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Premise: Reintroductions or translocations are an increasingly important activity to recover and conserve at‐risk plant species. Yet because many are not published in the scientific literature, learning from previous attempts may often require considerable time and effort. The Center for Plant Conservation Reintroduction Database (CPCRD; https://saveplants.org/reintroduction-database/), a new centralized and standardized repository of U.S.‐based plant reintroductions, aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of accessing data on rare plant reintroductions. Methods: The CPCRD is the product of multiple efforts to assemble information on rare plant reintroductions in the United States. The database comprises a wealth of standardized data on the key stages of a reintroduction, from the planning and implementation phases, to monitoring and management techniques. Results: The CPCRD is a dynamic resource, allowing data contributors to continually update their entries as projects progress. While contributions are ongoing, the CPCRD currently includes 460 projects involving 201 plant taxa, spanning diverse growth forms, ecosystems, and regions. Discussion: The CPCRD and its well‐documented and monitored projects provide a valuable practical resource for conservation practitioners, and have supported multiple scientific studies and contributed to the internationally recognized Center for Plant Conservation Best Practices Guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, oak species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, pathogens, and changing fire regimes. Ex situ conservation through tissue culture may protect the remaining genetic diversity of Quercus dumosa, or the coastal sage scrub oak, from further loss. We designed three basal salt formulations based on the mineral composition of shoot tips and first leaves from mature Q. dumosa and explored carbohydrate source, stress-mitigating compounds, and plant growth regulator concentrations to develop a method of cultivating many Q. dumosa culture lines in vitro. All three novel basal salt formulations led to decreased necrosis compared with commercial basal salt formulas WPM, MS, and DKW. Substitution of 30 g L−1 sucrose with glucose and adding 250 mg L−1 ascorbic acid, 5.2 mg L−1 SNP sodium nitroprusside, and 103 mg L−1 y-aminobutyric acid improved culture health overall. In an experiment involving 115 culture lines, 0.66 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine produced the highest average shoots per explant, but 0.33 mg L−1 produced the greatest proportion of shoots 2 cm or greater. Incubation for 24 h in 20 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid led to the most rooting. These methods show promise for the ex situ conservation of many genotypes of endangered Q. dumosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim: The dynamic nature of climate change diminishes the effectiveness of static approaches to nature conservation. Areas that were once suitable for species may no longer be suitable, and areas that are suitable now, may be unsuitable in the future. Despite increasing global awareness of the threats posed by climate change, it remains poorly accounted for in conservation programmes, such as translocation. In this study, we project changes in climate suitability for populations of ectothermic species that have been successfully established through translocation efforts. Location: Biogeographical realms: Australasia, Holarctic, Palearctic and Nearctic. Methods: We use species distribution models (SDMs) to project changes in macroclimatic suitability across 65 translocation recipient sites involving 38 ectothermic species. We consider optimistic (SSP126) and pessimistic (SSP370) scenarios of climate change for five general circulation models spanning three time horizons from 2021–2040 up to 2061–2080. Results: Our models predict that at least 74% of recipient sites are projected to decline in climate suitability, regardless of the SSP scenario or time horizon. While recipient site suitability, scaled from 0 to 1 (low–high), was typically very high (>0.75, 39% of sites) under baseline climate conditions (1960–2010), models project a marked shift towards low suitability climates (<0.25, 40% of sites) by the middle of the century (2041–2060) onwards under the more pessimistic scenario. Relative to species' ranges, recipient sites located closer to the equator are projected to experience the most significant declines in suitability. Main Conclusions: Our results call for greater consideration of spatiotemporal factors during the recipient site selection process, so that translocated populations are more strategically placed for long‐term persistence under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of tree species to adapt to water stress and increased frequency of bark beetle outbreaks with climate change may increase with population size and standing genetic variation, calling into question the resilience of small, rare plant populations. The Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana) is a rare, genetically depauperate conifer that occurs naturally in a mainland and island population in southern California. Due to recent declines in the mainland population coinciding with drought and Ips paraconfusus bark beetle outbreaks, the species would benefit from an assessment of adaptive genetic diversity. Here, we use RNA-Seq to survey gene-coding diversity across 40 individuals to (1) characterize patterns of genetic diversity in the species and (2) test for genetic differentiation between trees that succumbed to beetle attack or survived following an outbreak. Consistent with previous studies, we found few genetic variants, with most SNPs occurring as fixed differences between populations. However, we found structure within the mainland and polymorphisms segregating in both populations. Interestingly, we found differentiation in genotypes between attacked and surviving trees and 11 SNPs associated with survival status, several of which had defense-related functions. While low