Control of Flowering and Factors Affecting Phenology of Endemic Low-Elevation Tree Species at Hawai‘i Ka‘ūpūlehu

Societal Impact StatementThe rapid global loss of biodiversity, especially in the Neotropics, underscores the need to understand how deforestation impacts endemic plant species' extinction risk and conservation status. Due to limited ranges and habitat specialization, endemics are particularly vulnerable. Our study reveals that around 14% and 47% of Ecuadorian Amazon endemic trees are Critically Endangered and Endangered, respectively, with 41% facing high extinction risk. Traits like life‐form, fruit size, and height relate to extinction vulnerability. These findings highlight the factors driving Amazonian tree flora endangerment, providing crucial insights for conservation efforts of this fundamental component of Amazon hyper‐diverse forests.Summary Comprehensive analyses of the global conservation statuses of endemic tree species are scarce, especially for species‐rich forests. Endemic trees arguably suffer a higher extinction risk than other plant species due to their restricted geographic range and habitat specialization. Here, we present an updated assessment of the conservation status and extinction risk estimates for the endemic tree flora of the Ecuadorian Amazon, a darkspot of biodiversity. We combined an extensively verified taxonomic database of Amazon tree species abundance and occurrence with the most updated data of deforestation for this region. We found that approximately one sixth of the Ecuadorian Amazon endemic tree flora is Critically Endangered. A few clades, including Myrtaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Fabaceae s.l., and Lauraceae, harbor one third of the Critically Endangered endemic tree species. According to our analysis, the extinction risk for endemic trees is associated not only with extrinsic factors such as deforestation but also with their ecology. Life‐form, fruit size, and maximum height are significantly related to extinction risk. Thus, endemic understory and canopy trees with small fruits are more prone to suffer extinction than emergent tree species. We argue that assessment programs should also include biological trait information in addition to geographic ranges and habitat specialization for the establishment of effective conservation strategies of this hyper‐diverse region of the Amazon.

Abstract. Tuheteru FD, Husna, Albasri, Arif A, Basrudin, Nurdin WR, Arman E, Agustin DI, Saribadu J, Rahmat, Dermawansyah A, Daliana, Lody LP, Deri AS, Safitri I, Sudrajat DJ. 2022. Effect of pre-sowing treatment on the germination and early growth of Kalappia celebica Kosterm.: an endemic and vulnerable tree species of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 4297-4302. Kalapi (Kalappia celebica) is an endemic tree species of Sulawesi and is threatened with extinction, so it requires conservation efforts to preserve the tree species. The research aims to determine the effects of seed pre-sowing methods on the germination of K. celebica. Matured seeds of kalapi were collected from several mother trees at the Lalona Village, Kolaka Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The seeds were treated with six pre-germinations treatments (control, nicking, nicking and soaking in cool water (20°C) for 12 h, nicking and soaking in cool water for 24 h, soaked in hot water (80°C) for 24 h till the water-cooled and soaked in cool water for 48 h. Three replication and each replication using 25 seed were used in this research, so the total seed were 450 seeds. The randomized completely design was used to test the effect of pre-germination treatments on seed germination parameters at the greenhouse. The germination parameters calculated were the first day of germination, last day of germination, germination period, germination capacity, mean germination time (MGT), and mean daily germination (MDG). The results showed that pre-germination treatment affected all seed germination parameters, which significantly increased the germination capacity. The germination capacity with the nicking was 94,67%, nicking and soaking in cool water (20°C) for 12 h (94,67%) followed by nicking and soaking in cool water (20° C) for 24 h (90,67%). In all treatments, germination started 5 to 10 days after sowing and was completed from 4 to 16 days later. The seed treatment by nicking and soaking in cool water for 12 d exhibited the lowest MGT (5.56 days), the highest MDG (0.95 germinate day-1), the highest seedling collar diameter (1.64 mm), and the highest leaf number (1.95). Therefore, the study recommends nicking followed by soaking in cool water for 12 h as an ideal pre-germination treatment to promote germination and seedling growth of kalapi tree species for supported conservation activity.

