<p>The number of species per order and the mean rarity rank (derived from rank scores in &l... more <p>The number of species per order and the mean rarity rank (derived from rank scores in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0105397#pone-0105397-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>) are given in parentheses. The orders are listed from most common to most rare (left to right respectively).</p
<p><sup>a</sup> 15 lion specimens not examined—either because there was no mand... more <p><sup>a</sup> 15 lion specimens not examined—either because there was no mandible, or the mandible was incomplete, or the mandible was wired to the cranium. Hence, n = 67 and not n = 82</p><p><sup>b</sup> One tiger specimen had a damaged mandible, hence n = 21 and not n = 22</p><p><sup>c</sup> Exhibition of this trait was Intermediate, i.e. one half of the mandible (a ‘dentary’) was curved and would have rocked on the contact point below the carnassials, whereas the other dentary had an additional contact point on a flat surface (either the angular process or a bony growth below the mandibular symphysis) that thus prevented the entire mandible from rocking. In some cases in large individuals and/or where front teeth were missing from the specimen, the mandible rocked backwards to rest on the angular process</p><p><sup>d</sup> One of the three mandibles was prevented from rocking by the presence of a bony growth below the mandibular symphysis (e.g. Part A in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135144#pone.0135144.s002" target="_blank">S2 Fig</a>)</p><p><sup>e</sup> Prevented from rocking by the presence of a bony spur below the mandibular symphysis (e.g. Part C in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135144#pone.0135144.s002" target="_blank">S2 Fig</a>)</p><p><sup>f</sup> Rocks only slightly (Part F in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135144#pone.0135144.s002" target="_blank">S2 Fig</a>).</p><p>Frequency of rocking in mandibles of lions and tigers.</p
From 2008 to 2018, South Africa permitted the export of captive-bred African lion (Panthera leo) ... more From 2008 to 2018, South Africa permitted the export of captive-bred African lion (Panthera leo) skeletons to Southeast Asia under CITES Appendix II. Legal exports rose from approximately 50 individuals in 2008 to a maximum of 1,771 skeletons in 2016, and has led to ongoing concerns over possible laundering of non-lion, multiple-source and wild-sourced bones. South Africa is required under its obligations to CITES to employ mechanisms for monitoring and reporting trade, and to limit the potential for illegal trade and laundering of lion and other large felid bones. Monitoring tools for legal trade are critical to compliance with CITES. Here we evaluate the CITES-compliance procedure implemented by South Africa for export of lion bones and identify six essential general points for consideration in the implementation of animal export quota compliance protocols. We provide specific insight into the South African lion bone export monitoring system through: i) outlining the protocols fol...
This Commentary is a response to a Commentary published in the May/June 2020 issue: Nattrass N. W... more This Commentary is a response to a Commentary published in the May/June 2020 issue: Nattrass N. Why are black South African students less likely to consider studying biological sciences? S Afr J Sci. 2020;116(5/6), Art. #7864, 2 pages. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2020/7864 Responses to the Commentary in the May/June 2020 issue have been published collectively in a special issue of Volume 116.
Public reason is a formal concept in political theory. There is a need to better understand how p... more Public reason is a formal concept in political theory. There is a need to better understand how public reason might be elicited in making public decisions that involve deep uncertainty, which arises from pernicious and gross ignorance about how a system works, the boundaries of a system, and the relative value (or disvalue) of various possible outcomes. This article is the third in a series to demonstrate how ethical argument analysis—a qualitative decision-making aid—may be used to elicit public reason in the presence of deep uncertainty. The first article demonstrated how argument analysis is capable of probing deep into a single argument. The second article demonstrated how argument analysis can analyze a broad set of arguments and how argument analysis can be operationalized for use as a decision-making aid. This article demonstrates (i) the relevance of argument analysis to public reasoning, (ii) the relevance of argument analysis for decision-making under deep uncertainty, an ...
