|
Scientific Name | Babiana melanops Goldblatt & J.C.Manning |
Higher Classification | Monocotyledons |
Family | IRIDACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Near Threatened B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v) |
Assessment Date | 2021/09/08 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo, N.A. Helme & T. Patel |
Justification | This species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 5 961 km², and an area of occupancy (AOO) of 132 km². There are between 12 and 15 remaining locations. It has lost 78% of its habitat to crop cultivation. Remnants are being continually degraded by encroachment from invasive alien species, gravel quarrying, too infrequent fires and the effects of fragmentation including the loss of specialist pollinators. It is therefore listed as Near Threatened under criterion B. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Western Cape |
Range | It is endemic to South Africa, and is found in the hills between Darling and Mamre and the Tulbagh Valley in the Western Cape Province. Isolated records occur from Wellington, Klapmuts and Bottelary Hills. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Breede Shale Renosterveld, Swartland Granite Renosterveld, Boland Granite Fynbos, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Breede Alluvium Fynbos |
Description | It occurs on granitic gravel flats and slopes in Swartland Granite Renosterveld, except Tulbagh valley, where it occurs on rocky sandstone flats in fynbos. |
Threats |
| Transformation of habitat to agriculture is a severe past threat to this species, responsible for 78% transformation (calculated using landcover data in GIS). This species is now confined to small habitat fragments that are being continuously degraded by alien invasive encroachment, too infrequent fires and the effects of fragmentation such as the loss of specialist pollinators. Subpopulations within close vicinity of Darling are threatened by urban expansion. Some subpopulations are also affected by gravel quarrying. |
Population |
Most records do not have numbers of mature individuals recorded. However, in 1981, it was observed to be locally common on the roadside in Tulbagh, but there are only two observations in the last 10 years from Tulbagh meaning it has likely to have declined over the past 40 years due to loss and degradation of its habitat. Two subpopulation in Darling have been recorded to be small, between 10-50 individuals observed in 2013 and 2015. It was observed to be locally common at these four sites in 2002, NW side of Klapmutskop, Wellington on the lower western slopes of Groenberg, on the summit of Kapokberg in the Darling hills and on the Malmebury Commonage. Since the habitat is still intact at all of these sites it is assumed that these subpopulations are likely still large meaning this species does not qualify for severely fragmented. The population is suspected to be declining as a result of ongoing habitat degradation.
|
Population trend | Decreasing |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Babiana melanops Goldblatt & J.C.Manning | VU B1ab(iii) | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2007. A revision of the southern African genus Babiana, Iridaceae, Crocoideae. Strelitzia 18:1-97. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2020. Iridaceae of southern Africa. Strelitzia 42. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
|
Citation |
| Raimondo, D., Helme, N.A. & Patel, T. 2021. Babiana melanops Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2024/12/06 |
Comment on this assessment
