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PLATINUM The Journal of Threatened Taxa (JoTT) is dedicated to building evidence for conservaton globally by publishing peer-reviewed artcles OPEN ACCESS online every month at a reasonably rapid rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org. All artcles published in JoTT are registered under Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License unless otherwise mentoned. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of artcles in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Short Communication Evaluating threats and conservation status of South African Aloe Samuel O. Bamigboye 26 August 2020 | Vol. 12 | No. 11 | Pages: 16614–16619 DOI: 10.11609/jot.5728.12.11.16614-16619 For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies, and Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Artcle Submission Guidelines, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct, visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints, contact <[email protected]> The opinions expressed by the authors do not refect the views of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, Wildlife Informaton Liaison Development Society, Zoo Outreach Organizaton, or any of the partners. The journal, the publisher, the host, and the part- Publisher & Host ners are not responsible for the accuracy of the politcal boundaries shown in the maps by the authors. Member Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August 2020 | 12(11): 16614–16619 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS DOI: htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.5728.12.11.16614-16619 #5728 | Received 23 January 2020 | Final received 31 July 2020 | Finally accepted 06 August 2020 S h o r Evaluatng threats and conservaton status of South African Aloe t C o Samuel O. Bamigboye m m Botany Department, School of Mathematcal and Natural Sciences, University of Venda, 0950, South Africa. u [email protected] n i c a t Abstract: South Africa is one of the biodiversity hotspots for Aloe in i preventng soil erosion (Smith & Van Wyk 2009). o Africa. This makes it important to evaluate the conservaton status Some species of this genus are traded commercially n and threats to this genus. The South African Natonal Biodiversity Insttute (SANBI) Red List was employed to evaluate these two as cosmetcs (Grace et al. 2015) and medicine (Bjorå et factors. Results revealed that 44% of all species in this genus are of al. 2015). This has led Aloe to become threatened, with conservaton concern with the majority of them facing threats. This study recommends that more atenton such as strengthening the the majority of species in this genus being included in protecton of these species and controlling the threats identfed in this the Conventon on Internatonal Trade in Endangered study should be given to species in this genus in terms of conservaton Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (Grace 2011). management to reduce their risk of extncton. This implies that conservaton of the species in this Keywords: Asphodelaceae, biodiversity loss, extncton risk, hotspot, genus should be given a high priority, especially in areas threatened species. that are hotspots of this genus (Klopper & Smith 2013). This study evaluated the conservaton status and threats of Aloe in South Africa to determine which The genus Aloe belongs to the Asphodelaceae family species in this genus are threatened, and to determine (Cousins & Witkowski 2012). Biodiversity hotspots for factors responsible for their risk of extncton. Unlike this genus in Africa are located in Ethiopia, Madagascar some previous studies that mentoned the overall and southern Africa (Grace 2009), which coincide with conservaton status of the genus Aloe (e.g., Grace et al. Africa’s main biodiversity hotspots (Daru et al. 2013). 2009; Cousins & Witkowski 2012), this study showed the Aloes are important to any ecosystems where they conservaton status and threats each species of Aloe is are found (Cousins & Witkowski 2012). Their nectar facing using the South African Natonal Red List, and also is a source of food for many insects (Nicolson & Nepi quantfed in percentages species in this genus under 2005; Botes et al. 2009a,b) and avians (Symes et al. diferent Red List categories and threat categories. 2008; Forbes et al. 2009). They also modulate harsh environmental conditons, which facilitate colonizaton Methods of the environment by other plant taxa (Wabuyele & This study used the SANBI Red List 2017 version Kyalo 2008). Their mat-like root that is dense assist in to evaluate threats and conservaton status of South Editor: Martn Potgieter, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa. Date of publicaton: 26 August 2020 (online & print) Citaton: Bamigboye, S.O. (2020). Evaluatng threats and conservaton status of South African Aloe. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(11): 16614–16619. htps://doi. org/10.11609/jot.5728.12.11.16614-16619 Copyright: © Bamigboye 2020. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproducton, and distributon of this artcle in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publicaton. Funding: None. Competng interests: The author declares no competng interests. 16614 J TT Status of South African Aloe Bamigboye African Aloe. The following percentages were calculated: not threatened, but can be fagged and given priority in the species that are highly threatened, threatened terms of conservaton, and thus be referred to as species and of conservaton concern (Critcally Endangered, of conservaton concern (Victor & Keith 2004). Species Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, Rare, and of conservaton concern in this study that are not Data Defcient); Aloe species that fall under diferent threatened should be monitored to determine if they categories of threats (Habitat destructon, individual’s have become threatened (Table 1). For instance Data collecton, invasive species occurrence, fre occurrence, defcient taxa could possibly be threatened (Moraswi et overgrazing, and insect atack); species endemic and non- al. 2019). This is why further eforts is required to obtain endemic to South Africa; threatened endemic species; sufcient informaton about them in order to determine and endemic species that are of conservaton concern if they are threatened or not. and diferent categories of threats (habitat destructon, individual’s collecton, invasive species occurrence, fre Threats to South African endemic and non-endemic occurrence, overgrazing, and insect atack) to endemic Aloe species species. Percentages of taxa in the genus Aloe in South Africa facing diferent types of threats are as follows: Results and Discussion 41.6% are threatened by habitat destructon, 16.8% Endemic and non-endemic species of the genus Aloe in are threatened due to individual’s collecton, 14.4% South Africa threatened by occurrence of invasive species, 5.6% A total of 125 taxa belonging to the genus Aloe were are threatened because of fre occurrences, 11.2% are listed in the South African Natonal Red List; 61.6% of threatened by overgrazing, 0.8% threatened due to species in the genus Aloe found in the South African insect atack, while there are no threats found for 42.4% Natonal Red List are endemic, while 38.4% are non- of the taxa. Aloe species are generally threatened by endemic. Species endemism is an important factor to be habitat destructon and collecton by people (Klooper considered in conservaton because the loss of endemic et al. 2009), a situaton also refected in this study. The species is of high signifcant impact in biodiversity collecton by people are majorly due to medicinal uses loss in any geographic areas that they occur (Moraswi and hortcultural uses which might be afectng the wild et al. 2019). A populaton survey of endemic taxa populaton of these taxa (Grace 2011). Enforcement of should be encouraged to determine their populaton regulaton restrictng the collectons of these taxa should size, density, and distributon in order to reveal their be more encouraged. It must be noted that a thorough current populaton trend. This informaton will inform assessment of those species for which their threats are appropriate conservaton measures, which are adaptve unknown can signifcantly change the results patern in to local conditons. the threat categories as presented above. Highly threatened, threatened, and species of Threats to endemic species of South African Aloe conservaton concern in South African Aloe The results of the percentages of endemic species The various threat status categories of South of South African Aloe facing diferent kind of threats African Aloe are: 52.8% (Least Concern), 10.4% are as follows: 57% are afected by habitat destructon, (Rare), 2.4% (Data Defcient), 3.2% (Data Defcient, 23.4% afected by Individual’s collecton, 17% are taxonomically problematc), 10.4% (Near Threatened), afected by invasive species, 9% by fre occurrence, 13% 11.2% (Vulnerable), 4% (Endangered), 5.6% (Critcally by overgrazing, while there are no threats found for Endangered), 44% are of conservaton concern (Critcally 26% of the endemic species. Habitat destructon and Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, collecton by people stll stood out among the threats to Rare, and