Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Establishing a Wild, Ex Situ Population of a Critically Endangered Shade-Tolerant Rainforest Conifer: A Translocation Experiment.


ABSTRACT: Translocation can reduce extinction risk by increasing population size and geographic range, and is increasingly being used in the management of rare and threatened plant species. A critical determinant of successful plant establishment is light environment. Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi pine) is a critically endangered conifer, with a wild population of 83 mature trees and a highly restricted distribution of less than 10 km2. We used under-planting to establish a population of W. nobilis in a new rainforest site. Because its optimal establishment conditions were unknown, we conducted an experimental translocation, planting in a range of different light conditions from deeply shaded to high light gaps. Two years after the experimental translocation, 85% of plants had survived. There were two distinct responses: very high survival (94%) but very low growth, and lower survival (69%) and higher growth, associated with initial plant condition. Overall survival of translocated W. nobilis was strongly increased in planting sites with higher light, in contrast to previous studies demonstrating long-term survival of wild W. nobilis juveniles in deep shade. Translocation by under-planting may be useful in establishing new populations of shade-tolerant plant species, not least by utilizing the range of light conditions that occur in forest understories.

SUBMITTER: Zimmer HC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4942103 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Establishing a Wild, Ex Situ Population of a Critically Endangered Shade-Tolerant Rainforest Conifer: A Translocation Experiment.

Zimmer Heidi C HC   Offord Catherine A CA   Auld Tony D TD   Baker Patrick J PJ  

PloS one 20160712 7


Translocation can reduce extinction risk by increasing population size and geographic range, and is increasingly being used in the management of rare and threatened plant species. A critical determinant of successful plant establishment is light environment. Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi pine) is a critically endangered conifer, with a wild population of 83 mature trees and a highly restricted distribution of less than 10 km2. We used under-planting to establish a population of W. nobilis in a new r  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC5698650 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC9510949 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4544035 | biostudies-other
| S-EPMC3380592 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8985211 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3806531 | biostudies-other
2016-06-30 | E-GEOD-62787 | biostudies-arrayexpress
2016-06-30 | GSE62787 | GEO
| S-EPMC4255004 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC3143042 | biostudies-literature