Research Articles (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology)

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Genome divergence between European anchovy ecotypes fuelled by structural variants originating from trans-equatorial admixture
(Royal Society Publishing, 2025) Van der Lingen, Carl; Meyer, Laura; Barry, Pierre
The formation of ecotypes is driven by evolutionary mechanisms that reduce gene flow through complex interactions among ecological, historical and genomic factors. In the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), marine and coastal ecotypes have been identified in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, yet the genomic basis of their divergence remains unclear. Here, we present the first genome-scale analysis of this species complex, integrating whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and RAD-seq data from populations spanning its distribution range. In addition to the known marine and coastal ecotypes, we identify a previously undetected lineage extending from southern Morocco, through the Canary Islands, to South Africa. This southern Atlantic lineage exhibits a gradient of admixture with northern populations near the Atlantic–Mediterranean transition zone. Genomic differentiation landscapes reveal large regions of high linkage disequilibrium, probably corresponding to 13 structural variants (SVs) segregating within or between lineages. Notably, three of the six SVs contributing to the gene flow barrier between northern ecotypes originated in the southern lineage, supporting a partially shared evolutionary history between the coastal ecotype and the southern lineage. This study highlights how SVs that arose in geographically isolated lineages can act as key genetic elements in ecotype formation, reinforcing reproductive isolation through distinct evolutionary pathways.
Long-read de novo assembly of the spekboom (Portulacaria afra) genome
(Nature Research, 2025) Van Jaarsveld, Ernst; Meyer, Wilku; Barkhuizen-Roode, Helmien
Portulacaria afra (P. afra), or Spekboom as it is locally known, is a versatile evergreen shrubby succulent plant in the family Didiereaceae and endemic to the south-eastern parts of southern Africa. P. afra is not only known for its nutritional composition and its medicinal properties but has been shown to be pivotal in preventing desertification through limiting soil degradation. In addition, there is currently growing global attention on the use of P. afra as a garden ornamental. To address the lack of genetic resources for this increasingly important plant, we report on the de novo genome assembly of a Spekboom specimen of the Albany Thicket Biome using Oxford Nanopore Technology long-read sequencing, coupled with Illumina short-read polishing. Flow cytometry and k-mer analysis revealed the genome to be tetraploid and supports a haploid assembly size of ~ 0.68 Gb. BUSCO analysis revealed 99.3% complete BUSCO genes, indicative of the high gene completeness of the assembled genome
Blue Carbon at the southern tip of Africa: current knowledge and future perspectives for dynamic estuarine environments
(Academic Press, 2025) Rajkaran, Anusha; Adams, Janine; Buttner, Daniel
Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCEs), specifically salt marsh, seagrass, mangroves, occur in South Africa's relatively small, sheltered estuaries that are often disconnected from the ocean. These are dynamic environments where shifts between BCEs and other habitats along ecotones occur in response to mouth changes, floods and droughts, as well as anthropogenic pressures. Although Blue Carbon is becoming well established in South Africa, critical knowledge gaps remain; these are summarised under seven themes and future research and management actions identified. A holistic approach is recommended for Blue Carbon studies in estuaries to measure across elevation gradients (rather than focusing on individual vegetation types) and to include reeds, sedges and forested wetlands. Additionally, quantifying data deficient carbon stocks and processes, modelling future climate change impacts, instilling a sustainable long-term monitoring program, incorporating relevant emerging blue carbon stocks, realizing nationally inclusive restoration and protection co-management plans, and aligning local approaches with global frameworks of reporting are advocated as future recommendations with respect to South African BCEs. South Africa has high biodiversity and unique pressures influencing BCEs and is well positioned to inform the global research agenda. While the limited spatial extent of BCEs restricts the feasibility of carbon credit opportunities, high biodiversity values of these ecosystems hold potential under emerging ‘nature credit’ frameworks.
BioSoundSCape: a bioacoustic dataset for the fynbos biome
(Nature Research, 2025) Turner, Andrew; Clark, Matthew; Salas, Leo
Most biodiversity data are collected at fine spatial scales, but threats to species and ecosystems occur at broad spatial scales. Remote sensing allows broad-scale assessment of biodiversity but these data need to be ground-truthed with contemporaneous in situ datasets. Various faunal groups produce sounds or vocalizations which can then be related to remotely-sensed data. As part of the NASA-led BioSCape project, the BioSoundSCape project deployed Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs), which record sounds in an approximately 50 m radius, at 521 sites spread across an area of approximately 119,058 km2 in the Greater Cape Floristic Region, South Africa, during the wet and dry seasons of 2023. The ARUs recorded sounds one in every ten minutes, over 4–10 days, producing 825,832 minutes of recordings (approximately 400,000 minutes of recording in each season). These sound data are georeferenced to within 20 m, with time and date information, so may be useful for relating biodiversity patterns in soundscapes to vegetation structure, fire history, plant phenology, distance to roads and other human infrastructure.