diversity suggests limited adaptive capacity, genetic associations with survival in functionally relevant genes suggest adaptive potential for bark beetle defense. This initial study prompts future research to explore the genetic basis of putative resistance and suggests conservation efforts should protect surviving genotypes and the full spectrum of genetic diversity across populations to preserve the evolutionary potential of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Recent reviews of rare plant reintroduction success indicate that far fewer studies have been conducted with seeds than whole plants, and of these, less than 10% have established or had long‐term population persistence reported. Because seed reintroductions are relatively less expensive than plant reintroductions, determining ways to increase efficacy of using seeds to establish rare populations has conservation benefits. In laboratory trials, we examined seed germination of an endangered legume, Dalea carthagenensis var. floridana, endemic in South Florida, U.S.A. Laboratory treatments confirmed that seeds are hard seeded, remaining viable for 1,452 days even when moist; nicking, heat, and freezing triggered higher and more rapid germination than controls. Field trials begun in 2009, using pretreated (frozen) and untreated seeds within two habitats (natural and novel) revealed that freezing pretreatment increased germination in both habitats. However, plants matured, reproduced, and established seedlings only in natural habitat, not in novel habitat. By 2012, seed treatment plots in natural pine rockland had significantly greater numbers of reproductive plants and seedlings than controls. In a restoration context, using seed pretreatments to stimulate germination can improve establishment success in suitable habitats. When paired with essential vegetation management and a controlled burn, seed augmentation helped rescue the population from the brink of extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germination studies at the community level are crucial for understanding and predicting changes in species distribution patterns, particularly in endangered plant communities. We investigated the effects of dry (11–25% relative humidity) and freezing (–18°C) storage conditions, phylogeny and plant life-history traits (life-form, life-span, microhabitat and seed dispersal mode) on seed germination percentage (GP) and time to reach 50% germination (T50) of 53 species native to pine rocklands in South Florida, USA, a globally critically imperiled ecosystem. Most species we studied (68%) withstood dry and freezing storage conditions and thus ex situ seed banking can assist their long-term conservation. Bayesian mixed effect models revealed that there was a significant phylogenetic signal in GP and T50 across species. Life-history covariates did not explain significant additional variation in GP in models controlling for the phylogenetic relationships among species. T50 differed among species with contrasting dispersal modes, with animal-dispersed seeds exhibiting more delayed germination than wind-dispersed or unassisted seeds. Differential germination responses across species with different seed dispersal modes have implications for potential shifts in species composition under disturbance and climate change. Thus, knowledge of species-relatedness and some life-history traits such as seed dispersal mode can significantly assist management decisions regarding seed storage and conservation of subtropical endangered plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successfully reintroducing rare plant populations to recover historical community composition may require multiple efforts and greater lengths of time than is typically devoted by researchers. To improve the probability of successful colonization and to learn about the life history of the regionally endangered mahogany mistletoe ( Phoradendron rubrum) in the Florida Keys, United States, we conducted sequential augmentations for 10 years across two host tree sizes, two seed sources, and six recipient sites. Long-term monitoring for 13 years revealed that sowing fresh seeds in dry periods from introduced versus wild plants onto small diameter trees (<20 cm diameter at breast height [dbh]) that had branch diameters 15-20 mm resulted in the greatest colonization success. An average of 38.7% of seeds germinated and 23.8% survived to 2015. Plant development was quite slow. Seeds required over 100 days to germinate, 1.6 years for cotyledon emergence, and over 4.7 years to produce fruit. We detected first recruitment nearly 8 years after installation. Population growth improved following multiple attempts and expanded spatial extent as is predicted by theory. Portions of the life cycle are undetectable and thus could give false indications of reintroduction success or failure. Achieving and documenting unequivocal success of this reintroduction has required over a decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world's biodiversity is increasingly threatened by destruction and/or climate change, rare species reintroductions may be necessary to conserve species threatened with extinction. When ecological processes change or a species' range is heavily fragmented, it may be difficult to determine microsite characteristics needed for a successful reintroduction. In such cases, experimental reintroductions can be used to learn more about the species' reproductive niche while establishing new self-sustaining populations. We reintroduced the Florida endangered species, Tephrosia angustissima var. corallicola, to examine native microsite requirements and feasibility of reintroduction into nearby suitable habitat. We transplanted Tephrosia into three microsites with varying light and substrate and characterized their wet and dry season soil moisture, soil bulk density, and light conditions. We monitored transplant and recruited seedling growth, reproduction, and survival and seedling germination in each microsite for 6 years. The microsite supporting greatest survival changed across developmental stages and time. Although no original transplants