Final Report: APGA-USFS 2017 Scouting/Collecting Trip for Ochrosia kauaiensis Prepared by Seana K. Walsh, Conservation Biologist and Kenneth R. Wood, Research Biologist National Tropical Botanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Rd, Kalāheo, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi 96741 February 2018 Project Summary Over the past six months conservation research was conducted on Ochrosia kauaiensis H. St. John (Apocynaceae), a rare single-island endemic tree species from Kauaʻi. A total of seven trips (see Table 1 and Figures 1-3) were made by the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) to voucher, map, tag and collect fruits and DNA samples. Methods. Individual plants were tagged utilizing a “Population Reference Code” ID system standardized within the State of Hawaiʻi. The unique ID was embossed on a metal tag and attached to a small branch of the plant or on an adjacent tree using plastic-coated wire with flagging. This unique plant ID system will ensure consistency and streamline future monitoring. All associated data with a collection were entered into the NTBG Collections Management Database System. Images and videos were labelled and entered into the NTBG Digital Asset Management program using ResourceSpace. Voucher specimens were deposited in NTBG’s herbarium (PTBG) and duplicates were sent to United States National Arboretum and Bishop Museum (BISH). Seed collections from individual plants were kept separate. Depending on the number of seeds collected from an individual, a portion was mailed to the Montgomery Botanical Center (MBC). Remaining seeds were propagated in NTBG’s Conservation and Horticulture Center on Kauaʻi for future ex situ conservation collections in NTBG’s McBryde and Limahuli Gardens on Kauaʻi and NTBG’s Kahanu Garden on Maui. Seeds were not mailed to NTBG’s The Kampong in Florida because staff were dealing with the devastating damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma. Immature fruits also were collected on a case-by-case basis (i.e., if there was no likely chance of regeneration in the area due to heavy, invasive plant and animal disturbance and/or collection sites were extremely remote and difficult to access) and sent to the Micropropagation Laboratory of Lyon Arboretum’s Hawaiian Rare Plant Program on Oʻahu. Results. Seeds and some seedlings were collected from 30 individual trees of Ochrosia kauaiensis during this research (Table 1). Many individuals encountered were in splendid condition, yet, unfortunately, some previously known colonies had fewer living trees than were previously recorded. The only signs of regeneration were observed in the Hanakapiʻai Valley colony. The paucity of regeneration may likely be due to the effects of invasive non-native plants and animals. Currently we estimate that there are 83–99 individual trees of O. kauaiensis still surviving in the wild. These trees are found within six sub-populations or colonies on Kauaʻi, namely, Hanakapiʻai (50–56 trees), Hoʻolulu (9–19 trees), Kealia Forest Reserve (6 trees), Limahuli (6 trees), Pohakuao (8 trees), and Waiahuakua (4 trees). Surviving individuals of O. kauaiensis are found between 158–440 meters elevation. In November, NTBG staff updated the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessment for O. kauaiensis. The assessment was reviewed and submitted to the IUCN Head Red List Unit for internal review and publication. This Red List update, which is 10 years overdue, will change the 1 | P a g e Red List Category for the taxon from Endangered (C2a) to Critically Endangered (C2a(i)), which designates this species as facing a very high risk of extinction it the wild. The ranking reflects a severely limited Extent of Occurrence (EOO), Area of Occupancy (AOO), and all sub-populations facing a continuing decline in their area of extent and quality of habitat (Figures 4 and 5). The new update is tentatively scheduled to be published on the Red List website in June 2018. Table 1. Summary of field work trip dates, location, access, number of trees collected from and total number of seeds collected. Trip Date Location Access # trees # seeds collected from collected 1 October 3, 2017 Hanakapiʻai Drive and hike 4 81 2 October 18, 2017 Hoʻolulu Helicopter 8 34 3 November 2, 2017 Limahuli Drive and hike 1 10 4 November 14, 2017 Limahuli Drive and hike 1 3 5 December 13-15, 2017 Waiahuakua, Pohakuao, Helicopter 3 3 Nā Pali Coast 6 December 19, 2017 Moloaʻa Forest Reserve Helicopter 3 30 7 February 1, 2018 Hanakapiʻai Helicopter 10 57 TOTAL 30 218 2 | P a g e Figure 1. Collection sites in Hanakapiʻai, Hoʻolulu, Waiahuakua and Pohakuao. 3 | P a g e Figure 2. Collection site in Limahuli. 4 | P a g e Figure 3. Collection site in Moloaʻa Forest Reserve. 