Ascension : Conservation News
Submitted by The Islander (Conservation Office) 05.11.2009 (Article Archived on 19.11.2009)

The Ascension Island Conservation Department are working in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew on an OTEP funded Endemic Plants project.

OVERSEAS TERRITORIES ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

Ascension Island Endemic Plant Project Update

The Ascension Island Conservation Department are working in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew on an OTEP funded Endemic Plants project. Experts from the UK Overseas Territories Team at Kew advise on propagation techniques, ex-situ cultivation and the re-introduction of endangered species. Horticultural protocols for each species are to be outlined, these will be used to improve local collections and further develop ex-situ plant collections. The protocols require a lot of trial and error work to identify the most successful propagation methods for the endemic plants. Stedson Stroud, AIG Conservation Officer, has already successfully cultivated in large numbers three of the endemic species, Pteris adscensionis, Euphorbia origanoides and Sporobolus caespitosus. The aim is to establish collections of all endemics, including Marattia purpurascens, Xiphopteris ascensionense and Asplenium ascensionis. The cultivation of these species will involve a series of trial and error propagation trials, recording the results and producing horticultural protocols. The clearing of invasive species on Green Mountain has resulted in the creation of a restoration site for the reintroduction of endemic species on the mountain. The project work will now focus on the mixed planting of the endemic and native species in the Green Mountain restoration area. The collection of a DNA library and accompanying herbarium specimens for all endemic species will take place over the next few months. In addition, the annual plant census of the endemics will be completed by the end of the year. There is currently ongoing work to establish a seed bank of the endemic Sporobolus and Euphorbia, and a spore bank of the endemic ferns, both on Ascension and at the Millennium Seed Bank, UK.

Last week Dr Phil Lambdon and James Beattie from the Royal Botanic Garden Kew visited Ascension. They are both involved in different plant projects taking place in UK Overseas Territories. They helped us out with the plant census and with some propagation work in the nursery. They are both now in St Helena to with assist their conservation and invasive species work.

Dr Phil Lambdon helping with the endemic plant survey