Synecology 2019

Synecology

ISSUE 1, 2019

Annual Newsletter of the Southeastern Center for Conservation ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN

THE ROAD TO

RECOVERY

Return of rare plants to Deer Lake State Park

By Ashlynn Smith Ecosystem restoration is never a quick-fix. It takes sustained conservation effort to recover degraded plant communities to their former stability and diversity. This is why we monitor plant communities long after restoration to ensure they are on the road to recovery. The Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) recently received funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess the presence of Wildly Important Goal Species (WIGS) within Deer Lake State Park, Florida. This generous support has allowed us to identify rare species that are returning to the Park following restoration efforts. We want to ensure that rare species are not only returning to the areas where they historically occurred, but also increasing in numbers over time - an indication that populations are becoming more stable and secure. We surveyed 16 hectares of the Park in 2019, in both restored and unrestored areas, for plant species listed as state or federally threatened. We found a greater abundance of rare plants in the restored areas of the Park, even though a larger area of unrestored habitat was surveyed; our restoration efforts seem to be paying off! Next year, we plan to survey more of the Park’s wetlands and work over a wider time period to account for seasonal rare plant species.

Newfound Fringe Orchid populations

Peek inside the ABG Gainesville

Safeguarding Nursery

Caring for GA’s

Mountain Bogs

Synecology | Issue 1, 2019 | Southeastern Center for Conservation established 2019, Atlanta Botanical Garden The Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO: Mary Pat Matheson | Vice President, Conservation & Research: Dr. Emily Coffey Editor: Laurie Blackmore | Design: Loy Xingwen (Visiting scientist, Emory University) Staff and Researchers: Laurie Blackmore M.S. (Conservation & Research Manager) Lauren Eserman, Ph.D. (Research Coordinator, Research Scientist) John Evans, M.S. (Conservation Horticultural Coordinator) Jason Ligon (Micropropagation & Seed Bank Coordinator) Emma Neigel, M.S. (Conservation Horticulturist) Carrie Radcliffe, M.S. (Mountain Bog Project Coordinator, Restoration & Safeguarding Database Manager)

Ashlynn Smith (Field Biologist, GEBF Florida) Jeff Talbert (Project Coordinator, GEBF Florida) Rashaad Tillery (Assistant Conservation Horticulturist) Lila Uzzell (Research & Conservation Assistant, Field Biologist) Have a question? Contact us at conservation@atlantabg.org or visit atlantabg.org/conservation-research/southeastern-center-for-conservation

Follow us on Instagram @atlantabgconservation

D

ear Friends and Colleagues,

Happy new year from the Southeastern Center for Conservation’s Conservation & Research team!

From the arduous Florida Torreya rescue work in Hurricane Michael’s aftermath last winter to the fall’s meticulous seed collecting trip for Radford's balm in coastal Georgia, 2019 was a whirlwind year. Partnerships are central to our mission and the dedication and commitment of our wonderful community of volunteers and partner institutions and organizations are crucial in carrying out our conservation efforts.

The Southeastern Center for Conservation is an intellectual hub seeking to realize innovative strategies and partnerships to conserve imperiled plants and natural communities across the southeastern United States and beyond. We work with individuals, local, state, and federal agencies, with volunteers, and non-profit organizations to achieve our mutual goal of conservation. Established partnerships like those we share through the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, and new and evolving relationships including the Caribbean Botanical Garden Network and the Global Conservation Consortium for Magnolias are key to our success, and we thank you for your support.

Our Conservation & Research team will introduce you to their work in this newsletter, but I would like to highlight a few significant events from the past year: Rescue work of Florida Torreya and ongoing safeguarding of North America’s most endangered conifer Opening of the new Conservation and Training Center at ABG and home to the Southeastern Center for Conservation, with new state of the art Conservation Genetics and Micropropagation Laboratories and Restoration Seed Bank facilities ABG Conservation & Research team was admitted into the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and will be joining the World Conservation Congress in 2020 Launch of the Global Conservation Consortium for Magnolias which ABG will be leading in partnership with BGCI (Botanical Gardens Conservation International) We are looking forward to more field and research-based conservation actions this year, accomplished in partnership and collaboration with you. Thank you for your continued support of this critical plant conservation work and we are looking forward to a fruitful 2020.

Warmest wishes,

Emily E. D. Coffey Vice President, ABG Conservation & Research

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OPENING OF THE ABG SOUTHEASTERN CENTER FOR CONSERVATION + Expansion of Micropropagation Laboratory & Seed Bank

GEORGIA OAK Quercus georgiana seed collection for ex-situ conservation with Morton Arboretum.

SMALL-WHORLED POGONIA Isotria medeoloides habitat research, population survey

MOUNTAIN BOGS Habitat restoration (More on page 5)

TORREYA EXPERIMENTS at ABG Conservation Safeguarding Nursery (More on pages 6 – 7, 10)

ALABAMA CANEBRAKE PITCHER PLANT Sarracenia alabamensis seed banking, population survey

CAROLINA BISHOPWEED Ptilimnium ahlesii seed banking

WHITE FRINGELESS ORCHID Platanthera integrilabia habitat restoration, population survey

YELLOW & PURPLE PITCHER PLANTS Sarracenia flava and S. purpurea Out-planting, population survey

APALACHICOLA ROSEMARY Conradina glabra (More on page 8)

DEER LAKE STATE PARK PLANT SURVEYS (cover story)

RADFORD’S BALM Dicerandra seed banking

CHAPMAN’S FRINGED ORCHID Platanthera chapmanii (More on page 4) FLORIDA CIGAR ORCHID Cyrtopodium punctatum (More on page 11)

NEOTROPICAL MAGNOLIA CONSERVATION CONSORTIUM, GUADALAJARA MEXICO ABG is leading the Global Conservation Consortium of Magnolias

HABITAT RESTORATION OUT-PLANTING / AUGMENTATION SEED COLLECTION / BANKING POPULATION SURVEY

FLORIDA DANCING LADY ORCHID Tolumnia bahamensis Rediscovery, mycorrhizal research

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW ECUADOR ORCHID PHENOLOGY & POLLINATION REPORT Study on orchids species from Pleurothallis, Odontoglossum, Ida and other genera + Jardín Botánico de Quito collaborator meeting

RESEARCH 3

DISCOVERY ON THE FRINGE Newfound populations of Chapman’s Fringed Orchid

By Emma Neigel One of the rarest orchids in the United States, Chapman’s fringed orchid (Platanthera chapmanii) is known from a few scattered populations in Georgia, Florida and Texas. In Georgia, this orchid occurs only in the coastal region, on soils of ancient ridges formed by the retreating prehistoric ocean. Associated with palmettopine forest wetlands, the Chapman’s fringed orchid an indicator of this tremendously complex and diverse ecosystem. Sadly, much of this precious habitat has now been lost to pine timber plantations. The densely planted canopies of plantations coupled with herbicide regimes spell disaster for many native wildflowers, and the Chapman’s fringed orchid was believed to be extinct after the 1940s. Miraculously, the orchid was rediscovered in 2009, with more populations found since.

The ABG has been cooperating with local utilities, state and county representatives, conservation groups and volunteers restore wetland habitats for this rare orchid and its associated ecological community. Armed with machetes and chainsaws, staff and volunteers clear woody plants that choke our remaining wetlands. We also continue to search for and map out fragmented populations, to identify environmental conditions favorable for Chapman’s Fringed Orchid and associated species. This summer ABG and Jacksonville Zoo staff scouted the Apalachicola National Forest in Florida for the Chapman’s fringed orchid and discovered more than 10 new occurrences. We also began working with a private land owner, whose property we surveyed and discovered over 1,000 plants, to set aside land for conservation and protection. We aim to continue managing and protect the wild populations of this beautiful orchid and hope to collect seed in the future for permanent safeguarding.

ORCHID ROADSHOW – Emma Neigel and a dazzling display of Chapman’s fringe orchids blooming on a roadside. Sometimes by accident (or rarely, by intent), the edges of unpaved roads can provide conditions for threatened native plants to reestablish.

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PROTECTING GEORGIA’S

MOUNTAIN BOGS

A closer look at a threatened Georgia ecosystem

By Carrie Radcliffe Mountain bogs are one of the most critically endangered habitats of the Southern Appalachians. They are typically small, from a half-acre to 5 acres, and usually associated with seeps and springs. These early successional habitats support a variety of unique and imperiled flora and fauna, including the federally threatened bog turtle and swamp pink, Georgia’s rarest reptile and plant species respectively. Other rare and state-protected mountain bog plants include the montane purple pitcherplant (which is petitioned for federal listing), Carolina bog laurel, Canada burnet, and marsh bellflower.

