conserving Long-term Conservation Collaboration with Puerto Rico Fairchild researchers head to the Caribbean to review the status of 53 endangered and threatened .

Julissa Roncal, Ph.D. Project Plant Ecologist s a participating institution in the Center for Plant Conservation A (CPC), Fairchild shares the responsibility for the conservation and restoration of imperiled in South Florida and the U.S. Caribbean territories. Puerto Rico has a list of 53 endangered and threatened plant species—including trees, h ira shrubs, cacti, , vines, one palm and h eve S one orchid—growing on diverse habitats t such as subtropical moist and rain forests, PHOTOS: S limestone hills and serpentine soils. Left: Solanum drymophilum is a species considered to have high recovery potential Working in the Caribbean is nothing because of successful propagation techniques. Goetzea elegans (center) also has new for Fairchild. Former director John a high recovery potential—one introduced and eight wild populations exist. See this plant in Fairchild’s living collection. Right: Only 11 individuals of Banara Popenoe made early collections of vanderbiltii—highly vulnerable to fires, hurricanes and vandalism—are left in the wild. endangered species. In 1989, 1991, 1994 and 1995, Fairchild staff returned to collect seeds and cuttings from endangered and and Duane Kolterman at the University natural protected areas is urgent if we threatened species. Seeds were propagated of Puerto Rico determined that the want to secure the species. Suitable habitat and curated in Fairchild’s greenhouse species vivesii is a sterile hybrid for reintroduction is especially limited for facilities. Adult-size plants are located in and thus will be proposed to be delisted. Lyonia truncate, Mitracarpus maxweliae the living collection for exhibition, making Colleagues reported success propagating and Mitracarpus polycladus. this the best ex-situ (off-site) collection of several species (for example, Calyptronoma We outlined recovery plans for each of Puerto Rican endangered and threatened rivalis, Daphnopsis hellerana, Eugenia the 53 species, and hope to collaborate with plants in the continental U.S. woodburyana, Juglans jamaicensis, Stahlia the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the In February, Fairchild conservation monosperma) offsite and onsite, and have Department of Natural and Environmental ecologist/South Florida team leader Dr. introduced them in the wild. They are Resources to implement those plans. With Joyce Maschinski and I visited Puerto Rico updating records of restoration success future funding, we want to send our to review the status of wild populations of of several taxa. We identified six species greenhouse propagules back to Puerto these 53 species. How many populations with high recovery potential, including Rico, introduce them in natural areas and for each species are there? What is the total Calyptronoma rivalis, Goetzea elegans, assess perpetuity of the population number of plants per species? Have Harrisia portoricensis, Peperomia wheeleri, through continued long-term monitoring. flowers, fruits or seedlings been reported? Solanum dymophylum and Stahlia By increasing the total population number Have any of these species been successfully monosperma. In the case of Ilex cookii, of a species, we will reduce its risk of propagated? Are there any reintroduced separation of sexes in different individuals extinction and achieve species delisting. populations? With 16 Puerto Rican —a condition termed dioecy—limits But little is known of the biology and colleagues working with the U.S. Fish recovery of the species, since populations propagation requirements of several and Wildlife Service, the Puerto Rican are either male or female, making sexual species on the list. By collaborating with Department of Natural and Environmental reproduction difficult or impossible. Other Puerto Rican colleagues, we aim to conduct Resources, the University of Puerto Rico species, such as Aurodendron pauciflorum, urgent research for their recovery. We and the Luis Munoz Marin in San Juan, we Buxus vahlii, Daphnopsis hellerana, Eugenia also want to obtain new species of Puerto discussed conservation needs and options. woodburyana and Trichilia triacantha, Rican plants to improve our unique ex-situ Several interesting findings emerged. among others, are mostly confined to exhibition, and increase public awareness Researchers Marian Sepúlveda-Orengo private land; therefore, introduction to of Caribbean biodiversity.

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