The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which inte... more The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which international commercial trade is legal under CITES. The trade in lion body parts, and especially the contentious trade in bones from South Africa to Asia, has raised concerns spanning continents and cultures. Debates were amplified at the 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) when a proposal to up-list lions to Appendix I was not supported and a compromise to keep them on Appendix II, with a bone trade quota for South Africa, was reached instead. CoP17 underscored a need for further information on the lion bone trade and the consequences for lions across the continent. Legal international trade in bones to Asia, allegedly to supply the substitute 'tiger bone' market, began in South Africa in February 2008 when the first CITES permits were issued. It was initially unclear the degree to which bones were sourced from captive-origin lions, and whether trade was a threat to wild l...
The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their b... more The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their body parts and skins has been postulated as a cause for concern. We undertook a pan-African questionnaire and literature survey to document informed opinion and evidence for the occurrence of domestic and international trade and consumption in African lion body parts across current and former range states. Sixty-five people from 18 countries participated in the online questionnaire survey (run from July 2014 to May 2015), with information provided for 28 countries (including 20 out of 24 countries believed to have extant populations). Respondents were experts within their professional spheres, and 77% had ≥6 years relevant experience within lion conservation or allied wildlife matters. Their opinions revealed wide sub-regional differences in consumptive use, drivers of trade, and access to lions that impact wild lion populations in different ways. Traditional medicine practices (African a...
Zootherapy plays a role in healing practices in Mozambican society. Although several studies have... more Zootherapy plays a role in healing practices in Mozambican society. Although several studies have focused on ethnobotany and traditional medicine in the country, little research has been conducted on the use of reptiles in zootherapy. The aim of this study was therefore to fill this gap by assessing the reptile species traded for traditional medicine in the Xipamanine and Xiquelene Markets in Maputo, Mozambique. We found that few reptile species are traded domestically for traditional medicine and that their use appears to be in decline in Mozambique. Our findings also suggest that the domestic trade of reptiles for traditional medicines in Maputo markets is unlikely to have a significant impact on the conservation of reptiles in Mozambique. However, we suggest that international trade with South Africa is likely having a larger impact, given observations of Mozambican nationals selling a diverse range of fauna in urban traditional medicine markets in Johannesburg and Durban.
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2016
ABSTRACT Malawi is one of the world’s 48 least developed countries and the population are alleged... more ABSTRACT Malawi is one of the world’s 48 least developed countries and the population are alleged to be mostly reliant on traditional medicines. Approximately 90% of Malawians are forced by circumstances of low income to depend on the natural resource base for a living and to trade-off long-term sustainable resource use for short-term consumption of stocks. A study on the trade and marketing of traditional plant medicines in the southern and central regions of Malawi was conducted to characterise the stakeholders of the regional medicinal plant trade and to identify species that are harvested and sold both locally and internationally. Thirty traders and six border post officials were interviewed in eight Malawian districts that border with the neighbouring countries of Zambia and Mozambique. Men were the predominant traders of traditional medicine in the markets, and 90% of the respondents reported that they derived more than 50% of their households’ income from selling medicinal plants. Approximately 123 plant species were recorded during the survey and, based on frequencies, the most common species sold were: Cassia abbreviata (77% of traders), Cissus cornifolia and Aristolochia hockii (47% each), Zanha africana (37%), and Afzelia quanzensis, Combretum zeyheri and Dicoma amoena (30% each). Sixty-eight percent of the identified species were sold for roots, and 44% for bark. It also emerged that at least 26 species (24%) were being exported to southern Africa, including Mondia whitei (an Endangered species in South Africa), and that at least 73% of the respondents had sold plants to South Africa. Unregulated activities with respect to the domestic and international trade are compromising the sustainability of harvesting and consequently, the provision of sufficient ethnomedicinal plant resources in the long term. It would appear that one of the biggest interventions required in Malawi is to improve the ambiguous position allegedly held by the Malawian government towards traditional medicine in order to align policies with conservation needs to effect realistic and sustainable resource management strategies.
