Ecotypes of wild rooibos (Aspalathus linearis (Burm. F) Dahlg., Fabaceae) are ecologically distinct

Hawkins, Heidi‐Jayne; Malgas, Rhoda; Biénabe, Estelle

doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2010.09.014

Cited by 44 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The findings agree with those of Hawkins et al. () which indicated elevation and rainfall as best predictors of rooibos species distributions. The MaxEnt response curves suggest that even limited increases in summer rainfall will negatively affect the predicted suitability of areas for rooibos.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Modelling the distribution of Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos tea): implications of climate change for livelihoods dependent on both cultivation and harvesting from the wild

Lötter¹,

Maitre²

2014

Ecology and Evolution

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Aspalathus linearis (Burm. f.) R. Dahlgren (rooibos) is endemic to the Fynbos Biome of South Africa, which is an internationally recognized biodiversity hot spot. Rooibos is both an invaluable wild resource and commercially cultivated crop in suitable areas. Climate change predictions for the region indicate a significant warming scenario coupled with a decline in winter rainfall. First estimates of possible consequences for biodiversity point to species extinctions of 23% in the long term in the Fynbos Biome. Bioclimatic modelling using the maximum entropy method was used to develop an estimate of the realized niche of wild rooibos and the current geographic distribution of areas suitable for commercially production. The distribution modelling provided a good match to the known distribution and production area of A. linearis. An ensemble of global climate models that assume the A2 emissions scenario of high energy requirements was applied to develop possible scenarios of range/suitability shift under future climate conditions. When these were extrapolated to a future climate (2041–2070) both wild and cultivated tea exhibited substantial range contraction with some range shifts southeastwards and upslope. Most of the areas where range expansion was indicated are located in existing conservation areas or include conservation worthy vegetation. These findings will be critical in directing conservation efforts as well as developing strategies for farmers to cope with and adapt to climate change.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Modelling the distribution of Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos tea): implications of climate change for livelihoods dependent on both cultivation and harvesting from the wild

Lötter¹,

Maitre²

2014

Ecology and Evolution

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“…in Medicago sp., Simonsen and Stinchcombe, 2014;Wendtland et al, 2019). Ecotypic variation in rooibos may therefore be an additional filter to root nodule community structure (Malgas et al, 2010;Hawkins et al, 2011), but remains to be tested. In this study we did not find any links between rooibos genotype and root nodule community structure, despite the low genetic variation captured in our chloroplast marker (Supp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A myriad of unrecorded environmental factors, from soil depth and vegetation cover to climatic ones, are known to affect leaf stoichiometric traits in different ways (Stewart et al, 1995). For example, plants in the North of the Suid Bokkeveld may receive up to twice as much rainfall as those in the lower Cederberg range (Hawkins et al, 2011), rainfall being one of the many factors known to impact both foliar macronutrient concentrations and isotopic signatures (Stewart et al, 1995). Despite these caveats, the relationships between leaf stoichiometric traits and root nodule community types is an interesting finding for a promiscuous plant like rooibos, and deserves further attention in future studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We show that organic rooibos farming maintains higher levels of rhizobial diversity in the nodules than wild populations, while conventional farming clearly decreases it. Organic rooibos farming is characterized by extremely low external inputs and no tillage and is practised in small fields within extensive wild vegetation patches in its native distribution range (Hawkins et al, 2011;Lötter et al, 2014). In these areas the farmers often leave plant material remaining from previous harvests and even weeds on the cropping ground as a way to maintain soil organic matter and moisture.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its seeds germinate under elevated soil fertility during postfire successions, transitioning towards severely nutrient-poor conditions over its life span (Maistry et al, 2015). Second, the species contains distinct ecotypes in the wild (Hawkins et al, 2011), often sympatric with plantations and in a highly heterogeneous landscape where physical barriers to dispersal are common (Cowling et al, 2009;Dludlu et al, 2017). Lastly, recent studies have found rooibos to associate with a wide diversity of rhizobia (Hassen et al, 2012;Le Roux et al, 2017;Ramoneda et al, 2020), particularly at the seedling stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Ecological patterns of root nodule diversity in cultivated and wild rooibos populations: a community prediction approach

Ramoneda

Roux

Frossard

et al. 2020

Preprint

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There is interest in understanding the factors behind the biogeography of root-associated bacteria due to the joint effects that plant host, climate, and soil conditions can have on bacterial diversity. For legume crops with remaining wild populations, this is of even more importance, because the effects of cropping on undisturbed root-associated bacterial communities can be addressed. Here, we used a community prediction approach to describe the diversity of the root nodule bacterial communities of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), an endemic legume crop from South Africa. The goal was to reveal whether patterns of root nodule community composition in paired cultivated and wild rooibos populations could be related to geographical distance, plant traits, and plant population type (i.e. cultivated or uncultivated). We identified a core of dominant and widespread Mesorhizobium ZOTUs that each defined one of 4 different root nodule community classes. Rooibos cultivation impacted root nodule bacterial diversity at regional and local scales, while the geographical origin of the root nodule communities was the strongest predictor of root nodule community structure. Beyond impacts of cultivation on root nodule bacterial diversity, this study suggests a mixture of dispersal limitation and ecological drift regionally, and selection by different plant populations locally, define the biogeography of rooibos root nodule bacterial communities.

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Propagation and cultivation practices of honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) for the sustainable production of an export quality indigenous South African tea

et al. 2022

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Honeybush (Cyclopia) species are endemic to the Fynbos Biome of the Cape Floral Kingdom in South Africa. Traditionally, honeybush foliage is cut, fermented, and sun-dried to make an antioxidant-rich herbal tea. Approximately 80% of honeybush is unsustainably harvested from the wild. All commercial species are indicated on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Cultivation is thus required to ensure sufficient volumes of tea are produced. A major limitation to cultivation is the poor rooting responses of the species that regenerate from shoots, C. genistoides and C. intermedia, the latter being the most harvested from the wild. The establishment of clonally propagated material is a challenge for all six of the commercially important Cyclopia species. Research on honeybush has mainly focused on the unique properties contributing to flavor, medicinal value, as well as processing. Much less is known about propagation, nutrient requirements, harvesting procedures, plant improvement, and pest and disease management. This review considers management strategies for the sustainable harvesting of wild honeybush and the potential risks of introducing improved plant material. Cultivation practices and management strategies that promote longevity and enhance yield are defined. The inherent rooting ability of cuttings is discussed. Cultivated stands are mostly established by seedlings which results in diversity of vigor and tea quality. A sustainable market based on high-quality indigenous tea requires the use of clonal material which allows the selection of desired traits and rapid multiplication. Its use would enable improved yield and profitability without compromising tea quality.

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Ecotypes of wild rooibos (Aspalathus linearis (Burm. F) Dahlg., Fabaceae) are ecologically distinct

Cited by 44 publications

References 16 publications

Modelling the distribution of Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos tea): implications of climate change for livelihoods dependent on both cultivation and harvesting from the wild

Modelling the distribution of Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos tea): implications of climate change for livelihoods dependent on both cultivation and harvesting from the wild

Ecological patterns of root nodule diversity in cultivated and wild rooibos populations: a community prediction approach

Propagation and cultivation practices of honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) for the sustainable production of an export quality indigenous South African tea

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