Scleria fulvipilosa

The major documented threat to this species is fire. According to the information available on herbarium specimen labels and in Robinson (1966), dry season fires seriously affect the growth and reproduction of the species due to its rhizomes being more superficial than those in its associated species. The most recent known data on this threat is from 1961 when the collector and author of the species recorded that part of a subpopulation of this species was almost destroyed by fire. The surviving plants only had a few reproductive stems and fruits. The historical trends of fire occurrence in the region are not known. However, MODIS 4 data (https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/) shows that fires are common in the region as they are used to restore soil fertility to cultivate the land. Non-sustainable water resource management and use is another threat that may indirectly affect the species by degrading its habitat and favouring the occurrence of fires. Growing towns and cultivated areas have led to increased extraction of  water from wetlands, changing water availability in those ecosystems, and therefore their susceptibility to fires. The trends and the scope of this threat are not well documented. However, growing towns and increase in agricultural activity can be observed on Google Earth satellite imagery (Google Earth 2020). 
Another threat to the species is local or nomadic grazing by livestock, which affects the species in two ways. First, direct consumption by livestock can cause a reduction of its population size and by reducing its reproduction. Second, wetlands are very sensitive to the erosion caused by big animals walking over them which indirectly affects the species due to the degradation of its habitat.

Scleria fulvipilosa has been collected from the Ichishiba Ng'andu Natural Reserve. Further surveys to determine its current distribution, population size and trends are recommended because, even though the species was described by an expert on the group and the area (Robinson 1966) as locally abundant, it was also stated as generally rare. Robinson (1966) reported having looked for the species in other suitable areas for 9 years without finding it. If we also take into account the antiquity of the data, we can state that the species could possibly even be extinct in the wild. If and when the species is found again, more research on its ecology is needed in order to better understand the threats that may be affecting it.