Red List Status
VU - Vulnerable, D2 (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: 2023-01-26

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

Drimiopsis pusilla is known from only one small area, and based on its very restricted area of occupancy and extent of occurrence, has been assessed as Vulnerable under Criterion D2. Although the localities are within a forestry area, it occurs in areas maintained as firebreaks, and as it grows amongst rocks it has some protection from livestock grazing, so it is inferred that there are no current threats to this population.
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

Drimiopsis pusilla is known from a small area within the Eswatini highveld, within a forestry plantation.

Area of Occupancy (AOO)

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) - in km2	Justification
8	This species is known from two localities within a small area. 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
No	Inferred	This species was still present in 2023, although the original locality was not revisited.

Extreme fluctuations in area of occupancy (AOO)	Justification
No	This species was found in the same locality in 1982 and again in 2000. It was found nearby in 2023.

Extent of Occurrence (EOO)

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO)- in km2	EOO estimate calculated from Minimum Convex Polygon	Justification
8	true	This species is only known from one locality. The estimated extent of occurrence calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011) was 0 km2, less than the area of occupancy, so the higher figure has been used here.

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Qualifier	Justification
No	Inferred	This species was still present in 2023, although the original locality was not revisited.

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Justification
No	This species was found in the same locality in 1982 and again in 2000. It was found nearby in 2023.

Locations Information

Number of Locations	Justification
2	This species has only been recorded from two localities about 1 km apart. Due to this separation they have been considered to be two separate locations.

Continuing decline in number of locations	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	This species was found again in 2022, about 1 km from the previously recorded locality. More fieldwork is required to determine the full extent of this species' distribution.

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations	Justification
Unknown	This species was found in the same locality in 1982 and again in 2000. Fieldwork in 2022 located it about 1 km away from the previously recorded locality.

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

Very restricted in area of occupancy (AOO) and/or # of locations	Justification
Yes	This species is only known from two localities within a small area.

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): 1390

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): 1390

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

This species was recorded from one locality in 1982, and again in 2000, but no details of population size were recorded. Although the area has not been revisited recently, it is presumed that the plant is still present in this locality, and that the population is stable. It was found again in 2023, in a nearby locality, with two small clusters of plants being observed.

Population Information

Current Population Trend: (Not specified)

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

This species was found in rocky grassland, vegetation type KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16), in the grassland biome (Mucina et. al. 2018).

IUCN Habitats Classification Scheme

Habitat	Season	Suitability	Major Importance?
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	-	The locality where this plant was found falls within a forestry plantation, but on an unplanted area, maintained as a firebreak. Provided that this area is not planted up, the available habitat will not change.

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)

Conservation

The localities where this plant was found fall within a forestry plantation, but on an unplanted area, maintained as a firebreak. Provided that the area is maintained as a firebreak area within the plantation and not planted up, this provides some measure of protection for this plant. Raising awareness with the plantation management of the presence of this species and the management actions to maintain it would assist with its conservation.

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
No	-

Percentage of population protected by PAs (0-100)	Note
0	-

Area based regional management plan	Note
No	-

Invasive species control or prevention	Note
No	-

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
3.4.2. Species management -> Ex-situ conservation -> Genome resource bank	Collection of material for ex-situ conservation of this species would reduce the risk of extinction for this species.
4.3. Education & awareness -> Awareness & communications	If information on the existence of this species within the forestry plantation area is provided to plantation management, they would be in a better position to ensure the ongoing survival of this plant.

Research Needed

Research	Note
1.2. Research -> Population size, distribution & trends	-
1.3. Research -> Life history & ecology	-

Drimiopsis pusilla - U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies