Investigation of current threats to the existence of Brackenridgea zanguebarica in a small geographic area in Vhembe, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Abstract. Tiawoun MAP, Tshisikhawe MP, Gwata ET. 2019. Geometric morphometry of pupae to identify four medically important flies (Order: Diptera) in Thailand. Biodiversitas 20: 1504-1509. Brackenridgea zanguebarica is one of the most threatened plant species in South Africa, found only in Thengwe village, Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Due to the high traditional use of its stem bark and root, the species is now facing the threat of extinction. It has been assessed in accordance with the IUCN Red List of South Africa as a critically endangered species. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of current threats to the population in the Brackenridgea Nature Reserve, in order to improve its conservation measures. The study was carried out in the reserve, where 10 belt transects of 50 m long and 20 m wide were laid at regular intervals of 5 m to investigate the population of B. zanguebarica. Individuals were counted and the structural parameters, e.g. tree height and stem diameter size of each were measured, while the impact of plant harvesting was estimated using a sliding scale of 0 to 5. The structure of the populations in terms of the stem diameter size classes was dominated by juvenile plants that showed the bell shape pattern. In addition, 59.9% out of the total plants recorded presented signs of plant parts extraction, with the stem bark the main part extracted. The population status of B. zanguebarica was unstable and under severe threat due to the destructive harvesting of the mature tree parts, leading to poor regeneration of individuals. It is thus recommended that in order to improve its conservation measures.

Local management strategies and attitudes towards selected threatened or protected plant species in Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…The implication of muthi traders being primarily to blame for breaking the rules was not an unexpected result. It is a widely held perception that many medicinal traders are more concerned with income generation than species' sustainability (Moeng and Potgieter 2011;Tiawoun et al 2019). The mention of a fine for lawbreakers is similar to Igboin (2016) findings in Nigeria, where lawbreakers are required to bring a token of palm wine or oil to TLs.…”

“…Some of these traditional rules are common to other parts of South Africa (Petersen et al 2017) and other African countries, such as Kenya (Monica et al 2016) and Tanzania (Kangalawe et al 2014), though different rules have been reported by other studies, especially in South Africa. In the Vhembe District, for example, collection of species, including Brackenridgea zanguebarica is allowed under the supervision of an officer from the tribal authority to ensure sustainability (Tiawoun et al 2019). Collection of plants in general, including Alepidea amatymbica in the Eastern Cape, is done via a permit from tribal offices (Stoffersen et al 2011).…”

An inventory of useful threatened plant species in Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…This study argued that the smaller the population size of individuals of threatened plants in a single area of occupancy, the more vulnerable towards the verge of extinction they become. Brackenridgea zanguebarica is considered Critical Endangered in South Africa and its distribution range is restricted to a single geographic area or area of occupancy called Thengwe (Tiawoun et al 2019).…”