scholarly journals Distribution and conservation status of the Endangered pepperbark tree Warburgia salutaris (Canellaceae) in Swaziland

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meshack N. Dludlu ◽  
Priscilla S. Dlamini ◽  
Gugu F. Sibandze ◽  
Vusumuzi S. Vilane ◽  
Cliff S. Dlamini

AbstractThe Endangered Warburgia salutaris (Bertol. f.) Chiov. (Canellaceae), a sought-after medicinal plant in southern Africa, is on the verge of extinction as a result of overexploitation for illegal trade. As part of formulating a conservation strategy for the species in Swaziland we sought to determine its distribution and population status and to revise its national conservation status. Field surveys were conducted in all physiographic regions of Swaziland. Eighteen locations of species presence were found, of which 14 were new records. Three were within protected areas, and seven were in areas worthy of protection. The largest subpopulations occurred in two of the latter areas, Ngudzeni and Sitsatsaweni (351 and 230 individuals, respectively), and one unprotected area, Bulunga (250 individuals). Warburgia salutaris has a severely fragmented distribution and an area of occupancy of 192 km2. Of 700 mature individuals 38% were ring-barked and 7% felled, and some subpopulations had ring-barked juveniles. This indicates a plausible decline in number of mature individuals. Most localities in unprotected areas are eroded and invaded by alien plants, indicating a decline in habitat quality. Our findings indicate that W. salutaris should be categorized as Endangered nationally based on criteria B2ab (iii,v). Although this status implies a lower level of threat than the previous national categorization as Critically Endangered, it does not imply an improved conservation effort in the country, but rather a more accurate assessment based on more data. We have clarified the conservation status of W. salutaris in Swaziland, discovered some previously undocumented subpopulations and identified potential conservation interventions. We recommend that this information be used in setting priorities to ensure conservation of the species.

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 296-302
Author(s):  
IYAN ROBIANSYAH ◽  
DODO DODO ◽  
ARIEF HAMIDI

Robiansyah I, Dodo, Hamidi A. 2019. Population status of endemic tree kokoleceran (Vatica bantamensis) in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 296-302. Kokoleceran (Vatica bantamensis) is an endemic tree found only in Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP), Banten, Indonesia, and is classified as Endangered by IUCN Red List. To develop effective conservation measures of threatened plants, current information on population status and distribution of the species is needed. Thus in the present study, a targeted survey of kokoleceran was conducted in UKNP aiming at mapping the distribution of the species, measuring current population size and structure, assessing the habitat preferences, and identifying threats to the species. Using a non-random adaptive cluster sampling, a total of 27 clusters harboring 280 individuals of kokoleceran was located, of which 20 % were in mature stage. All these individuals were only found in Mount Payung and its surrounding areas, and formed an inverse-J-shaped population structure pattern. The species was estimated to have an area of occupancy and extent of occurrence of 8 km2. The invasive langkap palm (Arenga obtusifolia, Arecaceae) was identified as the main threat for kokoleceran. Based on these results, kokoleceran appears to more than justify its conservation status of Critically Endangered B1ab(iii,v) +2ab(iii,v); C2a(ii).


Oryx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ballesteros ◽  
Ana Foronda ◽  
Eva María Cañadas ◽  
Julio Peñas ◽  
Juan Lorite

AbstractOnonis tridentata L. subsp. crassifolia (Leguminosae) is a narrow endemic plant restricted to gypsum outcrops in south-east Spain. Its habitat and populations are currently threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. Because of the paucity of information concerning its distribution, abundance and response to disturbance, we assessed its status and evaluated the impacts of quarrying, ploughing, grazing and afforestation. Distribution and population size were estimated by field surveys, censuses and mapping. We measured cover, plant volume, fruit and seed production, seed predation and seedling recruitment to asses any effects of disturbance. The species’ area of occupancy is 1.6 km2 and its extent of occurrence 337 km2, in 29 habitat patches and 16 populations between 705 and 1,125 m altitude, and its population size was estimated to be 531,605. Quarrying, ploughing, overgrazing and afforestation negatively affected the species, in this order. We recommend this subspecies be categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. A species recovery plan is required, and the ecological restoration of altered areas would mitigate negative effects on the species and improve the overall conservation of gypsum habitats.


Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
María M. Torres-Martínez ◽  
Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves ◽  
Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano ◽  
Fernando C. Passos

Abstract The brown hairy dwarf porcupine Coendou vestitus is a poorly studied Andean species endemic to Colombia. Its current Red List category is contradictory: globally it is categorized as Data Deficient but in Colombia it is categorized as Vulnerable. This contradiction has limited the implementation of conservation programmes. We evaluate the level of rarity of the species and provide consolidated information for a new assessment of its Red List status. We reviewed literature, photographs, and voucher specimens in natural history collections. Using the confirmed records, we estimated the extent of occurrence (EOO) based on the minimum convex polygon and the area of occupancy (AOO) summing the area of grid squares occupied by the species. We found that C. vestitus is very rare, with a small range, low estimated population density, occurrence in only one habitat type and small body size. The species has an EOO of 3,323 km2 and an AOO of 24 km2, based on six confirmed localities, all on the western slopes of the Eastern Cordillera, in the central Andean region of Colombia. Based on the species' rarity, restricted distribution, and threats to its natural habitat, we recommend its categorization as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This will help delineate research and conservation efforts for this porcupine, which has a highly restricted range and inhabits the threatened Andean forest.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 266 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANTHONY R. MAGEE ◽  
ODETTE E. CURTIS ◽  
B-E. VAN WYK

Extensive field surveys of the Critically Endangered Central and Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld have uncovered that Notobubon striatum, as currently circumscribed, comprises two distinct species. Upon careful examination of the type material it has become clear that names exist for both species. The type specimen of N. striatum clearly matches the lesser known species, a large shrub, ca. 1 m. tall, with a powerful anise-scent and which is restricted to the banks of seasonal rivers and watercourses in the Central and Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld. The second and better known entity, with a wider distribution, corresponds to the type material of Dregea collina Ecklon & Zeyher. As such, a new combination, Notobubon collinum (Ecklon & Zeyher) Magee, is here made to accommodate this taxon, restricted to dry quartz and silcrete patches or outcrops in Eastern Rûens Shale Renosterveld. In their revised circumscriptions N. striatum and N. collinum are readily distinguished by habit, scent, leaf size and division, as well as leaf lobe shape and sepal size. Comprehensive descriptions of both species are provided, together with notes on their ecology and conservation status, and the existing key to the species of Notobubon updated. This brings the number of recognised species in the genus to thirteen.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
ESTEBAN BOTERO-DELGADILLO ◽  
NICHOLAS BAYLY ◽  
CAMILA GÓMEZ ◽  
PAULO C. PULGARÍN-R. ◽  
CARLOS ANDRÉS PÁEZ

SummaryThe Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner Automolus rufipectus is one of 19 endemic bird species found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM) in northern Colombia but until recently it was considered a sub-species of the Ruddy Foliage-gleaner Automolus rubiginosus. Consequently, published information on its distribution and ecology is lacking, and while it is classified as near- threatened, this designation was based on limited quantitative data. To improve our knowledge of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner’s geographical distribution, elevation range, population density, habitat use and conservation status, we analysed both historical and recent site locality records and carried out variable distance transects within forested habitats and shade coffee plantations. We modelled the environmental niche of the species and subsequently estimated its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, as well as population size. Our results consistently showed that the distribution of the Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner is more restricted than previously considered, both geographically and by elevation (we redefine elevation range as 600–1,875 m). This suggests that the species is more at risk of habitat transformation and combined with our estimates of population size (< 10,000 individuals), it is likely that the species will be uplisted to a higher threat category. More positively, and contrary to published accounts, we found that approximately 40% of the species’ range lies within protected areas. Nevertheless, we recommend the implementation of strategies to maintain forest cover on the western flank of the SNSM and further research to better define the species’ habitat needs and population dynamics.


Oryx ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter J. Reisinger ◽  
Devi M. Stuart-Fox ◽  
Barend F.N. Erasmus

We quantified habitat associations and evaluated the conservation status of a recently identified, undescribed species of dwarf chameleon, Bradypodion sp. nov. Dhlinza, endemic to scarp forest remnants in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. At the microhabitat scale the Dhlinza dwarf chameleon was found more often in forest gaps and near paths than highly disturbed edges or forest interior. Chameleon presence was not explained by forest physiognomic variables such as vine cover, shrub and tree density, or canopy cover. Presence near gaps may be better explained by the combined effects of the thermal microenvironment and food availability. The species is moderately common where it occurs, with estimated densities of 4.7, 8.7 and 29.7 individuals per ha within forest interior, edges and gaps respectively. At the landscape scale, the chameleon occurs only in three remnant forests: the Dhlinza, Entumeni and Ongoye Forests. The species' extent of occurrence was estimated to be 88 km2 and its area of occupancy 49 km2. Based on the small area of remaining suitable habitat, this species meets the requirements for categorization as Endangered according to IUCN Red List criteria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iyan Robiansyah ◽  
Wita Wardani