A global systematic review of resource nexus and nature-positive sustainable development: an invitation to a new research agenda
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) O’Farrell, Patrick John; Makwinja, Yamikani Harry; Kimengsi, Jude Ndzifon
The Resource Nexus concept is acknowledged as a transformative approach to managing resource challenges. Yet, its contribution to nature-positive sustainable development (NPSD) practices remains less understood. This study (i) analyses how resource nexus and NPSD practices have been conceptualised in the literature, (ii) determines the state-of-the-art on the NPSD outcomes that are driven by the Resource Nexus approach, and (iii) identifies methodological development in Resource Nexus and NPSD studies. Search queries were conducted in the Scopus core collection, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, resulting in the inclusion of 117 empirical studies. The study reveals that while Resource Nexus offers a broad lens for engaging with these different environmental resources, its integration with NPSD practices remains underexplored. Firstly, the overall dominance of the water-energy-food (WEF) Nexus (28.2%) was reported, followed by the water-energy-food-climate (WEFC) Nexus (24.8%), and the biota-energy-food-climate (BEFC) Nexus (15.4%). Secondly, most papers reported ecological parameters (61.3%) as the significant NPSD outcomes driven by the Resource Nexus, followed by political (48.7%), and economic (44.4%) outcomes. Only 17% of papers reported socio-cultural outcomes. Finally, quantitative approaches were most commonly used in the literature (56.4%), followed by qualitative approaches (33.3%), while the mixed methods approach (10.3%) remained the least frequently used. Our review highlights the urgent need for a new research agenda focused on (i) a diverse Resource Nexus constellation, (ii) transformative coupled citizen science research that develops actionable strategies to complete the Science-policy-practice cycle, and (iii)innovative research methodologies focusing on multi-level and mixed-method approaches while preserving the diverse values of qualitative and quantitative approaches.
A taxonomic revision of the twelve-scaled species of struthiola (thymelaeaceae: thymelaeoideae): the struthiolamundiig roup
(Elsevier, 2025) Boatwright, James; Makhoba, Thuli; Magee, Anthony Richard
Struthiola L. (Thymelaeaceae: Thymelaeoideae) is a genus of approximately 40 species (Wright, 1915; manning and goldblatt, 2012) largely endemic to South Africa, but with four species in tropical Africa (Peterson, 1958, 1978, 2006). the Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) is the centre of diversity for the genus, as well as for several other related southern African Thymelaeoideae, including Gnidial., Lachnaea l. and Passerina l. Almost all of the South African species of Struthiola are restricted to the GCFR (manning and goldblatt, 2012; Snijman, 2013), with only three of the South African species occurring beyond the region in the grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal (Wright, 1915; hilliard and burtt, 1986; Hilliard, 1993). Struthiola l. was established by Linnaeus (1767) in his Systema Naturae ed. 12 for two species of Thymelaeaceae that were characterised by flowers with just four anthers and petaloid scales (incorrectly described as nectary glands) and subsequently conserved against the earlier name Belvala Adans. (1763) with the conserved type S. erecta l. The genus was last revised more than a century ago by Wright (1915), and as the taxonomy of the southern African species remains poorly understood it has been identified as one of the priority groups for taxonomic revision (Victor et al., 2015; Victor, 2020). Meisner (1857), in his global treatment of Thymelaeaceae, subdivided the genus into three morphological groups based on the number of petaloid scales in the mouth of the hypanthium, viz. four, eight or 12. All subsequent authors have retained these informal subdivisions. The molecular analyses by Makhoba (2024) recovered the species with four scales (the Struthiola striata group) and those with 12 scales (the Struthiola mundii group) as two independent clades nested within the remaining species of the genus, all with eight scales. This confirms the value of the putatively derived scale-numbers of four and 12 in identifying relationships in the genus. The four-scaled S. striata group was recently revised (Makhoba et al., 2019) as a first step towards a comprehensive revision of the genus. As the next step we present a revision of the twelve-scaled species comprising the S. mundii group. Twelve species and three varieties were recognized in the S. mundii group at the onset of this study. Characters such as habit, flower colour, presence or absence of hairs on the hypanthium, hypanthium length, shape of the petaloid scales and the colour of the associated hairs, bracteole length, and presence or absence
The first record of Cape Clawless Otters Aonyx capensis predating on African Penguins Spheniscus demersus
(Taylor&Francis, 2025) Snyman, Albert; Ludynia, Katrin; Purves, Arne
The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, a critically endangered seabird endemic to southern Africa, faces substantial threats from terrestrial predators at its mainland colonies. Correct identification of the predator species is essential for effective conservation management. This study provides the first documented evidence of Cape Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis predation on African Penguins. We describe characteristic lesion patterns distinguishing otter predation from other predators, such as Caracal Caracal caracal. These findings underscore the importance of accurate predator identification to guide targeted mitigation strategies and highlight the need for adaptive management to protect vulnerable mainland African Penguin colonies from emerging predation pressures.
