The intersection of basic research and conservation: a 30-year study of the Critically Endangered Schiedea adamantis (Caryophyllaceae) on Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head Crater), Hawai‘i

AbstractWe report on how a long-term study of the reproductive biology of the Critically Endangered Schiedea adamantis (Caryophyllaceae), one of Hawai‘i's rarest plant species, was leveraged for conservation purposes. Our major goals were to provide seeds with the greatest genetic variation possible for reintroduction and to ensure that both female and hermaphroditic plants of this wind-pollinated species were reintroduced in a manner that maximized both outcrossing and seed production. Schiedea adamantis was one of the first Hawaiian plant species listed under the Endangered Species Act (USA). The species has been studied intensively to test hypotheses addressing the evolution of breeding systems. Information on outcrossing levels and the extent of inbreeding depression was integrated into ongoing reintroduction efforts. Population size peaked in 1994, when 267 flowering individuals were found on Lē‘ahi (Diamond Head Crater). By 2016 only 17 flowering individuals were present, with drought and invasive species being possible causes of this decline. Reintroduction attempts in 1998 using genetically diverse seeds were unsuccessful because of drought and a lack of sufficient supplemental irrigation. Additional reintroduction attempts in 2012 and 2014 were more successful because of increased supplemental irrigation. Plants used in reintroductions represent genotypes long since absent in the natural population, and may contain the genetic variability essential for evolutionary responses to climate change and the spread of invasive species. The destruction of many plants reintroduced in 2015 and 2016 by a fire in March 2016 highlights the need for additional restoration areas at Lē‘ahi and elsewhere, and storage of seeds for future use.

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Additional record and conservation measures of Ceropegia odorata Nimmo ex J. Graham from Gujarat State, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.3432.9.8.10618-10622 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 10618

Author(s):

S. K. Patel ◽

B. L. Punjani ◽

P. R. Desai ◽

V. B. Pandey ◽

Y. S. Chaudhary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Endangered Plant ◽

Gujarat State ◽

Participatory Approaches ◽

Sabarkantha District ◽

Associated Species ◽

Level Monitoring ◽

Landscape Level

Ceropegia odorata Nimmo ex J. Graham (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae) a Critically Endangered plant species from India was recorded in Gujarat after about 45 years in Vijaynagar forest of Sabarkantha District (northern Gujarat). It was first collected from Pavagadh in central Gujarat. Long-term conservation and participatory approaches, details on macro- and micro-habitats, associated species, landscape level monitoring programs are suggested for the new recorded locality and hill ranges.

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Cryopreservation enables long-term conservation of critically endangered species Rubus humulifolius

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-019-01883-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 303-314 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jaanika Edesi ◽

Jonne Tolonen ◽

Anna Liisa Ruotsalainen ◽

Jouni Aspi ◽

Hely Häggman

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Common Garden ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Plant Biodiversity ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

Preservation Method

Abstract Ex situ storage plays an important role in the conservation of plant biodiversity. Cryopreservation at ultra-low temperatures (− 196 °C) is the only long-term ex situ preservation method for plant species that cannot be stored in seed banks. In the present study, we developed a cryopreservation protocol for micropropagated Rubus humulifolius (Rosaceae) plants representing currently critically endangered population of the species in Finland. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been found to increase the freezing tolerance of several plant species. Thus, we studied the effect of a 10-day pretreatment with 0, 2 or 4 mg/l ABA in comparison to freshly dissected buds. We also studied how the duration of in vitro subculture affects cryopreservation result. The ABA pretreatment had divergent effect on control and cryopreserved buds: the regeneration of non-cryopreserved control buds increased from 51% to 70%, 90% or 87% while the regeneration of cryopreserved buds decreased from 52% to 35%, 6% or 9% after 0, 2 or 4 mg/l ABA pre-treatments, respectively. Buds from plants subcultured for 1 month had 63% survival, which, however, decreased to 29% or nil% after 2 or 4 months subculture. The regenerated plants were successfully transferred from in vitro to in vivo conditions in common garden. Growing in garden is needed for future restoration of the species in wild. Cryostorage and other ex situ conservation actions carried out in botanical gardens may be of increasing importance as a tool to maintain plant biodiversity in the future.