Kelsey Glennon, Joseph White, Chevonne Reynolds, I. Risenga et al: We contest the findings and me... more Kelsey Glennon, Joseph White, Chevonne Reynolds, I. Risenga et al: We contest the findings and methodology of the recently published commentary (Nattrass N., S Afr J Sci. 2020; 116(5/6), Art. #7864). We echo the many previous voices and calls for concern over the tenuous methodology and unsubstantiated 'conclusions' of this commentary. Below we provide specific details about each of the instances where this commentary is technically unsound. General premise: The premise of the commentary is itself flawed. Biology students in other universities reflect the racial profile of the country. For instance, data from our own institution indicate that black student enrolment in the biological sciences has nearly doubled in the last decade (from ~640 students in 2010 to 1150 students in 2020), while other groups' enrolment has remained constant. Consequently, the assumption in the title: that black students are not choosing biological sciences is not valid. Data collection: The data collection was conducted in an opportunistic manner, not randomly. Random sampling is a necessity to exclude bias in this kind of study. As a result, the statistical methods used were not appropriate, since they assume randomness: for instance, it is not appropriate to calculate exact P-values with a non-random sample. Thus, to claim a representative sample was taken is unsubstantiated, and the conclusions drawn cannot be validly reached. It is further an unacceptably long inferential stretch to go from a small, non-random sample of UCT students to 'black students' in general. Data analysis and interpretation It is unclear whether the methodology was geared to test a specific hypothesis or to find a model that best fit the selected variables. The author's framing of the commentary suggests that it was meant to test the hypothesis that a number of pre-selected variables may influence a student's choice when considering studies in the biological sciences. However, as written, the analytical approach appears to use model selection, rather than test an a priori hypothesis. The author describes variables that appear to be sequentially added to the model before a best-fit model is selected. Instead of using the best-fit models, where 'black South African' is no longer a significant variable, the author makes inferences about each model.
Prunus africana – an evergreen tree found in Afromontane forests – is used in traditional medicin... more Prunus africana – an evergreen tree found in Afromontane forests – is used in traditional medicine to cure benign prostate hyperplasia. Different bioactive constituents derived from bark extracts from 20 tree populations sampled throughout the species' natural range in Africa were studied by means of GC–MSD. The average concentration [mg/kg w/w] in increasing order was: lauric acid (18), myristic acid (22), n-docosanol (25), ferulic acid (49), b-sitostenone (198), b-sitosterol (490), and ursolic acid (743). The concentrations of many bark constituents were significantly correlated and concentration of n-docosanol was highly significantly correlated with all other analytes. Estimates of variance components revealed the highest variation among populations for ursolic acid (66%) and the lowest for b-sitosterol (20%). In general, environmental parameters recorded (temperature, precipitation, altitude) for the samples sites were not correlated with the concentration of most constituents; however, concentration of ferulic acid was significantly correlated with annual precipitation. Because the concentration of compounds in bark extracts may be affected by tree size, the diameter of sampled plants at 1.3 m tree height (as proxy of age) was recorded. The only relationship with tree diameter was a negative correlation with ursolic acid. Under the assumption that genetically less variable populations have less variable concentrations of bark compounds, correlations between variation parameters of the concentration and the respective genetic composition based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers were assessed. Only variation of b-sitosterol concentration was significantly correlated with haplotypic diversity. The fixation index (F IS) was positively correlated with the variation in concentration of ferulic acid. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) indicated a weak geographic pattern. Mantel tests, however, revealed associations between the geographic patterns of bioactive constituents and the phylogenetic relationship among the populations sampled. This suggests an independent evolution of bark metabolism within different phylogeographical lineages, and the molecular phylogeographic pattern is partly reflected in the variation in concentration of bark constituents. The results have important implications for the design of strategies for the sustainable use and conservation of this important African tree species. Phytochemistry j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / p h y t o c h e m Please cite this article in press as: Kadu, C.A.C., et al. Bioactive constituents in Prunus africana: Geographical variation throughout Africa and associations with environmental and genetic parameters. Phytochemistry (2012), http://dx.