5 | P a g e Figure 4. Distribution of Ochrosia kauaiensis, with red triangle indicating its Extent of Occurrence (EOO = 58.5 km2). 6 | P a g e Figure 5. Distribution of Ochrosia kauaiensis, with red points indicating its Area of Occupancy (AOO = 10 km2). Detailed Trip Narrative Trip 1 Date: October 3, 2017 Location: Hanakapiʻai Valley Participants, institutions, contacts: Keahi Bustamente, Director, Leeward Haleakala Watershed Restoration Partnership, [email protected] Steve Perlman, Statewide Specialist, Plant Extinction Prevention Program, [email protected] Mark Query, Volunteer Assistant to Research Biologist, National Tropical Botanical Garden, [email protected] Ken Wood, Research Biologist, National Tropical Botanical Garden, [email protected] Threats to population: Pigs, rats, Clidemia hirta, Aleurites moluccana, Lantana camara, Psidium guajava, Rubus rosifolius, Syzygium malaccense Summary: After a 2-hour drive and 2-hour hike, the day was spent scouting areas where plants were known previously. This area is up the third drainage on the west side of Hanakapiʻai Valley and is a Diospyros-Metrosideros mixed mesic forest with Psychotria mariniana, Psydrax odorata, Bobea brevipes, 7 | P a g e Planchonella sandwicensis, Eugenia reinwardtiana, Rauvolfia sandwicensis, and a succession of invasive non-native plant taxa that are listed under ‘Threats to population’ in this section above. Only four trees encountered had mature fruit from which seed collections were made. These trees were also vouchered, mapped and tagged with a unique ID. In three separate areas, many seedlings were found below adult trees. Some seedlings were collected and brought back to NTBG’s Conservation and Horticulture Center. Table 2 summarizes the collections made during this field work trip. Table 2. Individual plant ID collected from, collector number, NTBG accession number, number of seeds collected, and number of seedlings collected for collections made in Hanakapiʻai on October 3, 2017. Individual plant ID Collector # NTBG accession # # seeds # seedlings collected collected OCH KAU IAI A 0013 krw17539 20170559 52 - - krw17539.02 20170560 - 2 OCH KAU IAI A 0006 krw17540 20170561 7 - OCH KAU IAI A 0005 krw17541 20170562 3 - OCH KAU IAI A 0005 krw17541.02 20170563 - 2 - krw17542.02 20170564 - 8 OCH KAU IAI A 0014 krw17545 20170565 19 - TOTAL 81 12 Figure 6. Ochrosia kauaiensis seeds. Trip 2 Date: October 18, 2017 Location: Hoʻolulu Valley Participants, institutions, contacts: Mark Query, Volunteer Assistant to Research Biologist, National Tropical Botanical Garden, [email protected] Seana Walsh, Conservation Biologist, National Tropical Botanical Garden, [email protected] Ken Wood, Research Biologist, National Tropical Botanical Garden, [email protected] Threats to population: Pigs, goats, rats, Aleurites moluccana, Psidium guajava, Pluchea carolinensis, Clidemia hirta, Elephantopus mollis Summary: A one-hour round-trip helicopter flight got us into and out of Hoʻolulu Valley for the day. The day was spent scouting areas where plants were known previously. Ochrosia kauaiensis individuals were found in Aleurites (non-native) and relictual Diospyros-Nestegis mesic forest with Psychotria mariniana, P. greenwelliae, Pandanus tectorius, Wikstroemia oahuensis, Freycinetia arborea, Psydrax odorata, 8 | P a g e Rauvolfia sandwicensis, Pittosporum napaliensis, Santalum involutum, Chrysodracon aurea, Carex wahuensis, C. meyenii, Pisonia sandwicensis, Planchonella sandwicensis, and a succession of invasive non-native plant taxa that are listed under ‘Threats to population’ in this section above. Eight trees that we encountered had mature fruit from which collections were made. These trees were also vouchered, mapped and tagged with a unique ID. Table 3 summarizes the collections made during this field work trip. Table 3. Individual plant ID collected from, collector number, NTBG accession number, number of seeds collected, and number of seeds sent to MBC from collections made in Hoʻolulu on October 18, 2017. Individual plant ID Collector # NTBG accession # # seeds # seeds sent to collected MBC OCH KAU HOO A 0001 SKW551 20170657 8 3 OCH KAU HOO A 0002 SKW552 20170658 1 0 N/A (seed on ground) SKW553 20170659 1 0 OCH KAU HOO A 0003 SKW554 20170660 5 2 OCH KAU HOO A 0004 SKW555 20170661 2 0 OCH KAU HOO A 0005 SKW556 20170662 7 3 OCH KAU HOO A 0006 SKW557 20170663 2 0 OCH KAU HOO A 0007 SKW558 20170664 2 0 OCH KAU HOO A 0008 krw17584 20170665 6 3 TOTAL 34 11 9 | P a g e Figure 7. Mature Ochrosia kauaiensis fruit in Hoʻolulu Valley on October 18, 2017. 10 | P a g e Figure 8. NTBG Research Biologist Ken Wood hands voucher specimen and fruit of Ochrosia kauaiensis to NTBG Conservation Biologist Seana Walsh in Hoʻolulu Valley on October 18, 2017. 11 | P a g e Trip 3 Date: November 2, 2017 Location: Limahuli Valley Participants, institutions, contacts: