Assessment Report - Ocimum motjaneanum

	IUCN Species Information Service (SIS) Toolkit
	Assessment Report

Taxonomy
Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	MAGNOLIOPSIDA	LAMIALES	LAMIACEAE

Scientific Name:	Ocimum motjaneanum
Species Authority:	McCallum & K.Balkwill
Common Name/s: -
Synonym/s:	-
Taxonomic Notes:	-

Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv)
Year Assessed:	2023
Assessor/s:	Braun, K. & Loffler, L.
Reviewer/s:	Raimondo, D.
Contributor/s:
Facilitator/s:
Institutions/s:
Justification: This species has a restricted distribution, and is known from 8 locations, with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 360.899 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) of 36 km². All the confirmed records for this species have been found on ultramafic soils, and it is therefore limited to areas with serpentine geology. Threats to this species include potential changes in land use for urban development and road construction. The population is inferred to be declining due to ongoing habitat degradation from heavy grazing by livestock and the spread of invasive plant species, it therefore qualifies for listing as Vulnerable, under Criterion B.
History:	-

Geographic Range
Range Description:	This species was initially only known from north west Eswatini in the Motjane and Forbes Reef areas. The description of this species notes that all known plants occur in an area of less than 25 km², known only from ultramafic sites (MaCallum & Balkwill, 2004). A more recent observation in Eswatini has broadened the range, and there is one confirmed observation from South Africa north of Lochiel, further surveys are needed to confirm if it occurs on other serpentine patches in this area.
Countries:	Native: Eswatini; Mpumalanga;

Geographic Range

Range Description:

This species was initially only known from north west Eswatini in the Motjane and Forbes Reef areas. The description of this species notes that all known plants occur in an area of less than 25 km², known only from ultramafic sites (MaCallum & Balkwill, 2004). A more recent observation in Eswatini has broadened the range, and there is one confirmed observation from South Africa north of Lochiel, further surveys are needed to confirm if it occurs on other serpentine patches in this area.

Countries:

Native:
Eswatini; Mpumalanga;

Population
Population:	The information for this species within Eswatini is based on fieldwork carried out by Donald McCallum and Kevin Balkwill in 1997, but without population data being documented. Recent surveys have confirmed the continued existence in two of the previously documented areas and in one additional area. At these locations, estimated subpopulations number 5-15 mature individuals and 300-500 mature individuals respectively. In South Africa, the confirmed subpopulation was considered to be uncommon. It is possible that this species has a small population size however further fieldwork is required for subpopulations observed in 1997 which have not yet been resurveyed. Based on ongoing habitat degradation the population is inferred to be declining.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population

Population:

The information for this species within Eswatini is based on fieldwork carried out by Donald McCallum and Kevin Balkwill in 1997, but without population data being documented. Recent surveys have confirmed the continued existence in two of the previously documented areas and in one additional area. At these locations, estimated subpopulations number 5-15 mature individuals and 300-500 mature individuals respectively. In South Africa, the confirmed subpopulation was considered to be uncommon. It is possible that this species has a small population size however further fieldwork is required for subpopulations observed in 1997 which have not yet been resurveyed. Based on ongoing habitat degradation the population is inferred to be declining.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology
Habitat and Ecology:	Within Eswatini, this species is known from ultramafic soils in highveld grassland, vegetation type KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Gm16), and in South Africa, in Swaziland Sour Bushveld (SVI14) close to KaNgwane Montane Grassland (Mucina et. al. 2018). In two of the areas, it was observed that the plant appears to grow in grassland adjacent to rock outcrops.
List of Habitats:	4 Grassland 4.7 Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical High Altitude

Threats
Major Threat(s):	There is an ongoing decline in the quality and extent of the habitat within Eswatini, due to urban development in the area. One subpopulation is threatened by road construction. The grassland is also heavily grazed and frequently burnt. Some of the subpopulations are under threat from invasive plant species, including Eucalyptus spp., Acacia spp. and Rubus spp. The confirmed South African subpopulation is under threat from livestock grazing and expansion of human settlements.
List of Threats:	1 Residential & commercial development 1.2 Commercial & industrial areas 2 Agriculture & aquaculture 2.3 Livestock farming & ranching 2.3.2 Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming 4 Transportation & service corridors 4.1 Roads & railroads 8 Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases 8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases 8.1.1 Unspecified species 8.1.2 Named species

Threats

Major Threat(s):

There is an ongoing decline in the quality and extent of the habitat within Eswatini, due to urban development in the area. One subpopulation is threatened by road construction. The grassland is also heavily grazed and frequently burnt. Some of the subpopulations are under threat from invasive plant species, including Eucalyptus spp., Acacia spp. and Rubus spp. The confirmed South African subpopulation is under threat from livestock grazing and expansion of human settlements.

List of Threats:

1 Residential & commercial development
1.2 Commercial & industrial areas
2 Agriculture & aquaculture
2.3 Livestock farming & ranching
2.3.2 Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming
4 Transportation & service corridors
4.1 Roads & railroads
8 Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases
8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases
8.1.1 Unspecified species
8.1.2 Named species

Conservation Actions
Conservation Actions:	One of the known locations for this species falls within a conservation area, Hawane Nature Reserve. Another is within the servitude for power lines, which protects it from urban expansion, although there is still a threat from grazing by livestock.
List of Conservation Actions:	1 Land/water protection 1.2 Resource & habitat protection 3 Species management 3.4 Ex-situ conservation 3.4.2 Genome resource bank

Bibliography
	Bachman, S., Moat, J., Hill, A.W., de la Torre, J. and Scott, B. 2011. Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT geospatial conservation tool. In: Smith V, Penev L (Eds) e-Infrastructure for data publishing in biodiversity science. . ZooKeys 150: 117-126. McCallum, D.A., Balkwill, K. 2004. A new species of Ocimum (Lamiaceae) from Swaziland. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society Volume 145 (Issue 3): Pages 379–383. Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C. and Powrie, L.W. (Editors). 2018. The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Available at: http://bgis.sanbi.org/Projects/Detail/186.

Bibliography

Bachman, S., Moat, J., Hill, A.W., de la Torre, J. and Scott, B. 2011. Supporting Red List threat assessments with GeoCAT geospatial conservation tool. In: Smith V, Penev L (Eds) e-Infrastructure for data publishing in biodiversity science. . ZooKeys 150: 117-126.
McCallum, D.A., Balkwill, K. 2004. A new species of Ocimum (Lamiaceae) from Swaziland. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society Volume 145 (Issue 3): Pages 379–383.
Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C. and Powrie, L.W. (Editors). 2018. The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Available at: http://bgis.sanbi.org/Projects/Detail/186.

Citation: