TY - JOUR

T1 - The conservation and ecology of the British Virgin Islands endemic tree, Vachellia anegadensis

AU - Bárrios, Sara

AU - Dufke, Maria

AU - Hamilton, Martin

AU - Cowan, Robyn

AU - Woodfield-Pascoe, Nancy

AU - Dalsgaard, Bo

AU - Hawkins, Julie

AU - Clubbe, Colin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Acacia anegadensis

KW - British Virgin Islands

KW - Caribbean

KW - Endangered

KW - endemic

KW - monitoring

KW - reassessment

KW - Vachellia anegadensis

U2 - 10.1017/S0030605320001234

DO - 10.1017/S0030605320001234

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85115955138

VL - 56

SP - 26

EP - 33

JO - Oryx

JF - Oryx

SN - 0030-6053

IS - 1

ER -