A noteworthy case of rewilding Chinese yew from a garden population in eastern China

PeerJ

article

Kaidi Li¹  Guangfu Zhang¹  Ying Zhang¹  M. Patrick Griffith² 

[1] Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province;Montgomery Botanical Center

关键词: Taxus wallichiana var. mairei;    Natural regeneration;    Seed dispersal;    Ex-situ conservation;    Botanical garden management;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.12341

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Chinese yew (Taxus wallichiana var. mairei) is ranked as a rare and endangered plant of first-grade protection of China. It has been widely cultivated in 17 provinces of China over the past few decades. However, little is known about the dispersion, rewilding, and ecological influence of Chinese yew’s offspring during cultivation. Here, we report a noteworthy case of this species, via ex situ 900 individuals and 7 ha area, can be ascribed to two key ecological factors: (1) secondary forest near the parent yews that provided suitable microhabitats in which progeny yews could germinate and grow, and (2) seed-foraging and transportation by native birds. Thus, this case may offer a pathway for conserving endangered Chinese Taxus species, which can attract frugivorous birds to disperse their seeds. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the growth performance of progeny population in the field.

【 授权许可】

CC BY