Changes in population density of two endemic plant species on Gunner's Quoin an offshore islet of Mauritius after alien rat and hare eradication
| MSI05P4172 | |
| Baider, C. Florens, F. B. V. | |
| Changes in population density of two endemic plant species on Gunner's Quoin an offshore islet of Mauritius after alien rat and hare eradication | |
| Society for Conservation Biology and University of Brasilia., 19th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, 15-19th July 2005, Brasilia, Brazil. Books of Abstracts. | |
| Conference paper | |
| 2005 | |
| p. 12 | |
| en | |
| En | |
| Gunner's Quoin is a volcanic islet of 76 ha situated 4 km offshore of Mauritius and home to the largest population of several threatened Mauritian endemic plants. Despite being overrun by invasive alien plants, this Nature Reserve retains great conservation value as a potential site for reintroduction of endemic reptiles presently confined to Round Island, another islet. We present the first vegetation survey of the islet eight years since the eradication of rats and hares in 1996, which predated on seeds and seedlings of the two main native species, Latania loddigesii (Arecaceae) and Pandanus vandermeerschii (Pandanaceae). The number of adult Latania remained unchanged over 22 years, but Pandanus lost 25 per cent of its reproductive population since 1982, and presently more than 1/3 of the remaining plants are senescent. Regeneration of both species increased dramatically. However most of the plants are confined to the coastal fringe and regeneration occurs down slope under female trees due to native dispersers being extinct. Both species have already vanished from parts of the islet. In the meantime potent dispersers are reintroduced, artificially dispersing seeds is necessary to ensure the long-term maintenance of the species in one of their last localities in the wild. | |
| FLORA endemic plants conservation management ecology Latania loddigesii Pandanus vandermeerschii pests hare rats | |
| Mauritius | |
| Flora | |
| 2005-08-05 | |
| En | |
| Mauritius Sugar Industry Research Institute | |
| HERB | |
| CAT | |
| HERB |