Technical considerations for use of sodium azide in plant biotechnology-assisted genetic improvement
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025) Naidoo, Sershen; Lozada, Alberto; Gómez, Daviel
odium azide has been used in plant biotechnology as a mutagen to induce genetic variation in plants for the purpose of improving traits such as yield, disease resistance, and stress tolerance, for more than four decades. It acts by causing random mutations and researchers can expose plant seeds and a variety of zygotic and vegetative explants to sodium azide for this purpose. Sodium azide can also be used in combination with other biotechnological tools, such as genetic engineering, to further enhance the genetic improvement of plants; for example, to induce mutations in plants that have been genetically modified to overexpress certain genes. Its sustained use over what has been plant biotechnology’s most intense period of innovation speaks to the value of sodium azide as a tool for creating genetic diversity and facilitating the development of new plant varieties with improved traits. Its widespread application in plant biotechnology has led to a lot of variation across facilities/laboratories and species in terms of the methods of exposure, tissues targeted, concentrations used, mutagenic efficiency and biological consequences. The use of mutagens like sodium azide also raises ethical concerns around the unintended consequences and potential risks of mutagens to the environment and human health. This motivated the current review on the technical considerations for the use of sodium azide in plant biotechnology-assisted genetic improvement. Despite the challenges associated with the use of sodium azide (mainly related to a decline in growth) when the method of application is optimized (in terms of plant material, concentration and exposure method) the technique can be a valuable, low cost, option for developing new plant varieties with improved characteristics that can benefit agriculture and food security. © Plant Science and Biodiversity Centre, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS)
Mass mortality of African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) caused by Cape honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis)
(Taylor & Francis, 2025) Ludynia, Katrin; Snyman, lbert; Kock, Alison
The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is a seabird endemic to southern Africa and is currently classified as critically endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left in the wild. Sixty-four African Penguins were found dead at a mainland colony in South Africa in September 2021 after being attacked by Cape honeybees (Apis mellifera capensis), a subspecies endemic to the southern coast of South Africa. An additional adult penguin was found alive with red-stained urine and died shortly after rescue. Post-mortem examination revealed bee stingers embedded in featherless facial areas, accompanied by localised erythema and swelling. The number of stingers ranged from 2 to 35 per penguin (on average 3.5 ± 2.7 stingers/kg in adult males and 4.1 ± 3.6 stingers/kg in adult females), suggesting the species may have a low tolerance to bee venom. Internal lesions were consistent with those previously reported in bee envenomation in other birds and mammals, including severe pulmonary congestion and oedema, systemic shock, and acute kidney injury. The cause of the bee attacks remains unclear but may relate to disturbance by humans or penguins. Habitat degradation and proximity to human activity can increase the risk of bee attacks. Management strategies should include buffer zones for beekeeping, removing or relocating highrisk hives, and educating residents about the risks of beekeeping near colonies. Understanding the drivers of bee defensiveness will be important to prevent further incidents and ensure this endemic bee subspecies does not become an added threat to the African Penguin.