<p>The number of species per order and the mean rarity rank (derived from rank scores in &l... more <p>The number of species per order and the mean rarity rank (derived from rank scores in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0105397#pone-0105397-t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>) are given in parentheses. The orders are listed from most common to most rare (left to right respectively).</p
<p><sup>a</sup> 15 lion specimens not examined—either because there was no mand... more <p><sup>a</sup> 15 lion specimens not examined—either because there was no mandible, or the mandible was incomplete, or the mandible was wired to the cranium. Hence, n = 67 and not n = 82</p><p><sup>b</sup> One tiger specimen had a damaged mandible, hence n = 21 and not n = 22</p><p><sup>c</sup> Exhibition of this trait was Intermediate, i.e. one half of the mandible (a ‘dentary’) was curved and would have rocked on the contact point below the carnassials, whereas the other dentary had an additional contact point on a flat surface (either the angular process or a bony growth below the mandibular symphysis) that thus prevented the entire mandible from rocking. In some cases in large individuals and/or where front teeth were missing from the specimen, the mandible rocked backwards to rest on the angular process</p><p><sup>d</sup> One of the three mandibles was prevented from rocking by the presence of a bony growth below the mandibular symphysis (e.g. Part A in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135144#pone.0135144.s002" target="_blank">S2 Fig</a>)</p><p><sup>e</sup> Prevented from rocking by the presence of a bony spur below the mandibular symphysis (e.g. Part C in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135144#pone.0135144.s002" target="_blank">S2 Fig</a>)</p><p><sup>f</sup> Rocks only slightly (Part F in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0135144#pone.0135144.s002" target="_blank">S2 Fig</a>).</p><p>Frequency of rocking in mandibles of lions and tigers.</p
From 2008 to 2018, South Africa permitted the export of captive-bred African lion (Panthera leo) ... more From 2008 to 2018, South Africa permitted the export of captive-bred African lion (Panthera leo) skeletons to Southeast Asia under CITES Appendix II. Legal exports rose from approximately 50 individuals in 2008 to a maximum of 1,771 skeletons in 2016, and has led to ongoing concerns over possible laundering of non-lion, multiple-source and wild-sourced bones. South Africa is required under its obligations to CITES to employ mechanisms for monitoring and reporting trade, and to limit the potential for illegal trade and laundering of lion and other large felid bones. Monitoring tools for legal trade are critical to compliance with CITES. Here we evaluate the CITES-compliance procedure implemented by South Africa for export of lion bones and identify six essential general points for consideration in the implementation of animal export quota compliance protocols. We provide specific insight into the South African lion bone export monitoring system through: i) outlining the protocols fol...
This Commentary is a response to a Commentary published in the May/June 2020 issue: Nattrass N. W... more This Commentary is a response to a Commentary published in the May/June 2020 issue: Nattrass N. Why are black South African students less likely to consider studying biological sciences? S Afr J Sci. 2020;116(5/6), Art. #7864, 2 pages. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2020/7864 Responses to the Commentary in the May/June 2020 issue have been published collectively in a special issue of Volume 116.
Public reason is a formal concept in political theory. There is a need to better understand how p... more Public reason is a formal concept in political theory. There is a need to better understand how public reason might be elicited in making public decisions that involve deep uncertainty, which arises from pernicious and gross ignorance about how a system works, the boundaries of a system, and the relative value (or disvalue) of various possible outcomes. This article is the third in a series to demonstrate how ethical argument analysis—a qualitative decision-making aid—may be used to elicit public reason in the presence of deep uncertainty. The first article demonstrated how argument analysis is capable of probing deep into a single argument. The second article demonstrated how argument analysis can analyze a broad set of arguments and how argument analysis can be operationalized for use as a decision-making aid. This article demonstrates (i) the relevance of argument analysis to public reasoning, (ii) the relevance of argument analysis for decision-making under deep uncertainty, an ...
