Red List Status
VU - Vulnerable, B1ab(ii)+2ab(ii) (IUCN version 3.1)

Red List Assessment

Red List Status

Is the reassessment subject to the 5-year rule? (Not specified)

Assessment Information

Date of Assessment: 2023-07-06

Reviewed? (Not specified)

Assessor(s): Braun, K.

Reviewer(s): (Not specified)

Contributor(s): (Not specified)

Facilitators/Compilers: (Not specified)

Institution(s): (Not specified)

Acknowledgements: (Not specified)

Regions: Global

Regional Expert Questions: (Not specified)

Assessment Rationale

Cyphia pectinata is only known from within Eswatini, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 2050.064 km², and an area of occupancy of 56 km2. A small part of the range falls within a community conservation area, but this does not protect it from the threat of overgrazing by livestock, and in other parts of its range, there are additional ongoing threats from change of land use reducing its available habitat. Based on this, it has been assessed as Vulnerable, under Criterion B1 and B2.
Date last seen: 2023

Reasons for Change

Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: (Not specified)

Red List Index

Red List Index: (Not specified)

Distribution

Geographic Range

This species is known from fourteen records from Eswatini, extending from east of Hlatikhulu in the south, to the Maphalaleni Valley in the north.

Area of Occupancy (AOO)

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) - in km2	Justification
56	This species is known from about eleven localities. The estimated area of occupancy was calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011), with the standard 2x2 km grid cell being applied.

Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Yes	Inferred	Most of the localities for this species fall outside protected areas, where undeveloped land is under pressure from heavy grazing.

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO): (Not specified)

Extent of Occurrence (EOO)

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO)- in km2	EOO estimate calculated from Minimum Convex Polygon	Justification
2050.064	true	The extent of occurrence has been estimated based on the sixteen records for this species, calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011).

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	There is currently no information on decline in extent of occurrence, although this has possibly happened.

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO): (Not specified)

Locations Information

Number of Locations	Justification
6	This species has been recorded from an estimated eleven locations.

Continuing decline in number of locations: (Not specified)

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations: (Not specified)

Very restricted AOO or number of locations (triggers VU D2)

Very restricted in area of occupancy (AOO) and/or # of locations	Justification
No	This species has been recorded from six localities. If it no longer occurs in one or two of these localities, this would reduce the area of occupancy to 20 km2 or less.

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): 605

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): 1260

Depth Lower Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified)

Depth Upper Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified)

Depth Zone: (Not specified)

Map Status

Map Status: (Not specified)

Biogeographic Realms

Biogeographic Realm: Afrotropical

Country	Presence	Origin	Formerly Bred	Seasonality
Eswatini	Extant	Native	-	Resident

Population

No detailed population information is currently available for this species. This species was first recorded in 1948 near Manzini. Observations within the last ten years extend its distribution to the south, and the recent identification of specimens collected by Prof. Compton in the 1950's and 60's have further extended its range. The northern-most locality recorded for this species, Palwane, has since been subject to major changes in land use, including forestry and urban development; and the Malkerns and Manzini areas include major land use changes over the last fifty years. As the precise locality for the older records is not known, it is not possible to assume that they are no longer found in these areas, but it is likely that their habitat is under threat.

Population Information

Current Population Trend: Decreasing

Number of mature individuals (=population size): (Not specified)

Extreme fluctuations? (in # of mature individuals): (Not specified)

Severely fragmented? (Not specified)

Continuing decline in mature individuals? (Not specified)

Continuing decline % in mature individuals within 1 generation or 3 years, whichever is longer (up to max. of 100 years in the future): (Not specified)

Continuing decline % in mature individuals within 2 generations or 5 years, whichever is longer (up to max. of 100 years in the future): (Not specified)

Continuing decline % in mature individuals within 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer (up to max. of 100 years in the future): (Not specified)

Extreme fluctuations in the number of subpopulations: (Not specified)

Continuing decline in number of subpopulations: (Not specified)

All individuals in one subpopulation: (Not specified)

Number of mature individuals in largest subpopulation: (Not specified)

Number of Subpopulations: (Not specified)

Population Reduction - Past

Percent Change in past: (Not specified)

Past Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)

Causes of past reduction reversible? (Not specified)

Causes of past reduction understood? (Not specified)

Causes of past reduction ceased? (Not specified)

Population Reduction - Future

Percent Change in future: (Not specified)

Future Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)

Population Reduction - Ongoing

Both: Percent Change over any 10 year or 3 generation period, whichever is longer, and must include both past and future, future can't go beyond 100 years: (Not specified)

Both Population Reduction Basis: (Not specified)

Causes of both (past and future) reduction reversible? (Not specified)

Causes of both (past and future) reduction understood? (Not specified)

Causes of both (past and future) reduction ceased? (Not specified)

Quantitative Analysis

Probability of extinction in the wild within 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified)

Probability of extinction in the wild within 5 generations or 20 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified)

Probability of extinction in the wild within 100 years: (Not specified)

Habitats and Ecology

There is very little information currently available for this species. Based on approximate locality information, this plant has been observed in a range of vegetation types, including KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16), Ithala Quartzite Sourveld (Gs2), Swaziland Sour Bushveld (SVI14) and Granite Lowveld (SVI3) (Mucina et. al. 2018).