Enabling conservation theories of change
(London: Nature Publishing Group UK, 2024) Christina A. Buelow; Anusha Rajkaran
Global theories of change (ToCs), such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF), provide broad, overarching guidance for achieving conservation goals. However, broad guidance cannot inform how conservation actions will lead to desired outcomes. We provide a framework for translating a globalscale ToC into focussed, ecosystem-specific ToCs that consider feasibility of actions, as determined by national socioeconomic and political context (i.e., enabling conditions). We demonstrate the framework using coastal wetland ecosystems as a case study. We identified six distinct multinational profiles of enabling conditions (‘enabling profiles’) for coastal wetland conservation. For countries belonging to enabling profiles with high internal capacity to enable conservation, we described plausible ToCs that involved strengthening policy and regulation. Alternatively, for enabling profiles with low internal enabling capacity, plausible ToCs typically required formalising community-led conservation. Our ‘enabling profile’ framework could be applied to other ecosystems to help operationalise the post-2020 GBF.
A cross-over dietary intervention in captive cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus): Investigating the effects of glycine supplementation on blood parameters
(United States: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc, 2024) Kathryn M. van Boom; Tertius A. Kohn
Captive cheetahs are prone to unusual diseases which may be attributed to their high muscle meat, collagen deficient captive diet. Glycine is a simple amino acid that is abundant in collagen rich tissues and has many physiological functions, specifically in collagen synthesis and in the conjugation of detrimental by-products produced during gut bacterial fermentation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 4 week glycine supplementation on the body measurements, haematology and serum blood parameters of 10 captive cheetahs using a randomised controlled cross-over design. This approach has not yet been used to investigate the effect of diet in captive cheetahs. Cheetahs were randomly assigned to a control diet (horse meat only) or a glycine diet (30 g glycine per 1 kg meat) for 4 weeks before being crossed over. Blood was collected at baseline and after each intervention. The glycine diet resulted in a decreased serum albumin, alkaline phosphatase and total calcium concentration and increases in eosinophils and basophils counts compared to the control diet. Body weight also decreased on the glycine diet which may be due to increased β-oxidation and fat loss. This was the first study to investigate the effect of glycine supplementation, which resulted in slight body and blood changes, in captive cheetahs using a cross-over design and this approach should be utilised for future dietary studies.
Patterned, plain, and in-between: An assessment of ecogeographic divergence between colour pattern morphs of the common egg-eater Dasypeltis scabra
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2024) Barends, Jody M; Bassier, Ielhaam; Buckley, Emma E.
Intraspecific variation in colour patterns may reflect adaptive responses to local environmental regimes that favour selection of different trade-offs between visual communication, thermoregulation, and anti-predatory functions. Understanding the drivers of colour pattern variation within species can therefore provide valuable insights about adaptation. However, the ecogeographic correlates, and thus the ecological drivers, associated with the segregation of different colour morphs for most reptile species, including snakes, are not well known. Here, we examined differences in environmental niches associated with occurrence records of preserved museum specimens and georeferenced photographic images of common egg-eaters (Dasypeltis scabra) to characterise ecogeographic divergence between typically patterned, patternless, and faintly marked individuals. We gathered 1707 records that we assigned as either patterned, plain, or intermediate morphs. Most records were of patterned individuals, which were widely distributed in southern Africa. Climate niches differed between morphs as plain and intermediate snakes were restricted to high-elevation areas in the highveld grasslands of South Africa, and woodland-dominated areas in the central and eastern parts of both Zambia and Zimbabwe, but there were no areas where only plain or intermediate snakes occurred in isolation from patterned snakes. Environmental niche modelling predicted minimal areas suitable for co-habitation of colour morphs. We speculate that plain or weakly-marked colour patterns likely developed as an adaptation to increase camouflage ability in open areas in grassland and certain woodland habitats.