The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which inte... more The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which international commercial trade is legal under CITES. The trade in lion body parts, and especially the contentious trade in bones from South Africa to Asia, has raised concerns spanning continents and cultures. Debates were amplified at the 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) when a proposal to up-list lions to Appendix I was not supported and a compromise to keep them on Appendix II, with a bone trade quota for South Africa, was reached instead. CoP17 underscored a need for further information on the lion bone trade and the consequences for lions across the continent. Legal international trade in bones to Asia, allegedly to supply the substitute 'tiger bone' market, began in South Africa in February 2008 when the first CITES permits were issued. It was initially unclear the degree to which bones were sourced from captive-origin lions, and whether trade was a threat to wild l...
The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their b... more The African lion is in decline across its range, and consumptive utilisation and trade of their body parts and skins has been postulated as a cause for concern. We undertook a pan-African questionnaire and literature survey to document informed opinion and evidence for the occurrence of domestic and international trade and consumption in African lion body parts across current and former range states. Sixty-five people from 18 countries participated in the online questionnaire survey (run from July 2014 to May 2015), with information provided for 28 countries (including 20 out of 24 countries believed to have extant populations). Respondents were experts within their professional spheres, and 77% had ≥6 years relevant experience within lion conservation or allied wildlife matters. Their opinions revealed wide sub-regional differences in consumptive use, drivers of trade, and access to lions that impact wild lion populations in different ways. Traditional medicine practices (African a...
Zootherapy plays a role in healing practices in Mozambican society. Although several studies have... more Zootherapy plays a role in healing practices in Mozambican society. Although several studies have focused on ethnobotany and traditional medicine in the country, little research has been conducted on the use of reptiles in zootherapy. The aim of this study was therefore to fill this gap by assessing the reptile species traded for traditional medicine in the Xipamanine and Xiquelene Markets in Maputo, Mozambique. We found that few reptile species are traded domestically for traditional medicine and that their use appears to be in decline in Mozambique. Our findings also suggest that the domestic trade of reptiles for traditional medicines in Maputo markets is unlikely to have a significant impact on the conservation of reptiles in Mozambique. However, we suggest that international trade with South Africa is likely having a larger impact, given observations of Mozambican nationals selling a diverse range of fauna in urban traditional medicine markets in Johannesburg and Durban.
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 2016
ABSTRACT Malawi is one of the world’s 48 least developed countries and the population are alleged... more ABSTRACT Malawi is one of the world’s 48 least developed countries and the population are alleged to be mostly reliant on traditional medicines. Approximately 90% of Malawians are forced by circumstances of low income to depend on the natural resource base for a living and to trade-off long-term sustainable resource use for short-term consumption of stocks. A study on the trade and marketing of traditional plant medicines in the southern and central regions of Malawi was conducted to characterise the stakeholders of the regional medicinal plant trade and to identify species that are harvested and sold both locally and internationally. Thirty traders and six border post officials were interviewed in eight Malawian districts that border with the neighbouring countries of Zambia and Mozambique. Men were the predominant traders of traditional medicine in the markets, and 90% of the respondents reported that they derived more than 50% of their households’ income from selling medicinal plants. Approximately 123 plant species were recorded during the survey and, based on frequencies, the most common species sold were: Cassia abbreviata (77% of traders), Cissus cornifolia and Aristolochia hockii (47% each), Zanha africana (37%), and Afzelia quanzensis, Combretum zeyheri and Dicoma amoena (30% each). Sixty-eight percent of the identified species were sold for roots, and 44% for bark. It also emerged that at least 26 species (24%) were being exported to southern Africa, including Mondia whitei (an Endangered species in South Africa), and that at least 73% of the respondents had sold plants to South Africa. Unregulated activities with respect to the domestic and international trade are compromising the sustainability of harvesting and consequently, the provision of sufficient ethnomedicinal plant resources in the long term. It would appear that one of the biggest interventions required in Malawi is to improve the ambiguous position allegedly held by the Malawian government towards traditional medicine in order to align policies with conservation needs to effect realistic and sustainable resource management strategies.
