A. Species
Scientific name: Encephalartos spp.
Common name(s): cycads, broodbome, uMpanga
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- South Africa
Country/Region:
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Soth Africa
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 1987
End Year: 2007
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: Lethal and Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism and Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene and Keeping/companionship/display
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence and Income generation from trade (individual/household/community)
Is this use legal or illegal?: Some use is legal and some is illegal
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?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: This NDF workshop case study.
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: For all groups of Encephalartos removal of adult plants results in population decline whereas seed harvest does not seem to impact on population survival. The management plans are intended to provide a framework for coordinated action to conserve cycads. In some cases, this may include aspects intended to support sustainable use.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded
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?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: This report
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Although the intentional removal of cycads from grazing land (to prevent neurological effects in cattle) is well known in other cycad hotspots (e.g., Australia and Mexico), this has not been recorded in South Africa.
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Proper application of NDFs for Encephalartos species requires the development of tools to assist with identification of specimens in trade and to verify the source of artificially propagated material. At present, genetic markers seem to offer the best solution to both these problems. AFLP markers have been tried with limited success and additional projects are being investigated using microsatellite techniques. The development of management plans, in terms of National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act of 2004 (NEMBA), also offers a potentially powerful tool for assessing trade within the context of an overall management plan for the species.
Record source
Information about the record source: grey_lit
Date of publication/issue/production: 2008-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
By John Donaldson.
NDF WORKSHOP CASE STUDIES
WG 3 – Succulents and Cycads
CASE STUDY 4
Encephalartos
Country – SOUTH AFRICA.
Date of record entry: 2023-09-25