Operational-Scale Demonstration of Propagation Protocols and Comparative Demographic Monitoring for (Re-)Introducing Five Southeastern Endangered and At-Risk Plants
RC-201201
Objective
The overall objective of this project is to conduct an operational-scale demonstration of recently developed propagation protocols for (re-)introducing one endangered and four at-risk plant species that occur across multiple military installations in the Southeast. The specific performance objectives are to (1) demonstrate that four populations per target species can be successfully (re-)introduced at an operational scale, (2) identify size classes most important in determining positive population growth rates using life table response experiments (LTRE), (3) optimize costs for establishing self-sustaining populations using data collected from natural and (re-)introduced populations, and (4) secure user acceptance.
Technology Description
Army direct-funded research has made propagation and (re-)introduction protocols newly available for Amorpha georgiana, Astragalus michauxii, Lilium pyrophilum, Lysimachia asperulifolia, and Pyxidanthera brevifolia. These protocols, which have been tested in greenhouse propagation and test-plot field trials, will be demonstrated at production and operational scales respectively (e.g., multipopulation, [re-]introduction). Demonstration of the propagation and (re-)introduction protocols will be deemed successful if it is possible to cost-effectively establish self-sustaining, viable populations of the five target species. The team will establish four new populations for each of the five target species and demographically monitor natural and (re-)introduced populations for four years. Demographic modeling methods will allow population growth rates to be decomposed into their constituent parts, such as the contribution from survivorship or growth of small individuals. The vital rates (e.g., growth, survival, and reproduction of different stages) and the population growth rates of the natural and (re-)introduced populations will be compared using generalized linear models, LTRE, and demographic matrix modeling in order to optimize population (re-)introduction in terms of population viability and cost for the five target species.
Benefits
No capability to (re)introduce these five species existed prior to our development of new propagation protocols. Demonstration of operational-scale population (re)introduction for these species is needed to effectively make this new management capability available to military installations and their nonmilitary conservation partners. Expected benefits include: reduced restrictions on training land use, potential recovery of listed species, improved (re)introduction success, lower (re)introduction costs, expanded conservation strategies, new opportunities to share conservation responsibility with partner agencies and organizations, and reduced likelihood that at-risk species are federally listed. By combining (re)introduction technologies with demographic modeling methods, we will be able to establish and evaluate meaningful and defensible performance objectives. This demonstration will provide the data and analyses needed to gain the acceptance of regulators, DoD installations, and non-DoD rare plant managers, because it allows the cost and efficacy of the methods to be evaluated and a formal assessment of the viability of (re)introduced populations. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2016)
Symposium & Workshop
FY 2013 New Start Project Selections
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator
Mr. Matthew Hohmann
US Army Corps of Engineers
Phone: 217-373-5863
Program Manager
Resource Conservation and Climate Change
SERDP and ESTCP
Document Types
- Fact Sheet - Brief project summary with links to related documents and points of contact.
- Final Report - Comprehensive report for every completed SERDP and ESTCP project that contains all technical results.
- Cost & Performance Report - Overview of ESTCP demonstration activities, results, and conclusions, standardized to facilitate implementation decisions.
- Technical Report - Additional interim reports, laboratory reports, demonstration reports, and technology survey reports.
- Guidance - Instructional information on technical topics such as protocols and user’s guides.
- Workshop Report - Summary of workshop discussion and findings.
- Multimedia - On demand videos, animations, and webcasts highlighting featured initiatives or technologies.
- Model/Software - Computer programs and applications available for download.
- Database - Digitally organized collection of data available to search and access.