Kelsey Glennon, Joseph White, Chevonne Reynolds, I. Risenga et al: We contest the findings and me... more Kelsey Glennon, Joseph White, Chevonne Reynolds, I. Risenga et al: We contest the findings and methodology of the recently published commentary (Nattrass N., S Afr J Sci. 2020; 116(5/6), Art. #7864). We echo the many previous voices and calls for concern over the tenuous methodology and unsubstantiated 'conclusions' of this commentary. Below we provide specific details about each of the instances where this commentary is technically unsound. General premise: The premise of the commentary is itself flawed. Biology students in other universities reflect the racial profile of the country. For instance, data from our own institution indicate that black student enrolment in the biological sciences has nearly doubled in the last decade (from ~640 students in 2010 to 1150 students in 2020), while other groups' enrolment has remained constant. Consequently, the assumption in the title: that black students are not choosing biological sciences is not valid. Data collection: The data collection was conducted in an opportunistic manner, not randomly. Random sampling is a necessity to exclude bias in this kind of study. As a result, the statistical methods used were not appropriate, since they assume randomness: for instance, it is not appropriate to calculate exact P-values with a non-random sample. Thus, to claim a representative sample was taken is unsubstantiated, and the conclusions drawn cannot be validly reached. It is further an unacceptably long inferential stretch to go from a small, non-random sample of UCT students to 'black students' in general. Data analysis and interpretation It is unclear whether the methodology was geared to test a specific hypothesis or to find a model that best fit the selected variables. The author's framing of the commentary suggests that it was meant to test the hypothesis that a number of pre-selected variables may influence a student's choice when considering studies in the biological sciences. However, as written, the analytical approach appears to use model selection, rather than test an a priori hypothesis. The author describes variables that appear to be sequentially added to the model before a best-fit model is selected. Instead of using the best-fit models, where 'black South African' is no longer a significant variable, the author makes inferences about each model.
Prunus africana – an evergreen tree found in Afromontane forests – is used in traditional medicin... more Prunus africana – an evergreen tree found in Afromontane forests – is used in traditional medicine to cure benign prostate hyperplasia. Different bioactive constituents derived from bark extracts from 20 tree populations sampled throughout the species' natural range in Africa were studied by means of GC–MSD. The average concentration [mg/kg w/w] in increasing order was: lauric acid (18), myristic acid (22), n-docosanol (25), ferulic acid (49), b-sitostenone (198), b-sitosterol (490), and ursolic acid (743). The concentrations of many bark constituents were significantly correlated and concentration of n-docosanol was highly significantly correlated with all other analytes. Estimates of variance components revealed the highest variation among populations for ursolic acid (66%) and the lowest for b-sitosterol (20%). In general, environmental parameters recorded (temperature, precipitation, altitude) for the samples sites were not correlated with the concentration of most constituents; however, concentration of ferulic acid was significantly correlated with annual precipitation. Because the concentration of compounds in bark extracts may be affected by tree size, the diameter of sampled plants at 1.3 m tree height (as proxy of age) was recorded. The only relationship with tree diameter was a negative correlation with ursolic acid. Under the assumption that genetically less variable populations have less variable concentrations of bark compounds, correlations between variation parameters of the concentration and the respective genetic composition based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA markers were assessed. Only variation of b-sitosterol concentration was significantly correlated with haplotypic diversity. The fixation index (F IS) was positively correlated with the variation in concentration of ferulic acid. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) indicated a weak geographic pattern. Mantel tests, however, revealed associations between the geographic patterns of bioactive constituents and the phylogenetic relationship among the populations sampled. This suggests an independent evolution of bark metabolism within different phylogeographical lineages, and the molecular phylogeographic pattern is partly reflected in the variation in concentration of bark constituents. The results have important implications for the design of strategies for the sustainable use and conservation of this important African tree species. Phytochemistry j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s e v i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / p h y t o c h e m Please cite this article in press as: Kadu, C.A.C., et al. Bioactive constituents in Prunus africana: Geographical variation throughout Africa and associations with environmental and genetic parameters. Phytochemistry (2012), http://dx.