Societal Impact StatementPapua New Guinea has a diverse tree flora. Now for the first time we know that 460 (36%) of its endemic tree species are threatened with extinction in the wild. These trees require immediate conservation action, through a variety of methods. Protection of trees is essential in Papua New Guinea as many people across the country rely on them for their livelihoods. Additionally, the extinction of these species would mean the loss of unique biodiversity. With the majority of forest cover still remaining in Papua New Guinea, it presents an almost unique opportunity to save tree diversity at a large scale and should therefore be at the forefront of the conservation agenda.Summary Papua New Guinea is one of the world's most tree diverse countries, with over 1,200 endemic tree species. However, forests within the country face a range of threats but the impact of these threats on individual tree species has yet to be studied. Without identifying which species are threatened, where they are and their major threats it is not possible to effectively prioritise conservation actions for the trees of Papua New Guinea. The Global Tree Assessment for Papua New Guinea produced International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments for over 90% of tree species endemic to Papua New Guinea. The assessments compiled information on extinction risk, major threats, conservation and research needs for the country's tree flora. Four hundred and sixty tree species are threatened with extinction, including 143 Critically Endangered species. This is 36% of the country's endemic tree flora. The majority of tree species are threatened by annual‐perennial non‐timber crop farming, logging and establishment of wood and pulp plantations. The change in land use instigated by these threats causes lowland tropical/sub‐tropical forest to be the most threatened habitat types for trees. To protect Papua New Guinea's diverse tree flora, a range of conservation activities are required. Both in situ and ex situ conservation efforts, which are species specific, are needed and activities should be supported on a local, national and international level with continued and expanded collaboration between international NGOs and botanists and specialists working in Papua New Guinea.

Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) under natural disturbances have shown high endemism in early successional vegetation. However, little is known about anthropogenic disturbances and plant endemism in TMCF under ancient agricultural management. In this sense, I assessed the number of species, abundance, and frequency of endemic vascular plants in temporary plots of cultivated and young fallow areas from two maize-based systems: milpa shifting cultivation (MS) and semi-permanent cropping (SP) in Oaxaca, Mexico. Overall, both agricultural stages and systems harbored endemic species, seven in total, but most of such species were found in the fallow stage than in the cropping stage, and in the MS system than in the SP system. A single Asteraceae herbaceous endemic species (Melampodium mimulifolium) was commonly recorded in cultivated fields, but almost exclusive to the SP cropping system. Seven species were recorded in fallows, where the narrow-range endemic tree species Clethra integerrima (Clethraceae) was the most abundant and frequent, but almost exclusive to the MS cropping system. In more permanent and intensified agricultural systems within biodiversity hotspots, only ruderal endemic herbaceous species can persist. In contrast, in low intensity managed agricultural systems, like ancient agroforestry, not only can endemic tree species prosper, but also restricted endemic trees can be found. Indigenous agricultural systems in biodiversity hotspots should not be seen as a threat, but rather as complementary areas for endemism conservation.

This research surveyed human-impacted littoral forests in southeastern Madagascar to determine (i) how forest structural features, indicative of human impact, are related to total, utilitarian, and endemic tree diversity; (ii) the distribution, abundance, and demographics of tree species groups (i.e., total, useful, endemic) across the landscape; and (iii) the amount of basal area available per human use category. We also use these data to consider issues of sustainable use and how human impact may influence littoral forest tree community composition across the landscape. Within 22 transects of 400 m2 each, we recorded a total of 135 tree species and 2155 individuals. Seventy-nine species (58%) were utilitarian and 56 (42%) were nonutilitarian species. Of the 2155 individuals, 1827 (84%) trees were utilitarian species. We recorded 23 endemic species (17% of the total species) and 17 (74%) of these were utilitarian species. Basal area was significantly correlated with Shannon Weiner Index values for total (r = 0.64, P < 0.01), utilitarian (r = 0.58, P < 0.01), and endemic tree diversity (r = 0.85, P < 0.01). Basal area was significantly correlated with the Simpson's index values for the endemic species (r = 0.74, P < 0.01). These correlations suggest that endemic tree species, of high global conservation value, may be the species group most influenced by changes in forest structure. Utilitarian species constituted 84% of the total basal area. The use category contributing the highest amount of basal area to the landscape was firewood. The results presented herein demonstrate that the landscape of southeastern Madagascar, commonly perceived as degraded, retains high value for both global conservation purposes and for local livelihoods. Thus, valuable opportunities may exist for developing conservation incentives that leverage both global and local conservation needs.