CARING FOR OUR MOUNTAIN BOGS Mountain bog restoration has been a priority for ABG and the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA) for over 25 years. We work in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) Wildlife Conservation. Our conservation efforts are centered on controlling woody competition, invasive plant species and protecting the bogs from feral hog damage. This year we had the pleasure of working with the U.S. Forest Service Youth Conservation Corps team and The Nature Conservancy. Over 70 volunteers and staff worked for 2 weeks to help care for and protect six of our mountain bogs.

BOG HOGS Invasive feral hogs love to romp around bogs, wreaking havoc on bog communities. We armored newly planted bog vegetation with wire cages and heavy log barriers. Efforts have also been made to control hog numbers. The ABG, GADNR’s Environmental Resources Network and the U.S. Forest Service funded the purchase of six cameras to aid rapid detection of feral hogs and remediation of damage. In consultation with the Georgia Pest Control Association, the GADNR’s Game Management Section used corral traps and night-vision scopes to harvest hogs, mostly in the Blue Ridge ecoregion.

BUILDING A CONSERVATION COMMUNITY This year the ABG helped to establish a new mountain bog display garden at Smithgall Woods State Park on behalf of GPCA, providing plants and design implementation. We also continue to participate in the Bog Learning Network, a consortium of scientists and land managers working to advance the restoration and management of Southern Appalachian bogs. Key goals include developing new initiatives for coordinating protection of bogs; increasing membership and outreach; facilitating and providing education and learning opportunities; and promoting and supporting conservation in the field.

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SAFEGUARDING THE FUTURE Explore the ABG Conservation Safeguarding Nursery

ABG Gainesville is home to our Conservation Safeguarding Nursery, a sanctuary that holds some of the Southeast’s most rare and endangered native plants. This is a form of ex-situ conservation, where species of concern are cultivated in the safety of a nursery to provide material for future restoration work. Cultivated plants can later be planted in the wild to translocate or augment imperiled populations. But simply producing large numbers of an endangered species will not be useful for securing their future, unless the cultivated plants also robustly represent diversity across a species’ genome. ABG uses best conservation practices to maintain sufficient variety within the gene pool of threatened species to secure their long-term future.

Maintaining Maternal lines This winter, we are renovating our safeguarding bog beds to better follow the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) best practices for preserving genetic diversity. This means having carefully curated beds for tracking offspring that originate from different wild mother plants. We also clip flowers to prevent cross-pollination that will contaminate different lineages from separate populations. Pictured: Interns Noah Yawn, Amber Rittgers and Jalyn Ryan strike a pose with bog beds at the Safeguarding Nursery.

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New beds shed light on Torreya Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia) is a critically endangered conifer endemic to shady, wooded ravines in the Florida Panhandle and South Georgia. Hurricane Michael recently tore through Torreya State Park in Florida, destroying the canopy that shelters one of the few remaining populations of wild Torreya. We recently built new raised beds to closely monitor on the effects of strong sunlight on Torreya seedlings. Check out page 10 for more on this project.

Lathe house

Not all plants tolerate full sunlight - our conservation lathe (shade) house is home to a variety of shade-loving trees, cuttings and seedlings of rare and threatened species.

Display Bog This February we conducted a prescribed burn to control pesky pitcher plant moths and prevent the establishment of woody plants. Woody plants can smother bog plants and are curbed by regular fires.

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FLAGGED FOR THE FUTURE - Lauren Eserman, Annie Schmidt and Mike Jenkins marked and surveyed remaining populations of the Apalachicola rosemary in Liberty County, Florida.

LEAVES OF KNOWLEDGE Understanding genetic diversity in the endangered Apalachicola rosemary

CONSERVING WITH A GENETIC EDGE Amber Rittgers from the University of North Georgia extracted DNA from 744 Apalachicola rosemary leaves for sequencing.

By Lauren Eserman Plant conservation is not only about protecting species – it’s also about preserving precious genetic diversity within species. This past year, we were awarded a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to study the conservation genetics of the endangered Apalachicola rosemary (Conradina glabra). This species inhabits only about 2500 acres in Liberty County, Florida. The largest protected population is in Torreya State Park, on the upland sandhills which are adjacent to the ravines where the endangered Florida Torreya is found. In March of 2019, a crew of ABG conservation staff and volunteers visited the Park to mark plants and sample leaf material for later DNA isolation. Five ABG conservation staff and 10 local volunteers visited 40 sites across the Park to collect 744 leaf samples of Apalachicola rosemary. This summer, we recruited University of North Georgia student Amber Rittgers to organize and isolate DNA from all 744 leaf samples. She was highly productive and very successful; DNA samples are now being sent to the SNPSaurus lab in Oregon for analysis using next generation sequencing. Next year, we will analyze how genetic variation in this species is distributed among plant individuals and populations, so that we can maximize the genetic diversity captured in future seed collection efforts.