survived to 2009, the reintroduced population persists in 2015 through recruitment. Highest recruit growth, flowering, and survival occurred in shady, dry microsites. Recruits germinated more in the wettest microsite, reproduced most in the driest, and persisted longest in the wettest. Recruits germinated in shadier locations than where adults were planted. Although assessing whether a reintroduction is self-sustaining will require decades of monitoring, this experimental reintroduction elucidated the necessity for heterogeneous microsites at recipient sites and the efficacy of planting reproductive individuals for rapid next generation recruitment. Determining appropriate microsites for species requiring human assisted migration may also benefit from these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme south Florida has suffered recent losses of butterfly populations and even species extinctions. Information about the life histories of rare butterflies and their host plants is needed to recover their populations. We assessed urban fragments of pine rockland for their potential to support the federally endangered butterflies Strymon acis bartrami and Anaea troglodyta floridalis. We sampled and mapped the distribution of the larval host plant Croton linearis and used GIS data and fire records to rank each of the ten preserves for suitability to support the rare butterflies. Our findings revealed that host plants are patchily, but widely, distributed and are generally abundant. Croton linearis populations were largest in fragments that had experienced fire within the past decade. In total we estimated that 49,813 C. linearis individuals occurred in nine of the ten preserves we surveyed in 2013. While it is possible that nine of the ten preserves containing C. linearis could support populations of either rare butterfly, our suitability matrix showed that not all preserves are equal, enabling us to make recommendations about where to focus butterfly recovery efforts and how to improve rare habitat at preserves with lower scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a monitoring program to assess the health of urban fragments of pine rockland, a globally critically imperiled, fire-dependent plant community, in order to provide feedback for adaptive land management. Our results showed negative effects of fire exclusion, including low na-tive herb and grass cover, excessive leaf litter accumulation, and high densities of native trees in most of the twelve preserves sampled. We provide quantitative evidence of the need for instituting regular prescribed fires to Miami-Dade County's pine rockland preserves, and lend support to the idea that, in degraded urban fragments, manual hardwood reduction is sometimes a required first step toward achieving maintenance conditions. We demonstrate that simple actions like measuring litter depth or visually estimating hardwood cover can be utilized by preserve managers as a quick, inexpensive way to prioritize hardwood reduction and burn scheduling. Our results serve as a case study for other urban forest fragments with similar issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Connect to Protect Network program established by the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida. It is aimed at developing healthy native pine rockland corridors and stepping stone gardens on both public and private properties through public outreach, education and restoration support. Volunter workdays are organized to provide restoration support to members. A survey was conducted in 2012 to monitor common and endangered pine rockland plant species.

Understanding reasons for biodiversity loss is essential for developing conservation and management strategies and is becoming increasingly urgent with climate change. Growing at elevations <1.4 m in the Florida Keys, USA, the endangered Key tree cactus (Pilosocereus robinii) experienced 84 percent loss of total stems from 1994 to 2007. The most severe losses of 99 and 88 percent stems occurred in the largest populations in the Lower Keys, where nine storms with high wind velocities and storm surges, occurred during this period. In contrast, three populations had substantial stem proliferation. To evaluate possible mortality factors related to changes in climate or forest structure, we examined habitat variables: soil salinity, elevation, canopy cover, and habitat structure near 16 dying or dead and 18 living plants growing in the Lower Keys. Soil salinity and elevation were the preliminary factors that discriminated live and dead plants. Soil salinity was 1.5 times greater, but elevation was 12 cm higher near dead plants than near live plants. However, distribution-wide stem loss was not significantly related to salinity or elevation. Controlled salinity trials indicated that salt tolerance to levels above 40 mM NaCl was related to maternal origin. Salt sensitive plants from the Lower Keys had less stem growth, lower root:shoot ratios, lower potassium: sodium ratios and lower recovery rate, but higher δ 13C than a salt tolerant lineage of unknown origin. Unraveling the genetic structure of salt tolerant and salt sensitive lineages in the Florida Keys will require further genetic tests. Worldwide rare species restricted to fragmented, low-elevation island habitats, with little or no connection to higher ground will face challenges from climate change-related factors. These great conservation challenges will require traditional conservation actions and possibly managed relocation that must be informed by studies such as these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the seed biology of the beach clustervine (Jacquemontia reclinata House [Convolvulaceae]), a federally endangered Florida endemic, through the study of soil seedbanks, including sampling of seed densities at varying locations and times of the year, and through several seed survival experiments in 2001, 2003, 2006, and 2007. Based on soil core and vacuum samples, seeds are present in the soil seedbank, with peak abundance occurring in late spring and early summer at the beginning of the rainy season, and lowest