One endemic tree species threatened with extinction in Sulawesi is Magnolia sulawesiana (Magnoliaceae). M. sulawesiana is distributed in the central and northern of Sulawesi island, Indonesia. This species is one of the most exploited tree species for various purposes such as; home construction materials, furniture, musical instruments, and sports equipment. The high demand for this type of wood has led to over-exploitation. The natural population of M. sulawesiana in Sulawesi’s forest was rare. According to the IUCN Red List Category and Criteria, this species is categorized as an Endangered (EN) species, which means that this species is at risk of extinction in the wild. In northern Sulawesi, this species is known by the local name cempaka wasian or wasian. One of the conservation strategies to preserve this endemic species is to support the local wisdom of the community in the agroforestry of cempaka wasian (M. sulawesiana) for conservation and sustainable use purposes.

De novo assembly and characterization of transcriptome using Illumina sequencing and development of twenty five microsatellite markers for an endemic tree Juglans hopeiensis Hu in China

Taungya as an agroforestry system in regenerating endemic forest tree species is not successful in Edo State. This was revealed in the current study. Significant differences in natural regeneration exist in the zones studied. The failure of the Taungya system arose from abandonment of the sites after devegetation, non availability of planting stock which is due to poor funding. The area that was kept under continuous cultivation had 15.60 of regenerated endemic species. The area that fallow for 3 years had 34.33 species regenerated. The control had 22.33 of regenerated species. The most occurred species is Terminlia Superba - 31. Evidence from the study is indicative of the fact that adequate endemic taxa regeneration can not rely on Taungya system as it is practiced now. To ensure safe environment, endemic forest species saved from extinction, proper regeneration and forest plantation establishment of endemic toxa are recommended.

The Afrotropics are experiencing some of the fastest urbanisation rates on the planet but the impact of city growth on their rich and unique biodiversity remains understudied, especially compared to natural baselines. Little is also known about how introduced species influence β-diversity in these contexts, and how patterns coincide with native ranges of species. Here we investigated how tree assemblages of the endemic-rich Afrotropical island of São Tomé differed between urban, rural and natural zones. These were primarily characterised by urban greenspaces, shade plantations, and old-growth forests, respectively. Based on 81 transects, we assessed biodiversity metrics of endemic, native and introduced species. Tree abundance and species richness were highest in the natural zone, where the composition was most different from the urban zone. The tree community of the rural zone was the most uneven and had the least variation among transects, representing the lowest β-diversity. The urban zone was dominated by introduced species (57.7%), while the natural zone hosted almost exclusively native species (93.3%), including many endemics (26.1%). The biogeographic realms that species originated from were particularly diverse in the urban zone, with few species from the Afrotropics. In contrast to native and endemic trees, introduced trees were clearly associated with urban and rural expansion, as they were much more abundant and species-rich in these zones than in the natural zone, facilitating biotic homogenisation. These findings highlight how urban and rural environments are affecting the native tree flora of São Tomé, and the need for conservation measures geared towards globally threatened and endemic tree species. Importantly, these require the protection of natural forests, despite the rising land demands for settlements and agriculture. Ultimately, such action to conserve endemic trees will contribute to global efforts to prevent further biodiversity declines.

