Species Use Database

Leather fern, Lethaerleaf fern
Rumohra adiantiformis

Used for Decorative and aesthetic in Rio Grande do Sul

A. Species

Scientific name: Rumohra adiantiformis

Common name(s): Leather fern, Lethaerleaf fern

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • Rio Grande do Sul

Country/Region: Brazil / State of Rio Grande do Sul


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State

Name/Details of location: 4 fern populations in the Municipality of Maquine


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 2004

End Year: 2005


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild

Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Decorative and aesthetic

Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Largescale commercial exploitation for trade

Is this use legal or illegal?: not recorded and Unknown/not recorded


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: Empirical monitoring of fern quality and rhizome regeneration by this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The study concludes that fast frond regeneration and the absence of differences between managed and non-managed populations concerning the proportions of buds and young fronds imply the ecological sustainability of the management system used by the local harvesters.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: This study reports no financial data; however, this harvesting implicitly must be commercially viable. The study simply states that ferns and other NTFPs are a source of social and economic benefits for local, traditional communities. Given that current methods of harvest appear ecologically sustainable, and given the global demand for ferns in floral arrangements, with no welfare or ethical concerns, this use seems socio-economically sustainable.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: This study reports no financial data; however, this harvesting implicitly must be commercially viable. The study simply states that ferns and other NTFPs are a source of social and economic benefits for local, traditional communities. Given that current methods of harvest appear ecologically sustainable, and given the global demand for ferns in floral arrangements, with no welfare or ethical concerns, this use seems socio-economically sustainable.

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

The maintenance of R. adiantiformis populations also depends on further management measures that would improve productivity, as for example the management of ‘‘capoeira’’ (naturally regenerated second-growth forest) areas. This, along with the farming of perennial agricultural species, could be a way to guarantee income and food security to the harvesting families. The demographic structure of leatherleaf fern is largely influenced by climatic factors and forest succession and must therefore be continuously monitored over several years.


Record source

Information about the record source: scientific_pub

Date of publication/issue/production: 2010-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

Baldauf, C., & Dos Reis, M. S. (2010). Effects of harvesting on population structure of leatherleaf fern (Rumohra adiantiformis (G. Forst.) Ching) in Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. American Fern Journal, 100(3), 148-158.

Date of record entry: 2022-12-28