Anubias gracilis

Open cast mining is the main threat to this species. Sites at Simandou and Yonon in Guinea, and Tonkolili in Sierra Leone, are all threatened by open cast iron ore mining in the next 10 years, and the Gola forest in Liberia is under threat from illegal diamond mining (Alloycious 2019). At Bumbuna and Yiben in Sierra Leone, flooding for proposed hydroelectric dam reservoirs is projected to result in extirpation at these sites in the next 15 years.

Although protected at three locations in Sierra Leone and one protected area in Liberia, the species is unprotected over the rest of its range. The forest habitat that it requires is increasingly threatened in all three countries. It is represented in ex situ collections at six botanic gardens worldwide (BGCI 2020). Given the projected loss of the species from several localities on account of mining and hydroelectric projects, education of local stakeholders is recommended, alongside site protection. Research and monitoring of population and habitat trends is also recommended, as well as research into the ecology of the species, and whether the species is collected for use in the ornamental trade; a species action plan may also be advisable.