Abstract. Robiansyah I, Wardani W. 2020. Increasing accuracy: The advantage of using open access species occurrence database in the Red List assessment. Biodiversitas 21: 3658-3664. IUCN Red List is the most widely used instrument to assess and advise the extinction risk of a species. One of the criteria used in IUCN Red List is geographical range of the species assessed (criterion B) in the form of extent of occurrence (EOO) and/or area of occupancy (AOO). While this criterion is presumed to be the easiest to be completed as it is based mainly on species occurrence data, there are some assessments that failed to maximize freely available databases. Here, we reassessed the conservation status of Cibotium arachnoideum, a tree fern distributed in Sumatra and Borneo. This species was previously assessed by Praptosuwiryo (2020, Biodiversitas 21 (4): 1379-1384) which classified the species as Endangered (EN) under criteria B2ab(i,ii,iii); C2a(ii). Using additional data from herbarium specimens recorded in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) website and from peer-reviewed scientific papers, in the present paper we show that C. arachnoideum has a larger extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO), more locations and different conservation status compared to those in Praptosuwiryo (2020). Our results are supported by the predicted suitable habitat map of C. arachnoideum produced by MaxEnt modelling method. Based on our assessment, we propose the category of Vulnerable (VU) C2a(i) as the global conservation status for C. arachnoideum. Our study implies the advantage of using open access databases to increase the accuracy of extinction risk assessment under the IUCN Red List criteria in regions like Indonesia, where adequate taxonomical information is not always readily available.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil J. Bouchet ◽  
Deborah Thiele ◽  
Sarah A. Marley ◽  
Kelly Waples ◽  
Frank Weisenberger ◽  
...  

Implementing conservation measures for data-limited species is a fundamental challenge for wildlife managers and policy-makers, and proves difficult for cryptic marine animals occurring in naturally low numbers across remote seascapes. There is currently scant information on the abundance and habitat preferences of Australian snubfin dolphins (Orcaella heinsohni) throughout much of their geographical range, and especially within the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia. Such knowledge gaps curtail rigorous threat assessments on both local and regional scales. To address this and assist future conservation listings, we built the first comprehensive catalog of snubfin dolphin sightings for the Kimberley. We used these data to estimate the species’ extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) along the region’s 7,000 km coastline, following a simple Bootstrap bivariate kernel approach to combine datasets of varying quality and quantify uncertainty. Our catalog consists of 1,597 visual detections of snubfin dolphins made over a period of 17 years (2004–2020) and collated from multiple sources, including online biodiversity repositories, peer-reviewed scientific articles, citizen science programs, as well as dedicated marine wildlife surveys with local Indigenous communities and Ranger groups. Snubfin dolphins were consistently encountered in shallow waters (&lt;21 m depth) close to (&lt;15 km) freshwater inputs, with high detection rates in known hotspots (e.g., Roebuck Bay, Cygnet Bay) as well as in coastal habitats suspected to be suitable (e.g., Prince Regent River and surrounds, King Sound, Doubtful Bay, Napier Broome Bay and the upper Cambridge Gulf). Bootstrap estimates of EOO and AOO were 38,300 (95% CI: 25,451–42,437) km2 and 700 (656–736) km2 respectively, suggesting that snubfin dolphins in the Kimberley are likely Vulnerable under IUCN criteria B2 at a regional scale, in keeping with their global classification. Our study offers insights into the distribution of a vulnerable coastal cetacean species and demonstrates the value of integrating multiple data sources for informing conservation assessments in the face of uncertainty.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e70549
Author(s):  
Jordi Bou ◽  
Lluís Vilar

The sessile oak forests found on the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula are ascribed to the Lathyro-Quercetumpetraeae association and play a key role in understanding the ecology of this habitat, as this region represents its xeric limit. For this reason, we analysed the biodiversity patterns and current conservation status of the sessile oak forests in the region. To do so, we collected Braun-Blanquet inventories of 34 plots randomly distributed throughout the sessile oak forests. The results showed a relationship between the climatic conditions and the biodiversity variables. While the richness of the community increased with decreasing temperatures, the characteristic species found within the community decreased at these same temperatures. This result was due to the presence of most companion species in the cool zones at high elevations.Sessile oaks are found close to other communities, such as silver birches and Scot pine forests.On the other hand, in the warm areas at low elevations, the sessile oak community was more established, with plants typical of this type of forest. These slightly warmer zones with sessile oaks are very important in terms of conservation and more vulnerable to climate change and the thermophilization of the community, as has been studied. As such, protecting and managing these forests is key to conserving this community. Nevertheless, as current protection measures do not safeguard most of these forests, it is essential to define a conservation strategy to preserve them. Using the conservation status, we have established criteria to improve the conservation strategy for sessile oak forest on the NE Iberian Peninsula.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 482 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-44
Author(s):  
LEONARDO PAZ DEBLE

Hysterionica s.l. (including Neja) comprises ca. 15 species distributed mainly in the grasslands of southern Brazil, Uruguay, central and northern Argentina and Southern Paraguay. Based on field surveys, study of nomenclatural types and other specimens, and review of literature, a new species is proposed here, Hysterionica chamomilloides, endemic of mountainous regions of northern Uruguay, and southwestern Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. This work provides a detailed morphological description of the new species, information on its geographic distribution, habitat, phenology, conservation status, and discusses the main differences between H. chamomilloides and the morphologically most similar species. Illustrations, images and a key to the South American species of Hysterionica are also supplied.


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