Nymphaea thermarum in Rwanda 601
PLATE 1 The rediscovery of Nymphaea thermarum in Rwanda: (a) a wild flowering individual, (b) N. thermarum along ditches, (c) adults and seedlings in a muddy fishpond, and (d) part of the team that rediscovered the species. Photos: Thomas Abeli, 29 July 2023.
grows. Potentially, local or foreign collectors might over- harvest the species given its high market value. Although N. thermarum has not yet been reassessed for
the IUCN Red List, it is likely to be categorized as Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2012) under Criterion B, considering its area of occupancy of ,4 km2, extent of occurrence of ,100 km2, the single location and the observed and pro- jected continuing declines in extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, quality of habitat and number of mature in- dividuals (IUCN, 2012). Urgent conservation measures are required to ensure this population of N. thermarum is not extirpated. In the short term it will be important to: (1) protect and/or purchase land, especially in relation to the expansion of the mining site (investigations to identify the owners of the land where N. thermarum grows are in progress); (2) negotiate with the cement factory to ensure that sufficient water reaches the habitat of N. thermarum; and (3) reassess the species with the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria to update its status from Extinct in the Wild to Critically Endangered, to prevent out-of-date information hampering prioritization of conservation measures for the species (Abeli et al., 2022). This reassessment is underway. In the medium term it will be important to: (1) create a
plant micro-reserve (sensu Laguna et al., 2013) or include the site of N. thermarum in the Mashyuza Natural Forest; (2) restore the areas already affected by mining in collab- oration with the local cement factory and develop a ditch system for irrigation of the fishponds, providing benefits for both local farmers and the species; (3) reintroduce N. thermarum to its original site near the main Mashyuza hot spring pool; (4) propose to the Government of Rwanda the inclusion of N. thermarum in CITES Appendix II, which would guarantee the protection of the species and potentially allow local farmers to cultivate and trade it
(this species is in demand as an ornamental plant because of its small overall size and large flowers, and it can be grown out of water, on wet soil); (5) genetically revitalize ex- isting ex situ collections with seeds from the wild popula- tion; and (6) create a new ex situ collection of the species in Rwanda for conservation and awareness purposes. In addition to these urgent conservation actions, re-
search is needed, and is being planned, to clarify aspects of the biology and ecology of N. thermarum that could inform conservation decisions, including the total and effective population size, population structure, abiotic factors influ- encing occurrence, natural vegetation dynamics of the wild site, pollination biology and population genetics of the wild and ex situ populations. All stakeholders (i.e. Rwandan governmental authorities, local community mem- bers, landowners, private companies working in the area and conservation biologists) now need to collaborate to con- serve the rediscovered wild population of this iconic species.
Author contributions Study design, fieldwork: all authors; writing: TA, SS.
Acknowledgements We thank Jean Marie Habiyakare (Cyamudongo Project of the University of Koblenz) for facilitating communication with local community members, and the local com- munity (including The King ofWater) for the information and assist- ance that led to the rediscovery of N. thermarum.
Conflicts of interest None.
Ethical standards This research abided by the Oryx guidelines on ethical standards. The rediscovery of N. thermarum was the result of a visit to the destroyed, original habitat of the species, which is known from the literature. The incidental discovery was neither planned nor was it the intention of the field visit. No plant material was removed, and private plots were entered with the permission of the local community, who also helped find the species. As of 4 September 2023, the Ministry of Environment of Rwanda has been
Oryx, 2024, 58(5), 600–602 © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605323001837
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