Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Vol. 22 No. 10 (2021)

Population biology and ecology of the endangered Euphorbia susannae Marloth, an endemic to the Little Karoo, South Africa

Laaiqah Jabar (National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. 473 Steve Biko Road, Arcadia, Pretoria 0083, South Africa)
Stefan John Siebert (Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University. Potchefstroom Campus, Hoffman Street 11, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa)
Michele Pfab (South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria National Botanical Garden. 2 Cussonia Avenue, Brummeria, Pretoria 0184, South Africa)
Dirk Cilliers (Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University. Potchefstroom Campus, Hoffman Street 11, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa)



Article Info

Publish Date
05 Oct 2021

Abstract

Abstract. Jabar L, Siebert SJ, Pfab MF, Cilliers DP. 2021. Population biology and ecology of the endangered Euphorbia susannae Marloth, an endemic to the Little Karoo, South Africa. Biodiversitas 22: 4583-4596. Many euphorbias in the semi-arid parts of South Africa are restricted edaphic specialists with small populations at risk of extinction. Euphorbia susannae is one such species, which grows on the edges of quartz patches along a section of the northern foot slopes of the Langeberg Mountains. This study set out to acquire data on the biology and ecology of the species during a first-ever comprehensive field survey. The resultant dataset allowed for the determination of the geographic distribution of the species, as well as the size and number of populations. Biotic and abiotic environmental variables were employed to generate a habitat profile and a species distribution model. The population structure, regeneration potential, and stability of each subpopulation and the population were also assessed. Euphorbia susannae is a range-restricted species (EOO 170 km2 and AOO 36 km2) confined to eight subpopulations that vary considerably in size. According to this study, 1845 individuals remain in the wild. Habitat preferences of the species were considered in detail and linked to a species distribution model for conservation purposes. It was shown that the species preferred nurse plants. The smallest adults size class was the largest cohort in all the sub-populations and was ascribed to pulse recruitments after an unknown favorable event. Although individuals were not evenly distributed among the size classes, annual recruitments levels were healthy, suggesting good pollination, seed set, and germination conditions.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

biodiv

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology

Description

The Biodiversitas Journal was first published in 2000 by the Department of Biology, FMNS, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia, then in 2006 it was co-published by the Society for Indonesian Biodiversity and that department; since 2017 it was also hosted by Smujo. From 2003-2012 it was ...