levels occurring by the following dry season (December). Field experiments with seeds at the soil surface and buried in seed bags found evidence of seed survival ranging from a low of 3% to a high of 59%. In 2007 to 2008, percentage survival did not vary significantly across 3 sites that span the existing range of the species, nor did it correlate with total precipitation at a site in this year. Surviving seeds are capable of subsequent germination, with 11% germinating within 6 mo. A tetrazolium test of a subsample of non-germinating 1-y-old seeds found 100% were alive. The long-term persistence of seeds in the soil may decrease the extinction risk for this species, because its recruitment niche is not common under current environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-elevation islands face threats from sea level rise (SLR) and increased storm intensity. Evidence of endangered species' population declines and shifts in vegetation communities are already underway in the Florida Keys. SLR predictions indicate large areas of these habitats may be eliminated in the next century. Using the Florida Keys as a model system, we present a process for evaluating conservation options for rare and endemic taxa. Considering species characteristics and habitat, we assess central issues that influence conservation options. We contrast traditional and controversial options for two animal and two plant species giving special emphasis to perceptions of ecological risk and safety from SLR and suggest courses of action. Multiple strategies will be required to spread extinction risk and will be effective for different time periods. Global climate change presents an uncertain, perhaps no-analog future that will challenge land managers and practitioners to re-evaluate equilibrium-state-conceived laws and policies not only for these taxa, but for many facing similar threats. To embrace conservation in a changing world will require a new dialogue that includes controversial ideas, a review of existing laws and policies, and preparation for the oncoming change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because highly invasive species can rapidly assimilate rare taxa, we questioned whether two Florida endangered Lantana depressa varieties existed 21 years after Sanders documented their widespread hybridization with exotic Lantana strigocamara, and whether morphological traits could accurately discriminate genetic individuals. Stepwise discriminant analysis of morphological characters discriminated the three taxa, correctly classifying 98, 91, 89% of L. strigocamara, L. depressa var. depressa, and var. floridana. Hybrids blurred taxonomic distinctions of varieties and reduced classification accuracy by 7-17%. Species-specific Random Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP-PCR) confirmed hybridization has occurred. Intersimple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) fingerprints analyzed with STRUCTURE identified three groups indicating introgression. Morphological traits significantly, but weakly correlated with q ratios ( P = 0.0001; r = 0.45). Although L. strigocamara introgression is widespread and ongoing, wild populations contain individuals that are predominantly L. depressa genome, supporting actions to remove adventive L. strigocamara, prevent its sale, and promote sales of genetically confirmed natives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding microsite requirements is critical for restoring sustainable rare plant populations and creating meaningful management plans that will enhance native species’ population viability. Natural areas bordered by urban communities have restricted size and constrained management options that confound goals of preserving biodiversity. Using geographical information systems and observational and experimental studies, we determined that current microsites required for seedling establishment within existing habitat of the federally endangered Crenulate leadplant are few and spatially restricted, resulting in little wild seedling recruitment. Experimental and wild seedlings had highest germination rates in litter layers 1–2 cm in depth and survived the longest in litter 0.5–2 cm deep. Fire suppression and aggressive native and exotic plants have accumulated litter up to 33 cm near some of the wild adult Crenulate leadplant. Only 9% of habitat occupied by this taxon at its largest population is conducive to seedling establishment. Similarly, 30% is conducive to seedling establishment in the second largest population. Fire plays a critical role in South Florida ecosystem dynamics and the restoration and preservation of its landscape and biodiversity. When fire is not possible, other management is needed. Manual litter and downed debris removal are recommended at both population sites to improve the probability of Crenulate leadplant seedling establishment and population persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species native to ecotones are often overlooked in restoration efforts despite the increasing rarity of ecotone habitat. In fragmented, fire-suppressed landscapes, true ecotone may no longer exist. Restoration biologists interested in reintroducing ecotone species must decide whether to plant them in historic ecotones maintained by manual thinning or whether to opt for discrete restoration areas that are easier to maintain. We investigated these two alternatives with Lantana canescens, a rare tropical shrub native to the ecotone between pine and hardwood forests of Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S.A. Our short-term findings show that after 15 and 18 months, survival of transplants was 69% in a restored site and 65% and 84% in two historic ecotone sites. The restored site had significantly higher photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (75%) than the historic ecotones (25–39%). Correspondingly, 267 seedlings have recruited at the restored site, whereas only 8 have emerged at both historic ecotone sites. Seedling establishment was associated with higher PAR at the restored site. We found that overall population sustainability was higher