The conservation and ecology of the British Virgin Islands endemic tree, Vachellia anegadensis

Numerous island species have gone extinct and many extant, but threatened, island endemics require ongoing monitoring of their conservation status. The small tree Vachellia anegadensis was formerly thought to occur only on the limestone island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands and was categor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oryx 2022-01, Vol.56 (1), p.26-33
Main Authors: Bárrios, Sara, Dufke, Maria, Hamilton, Martin, Cowan, Robyn, Woodfield-Pascoe, Nancy, Dalsgaard, Bo, Hawkins, Julie, Clubbe, Colin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Conservation
Conservation on islands
Conservation status
Endangered & extinct species
Endangered species
Extinct species
Geographical distribution
Geographical locations
Introduced animals
Islands
Limestone
Plant reproduction
Pollinators
Polymorphism
Population
Population genetics
Population structure
Vegetation
Volcanic islands
Wildlife conservation
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Description
Summary:Numerous island species have gone extinct and many extant, but threatened, island endemics require ongoing monitoring of their conservation status. The small tree Vachellia anegadensis was formerly thought to occur only on the limestone island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands and was categorized as Critically Endangered. However, in 2008 it was discovered on the volcanic island of Fallen Jerusalem, c. 35 km from Anegada, and in 2018 it was recategorized as Endangered. To inform conservation interventions, we examined the species’ distribution, genetic population structure, dependency on pollinators and preferred habitat, and documented any threats. We found V. anegadensis to be locally widespread on Anegada but uncommon on Fallen Jerusalem and established that geographical location does not predict genetic differentiation amongst populations. Vachellia anegadensis produces the highest number of seed pods when visited by animal pollinators, in particular Lepidoptera. Introduced animals and disturbance by humans appear to be the main threats to V. anegadensis, and in situ conservation is critical for the species’ long-term survival.
ISSN:0030-6053
1365-3008
DOI:10.1017/S0030605320001234