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ON THE CHAUN PALAEOFLORA FROM NON-MARINE CRERACEOUS OF CHUKOTKA

Tikhookeanskaya Geologiya ◽

10.30911/0207-4028-2021-40-2-55-66 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 55-66

Author(s):

S.V. Shchepetov ◽

◽

V.Yu. Neshataeva ◽

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Term Study ◽

Coastal Lowland ◽

Volcanogenic Belt ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Fossil Floras ◽

Systematic Composition

The Cretaceous fossil floras from the formations of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt differ significantly by its systematic composition from the same-age fossil floras from the coastal lowland sedimentations. The peculiarities of fossil floras from the volcanogenic disposals are the most obvious in Chaun Flora firstly found in the volcanogenic formations of Pegtymelski Arch in Central Chukotka. L.B. Golovneva presented the results of the long-term study of this flora in the monograph published in 2018. On the base of these data and using our own experience in the stratigraphy of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt and the study of the vegetation cover dynamics in the areas of modern volcanism of Kamchatka we showed that most likely Chaun Flora formed on juvenile substrata in the central parts of the vast volcanic fields being isolated form the sources of diasporas. The Chaun Flora has not clear affinity in neither lateral nor stratigraphic localization, because the fossil remains of characteristic plant species occur in different-age formations on all extent of the volcanogenic belt. The species characteristic for Chaun Flora are indicators of the certain environmental conditions and reflect the peculiarities of the processes of fossilization in the areas of terrestrial volcanism from Turon until Campanian inclusive.

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Notes on the endemic plant species of the Ebo Forest, Cameroon, and the new, Critically Endangered, Palisota ebo (Commelinaceae)

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2018.1503 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 151 (3) ◽

pp. 434-441 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Martin Cheek ◽

Gerhard Prenner ◽

Barthélemy Tchiengué ◽

Robert B. Faden

Keyword(s):

Conservation Status ◽

Central Africa ◽

Critically Endangered ◽

Botanical Survey ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Species Discovery ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

Species Being

Background and aims – This paper reports a further discovery in the context of a long-term botanical survey in the Cross River-Sanaga interval of west-central Africa, focussing on species discovery and conservation.Methods – Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied to study the material collected. The relevant collecting data are stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. Key results – The growing number of endemic species being discovered from the Ebo forest of Cameroon points to the importance of its conservation. Palisota ebo Cheek (Commelinaceae) is described as an additional new species to science and is compared with P. flagelliflora Faden. Restricted so far to the Ebo Forest its conservation status is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR B1+2ab(iii)) according to the 2012 criteria of IUCN.

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INFORMATION ABOUT FLORA OF THE UST-BELSKY NATURE PARK (UDMURT REPUBLIC)

Bulletin of Udmurt University. Series Biology. Earth Sciences ◽

10.35634/2412-9518-2021-31-4-363-372 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 363-372

Author(s):

O.G. Baranova

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Term Study ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Natural Park ◽

Udmurt Republic ◽

Nature Park ◽

Floristic Studies ◽

Cluster 2

The article presents the results of a long-term study of the indigenous flora of the Ust-Belsky Nature Park. A list of vascular plants is given. There are 588 plant species from 299 genera and 87 families. The territory of the park consists of 2 clusters. They are located on different banks of the Kama River. The list contains cluster information for each plant species. Only 477 plant species are common to the two clusters, while the remaining species are characteristic of individual sections of the natural park. There are 68 such types in cluster 1, and 43 in cluster 2. In the course of floristic studies in different years, the growth of 23 rare plant species listed in the Red Book of the Udmurt Republic was recorded on the territory of the Ust-Belsky Natural Park.

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