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Rare Plant Propagation and Reintroduction:

Questions and Considerations

presentation title: 

This presentation examines how the application of an adaptive management cycle and leveraging key collaborative partnerships can improve reintroduction outcomes with an endangered plant species. Topics covered in this talk includes the use of ex situ collections in reintroductions, choosing and managing reintroduction sites, transplant techniques, and long-term monitoring.

speaker bio

Matthew Albrecht, Ph.D., is a Conservation Scientist at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development. His research interests include the restoration ecology of rare species and degraded habitats, understanding the drivers of rare plant population dynamics, and the implications of seed traits for conservation and restoration. He works closely with governmental agencies to develop management solutions for threatened plant species. He has authored or co-authored several dozen articles and book chapters, including the Center for Plant Conservation’s Best Practice Reintroduction Guidelines.

presentation title:

New Jersey is home to many rare and endangered plant species. Although practitioners of rare species management agree that the in situ conservation of rare species and their habitats is the priority for conservation, reintroducing plants is an important tool for the recovery of rare, threatened, and endangered plants in certain circumstances. This report provides a detailed overview of the latest research concerning the risks and benefits of propagation and reintroduction of rare plant species. There are many potential pitfalls associated with plant reintroductions, requiring due diligence of researchers both before and after reintroductions are conducted in order to avoid them. Given the significant potential for negative consequences involved in rare species reintroductions, this report attempts to summarize some of the major concerns and considerations identified in the current scientific literature in order to avoid the potential for harm that may result from such activities. Successful reintroduction projects are characterized by extensive prior research on the biology of the species, community analysis between known occurrences and potential recipient sites, use of experimental design and adaptive management, collaboration among multidisciplinary experts, and long-term monitoring and documentation of each stage of the project. Rare plant reintroductions have a low long-term success rate and are often not the appropriate first course of action, but for some species on the brink of extinction, it may be the only option left.

speaker bio

Elizabeth Olson works for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in the Office of Natural Lands Management, where she assists with field surveys for rare plants and researches the ecology and management of state-listed rare plant species. Liz is also an Adjunct Instructor at Stockton University. She studied Ecology and Environmental Sciences, earning a B.S. from Temple University and an M.S. from the University of Maine.