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Scientific Name | Senecio acutifolius DC. |
Higher Classification | Dicotyledons |
Family | ASTERACEAE |
National Status |
Status and Criteria | Least Concern |
Assessment Date | 2019/11/09 |
Assessor(s) | D. Raimondo |
Justification | Senecio acutifolius is a widespread Karoo species, with an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 46 227 km². The species is likely declining in areas of the Karoo which have been severely overgrazed, however the species was found at a range of sites across its range during the recent surveys of the Karoo that took place between 2016 and 2018. With only a tiny fraction of the range surveyed it is suspected that more than 30 extant locations exist for this species. Declines due to overgrazing are extremely hard to quantify but it is not suspected to be more than 30% in the past three generations. This species therefore qualifies as Least Concern. |
Distribution |
Endemism | South African endemic |
Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape |
Range | This species is endemic to South Africa, and is widespread across the central Karoo from Beaufort West to Cradock and southwards to Steytlerville. |
Habitat and Ecology |
Major system | Terrestrial |
Major habitats | Steytlerville Karoo, Prince Albert Succulent Karoo, Eastern Upper Karoo, Upper Karoo Hardeveld, Albany Broken Veld, Eastern Lower Karoo, Gamka Karoo, Southern Karoo Riviere, Sundays Arid Thicket, Escarpment Valley Thicket, Escarpment Arid Thicket, Eastern Gwarrieveld |
Description | It occurs on stony hills and flats. |
Threats |
| Senecio acutifolius is grazed by livestock however a number of recent records collected during the Karoo BioGaps project indicate that this species is able to survive moderate grazing pressure. Severe grazing pressure may lead this species to be lost, this is inferred from the fact that it was more commonly found during the surveys of the Karoo conducted in the 1970s by J. Acocks than it was recorded during the Karoo BioGaps surveys (2016-2018). The extent of decline due to overgrazing is however impossible to quantify.
Large-scale shale gas fracking was proposed in 2015 for the Karoo region 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 would 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 dolerite intrusions that occur throughout the Karoo having 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. |
Population |
This species occurs as scattered plants in moderate to good condition Karoo shrubland.
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Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Senecio acutifolius DC. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography |
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.
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Citation |
| Raimondo, D. 2019. Senecio acutifolius DC. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/04/13 |
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