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 Critically Endangered as it is threatened by over-collecting, habitat loss, and reproductive failure whereby the population is declining (Donaldson 2009; Donaldson 2003). The accessibility of the population resulted in severe over-exploitation and exploitation is still taking place (Donaldson 2009). 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 and this is especially evident with endangered and critically endangered Encephalartos species (Okubamichael et al. 2016; Cousins & Witkowski 2017). The CITES Trade Database has recorded the trade of the species from 1978-2018 for commercial, personal, scientific, artificial propagation and botanical garden purposes. Sourced from artificial propagation, taken from the wild. This species has a low and decreasing remaining population and cannot sustain ongoing removal from the wild (CITES 2003). This suggests that this genus is being targeted and that this species may be at risk.
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. 2009. Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. 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.
PC14 Doc.9.2.2 – Annex 1. 2003. Review of Significant Trade – Cycads. Presented at the 14th Meeting of the CITES Plants Committee, Windhoek, February 2004. Information compiled by TRAFFIC East and Southern Africa (TESA).
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
Yeld, J. 2014. 7 August 2014. Cycad thieves strike again. IOL. Available at: https://www.iol.co.za/news/cycad-thieves-strike-again-1731799
Based on unpublished Red List assessment there are 30 individuals remaining in the wild (Bösenberg. DW, personal communication 2021, 1 December). According to the IUCN Red List, populations have declined by more than 80% in the past 90 years (Donaldson 2010; Donaldson 2009). There are records of the species in several protected areas and has been listed as Specially Protected.
Donaldson, J.S. 2009. Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1.
Donaldson, J.S. 2010. Encephalartos middelburgensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T41893A10572037. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T41893A10572037.en.
The CITES Trade Database has recorded the trade of live individuals and seeds. Mature individuals are removed from the wild causing population decline (Donaldson 2009).
CITES trade statistics derived from the CITES Trade Database, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK.
Donaldson, J.S. 2009. Encephalartos middelburgensis Vorster, Robbertse & S.van der Westh. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2021/09/09
Research shows that cycads are generally long-lived, have slow growth rates, produce low numbers of offspring and have infrequent recruitment (Golding & Hurter 2003, Donaldson 2003, Cousins & Witkowski 2017). Viable seed production in Encephalartos populations tends to decline with decreasing population size (Cousins & Witkowksi 2017). The removal of mature individuals results in reproductive failure and with a small population remaining as well as ongoing decline of populations in the wild, there is a poor chance of recovery from exploitation. Smaller subpopulations are more likely to experience declines than larger subpopulations as a result of fragmentation processes. A small remaining population with existing threat of exploitation (Donaldson 2009), places the persistence of this species at risk whereby recruitment and recovery may be poor.
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.
Golding, J.S. and Hurter, P.J.H., 2003. A Red List account of Africa's cycads and implications of considering life-history and threats. Biodiversity & Conservation, 12(3), pp.507-528.