eugenia subg. Pseudeugenia. Considering all other species of the subgenus that occur in forest vegetation types of the Atlantic forest phytogeographic domain, Eugenia flavicarpa can be distinguished mainly by the combination of smooth leaves with indumentum on both surfaces, with two marginal veins, usually ramiflorous inflorescences, pedicels 4.5‐9.7 mm long, flower buds 3.5‐4 mm in diameter, and by the calyx lobes that are 2‐3 mm long with rounded to obtuse apices. Morphological analyses were performed to explore the significance of quantitative diagnostic features between the new species and the closely related species, Eugenia farneyi. Notes on the habitat, distribution, phenology, and conservation status of Eugenia flavicarpa are provided, as well as a key for all species of Eugenia subg. Pseudeugenia from forest vegetation of the Atlantic forest phytogeographic domain.

Download Full-text

Petrography and geochemistry of sulfurous volcanic scoria from mount Cameroon area, Central Africa: Implications for Au-PGE exploration

Journal of African Earth Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2021.104144 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 176 ◽

pp. 104144

Author(s):

Elisé Sababa ◽

Fuh Calistus Gentry ◽

Paul-Désiré Ndjigui ◽

Pierre Noah Onana ◽

Djimet Tetedjima Seyoa

Keyword(s):

Central Africa ◽

Mount Cameroon

Download Full-text

The role of ultraviolet reflectance and pattern in the pollination system of Hypoxis camerooniana (Hypoxidaceae)

AoB Plants ◽

10.1093/aobpla/plz057 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Yannick Klomberg ◽

Raissa Dywou Kouede ◽

Michael Bartoš ◽

Jan E J Mertens ◽

Robert Tropek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Central Africa ◽

Complete Removal ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Specific Pattern ◽

Flowering Plant ◽

Pollination System ◽

Mount Cameroon ◽

Uv Reflectance ◽

Montane Grasslands

Abstract Apart from floral morphology and colours perceived by the human eye, ultraviolet (UV) reflectance acts as an important visual advertisement of numerous flowering plant species for pollinators. However, the effect of UV signalling on attracting pollinators of particular plant species is still insufficiently studied, especially in the Afrotropics. Therefore, we studied the pollination system of Hypoxis camerooniana in montane grasslands of Mount Cameroon, West/Central Africa. We focused mainly on the effects of the flowers’ UV reflectance on its visitors. We experimentally removed UV reflection from petals either completely or partially. Thereafter, flower visitors were recorded and pistils were collected post-flowering to quantify germinated pollen tubes per treatments. The most important visitors were bees, followed by flies. Due to their contacts with reproductive organs bees are considered as the primary pollinators. Visitation rates were lower when UV reflectance was completely removed, whereas the decrease of frequency on half-treated flowers did not differ significantly from control treatments. The complete removal of UV also affected bees’ landing behaviour, but not that of flies. We showed that the presence of UV reflectance is more important than UV pattern for bees visiting flowers of H. camerooniana. We hypothesize that exploiting all flowers irrespective of their pattern can be more efficient for pollinators in the open grasslands of high altitudes to spot these relatively scarce flowers by their UV reflectance. Furthermore, we highlight the necessity of both experimental and natural controls in similar studies to control for additional effects of the used UV manipulations. Many plants advertise their flowers with UV reflectance visible to their insect visitors. By manipulating the UV reflectance and pattern of Hypoxis camerooniana in the Afromontane grasslands of Mount Cameroon, we have shown how crucial it is for the predominant visitor, bees. Both bees' preferences for flowers and their behaviour during visits are influenced by changes in UV reflectance. However, the presence of some UV signal is more important than the specific pattern. Especially in montane grasslands with higher UV irradiation, the UV floral colours are important for recognition of flowers by potential pollinators.

Download Full-text