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CONSERVATION

LEGACIES

Training conservation scientists of the future

By Lauren Eserman Training the next generation of conservation scientists is a major focus of the ABG Conservation & Research Department. We work with students from high schools and universities in Georgia and around the country to give aspiring scientists real-world work experience. In the past year, we have hosted two high school interns and 14 undergraduate students and mentored them on a variety of projects: micropropagation, seed banking, orchid DNA barcoding, field surveys for endangered species, and a pollinator survey of Deer Lake State Park. Our undergraduate students came from Georgia State University, Emory University, Georgia Tech, Spelman College, University of North Georgia, North Georgia Technical College, Kennesaw State University, University of Florida - Milton, Hollins College, Auburn University and Oregon State University. Five of our undergraduate students attended regional and national conferences this summer to present the work they were doing at ABG. We are so proud of all of our students and their amazing accomplishments!

OUR INTERNS - Top: Chazz Jordan posing with her poster (with Lauren Eserman).

Bottom: Jalyn Ryan, Daisha Larkin and Amber Rittgers at Cullowhee Native Plant Conference.

POLLINATOR PATROL An insect and pollinator study by ABG intern Alexis Feysa

By Ashlynn Smith

BRIGHT & BRILLIANT – Aleix Feysa sets up a light trap for sampling insect communities at Deer Lake State Park.

This summer ABG intern, Alexis Feysa (University of Florida, Milton) conducted a study on insect diversity at Deer Lake State Park. She was awarded a twoyear undergraduate internship by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as part of their “Youth Engagement, Growing the Next Generation” program. Alexis wanted to know if insect diversity and abundance differed in restored versus unrestored areas of the Park. She censused insect communities with sweep nets and deployed light traps, and observed insect floral visitations to two wetland plant species: pine lily (Lilium catesbaei) and largeflower milkweed (Asclepias connivens). She discovered that while largeflower milkweed was visited by a wide range of insects, the primary visitor to the pine lily was the palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes). She also found that overall insect abundance across all Orders was higher in restored areas of the Park than areas without past restoration activity. Alexis will continue her study next summer and her work will be invaluable to our understanding of how our restoration efforts impact insect diversity at the Park.

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STRUGGLE FOR

EXISTENCE

FLORIDA TORREYA: A HISTORY 1832, Discovered and named for famed botanist John Torrey

-- 1900

Fighting for the endangered Florida Torreya

By Laurie Blackmore & Loy Xingwen

In October 2018, Category 4 Hurricane Michael tore through the Florida panhandle and southwest Georgia with wind bursts up to 200 mph, devastating the entire range of the critically endangered Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia).

Initial reports from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Florida’s Torreya State Park estimated 80-90% forest canopy loss across the endangered native conifer’s 55,239 ha range.

But the Florida Torreya was fighting for survival even before Hurricane Michael. The 1950s saw the introduction of a virulent fungal disease that nearly killed off all wild mature trees and continues to prevent young trees from attaining reproductive size. Climate change and habitat loss have reduced the species’ already restricted range; wild populations occur only in steep ravines along the eastern edge of the Apalachicola River watershed. Currently only 14.8% of Torreya habitat is on protected land.

The ABG has been working to help secure a future for the species since the 1990s. We have monitored wild populations, caged young trees to protect them from deer, experimented with cryo-preservation seed storage and maintained 9 reproductively mature off-site trees for seed experiments. Following Hurricane Michael, an ABG conservation staff and volunteer ‘rescue team’ arrived on site to salvage plants for propagation. In addition, we are currently running experiments to determine how the newlyopened canopy created by Hurricane Michael will affect Torreya. At the ABG Gainesville Safeguarding Nursery, we are experimenting with 20-80% shade cloth to determine appropriate protection for newly-planted Torreya seedlings.

Moving forward, we will focus on genetic evaluation of wild and captive plants, as well as produce new stock for augmenting wild populations.