IUCN Habitats Classification Scheme

Habitat	Season	Suitability	Major Importance?
2.2. Savanna -> Savanna - Moist	-	Suitable	-
4.7. Grassland -> Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude	-	Suitable	-

Continuing Decline in Habitat

Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat?	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	Estimated	The precise habitat requirements for this species are not yet known.

Life History

Generation Length: (Not specified)

Age at maturity: female or unspecified: (Not specified)

Age at Maturity: Male: (Not specified)

Size at Maturity (in cms): Female: (Not specified)

Size at Maturity (in cms): Male: (Not specified)

Longevity: (Not specified)

Average Reproductive Age: (Not specified)

Maximum Size (in cms): (Not specified)

Size at Birth (in cms): (Not specified)

Gestation Time: (Not specified)

Reproductive Periodicity: (Not specified)

Average Annual Fecundity or Litter Size: (Not specified)

Annual Rate of Population Increase: (Not specified)

Natural Mortality: (Not specified)

Does the species lay eggs? (Not specified)

Does the species give birth to live young: (Not specified)

Does the species exhibit parthenogenesis: (Not specified)

Does the species have a free-living larval stage? (Not specified)

Does the species require water for breeding? (Not specified)

Movement Patterns

Movement Patterns: (Not specified)

Congregatory: (Not specified)

Systems

System: Terrestrial

Plant / Fungi Specific

Wild relative of a crop? (Not specified)

Plant and Fungal Growth Forms: (Not specified)

Use and Trade

General Use and Trade Information

Species not utilized: (Not specified)

No use/trade information for this species: true

General notes regarding trade and use of this species: (Not specified)

Local Livelihood: (Not specified)

National Commercial Value: (Not specified)

International Commercial Value: (Not specified)

End Use: (Not specified)

Is there harvest from captive/cultivated sources of this species? (Not specified)

Trend in level of total offtake from wild sources: (Not specified)

Trend in level of total offtake from domesticated sources: (Not specified)

Harvest Trend Comments: (Not specified)

Non- Consumptive Use

Non-consumptive use of the species? (Not specified)

Explanation of non-consumptive use: (Not specified)

Livelihoods

Livelihoods: (Not specified)

Threats

Two of the localities for this species are within a community conservation area. The remaining localities are in areas with no conservation measures in place, and changing land use. As the older records do not have precise locality information, it is not possible to confirm whether these populations have been lost due to land use changes. Possible threats include ongoing heavy grazing for Grand Valley and Ngwempisi records, possible urban development or other major land use changes for the Manzini, Malkerns and Palwane records.

Threats Classification Scheme

No past, ongoing, or future threats exist to this species. (Not specified)

The threats to this species are unknown. (Not specified)

Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity
1.1. Residential & commercial development -> Housing & urban areas	Unknown	Minority (<50%)	Very Rapid Declines
2.2.2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Wood & pulp plantations -> Agro-industry plantations	Unknown	Minority (<50%)	Very Rapid Declines
2.3.2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Livestock farming & ranching -> Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing	Majority (50-90%)	Unknown

Conservation

More information is needed on this species before a conservation plan can be developed. Support and upgrading of the community conservation area at Ngwempisi would assist the potential survival of this species.

Conservation Actions In- Place

Action Recovery Plan	Note
No	-

Systematic monitoring scheme	Note
No	-

Conservation sites identified	Note
No	-

Occur in at least one PA	Note
Yes	Recorded from within the Ngwempisi community conservation area, but this might not provide much protection for this species.

Percentage of population protected by PAs (0-100)	Note
31-40	Two out of six localities fall within the Ngwempisi community conservation area.

Area based regional management plan	Note
No	-

Invasive species control or prevention: (Not specified)

Harvest management plan	Note
No	-

Successfully reintroduced or introduced benignly	Note
No	-

Subject to ex-situ conservation	Note
No	-

Subject to recent education and awareness programmes	Note
No	-

Included in international legislation	Note
No	-

Subject to any international management/trade controls	Note
No	-

Important Conservation Actions Needed

Conservation Actions	Note
1.2. Land/water protection -> Resource & habitat protection	Measures are needed to enhance the capabilities of the community to manage the Ngwempisi community conservation area. More research is needed before a more comprehensive species based conservation plan could be prepared.
3.4.2. Species management -> Ex-situ conservation -> Genome resource bank	Collection of material for ex-situ conservation would enhance the probabilities of survival for this species.

Research Needed

Research	Note
1.2. Research -> Population size, distribution & trends	Very little is currently known on the population sizes and trends for this species, and more fieldwork is required to confirm the distribution of this plant.
1.3. Research -> Life history & ecology	Research into the life history and ecology of this species would assist with the development of conservation measures for this plant.

Cyphia pectinata - E.Wimm.