Exploitation of botanical resources has resulted in significant decreases in the sizes of some pl... more Exploitation of botanical resources has resulted in significant decreases in the sizes of some plant populations, especially for species that have a high commercial value and are important to the lives and livelihoods of rural communities. Medicinal plant resources are used and traded commercially in both rural areas and urban centres, and over-exploitation has become a deterministic factor in the extinction risks to certain species. The main aim of the study was to design a risk assessment model to determine the impact of the medicinal plant trade on the Witwatersrand (centred around Johannesburg) on indigenous plant resources. The goal was to incorporate trade variables correlated with harvesting risks together with biological characteristics of the harvested species to predict which species are most threatened by the trade and are thus high on the list for conservation priority.
The study required semi-quantitative surveys of the medicinal plants sold by traders in the Witwatersrand to be conducted. In 1994 and 2001, the plants sold in 50 muti shops and by 100 vendors in the Faraday Street market respectively were inventoried. Quantitative trade data were also captured, including volume, pricing structures and plant size (e.g. bark thickness and bulb diameter). A scientific sampling strategy was adhered to throughout the study to add statistical validity to the results. In a novel approach to analysing ethnobotanical data, the frequency of plant occurrences in the markets was analysed using measures (analysed by EstimateS) of species diversity traditionally used in ecology. The measures allowed for sampling strategies and sizes to be compared between data sets and for the number of species likely to be sold in the region to be estimated. Furthermore, data sets could be compared in terms of species richness, diversity, evenness and complementarity.
Another novel approach taken in the thesis was to estimate the number of individual plants harvested annually by gatherers, specifically the number of trees that are debarked and the number of whole bulbs that are removed. In order to estimate the number of trees debarked, a study was conducted to determine the relationship between bark thickness and stem diameter for six species. The results made it possible to estimate the condition of the resource in the wild from market records (i.e. bark thicknesses) and to see how the availability of larger trees has declined for species such as Warburgia salutaris between 1994 and 2001. Results for bulbs showed that there has been a significant decrease in the diameter of Eucomis autumnalis bulbs present in the markets in the same period, suggesting significant levels of resource depletion.
The thesis explored the use of a multivariate methodology for assessing the extinction risks of species and assigning species harvested for the medicinal plant trade to various hierarchies of risk and conservation priority. Hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s and K-means respectively) methods were found to be effective in assigning species to clusters of similar risk and conservation priority. From a combined list of 392 ethnospecies recorded in the muti shops and Faraday market, a short-list of 119 higher risk species was identified using four to five trade variables. This list was further reduced to 87 species to ascertain conservation priorities based on the additional inclusion of seven biological variables in the assessment. From this list, approximately 31 species were identified as having higher conservation priority and would be candidates for further research, management and protection within the ambit of conservation and sustainable utilisation programmes. These species would further benefit from Orange Listing or having their IUCN Red List status re-evaluated.
The methods developed in this study are recommended for other ethnobotanical studies. Furthermore, the risk assessment method could be applied to the assessment of species similarly traded in other medicinal plant markets or applied to the assessment of species under threat from other stressors at a regional, provincial and/or national level using the appropriate variables.
