Triceratella drummondii

A major threat to this species is habitat loss through conversion of land to agriculture. Around Gwanda, Zimbabwe, land is described as "badly degraded" and there have been a number of openings made in the habitat to make way for agriculture (Google Earth 2020, Hyde 2021). As Triceratella drummondii is dependent on wetlands, it may be at particular risk of habitat degradation and loss through drainage of the water source and conversion of land to agriculture, as these seepage wetlands provide a reliable source of water throughout the dry seasons in Zimbabwe (Brazier 2015), and may become even more important if climate change brings prolonged dry seasons to this area.

Around Moebase, Mozambique, there is high pressure on land to the north of the coast, with agriculture expanding further towards the dunes in recent years (Google Earth 2020). The site also falls within a mining concession (License 4623C, Moebase and Naburi deposits, currently owned by Pathfinder Minerals plc), where it is thought there are commercially viable heavy metal deposits (URS/Scott Wilson 2011). The site continues to be of interest (Darbyshire in prep.) and could lead to significant loss of habitat at Moebase, the only locality at which T. drummondii is certain to persist.

Both localities from which Triceratella drummondii is known fall within protected areas. The Zimbabwe locality falls within Tshipise or Chipise Wildlife Management Area, which forms part of a wider wilderness corridor that covers southeast Zimbabwe (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2021). However, this site was established in 2002, subsequent to the degradation in the area and the previous, failed attempts to establish the species' continued presence at this site. 

The Mozambican subpopulation falls within the Primeiras & Segundas Environmental Management Area; however, the focus of this area is on marine and offshore wildlife rather than the coastal area in which T. drummondii inhabits (Darbyshire in prep.) and so likely has little impact in terms of conservation of this species.

Seeds of this species are not currently stored by the Millenium Seed Bank Partnership (MBSP 2020). It is not known whether T. drummondii has orthodox seed storage behaviour; however, a number of other Commelinaceae seeds are known to display orthodox seed storage behaviour (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 2021) and collection is therefore recommended as an ex situ conservation measure. This species is not currently grown in a botanic garden (BGCI 2020).

Triceratella drummondii would benefit from greater public awareness of its rarity, with a plan for protection of habitat within Primeiras & Segundas Environmental Protection Area, which may need to be developed with funding and collaboration from external partners due to their focus on marine wildlife. Strengthening of legal protection of Moebase may be advisable because of this species and the large, intact Icuria dunesis (EN) forests that also occur in the area (Darbyshire In prep.). The loss of this area to mining would result in the possible extinction of T. drummondii and the loss of other unique and important biodiversity at this site.

In addition, the establishment of more sustainable land use strategies could help relieve the pressure from agriculture at both sites.

Moebase is the priority for conservation as the only subpopulation known with confidence to be extant; however, further monitoring at Gwanda and throughout sandy wetlands in Zimbabwe and Mozambique should be undertaken to establish if there are more subpopulations.