Translocation of an endangered succulent plant species from sandstone outcrops earmarked for coal mining
E Harris, SJ Siebert, JHL Smit, J van den Berg
Frithia humilis is an endangered succulent plant species. Its distribution
range overlaps with the coal fields of Mpumalanga and it is therefore
threatened by opencast mining activities in particular. One of the 11 known
populations of F. humilis was translocated from a licensed coal mining site
to three suitable receptor sites within the species’ distribution range. A longterm
monitoring programme was initiated to track the progress of the newly
established populations. Temporal trends in population demography, size
classes, and fecundity were recorded. Population numbers of size classes
fluctuated annually. However, flower frequency increased over time and
seedling recruitment contributed significantly to population growth.
Receptor sites with similar geological conditions to the donor site had more
persistent cohorts, which suggest that such sites should receive priority
during the translocation of endangered edaphic specialists. This study not
only confirms that a Frithia humilis population can successfully establish
after a translocation, but also serves as an important baseline for future
comparative purposes to gauge the long-term success of the translocation
effort.
Keywords: edaphic specialist, endangered, Frithia, mining, relocation, succulent,
translocation.