Secondarily woody lobostemon and echium (boraginaceae) from two mediterranean-climate biodiversity hotspots share similar wood anatomies
(https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85203455791&doi=10.1016%2fj.sajb.2024.09.009&origin=inward&txGid=b934f2a818b42b24f67ed0a0333c328b#:~:text=Publisher%3A-,Elsevier,-Source%20type%3A, 2024) Frankiewicz, Kamil E.; Velani, Nopinky; Boatwright, J. Stephen
Lobostemon (Boraginaceae) comprises 28 shrubby species closely related to the herbaceous genus Echiostachys. Both are native to the Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Together, they form a sister clade to Echium, which is herbaceous except for 23 species that evolved into shrubs and rosette trees on the islands of Macaronesia. Lobostemon and woody Echium make a rare case of parallel evolution of woody habits from herbaceous ancestors (secondary woodiness) in climatically similar but geographically very distant areas. We examined the wood anatomy of 27 Lobostemon species and two of the three species of Echiostachys and compared it with the literature data on woody and herbaceous Echium. Despite differing growth habits, all species share similar wood anatomical traits that may reflect their preference for open, semi-arid habitats. Most conspicuously, there is a common tendency to retain ground tissue cells alive for prolonged periods. In woody species, this results in living fibres and fibre-tracheids. In herbs, it may lead to the total parenchymatization of wood that is devoid of dead cells, except for vessel elements. In Lobostemon, fibre-tracheids with conspicuous pits co-occur with grouped vessels. This may be related to the prolonged retention of protoplasts in ground tissue cells, which hinders water conductance, forcing the development of grouped vessels that can provide a bypass for water in case of embolism. We speculate that in Lobostemon, later-produced wood may contain dead fibre-tracheids and we expect to see less grouped vessels in such case. This potential ontogenetic shift in drought-coping mechanisms requires confirmation.
Gastrointestinal parasite prevalence, diversity and association in free-ranging chacma baboon troops in a semi-arid savanna ecosystem of Zimbabwe
(Australian Society for Parasitology, 2024) Banda, Annabel; Machingura, James; Moyo, Doreen Z
Free-ranging Chacma baboon species are known to harbour a wide range of zoonotic parasites, and their frequent close interactions with humans pose a risk of transmission of zoonotic parasites between the two species. This research study focused on understanding parasite dynamics in free-ranging baboon populations that inhabit human-wildlife interface areas, a case of Gwanda State University’s Epoch Mine campus in Filabusi at Insiza district. A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional design was used to investigate the prevalence, diversity and association of gastrointestinal parasites among three baboon troops found at the Epoch Mine campus. One hundred and twenty (120) fresh faecal samples were collected from the three troops between February and September 2023. The centrifugal floatation technique was used to process and analyse faecal samples, and parasite ova and cysts were identified using morphological features like shape and size. The prevalence of the parasite taxa and a chi-squared multiple comparison test was computed. Results showed significant differences among most parasite taxa except Coccidia spp and Entamoeba spp among the three troops. The Shannon–Wiener (H′) index was used to calculate diversity and graphs were utilized to present the association. The Kruskal-Wallis tests showed no significant difference in parasite diversity among the three troops. Although troop-parasite association showed different parasite species for each troop, helminths Strongylid spp. and Schistosoma spp. were highly common across all three troops. Troop 1 and 3 were associated with four parasite taxa, whereas Troop 2 had only three. The study reveals the presence of gastro-intestinal parasites of public health concern, as they are capable of causing diseases in humans and domestic animals. The study, therefore, underscores the importance of understanding parasite-host dynamics in mitigating zoonotic disease transmission and suggests the need to generate baseline data for mitigating zoonotic diseases and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Acoustic cues to development of African penguins (Spheniscus Demersus) begging calls
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024) Zanoli Anna; Ludynia Katrin; Tenneriello Chiara
Avian begging calls mediate parent–offspring conflict and direct parental care to genetically related progeny. We found that the fundamental frequency of begging calls of African Penguins Spheniscus demersus decreases as the penguins age and gain mass, before reaching a lower plateau when the chick reaches about 1 kg. Our results suggest that the food solicitation signals of this species may inform parents of the offspring’s body mass. Our results may also lead to the development of non-invasive tools for facilitating censusing chick growth in wild colonies.
The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses
(Nature Research, 2024) Clements, Hayley; Do Linh San, Emmanuel; Maritz, Bryan
Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems.
Systematics of othonna (asteraceae: senecioneae: othonninae) in Southern Africa: the o. Cacalioides l.f., o. Natalensis sch.bip., and o. Osteospermoides dc. groups of species and the identity of o. Frutescens l.
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Magoswana,Simon Luvo; Boatwright , James Stephen; Magee Anthony Richard
The largely southern African genus Othonna L. (Asteraceae: Senecioneae: Othonninae) is currently the subject of ongoing taxonomic investigations. Here we review the taxonomy of three small species-groups with radiate capitula. The O. cacalioides L.f. species-group comprises five species of dwarf succulents with tuber-like caudex and small capitula; the O. natalensis Sch.Bip. species-group includes two caespitose species from the summer-rainfall Drakensberg Escarpment; and the O. osteospermoides DC. species-group comprises three species of softly woody shrublets with large capitula. We provide descriptions, complete nomenclature and typification, illustrations and geographical distribution of the species. In addition we conclude that the name O. frutescens L. is not an illegitimate superfluous name for Cineraria othonnites L. as has been previously assumed by early authors. The only original material seems to be an illustration and we accordingly select this illustration as lectotype. This illustration matches Othonna coronopifolia L. and we accordingly reduce O. frutescens L. to synonymy under O. coronopifolia L.