at the restored site where there is the additional benefit of less maintenance. Our work suggests that, by reducing succession, a discrete restoration area can approach the historic conditions of hardwood/pine forest ecotone more closely than degraded historic ecotones themselves. We present a viable solution for conserving rare ecotone species when their natural habitat and the processes that maintained it no longer exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though translocations of rare populations should be considered only as the last resort for species’ conservation, when habitat destruction is imminent, it may be the only means to preserve a species. With over half the known, wild federally endangered Crenulate leadplant ( Amorpha herbacea var. crenulata), Fabaceae, growing on unprotected land slated for development, preserving this unprotected population was critical. We rescued whole plants, cuttings, and seeds for an experimental translocation. Into a restored pine rockland, once dominated by the invasive exotic tree Brazilian pepper ( Schinus terebinthifolius), we transplanted plants from different sources and of different sizes. Plants used were rescued from an unprotected site, seedlings, and 1-, 2-, and 7-year-old plants from Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s ex situ collection, creating a novel population in a new habitat. We also evaluated which propagule type and source had the best survival, growth, and reproduction. After 40 months, overall transplant survival was 71%. Large whole plants, rescued and nursery grown, had the best survival rates (86 and 78%), whereas cuttings had 67% survival and seedlings had only 26% survival. The restored site, once nearly a monoculture of S. terebinthifolius, is now dominated by 104 native plant species, including 17 naturally recruited state listed, plus the one translocated federally endangered plant species. In addition, one federally threatened snake species was observed on the site. These studies demonstrate that botanic garden collections not only play a vital role in the conservation of species’ genetic diversity but also can be used as source material for habitat restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining native plant diversity through fire management is challenging in the wildland-urban interface. In subtropical South Florida, fragments of fire-dependent, globally imperiled pine rockland forest are scattered throughout urban areas. To determine the effects of recent fire frequency, major soil type, and fragment size on species composition, we measured understory vascular plant presence and cover in 162 plots distributed among 16 publicly-owned pine rockland preserves in 1995 and 2003. Fragments received either 0, 1, or> 1 bum(s) between sampling periods. Native plant richness was very high overall. Major soil type, which varies regionally and is associated with latitude and elevation, strongly influenced the assemblage of species present at a given site. Native species cover was significantly different across different bum categories. Fragment size was positively associated with plant species richness, but small fragments had high variance in the total number of native plant species they supported, with some having nearly as many plant species as the largest fragment. Examining trends over time for rare native and invasive non-native plant species revealed the spread of the invasive grass Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubb. and showed no major decreases in rare plant species. In general, this study provided encouraging results for managers of small urban forest fragments, showing that they can maintain high levels of native plant diversity, even when fire occurs infrequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridization may threaten the conservation status of rare species through genetic assimilation and may confound the ability to distinguish among taxa. We studied these issues in an endangered shrub, Purshia subintegra (Rosaceae), known from four populations growing on limestone outcrops in central Arizona (USA). Using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) and the Bayesian clustering algorithm implemented in STRUCTURE, we identified three distinct genetic lineages among Arizona Purshia subintegra and P. stansburiana. An initial split divided San Carlos Basin P. subintegra (considered P. pinkavae by Schaack) from northern P. stansburiana populations (FST = 0.394). A subsequent split separated northern P. stansburiana from two P. subintegra populations at Horseshoe Lake and Burro Creek (FST = 0.207), which comprised a nearly perfect admixture of the two lineages identified in the initial analysis. In the Verde River Valley P. subintegra is sympatric with P. stansburiana and exhibited an average 27% P. stansburiana genes for 5 of 6 stands analyzed, indicating ongoing hybridization and backcrossing with P. subintegra. Individuals carrying [90% P. subintegra markers are identifiable 68% of the time based on morphology, with leaf lobing, leaf size, and leaf length acting as the most reliable indicators of taxonomic status. However, the genetic and morphological distance correlation among individuals was low (r = 0.17, P = 0.0002), indicating that morphology cannot always accurately predict genetic admixture or taxonomy. Overall, our study confirmed the genetic distinctiveness of the San Carlos Basin population, an ancient natural hybrid origin of P. subintegra, and the presence of a hybrid swarm in the Verde Valley, whose conservation value may lie in its heightened genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotropica is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The author reports on a project in which the goatsfoot passionflower was re-introduced to the Rockland Hammocks forest in Miami, Florida. Agreements which were made between organizations regarding the re-introduction of goatsfoot passionflowers are mentioned. The process in which goatsfoot passionflowers were located and planted in the forests are discussed. The number of plants which were re-introduced that survived is mentioned.