Human-mediated introductions of predatory mammals to New Zealand have led to massive bird extinctions and population declines. This reduction in bird abundance could have a variety of negative effects on the plants they pollinate, and this has led to recent management efforts to eliminate predatory mammals in some areas. In this study, we utilized variation in management efforts to determine the effects of pollinator service on progeny quantity and quality of an endemic New Zealand tree species, Fuchsia excorticata. Due to its gynodioecious breeding system (separate hermaphroditic and female plants), we were able to estimate effective pollination by scoring pollen deposition on females as a proxy for pollinator service, which we used to examine the effect of pollinator service on both the quantity of fruits produced and the quality of fruits, as measured by the selfing rate of hermaphrodites. We found that increased pollinator service increased progeny quantity, with a stronger effect in females, but had no effect on the quality via selfing rates. The combined effects of pollen limitation and loss of seeds due to inbreeding depression led to hermaphrodites having an estimated 24–80% reduction in the number of offspring reaching reproductive age, even in the highly managed populations. Our results suggest management efforts can have substantial impacts on progeny quantity, but progeny quality is likely influenced by more difficult to manage population or species-specific traits such as tree size, plant sex ratio, and pollinator behavior.

Firmiana hainanensis Kosterm. is a commercially valuable endemic tree species in China and has long been considered a globally vulnerable species. We assembled and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of this species by using Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The total chloroplast genome size was 161,559 bp, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,612 bp, separated by a large single copy (LSC) and a small single copy (SSC) regions of 90,057 and 20,277 bp, respectively. A total of 130 genes were identified, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that F. hainanensis was the most basal species in the genus Firmiana. The chloroplast genome of this species will provide a theoretical basis to understand the taxa’s evolution further and is expected to contribute to its conservation efforts.

The endemic medicinal plants of Northern Balochistan, Pakistan and their uses in traditional medicine

Zelkova abelicea is an endemic tree growing only on eight mountain stands on the Greek island of Crete. The aim of this study was to determine the structure of the assemblages and analyze the diversity of the arachnid assemblages living on Zelkova abelicea, an endemic tree species in Crete. Material for the analyses was collected from tree trunks, oftentimes covered by bryophytes or lichens. In the examined material, 85 taxa were recorded. The most numerous groups represented in the analyzed material were Acari, including representatives of the orders Mesostigmata (78 ind. of 18 spp.) and Oribatida (1056 ind. of 51 spp.). In the order Mesostigmata the species represented by the highest numbers of specimens were Onchodellus karawaiewi (15 individuals) and Hypoaspisella sp. (13), which is probably a species new to science. In turn, representatives of the order Oribatida were much more numerous, with Zygoribatula exilis (284) and Eremaeus tuberosus (210) being identified in the largest numbers. Among the eight sampled localities, Gerakari (646 ind. and 50 spp.) and Omalos (409 ind. and 43 spp., respectively) had by far the richest assemblages. Statistical analyses confirmed the highly diverse character of the arachnid assemblages at the individual sites, which is a consequence not only of the varied numbers of arachnids found, but also of the presence of very rare species, such as Androlaelaps shealsi, Cosmolaelaps lutegiensis or Hoploseius oblongus. These results highlight the high species diversity of the arachnids found on Z. abelicea but also suggest the lack of connectivity between the isolated and fragmented forest stands on Crete.

The degradation of biodiversity caused by anthropic habitat destruction is a global issue. The recovery of natural habitats from invasive alien weeds in order to conserve endemic ecosystems is especially important on small oceanic islands. Planting of endemic trees may be an effective measure, but a complete restoration process within the island is essential to avoid accidental introduction of invasive aliens. To test planting techniques, we planted two endemic tree species whose regeneration was hindered by alien species on degraded lands on Chichi-jima (Ogasawara Islands) and monitored vegetation changes. During an 11-year period, about half of the Elaeocarpus photiniifolius seedlings survived in gap areas, but all Morus boninensis failed. The E. photiniifolius trees reached a height of 4.7 ± 2.4 m. The restored canopy created a dark environment that greatly reduced the volume of the predominant invasive weeds. These results suggest that E. photiniifolius is suitable for restoration of forests on degraded land and for the suppression of weeds on the island. Low species diversity in the restored forests, however, was a remaining issue to be addressed. Herein we discuss potential improvement measures to facilitate the recovery of species diversity, including other native tree candidates.

Identification of resistant genotypes to anthracnose (Gnomonia leptostyla Fr. Ces) in Juglans spp. by functional and neutral markers