Florida Torreya seeds

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1914, First survey estimated 360,000 trees across 79 square mile range

-----

1958, First documentation of dead trees on higher slopes 1962, All upper-canopy sized and reproductive wild trees dead

-- 1950 ----

1984, Federally listed ‘Endangered’ 1990, ABG begins safeguarding initiative 2011, Discovery of fungal pathogen that caused 1950s population decline

--- 2000

2018, Hurricane Michael

2019 & beyond

Conservation Plan Phase 1: ASSESS HURRICANE DAMAGE Document tree conditions with drones, identify priority and imperiled individuals for protection Phase 2: RESEARCH & SURVEYS Detailed survey of tree condition, research on genetic diversity and shade experiments Phase 3: DEVELOP RECOVERY PLAN Local community outreach, experimental outplanting and seed germination trials Phase 4: IMPLEMENT RECOVERY PROGRAM Long-term monitoring and restoration with local communities

AUGMENTED

REALITY

Evaluating attempts to augment cigar orchid populations in the Florida Everglades

By Loy Xingwen

LIFE & DEATH – About a quarter of the 2015 out-planted cigar orchids survived to 2019, which is within the average for conservation outplantings. Survivors tended to be positioned lower on their host trees.

86

346

Survived 24.9%

Planted in 2015

plant vigor after 3-4 years

The cigar orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum) is a Florida-native that suffered dramatic population declines in the 1740s. The main threats?

Habitat destruction and over-collection. In 2007, only 20 wild plants remained in Florida and the state approached the ABG for help; we have been aiding in conservation efforts since. In 2015, Matt Richards (ABG) and Dr. Hong Liu (Florida International University) planted 346 cigar orchid on trees in the Florida Everglades. They collected data on the environment around each orchid they planted. For example, they measured how high up the tree they planted every orchid and recorded the tree species. Staff and volunteers have returned annually to each and every plant to measured its health. This fall, we analyzed the data of survivors from our most recent survey. Our most interesting finding was that orchids that survived the 2015 outplanting were usually those planted lower down on their host trees; perhaps the microclimate is harsher in higher branches. We hope to continue monitoring populations and supporting research that informs and improves conservation practices.

number of pseudobulbs when planted

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST – Of the orchid plants that survived outplanting, those with more stems (pseudobulbs) when planted seem to fare better after 3-4 years. This was true of overall vigor (shown here) but also the amount of new shoot and root growth. Colored dots represent plants at different sites in Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.

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Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation 2020 March 2 – 6, Southeastern Center for Conservation, Atlanta Botanical Garden Southeastern Partners in Plant Conservation 2020 (SePPCon 2020) will bring together conservation professionals from across the Southeast to build capacity and promote innovative partnerships for plant conservation. Participants include botanical gardens, not-for-profit organizations, governmental agencies, private landowners, and Tribal Nations. Working with a wide range of conservation partners who represent a diversity of interests and perspectives, this effort seeks to catalyze collective successes in local, state, and regional plant conservation. Tailored to multiple interests to provide training, fill information gaps, and identify management and research needs, SePPCon 2020 sets the stage for success by promoting models of success and creative solutions to conservation challenges. The conference will include meetings and technical planning sessions that will identify and prioritize species in need of ranking updates and collaborative conservation projects.

Training opportunities will be offered to enhance the skills needed to carry out these activities. Presentations will highlight successful and challenging conservation projects that feature collaboration and partnership benefitting rare and threatened plants.

Planned conference themes include Creative Conservation Initiatives (featuring advocacy, policy, and resources), Private Lands Conservation (involving the conservation of rare and threatened plants and unique habitats on corporate, land trust, military, tribal, utility, or other private lands.), Safeguarding (seed banking, conservation horticulture, augmentation/reintroduction of species in native habitats, and management of wild landscapes or plant collections), and Science for Recovery (research and science-based approaches to plant conservation where results can be applied to the recovery of rare plant species in the wild).

SePPCon 2020 is a uniquely meaningful opportunity for conservation professionals to gather and work intensively to share species and habitat specific information, identify research and management needs, and build relationships. To learn more, please visit atlantabg.org/seppcon.

FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:

PARTNERS: BGCI Botanic Gardens Conservation International | National Wildlife Refuge Association NatureServe | USDA Forest Service | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Synecology is an annual end-of-year publication by the Southeastern Center for Conservation at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

1345 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309