THE NATIONAL RED LIST OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Wolf’s-foot Clubmoss

Lycopodium clavatum

Macedonian

Ликоподиум

Albanian

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Not evaluated Data deficient Least concern Near threatened Vulnerable Endangered CRITICALLY ENDANGERED Extinct in the wild Extinct
NE DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX
Taxonomy
Assessment info
Population
Habitat and Ecology
Threats
Use and Trade
Conservation Actions
Bibliography

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Lycopodium clavatum

Authority

L.

Synonyms

Lycopodium clavatum L. subsp. monostachyon (Grev. & Hook.) Selander; Lycopodium clavatum L. var. lagopus Hartm.; Lycopodium clavatum L. var. monostachyon Grev. & Hook.; Lycopodium lagopus (Hartm.) Kuzen.

Assessment info

IUCN Red List Category and Criteria

CR – Critically Endangered, B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); D

Date assessed

November 2019

Assessors

Kostadinovski, M.

Reviewers

Čarni, A.

Contributors

Matevski, V.

Ćušterevska, R.

Cvetkoska, C.

Facilitators

Hofman, M.P.G.

Justification

There is a high probability that the forest road that passes near the species’ location has destroyed part of the population. The activities in the mine and the construction of the forest road could affect in the future of the population of this species.

In addition, about 700 m of the species’ population is the Sasa mine, which has old shafts around the location of the species, and geological investigations is ongoing.

The construction and use of forest roads, as well as mining activities in the vicinity of the population, directly or indirectly (for example, by removing water from the habitat), may cause a decrease in EOO and the number of adult individuals.

For these reasons, we assume that there may be a continued decline in population.

The EU Red list Assessment for this species is LC.

Population

Current population trend

Decreasing

Description

The species has a creeping, branching stems which is covered with sphagnum cushions. The length of the stems can reach 50 cm and because of presence of other plants usually there is one unit per one square meters. The area on which the population develops is about 30 m2 and more than 50 individuals are not expected.

Habitat and Ecology

System

Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology

Lycopodium clavatum is perennial herb on sites with permanent moisture. In North Macedonia it grows on Sphagnum-dominated mire in the beech forest belt.

Use and trade

Use and trade

The spores of Lycopodium clavatum are sold as Lycopodium Powder, which has a wide range of uses (as an explosive mixture, as powder in cosmetics, as pill coating in the pharmaceutical industry, in homeopathic medicine etc.).

 In North Macedonia, this plant is not used for any of these purposes.

Threats

Threats

Тhe only known population of Lycopodium clavatum in North Macedonia is located near the Sasa mine. The anthropogenic threats are the activities in the mine and the construction of the forest road, which could affect in the future of the population of this species.

However, given the size of the population, any natural threat (fire, grazing, succession, climate change) can be detrimental for the existence of this species in North Macedonia.

Conservation actions

Conservation actions

According to IUCN European regional assessment (2012), Lycopodium clavatum is classified as Least Concern. However in some European countries they have a different status. For example, in Serbia it is classified as Endangered.

Taking into account the location of the species, it would pbe advisable for the conservation activities to be undertaken in collaboration with the managers of the Sasa mine.

Conservation measures would include regular monitoring of the population and define potential threats (especially possible competition relations with other plants), which would allow timely prevention of any disturbance of the population.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Micevski, K. 1985. Flora na SR Makedonija. MANU. Skopje, 1(1): 1-157. .p 1-157.

Christenhusz, M. and Raab-Straube, E. von. 2013. Polypodiopsida . .p 1/.

Christenhusz, M.J.M. and Chase, M.W. 2014. Trends and concepts in fern classification. .p 571-594.

Christenhusz, M.J.M., Zhang, X.C. and Schneider, H. 2011. A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns . .p 7-54.

Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG I). 2016. A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns. 563–603. DOI: 10.1111/jse.12229. .p/.