... Detailed result. return to summary results page. Williams V. 1996 The Mai Mai bazaar: a mall ... more ... Detailed result. return to summary results page. Williams V. 1996 The Mai Mai bazaar: a mall of muti. Indig. Pl. Use Newsl. 4. (1): 1 &amp;amp;amp; 7. En trade, history, Africa, South_Africa, Transvaal, market, Southern_Africa, medicines ( , 190002288). ...
ABSTRACT This chapter reviews the richness of bird use for traditional medicines across Africa. A... more ABSTRACT This chapter reviews the richness of bird use for traditional medicines across Africa. At least 354 species from 205 genera, 70 families, and 25 orders are used for traditional medicine in 25 African countries. Most birds are in the order Passeriformes (108 species used and 82 species traded), with the starlings (Sturnidae) the most commonly used family of passerines (nine species). Of all the bird families in trade, the Accipitridae had the most number of recorded genera (26 genera; 37 species; including kites, hawks, eagles, vultures), followed by the Ardeidae (11 genera; 15 species; including herons and egrets). The Bucerotidae (hornbills), Cuculidae (cuckoos) and Strigidae (owls) were the next most specious families in trade. The Ostrich was the most widely used bird species (11 African countries), although it was only recorded as sold in markets of four countries. Barn owls were the most widely sold. Using a widely accepted method for grouping species according to commonness or rarity, we show that 24% of traded bird species are very common and locally abundant in several habitats over a large geographic area. Ten percent of traded species are, however, rare, occurring in low numbers in specific habitats over a small geographic area. The order with the highest proportion
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Papers by Vivienne Williams
The study required semi-quantitative surveys of the medicinal plants sold by traders in the Witwatersrand to be conducted. In 1994 and 2001, the plants sold in 50 muti shops and by 100 vendors in the Faraday Street market respectively were inventoried. Quantitative trade data were also captured, including volume, pricing structures and plant size (e.g. bark thickness and bulb diameter). A scientific sampling strategy was adhered to throughout the study to add statistical validity to the results. In a novel approach to analysing ethnobotanical data, the frequency of plant occurrences in the markets was analysed using measures (analysed by EstimateS) of species diversity traditionally used in ecology. The measures allowed for sampling strategies and sizes to be compared between data sets and for the number of species likely to be sold in the region to be estimated. Furthermore, data sets could be compared in terms of species richness, diversity, evenness and complementarity.
Another novel approach taken in the thesis was to estimate the number of individual plants harvested annually by gatherers, specifically the number of trees that are debarked and the number of whole bulbs that are removed. In order to estimate the number of trees debarked, a study was conducted to determine the relationship between bark thickness and stem diameter for six species. The results made it possible to estimate the condition of the resource in the wild from market records (i.e. bark thicknesses) and to see how the availability of larger trees has declined for species such as Warburgia salutaris between 1994 and 2001. Results for bulbs showed that there has been a significant decrease in the diameter of Eucomis autumnalis bulbs present in the markets in the same period, suggesting significant levels of resource depletion.
The thesis explored the use of a multivariate methodology for assessing the extinction risks of species and assigning species harvested for the medicinal plant trade to various hierarchies of risk and conservation priority. Hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s and K-means respectively) methods were found to be effective in assigning species to clusters of similar risk and conservation priority. From a combined list of 392 ethnospecies recorded in the muti shops and Faraday market, a short-list of 119 higher risk species was identified using four to five trade variables. This list was further reduced to 87 species to ascertain conservation priorities based on the additional inclusion of seven biological variables in the assessment. From this list, approximately 31 species were identified as having higher conservation priority and would be candidates for further research, management and protection within the ambit of conservation and sustainable utilisation programmes. These species would further benefit from Orange Listing or having their IUCN Red List status re-evaluated.
The methods developed in this study are recommended for other ethnobotanical studies. Furthermore, the risk assessment method could be applied to the assessment of species similarly traded in other medicinal plant markets or applied to the assessment of species under threat from other stressors at a regional, provincial and/or national level using the appropriate variables.