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African Cycad Ecology, Ethnobotany and Conservation: A Synthesis

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Abstract

Africa hosts a rich assemblage of cycads: 66 Encephalartos species, Stangeria eriopus and Cycas thouarsii. Most Encephalartos and S. eriopus adults appear to be fire-tolerant, and certain Encephalartos species may be fire-dependent. Four Encephalartos species and S. eriopus are primarily insect-pollinated. African cycad populations typically have sex ratios of 1:1, with very small populations often male-biased. Coning is typically infrequent and erratic, with many species exhibiting mast-seeding. Viable seed production in Encephalartos populations tends to decline with decreasing population size, and seed predation by weevils is common. Seed dispersal in Encephalartos is usually localized, but vertebrates may facilitate dispersal over longer distances. Stem material of 25 Encephalartos species and S. eriopus is used for traditional medicine, primarily in South Africa. Two-thirds of Africa’s cycad species are threatened, with four species already Extinct in the Wild. The illegal acquisition of cycads from wild populations is the principle threat to their persistence. Further research is recommended on seed and fire ecology, population dynamics, and the outcomes of conservation interventions.

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Acknowledgements

Many thanks go to De Wet Bösenberg for producing the species distribution map. Wynand van Eeden is thanked for providing comments on the manuscript. Thanks go to John Donaldson, Piet Vorster, Gerhard van Deventer, Michael Calonje, Xander de Kock and David Muller for supplying photographs. We thank the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for providing funding.

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Cousins, S.R., Witkowski, E.T.F. African Cycad Ecology, Ethnobotany and Conservation: A Synthesis. Bot. Rev. 83, 152–194 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-017-9183-4

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