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: 2023-01-25

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

Orthosiphon vernalis has a very restricted distribution, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 68.454 km² and an area of occupancy of 16 km². Threats to the population include possible habitat loss where it occurs within the forestry plantation area, habitat loss due to expansion of agriculture and habitat degradation due to livestock grazing. Based on this, it has been assessed as Endangered, under Criteria B1 and B2.Date last seen: 2013

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 has a very restricted distribution, it has been found in the Eswatini middleveld, from the Malkerns area to Bhunya. Locality information from older herbarium specimens does not include precise coordinates, so the extent of occurrence is a rough estimate.

Area of Occupancy (AOO)

Estimated area of occupancy (AOO) - in km2	Justification
16	The estimated area of occupancy has been based on the four recorded localities for this species, calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011), with the standard 2x2 km grid cell being applied. It is possible that at least one of these localites has been transformed by land use changes, and the area of occupancy might be less than 16 km2.

Continuing decline in area of occupancy (AOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	The precise locality information is not available for some of the records, so it is not possible to definitively state that there has been habitat loss for this species.

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
68.454	true	The extent of occurrence has been estimated based on descriptions of localities from four locations, calculated using GeoCAT (Bachman et al. 2011). These are estimates, as precise locality information was not recorded on older herbarium specimen labels.

Continuing decline in extent of occurrence (EOO)	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	The precise locality information is not available for some of the records, so it is not possible to definitively state that there has been habitat loss for this species.

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

Locations Information

Number of Locations	Justification
4	It is possible that at least one of these locations has been subject to land use changes, and no longer has suitable habitat.

Continuing decline in number of locations	Qualifier	Justification
Unknown	-	Lack of precise locality information makes it impossible to confirm whether habitat loss has occurred at the locality of the type specimen.

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
Yes	This species is estimated to have an area of occupancy of 16 km2, and is known from 4 locations, one of which might no longer have suitable habitat.

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): 770

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): 1090

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 population surveys have been conducted for this species. The locality information for the early specimens is very approximate. For the purposes of this assessment, because of this uncertainty, it has been assumed that this species could still occur in those localities, in spite of extensive habitat transformation in the area. Old herbarium specimen label information indicates that this species was abundant at that locality.

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

This species has been recorded from the Eswatini middleveld, in vegetation type Swaziland Sour Bushveld (SVI14) (Mucina et. al. 2018). The old herbarium specimen label information has the habitat for this species as tall farm veld, deep red clay loam soil.

IUCN Habitats Classification Scheme

Habitat	Season	Suitability	Major Importance?
2.2. Savanna -> Savanna - Moist	-	Suitable	Yes

Continuing Decline in Habitat

Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat?	Qualifier	Justification
Yes	Inferred	The Malkerns area, at the eastern end of the population distribution, has been developed for agriculture, and is also expanding as an urban area. The western parts of the distribution fall within forestry plantation areas, so the habitat is limited to unplanted firebreaks within the plantation. The locality to the south of the distribution is subject to heavy grazing.

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

The distribution of this species falls within forestry plantation, intensive agriculture and rangeland areas. Within the forestry plantation, there is a risk of firebreaks being planted up. In the Malkerns area, the continued expansion of agriculture and urban development could threaten the habitat for this species. Heavy grazing might have had an impact on the habitat in the southern part of the distribution of this species.

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
2.1.3. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Annual & perennial non-timber crops -> Agro-industry farming	Ongoing	Minority (<50%)	Rapid Declines
2.2.2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Wood & pulp plantations -> Agro-industry plantations	Unknown	Minority (<50%)	Rapid Declines
2.3.2. Agriculture & aquaculture -> Livestock farming & ranching -> Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing	Minority (<50%)	Slow, Significant Declines

Conservation

This plant has not been found within any conservation areas.

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
1.2. Land/water protection -> Resource & habitat protection	As none of the known distribution of this species falls within a protected area, it would be desirable to have at least part of this habitat protected.
3.4.2. Species management -> Ex-situ conservation -> Genome resource bank	The collection of material for ex-situ conservation would enhance the potential survival of this species.
4.3. Education & awareness -> Awareness & communications	For the areas of the distribution within the forestry plantation, it would be desirable to provide education and awareness training to forestry management, in order to avoid further habitat destruction which might affect this species.

Research Needed

Research	Note
1.2. Research -> Population size, distribution & trends	Fieldwork to determine the population size, distribution and trends for this species is needed in order to plan conservation measures.
1.3. Research -> Life history & ecology	Very little is known of the life history and ecology of this species, such information would be necessary for conservation planning.

Orthosiphon vernalis - Codd