Red List Status
EN - Endangered, B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) (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: 2023-01-21

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

Eragrostis comptonii has a very restricted distribution, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 387.032 km² and an area of occupancy of 16 km². There are ongoing threats to its habitat from overgrazing by livestock, and most of the known range does not fall within protected areas. Based on this, it has been assessed as Endangered, under Criteria B1 and B2.
Date last seen: 1986

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 four localities in north-western Eswatini.

Area of Occupancy (AOO)

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) - in km2	Justification
16	This species is known from four 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): (Not specified)

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
387.032	true	The extent of occurrence is based on the four localities recorded for this species, calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011). The older records do not include detailed locality information, so the coordinates have been estimated from the locality descriptions.

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	There is no information with regard to any changes in extent of occurrence.

Extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Justification
Unknown	There is no known information with regard to fluctuations in extent of occurrence.

Locations Information

Number of Locations	Justification
4	Based on all available records, this species has been found in four localities. These are well separated, so are considered to form four locations.

Continuing decline in number of locations	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	The localities have not been revisited recently, so there is no information with regard to possible decline in number of locations.

Extreme fluctuations in the number of locations	Justification
Unknown	There is no information with regard to extreme fluctuations in the number of locations.

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

Very restricted in area of occupancy (AOO) and/or # of locations	Justification
Yes	This plant is only known from four localities, giving an area of occupancy of 16 km2.

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): 830

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): 1325

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 is known from four localities in north-western Eswatini, but there is no information on population sizes or trends. It is possible that this is an under collected species, and occurs in additional localities in the area. None of the records are from recent years, but it has been assumed for the purposes of this assessment that the plant still occurs in these areas, as grasses have not been investigated recently in this part of the country.

Population Information

Current Population Trend: Unknown

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

The description of this species includes the following with regard to habitat and ecology:
"Its ecology is very poorly known. Judging from the notes on specimens it tends to favour somewhat shady places such as at the foot of rocks or on forest margins." (Winter, 1990). The localites where this plant has been found all fall within the grassland biome, in KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16) (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
Yes	Inferred	There is extensive overgrazing in many parts of the grassland in the Eswatini highveld.

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? Yes

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)

Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity
2.3.2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Livestock farming & ranching -> Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing	Majority (50-90%)	Slow, Significant Declines

Conservation

One of the four localities recorded for this species falls within Malolotja Nature Reserve.

Conservation Actions In- Place

Action Recovery Plan	Note
No	-

Systematic monitoring scheme	Note
No	-

Conservation sites identified	Note
Yes, over part of range	This species has been recorded from within Malolotja Nature Reserve.

Occur in at least one PA	Note
Yes	This species has been recorded from within Malolotja Nature Reserve.

Percentage of population protected by PAs (0-100)	Note
21-30	There is no formal conservation for three of the four known localities for this species.

Area based regional management plan	Note
No	-

Invasive species control or prevention	Note
No	For most of the distribution of this species, there is no active invasive species control programme.

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 enhance the probability of its survival.

Research Needed

Research	Note
1.2. Research -> Population size, distribution & trends	There is currently no detailed information on population sizes or trends. In addition, more fieldwork is required to determine whether it occurs at more localities.
1.3. Research -> Life history & ecology	More information is needed on the life history and ecology of this species for better planning of conservation measures to ensure its survival.

Eragrostis comptonii - De Winter