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Sporobolus durus

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family
PLANTAE TRACHEOPHYTA LILIOPSIDA CYPERALES GRAMINEAE

Scientific Name: Sporobolus durus
Species Authority: Brongn.
Synonym/s:
Vilfa brongniartii Steud.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria: Extinct     ver 3.1
Year Published: 2003
Assessor/s: Gray, A.
Reviewer/s: Cronk, Q. & Cairns-Wicks, R. (South Atlantic Island Plants Red List Authority)
Justification:
The last assessment (Cronk 1980) listed this species as Endangered. New information indicates that the species can reasonably be considered as extinct as repeated surveys have failed to locate any plants. Last confirmed sighting remains 1886. No trace of this species was found after extensive searches of White Horse Hill in 1998, where it was last recorded in 1886 at 460 m (Cronk 1980). The introduced grass Melinis minutiflora P.Beauv. is now the dominant grass in this area and it is unlikely that S. durus could compete with this vigorous species. If any surviving specimens persist, they are likely to be in areas inaccessible to survey, for example, small ledges on cliff faces. Due to the inability to locate this species in the wild, S. durus should now be regarded as extinct. The introduction of species such as M. minutiflora are likely to be responsible for the reduction in the distribution of S. durus (Cronk 1980).
History:
1997 – Extinct/Endangered (Walter and Gillett 1998)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description: Previously known from the Weather Post Hill area of Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean.
Countries:
Regionally extinct:
Saint Helena (Ascension)
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Systems: Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s): Introduced plants have completely replaced the original vegetation communities.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions: This species was last seen in 1886 but should still be searched for in suitable habitats to determine whether it still survives in areas that are difficult to assess such as sheer cliff faces.
Citation: Gray, A. 2003. Sporobolus durus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 May 2012.
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