Assessor: Sarah Schumann
All South African cycads as well as this species is included in Appendix I of the CITES Convention which lists all species threatened with extinction that are, or may be affected by trade. According to the SANBI Red List Assessment, this species is Near Threatened as it is threatened by illegal over-collecting for ornamental purposes and habitat loss (Donaldson 2012; Donaldson 2003). This is a very widespread species with only a small fraction of the overall population occurring in South Africa whereby 10-15 % of its population is likely to decline in the next two generations – as per the unpublished Red List Assessment. (Bösenberg. DW, personal communication 2021, 1 December). Cycad species are in trade demand and at risk from illegal collection (Smith 2014; Yeld 2014). Studies present strong evidence of ongoing and accelerating rates of decline in most cycad species due mainly to illegal removal (Okubamichael et al. 2016; Cousins & Witkowski 2017). The CITES Trade Database has recorded the trade of the species from 1979-2019 for commercial, personal, scientific, travelling exhibition and botanical garden purposes. Sourced from artificial propagation, taken from the wild, and confiscated or seized. Research shows that this species is illegally harvested for medicinal trade and has been identified for sale at two traditional medicine markets in South Africa (Williamson et al. 2016).
CITES trade statistics derived from the CITES Trade Database, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK.
Cousins, S.R. and Witkowski, E.T.F., 2017. African cycad ecology, ethnobotany and conservation: a synthesis. The Botanical Review, 83(2), pp.152-194.
Donaldson, J.S. 2003. Cycads. Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland; Cambridge, UK.
Donaldson, J.S. 2012. Encephalartos ferox G.Bertol. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Okubamichael, D. Y., S. L. Jack, J. D. Bösenberg, M. T. Hoffman & J. S. Donaldson. 2016. Repeat photography confirms alarming decline in south African cycads. Biodiversity Conservation 25(11): 2153–2170.
Smith, D. 2014. 1 September 2014. South Africa's ancient cycad plants under threat from poachers. The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/01/ancient-cycad-plants-under-threat-poachers
Williamson, J., Maurin, O., Shiba, S.N.S., Van der Bank, H., Pfab, M., Pilusa, M., Kabongo, R.M. and Van der Bank, M., 2016. Exposing the illegal trade in cycad species (Cycadophyta: Encephalartos) at two traditional medicine markets in South Africa using DNA barcoding. Genome, 59(9), pp.771-781.
Yeld, J. 2014. 7 August 2014. Cycad thieves strike again. IOL. Available at: https://www.iol.co.za/news/cycad-thieves-strike-again-1731799
According to the IUCN Red List, there are 100 000 mature individuals remaining in the wild (Donaldson 2010). Many large subpopulations occur (Donaldson 2012).
Donaldson, J.S. 2010. Encephalartos ferox. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T41943A10607271. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T41943A10607271.en.
Donaldson, J.S. 2012. Encephalartos ferox G.Bertol. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
The CITES Trade Database has recorded the trade of live individuals and seeds. Collection of wild individuals has caused population decline (Donaldson 2012; Donaldson 2003).
CITES trade statistics derived from the CITES Trade Database, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK.
Donaldson, J.S. 2003. Cycads. Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Cycad Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland; Cambridge, UK.
Donaldson, J.S. 2012. Encephalartos ferox G.Bertol. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
As this species is widespread and occurring outside of South Africa too, recruitment and recovery from exploitation may be possible (Bösenberg. DW, personal communication 2021, 1 December).