Urgently needed Mesoamerican oak tree species

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mesoamerican oak tree species in urgent need of protection,
According to the Morton Arboretum’s milestone report

LISLE, Illinois (September 24, 2024)—More than one-third of threatened or understudied oak tree species in Mesoamerica are not found in managed botanical collections anywhere in the world, and habitat protection is lacking for many species.

These are among the findings of a new study Conservation Vulnerability Analysis of Native Mesoamerican OaksIn the report, published in English and Spanish and conducted by researchers at the Morton Arboretum, the researchers emphasized that it is critical to protect these trees before land-use conversion, climate change and other threats further alter their natural habitat. Mesoamerica is the region stretching from the U.S.-Mexico border to Panama.

Oaks are valuable keystone species that perform critical functions in the ecosystem, providing food and habitat for numerous animals.

“Mesoamerica is a global hub for oak biodiversity,” said the report’s lead author Kate Good, director of the Arboretum’s global tree conservation research program. “In the face of climate change and habitat degradation, there is an urgent need to increase the number of Mesoamerican oaks in collections across their home countries to help prevent further biodiversity loss.”

As of 2022, 22 species, or 37% of species, are not included in managed botanical collections anywhere in the world.

“We hope this report will help identify potential areas for collaboration and set conservation priorities in both natural habitats and managed botanical collections,” Good said.

The report focuses on 59 species in the region that are assessed as Endangered or Data Deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN Red List It is a globally recognised and standardised system for assessing the extinction risk of the world’s plant, animal and fungal species.

Climate change was identified as a threat to all 59 Mesoamerican oak species that were Threatened or Data Deficient. Additionally, agriculture and residential or commercial development were threats to 72% and 69% of species, respectively.

Overall, the report shows that 85% of oak species analyzed are projected to see a decline in their most common areas under the climate conditions projected for 2061-2080. According to the report, a decline in a species’ preferred “habitat” does not necessarily mean it will no longer survive in the new environment. However, it does mean that conservation activities are desperately needed to prevent potential biodiversity loss. Education, promotion, research and propagation or breeding programs were the most frequently cited priorities in the report for future conservation efforts.

The analysis also showed that 16 of the target species, or about a quarter, have less than 10% of their natural range in protected areas. Among the 59 oaks analysed for the report, the critically endangered Muller oak (Quercus mulleri), is known to live in only two places in Mexico; the endangered Encino arroyero (Quercus brandegeei) A vulnerable species of oak native to the southern Baja California Sur region of Mexico Quercus gulielmi-treleasei Native to Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama; and data deficient white oak Quercus deliquescence A few of them are from Chihuahua, Mexico.

“For many species, little is known about population size, distribution or threats,” said Dr. Silvia Alvarez-Clare, co-author of the report and director of the Arboretum. Global Tree Protection Program“This analysis helps fill these knowledge gaps and is an important step toward facilitating partnerships and encouraging conservation actions to help save threatened Mesoamerican oaks before time runs out.”

The report findings are that the Arboretum National Hispanic Heritage Month programming. A free presentation The conference on the conservation of threatened cloud forests and some of the most important oak species in the analysis will be held at the Arboretum on September 26 with guest speaker Tarin Toledo Aceves, Ph.D., a researcher at the Instituto de Ecología AC in Veracruz, Mexico, and a collaborator in the Arboretum’s Global Tree Conservation Program.

Additionally, the Arboretum will offer: Herbarium tours It displays Mesoamerican samples noted in the two-day gap analysis Árboles celebration (Feast of Trees) Cultural Festival, September 28-29.

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About Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is a globally recognized leader in tree research and education. Its 1,700-acre grounds house 106,714 specimens representing 4,067 different plant species. The Arboretum’s Center for Tree Science, Global Tree Conservation Program, Chicago Area Tree Initiative and Center for Species Survival: Trees provide scientific knowledge and technical expertise to ensure the future of trees locally, nationally and worldwide. Information about the Arboretum’s scientific work and how it contributes to a greener, healthier world where people and trees thrive together can be found at: mortonarb.org.