|
Scientific Name | Tetragonia acanthocarpa Adamson |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | AIZOACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2019/11/03 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo |
Justification | Tetragonia acanthocarpa is a widespread species from the eastern and upper section of the Karoo basin, with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 112 000 km². It is known from eight widely spread localities but is highly likely to be severely undercollected, there are no significant threats to this species and it is therefore listed as Least Concern. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to South Africa, and is found from Karoo to Free State and the Eastern Cape. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Eastern Upper Karoo, Gamka Karoo, Southern Karoo Riviere, Fish Valley Thicket |
Description | It occurs in open ground often found near brak pans. |
Threats |
| Large-scale shale gas fracking was proposed in 2015 for the Karoo basin covering the majority of this species' range. Subpopulations on flats would be most vulnerable to habitat loss to infrastructure development related to fracking, and this species could decline in future if fracking goes ahead. A Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment submitted to South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs in 2016 cautioned against moving ahead with Shale Gas fracking based on the very high infrastructure costs associated with fracking as well as multiple secondary negative impacts both to biodiversity and other economic activities in the region. Furthermore geological studies that have taken place since 2016 have found that gas deposits are not as substantial as originally suspected due to the very old age of the Karoo shale formations and the fact that the extensive number of dolerite intrusions throughout the Karoo have resulted in much of the gas being lost. At present, future development scenarios are too uncertain to estimate the potential extent of the impact on the population but it is unlikely that shale gas fracking will proceed in the near future.
Its habitat is still mostly intact. It is possibly threatened by overgrazing, but field surveys are needed to confirm this. |
Population |
There is no information available on the population of this species.
|
Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Tetragonia acanthocarpa Adamson | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
Magee, A.R. and Boatwright, J.S. (eds). In prep. Plants of the Karoo: A Conspectus of the Nama-Karoo and Adjacent Summer-Rainfall Regions of the Northern and Western Cape Provinces. Strelitzia.
Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
|
Citation |
| Raimondo, D. 2019. Tetragonia acanthocarpa Adamson. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/14 |
Comment on this assessment