Smaller plants in warmer water could have implications for future kelp forests
(Nature Research, 2025) Smit, Albertus; Wernberg, Thomas; Filbee-Dexter, Karen
Global warming is driving contraction of species’ ranges through migration and mortality at their warm edge. However, for most species more subtle, sub-lethal changes in performance will be a more ubiquitous response to the Anthropocene. It has been suggested that reduction in body size will be a universal response to warming for cold-water species. Here we tested this hypothesis for two dominant kelp species in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively. We tested if populations from cool and warm environments would be morphologically distinct, with warm-water populations displaying structural features indicative of sub-optimal conditions (smaller sizes). We found empirical evidence consistent with size reduction of kelp stipes, blades, and biomass of associated epiphytes from cool to warm water in both hemispheres. These changes are ecologically significant because they affect how kelps engineer their local environment, the three-dimensional habitat they create, and the associated communities they support. Reduced size of cold-water habitat forming species such as kelps may be a sublethal effect of warming that could have widespread but previously overlooked effects on the structure of ecosystems and the services that they provide.
Progress towards the control of invasive alien species in the Cape Floristic Region’s protected areas
(Springer, 2025) Turner, Andrew A.; van Wilgen, Brian W.; Cole, Nicholas S
This paper assesses progress towards the control of biological invasions in 18 protected areas (PAs) covering 677 584 ha in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), and whether progress has been sufficient to achieve Target 6 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We used eight indicators for assessing the inputs (quality of the regulatory framework, money spent and planning coverage for species and protected areas), outputs (species and protected areas treated), and outcomes (effectiveness of species and protected area treatments) of management. The estimated money spent over 13 years (2010–2022) was ZAR 976 million, or ZAR 75 million per year. Management plans for PAs were assessed as adequate over 78.5% of the area, but only six out of 226 regulated invasive species had species-specific control plans in place. A total of 567 alien species occurred in the CFR’s PAs, 226 of which were regulated species (i.e. species that had to be controlled), 126 (55.8%) of which received some management. Spending was highly skewed, with over 60% of all funding spent on trees and shrubs in the genus Acacia. Management efforts reached 24% of the land within the CFR’s protected areas, with higher coverage in national parks (60%) than in provincial nature reserves (9%). Management effectiveness was assessed as either permanent, effective or partially effective for 29 species (20 due to biological control), and ineffective for 25; for the remainder, there was either no management or effectiveness could not be evaluated. We conclude that some progress has been made with respect to controlling invasive alien species in the CFR, but that insufficient and declining funding remains a significant barrier to effective management. To increase efficiency, it will be necessary to secure additional funding from more diversified sources, make more use of biological control and prescribed fire, and regularly monitor the outcomes of management.
Red, gold, and green: comparative genomics of polymorphic leopards from South Africa
(Oxford University Press, 2025) McManus, Jeannine; Lagcher, Elina; Bosse, Mirte
An important goal of comparative and functional genomics is to connect genetic polymorphisms to phenotypic variation. Leopards (Panthera pardus) from northern South Africa are particularly diverse, as here a unique color morph occurs, as well as two deeply diverged southern (SA) and central African (CA) mitochondrial clades, stemming from Pleistocene refugia. Here, we present the first whole genomes of a red leopard and a black (captive) leopard, and wildtypes belonging to the CA and SA mitochondrial clades, to evaluate genome-wide diversity, divergence, and high-impact mutations that may relate to their phenotype. In the black leopard, we found long runs of homozygosity (ROHs), low nucleotide diversity across the genome, and a large number of homozygous structural variants, likely resulting from inbreeding to maintain this color morph in captivity. In red leopards, runs of homozygosity were slightly longer compared to wildtype leopards, with potential deleterious mutations relating to its phenotype, including impaired vision. When assessing population structure, we found no divergence between CA and SA leopards and the rest of Africa, whether comparing single nucleotide or structural variants. This illustrates the homogenizing effect of introgression, and highlights that although leopards in northern South Africa may be phenotypically unique, they are not genetically different.

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