The rare Lithops opalina species was recently rediscovered in the Gondwana Canyon Park.
This highlights Gondwana Collection Namibia’s success in sustainable eco-tourism and land management.
The company stewards a total of 739 500ha of Namibian conservation land, including the Palmwag concession area, Gondwana Sperrgebiet Rand Park, and private nature parks like the Gondwana Namib Park north of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert, Gondwana Kalahari Park northeast of Mariental in the Kalahari Desert, and Gondwana Canyon Park in the Fish River Canyon landscape.
In Gondwana Canyon Park, the recent rediscovery of a long-lost Lithops population by researchers highlighted the importance of sustainable natural resource and land use, particularly in arid environments.
This specific population of Lithops was first discovered by Kurt Dinter, a South African botanist, in 1923.
Lithops, a genus and common name for the species, are dwarf succulents that belong to the ice plant family, or Aizoaceae and are native to the arid landscapes of southern Namibia and the Northern Cape, South Africa.
Resembling small stones, Lithops are often referred to as ‘living stones’ or ‘beeskloutjies’.
According to the Namibia Biodiversity Database, Namibia is known to support 16 Lithops species, of which 14 are endemic and thus restricted to certain geographical locations with specific habitat requirements.
The unearthed Lithops population, identified as the endemic Lithops opalina, was aided by Dinter’s expedition notes from 1923.
Researchers Jaan Lepson, Peter Beiersdorfer and Hilde Mouton and Frikkie Mouton from the Lithops Research and Conservation Foundation, were able to trace the species to their exact original habitat, or ‘type locality’, which offers valuable insight into the species’ natural history and evolution.
The rediscovered Lithops match Dinter’s notes: The plant is smooth, pale and has surfaces with no markings. These findings debunk earlier claims which stated that Lithops opalina was a cultivated variety, highlighting the species’ unique features that distinguish it from other Lithops species.
Lithops are considered as highly specialised succulents with unique evolutionary adaptations, particularly in their leaves, that enable them to thrive in arid environments.
For example, Lithops leaves are mostly buried beneath the soil surface with a fenestrated, or partly translucent, leaf surface that allows light to enter the leaf interior for photosynthesis.
Lithops leaves exhibit distinguishable patterns and colouring specific to their original habitat, which further serves as camouflage from potential predators.
According to Conservation Namibia, one of the major threats to Lithops species is plant poaching, involving that species are illegally harvested and traded as ornamental plants.
Furthermore, due to their highly specialised nature, Lithops are also sensitive to changing climatic conditions, invasive species, soil erosion, and habitat loss.
The Gondwana Canyon Park, however, offers a protected environment for this Lithops population.
Initially established to preserve the sensitive and biodiversity-rich ecosystems of the Fish River Canyon landscapes, the Gondwana Canyon Park straddles the Nama Karoo Biome to the north and transitions into the arid Succulent Karoo Biome to the south.
The Succulent Karoo Biome, a large geographical area with specialised ecosystems, supports high numbers of endemic plant species like the iconic quiver tree and succulent species like Lithops, Mesembryanthemum and Drosanthemum.
The Gondwana Canyon Park also forms part of the Greater Fish River Canyon Landscape Conservation Area, which Gondwana manages collaboratively with the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, the Ai-|Ais Hot Springs Game Park and the Ai-|Ais Richtersveld Transfontier Conservation Park.
The rediscovery of a Namibian endemic Lithops species in its original habitat, nearly a century later, underscores the value of biodiversity research and the potential positive returns that conservation-focused management can have on landscapes and species alike.
These research findings form part of a publication, titled ‘Rediscovery of the Type Locality of Lithops opalina and Taxonomic Implications’, published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, further raising conservation awareness and contributing to knowledge available on Lithops species.
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