The widely invasive grass Rhynchelytrum repens (WilId.) C.E. Hubb. invades globally- imperiled pine rockland forests of South Florida. To examine whether its spread into and persistence in undisturbed areas pose a threat to native species, we investigated whether the presence of R. repens was associated with a decline in the diversity and abundance of native pine rockland understory plants. We showed R. repens density class was strongly associated with a reduction in native species diversity, with high density (20% cover) plots having five fewer species than low density (0.2%) ones. When we separated species by functional groups, we found that graminoids were affected much more than other native species, with R. repens cover explaining 23% of the variation in graminoid diversity. Rhynchelytrum repens is indeed causing harm to pine rockland diversity, and we recommend that land managers take action to: (1) treat infestations before they reach 30% cover, and (2) remove infestations of any density adjacent to natural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the propagation protocol involving Jacquemontia reclinata House, an endangered species in Florida. This species can be propagated through seeds or cuttings. It offered propagation techniques including short-term seed storage which proposed an after-ripening effect, orthodox methods, freshly harvested seeds, cuttings and arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi inoculation method. These techniques generated plants which are applied for species reintroduction and recovery actions. INSETS: STORAGE;GERMINATION.

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article focuses on maintaining the diverse rare plant species and communities found in the pine rockland ecosystems of south Florida. This globally endangered ecosystem, which is characterized by a limestone substrate, shallow sandy soils, mean annual rainfall of 64 inches (163 cm), south Florida slash pine and saw palmetto, occurs on only about 2,273 acres (920 ha) outside of Everglades National Park. Land managers often use thinning as a fire surrogate, although it is extremely labor intensive and more expensive than conducting controlled burns.

This unique project invited community members to test sustainable techniques for restoring a weed-infested field to a native grassland community. In a cultivated Bromus inermis grassland at The Arboretum at Flagstaff, Flagstaff, Arizona, we randomly assigned 144 plots to weed removal and recovery treatments. The experimental design had 12 replicate plots assigned to organic herbicide, weed barrier fabric, manual removal, or control for the weed removal factor; it had seeding, plugging, or no action for the recovery factor. College, middle and high school students, and community members collected and propagated native seed, implemented restoration treatments, collected plant community data, and learned methods for implementing restoration in their own backyards. We quantified percent cover of smooth brome, other exotics, and native species cover and richness. Although no treatment completely removed B. inermis, manual removal was the most effective treatment for significantly reducing B. inermis, while significantly increasing native species richness and cover. Weed barrier fabric followed as the second most effective method, and organic herbicide was ineffective. After three months, neither seeding nor plugging significantly affected native cover. A longer response time and irrigation may improve recovery treatment success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest and most fecund population of the endangered Purshia subintegra is restricted to limestone mesas in Verde Valley, Arizona, USA, where habitat destruction is imminent. To examine factors limiting its distribution and potential for expansion, we compared recruitment and survival of seedlings growing in soils from occupied and unoccupied habitat in caged field experiments and compared survival of caged and wild seedling cohorts from 1998 to 2003. In field tests, seeds germinated in soils from occupied and unoccupied habitats. Seedling survival, however, was greatest in currently occupied habitat and dropped to zero in some unoccupied habitats with the onset of severe drought. Among 16 factors measured, soil moisture significantly explained between 62% and 71% of the variation in recruitment in both wild and caged plots. Shrubs conferred protection to wild seedlings, but decreased caged seedling survival. For 5 yr following germination, caged seedlings had greater survival than natural seedling cohorts indicating that reintroduction was comparatively more successful than natural recruitment. Expansion of P. subintegra into novel habitats is limited by soil moisture capacity, and this condition varied during the experimental time frame. Reintroductions to limestone mesas are possible and most promising if cages and supplemental watering are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)