Rare Plant Propagation and Reintroduction Questions and Considerations for Natural and Historic Resources Lands in New Jersey New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Parks and Forestry Office of Natural Lands Management [Type here] May 2021 Rare Plant Propagation and Reintroduction: Questions and Considerations for Natural and Historic Resources Lands in New Jersey By Elizabeth K. Olson New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection New Jersey Forest Service Office of Natural Lands Management The author wishes to acknowledge the following persons who contributed to this manuscript: Elena Williams, Robert J. Cartica, Dr. Jay F. Kelly, Jason Hafstad, Roman Senyk, Lee Minicuci. This report should be cited as follows: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 2021. Rare Plant Propagation and Reintroduction: Questions and Considerations for Natural and Historic Resources Lands in New Jersey. New Jersey Forest Service, Office of Natural Lands Management. 77 p. Cover Landscape Photo: Webbs Mill Bog by Kathleen Walz Cover Inset Photo: Bog Asphodel (Narthecium americanum) by Jason Hafstad Contents 1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 2 2. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1. Purpose of this Document ............................................................................................................ 4 2.2. Protecting Natural Populations is the Priority .............................................................................. 5 2.3. Potential Negative Implications .................................................................................................... 6 2.3.1. Obscures biogeography and autecology ............................................................................... 6 2.3.2. Regulatory and administrative Issues ................................................................................... 7 2.3.3. Misconstrues complex natural systems ................................................................................ 7 2.3.4. Does not address the root cause of species decline ............................................................. 8 3. Overview of Rare Plant Reintroductions ............................................................................................... 8 3.1. Purpose, Goals, and Benefits ........................................................................................................ 8 3.1.1. Problem ................................................................................................................................. 8 3.1.2. Goals of reintroductions ....................................................................................................... 9 3.1.3. Benefits of reintroductions ................................................................................................. 10 3.2. Risks and Challenges ................................................................................................................... 10 3.2.1. Harm to the source population and site ............................................................................. 10 3.2.2. Harm to the recipient site ................................................................................................... 11 3.2.3. Loss of genetic fitness ......................................................................................................... 11 3.2.4. Unknown biology and ecology ............................................................................................ 11 3.2.5. Limited resources ................................................................................................................ 12 3.2.6. Long time commitment ....................................................................................................... 12 3.2.7. Unforeseen threats ............................................................................................................. 13 3.3. Elements of Successful Projects .................................................................................................. 13 3.3.1. Extensive prior research ..................................................................................................... 13 3.3.2. Experimental design and adaptive management ............................................................... 13 3.3.3. Collaboration ....................................................................................................................... 14 3.3.4. Long-term monitoring ......................................................................................................... 15 3.3.5. Disseminate results ............................................................................................................. 16 3.4. Review of the Scientific Literature .............................................................................................. 17 3.4.1. Summary of reintroduction reviews ................................................................................... 17 3.4.2. High and low risk reintroduction projects .......................................................................... 22 4. Rare Plant Reintroduction Proposals .................................................................................................. 28 4.1. Justifying Rare Plant Reintroductions ......................................................................................... 28 4.1.1. Situations where it may be justified ................................................................................... 28 4.1.2. Situations where it may not be justified ............................................................................. 29 4.2. Topics a Proposal Must Address ................................................................................................. 30 4.2.1. Conservation status ............................................................................................................ 30 4.2.2. Biology and ecology ............................................................................................................ 30 4.2.3. Reason for rarity ................................................................................................................. 36 4.2.4. Resources ............................................................................................................................ 37 4.2.5. Legality ................................................................................................................................ 39 4.2.6. Sourcing plant material ....................................................................................................... 39 4.2.7. Propagules and propagation ............................................................................................... 42 4.2.8. Outplanting ......................................................................................................................... 44 4.2.9. Monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 50 4.2.10. Defining success .................................................................................................................. 51 5. Appendices .......................................................................................................................................... 53 5.1. Checklist for Proposal Reviews ................................................................................................... 53 5.1.1. Justification (See Section 4.1 for more information) .......................................................... 53 5.1.2. Planning (See Section 4.2 for more information) .............................................................. 53 5.1.3. Implementation .................................................................................................................. 55 5.2. Resources .................................................................................................................................... 58 5.3. Glossary ....................................................................................................................................... 59 6. Literature Cited ................................................................................................................................... 64 6.1. Additional References ................................................................................................................. 74 7. Image Credits ...................................................................................................................................... 77 1. Executive Summary New Jersey is home to many rare and endangered plant species. The management and conservation of these species is essential to the maintenance of healthy, functioning ecosystems here and elsewhere. Practitioners of rare species management agree that the in situ conservation of rare species and their habitats is the priority for conservation and the best way to avoid local or global species extinctions. Although reintroducing plants has a low success rate and is not an alternative to conserving plants in their natural habitats, it remains an important tool for the recovery of rare, threatened, and endangered plants in certain circumstances. For some species on the brink of