Endangered trees
- Thread starter AJL
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Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
Is there a list of some of the species that are threatened? I suspect there are forestry experts that can already propagate some of them. Many states have state tree farms that grow trees for planting.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I've got a couple of Santa Cruz cypress that I specifically obtained from a nursery because they are on the Endangered Species list and the nursery is trying to increase their numbers.
weetree3
Yamadori
Consider the source of the news. It makes great headlines.
Wood
Chumono
Newspapers, especially nationally known ones with histories of good investigative reporting, don't make up headlines for clicks. The article is based on a study in the academic journal Plants People Planet
Apparently the study is a review of the health of all 881 native tree species. Quercus tardifolia was one of the threatened species mentioned. I'm surprised there's only 881 native tree species in the US
It's a little more complicated than that. A lot of the endangered species are very environment specific--only native to a small region--which they are slowly losing either to climate change, introduced disease or urban sprawl. Because they are fussy about thier environment, many don't thrive in a standard nursery setting. I read an article by one local grower who specializes in native Southern California plants that it took him years to formulate a custom potting mixture that they'll survive in long term for propagation.
So it's tough, but I do see efforts being made and more native species are becoming available for sale. I've acquired three at-risk/endangered native trees for bonsai and am trying to keep them alive. (One's on the fence right now after frying during a particularly hot week.)
So it's tough, but I do see efforts being made and more native species are becoming available for sale. I've acquired three at-risk/endangered native trees for bonsai and am trying to keep them alive. (One's on the fence right now after frying during a particularly hot week.)
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Don't bury your head in the sand.
Wood
Chumono
Which species are you working with?
Leo in N E Illinois
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@Paradox
Your local chapter of the Nature Conservancy and other preservation groups will have identified local areas of concern and species involved. Also every USA state has a Department of Natural Resources and a version of Fish and Wildlife Service. In their websites or publications there will be lists of endangered species.
Adding species to "official endangered listing" is time consuming and expensive, requiring man hours of field research and documentation. It is possible for species to population to fall to zero without them getting officially listed. The listing process was made difficult by those people who were frustrated that a small fish could block the construction of a dam.
You state DNR sites should have checklists if all the trees known to occur in your state. Go through the list, see which ones are hard to find, or seem to becoming rare. This is where you can focus your attention.
Your local chapter of the Nature Conservancy and other preservation groups will have identified local areas of concern and species involved. Also every USA state has a Department of Natural Resources and a version of Fish and Wildlife Service. In their websites or publications there will be lists of endangered species.
Adding species to "official endangered listing" is time consuming and expensive, requiring man hours of field research and documentation. It is possible for species to population to fall to zero without them getting officially listed. The listing process was made difficult by those people who were frustrated that a small fish could block the construction of a dam.
You state DNR sites should have checklists if all the trees known to occur in your state. Go through the list, see which ones are hard to find, or seem to becoming rare. This is where you can focus your attention.
AJL
Chumono
Im just suggesting some of the propagation techniques used in bonsai may not be widely known to the average local forestry nurseries and growers.
For example Air Layering of mature trees which could perhaps be used on some very rare specimens to increase numbers of plants which would be mature enough to flower and set seed, and not just for Bonsai purposes:
What do you all think ?!
Leo in N E Illinois
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I think as a group the bonsai community has manpower that can be applied to the issue. But, air layering and the other propagation techniques we use are well known in the forestry and commercial nursery propagation community. There's no need "to teach" the forestry and nursery community what they already have in their reference books. Techniques like air layering are low yield,.one or two trees at a time. This makes it less used in a nursery setting where hundreds or thousands are the goal.
But as a group our backyards can be small scale nurseries for propagation of locally rare species needed for reintroduction projects or just to be maintained for future reintroduction projects. This is where I see great value. A small army of back yard projects.
Work with your local conservation groups, see what needs help in your area.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Your intent is noble, but as to the propagation of trees, bonsai takes a back seat. Sure we use some clever ideas like the layering you mentioned. but these are very old arts that have been with us for hundreds and thousands of years. Many of us come to bonsai after decades of practicing the more practical aspects of horticulture.
But I get it, I am a Tree Huger like my bumper stickers say.
Paradox
Marine Bonsologist
I am aware of all this. I work for my state environmental agency. My state does have a list of species of concern. I am regularly asked to provide info about a few fish species.
The statement "1 in 6 species is endangered" implies they have done some of that work and have some sort of a list. It's a pretty specific statement to make as a guess or just pull out of thin air.
*edit* I see the article does mention a few species. I missed the link for "continue reading" earlier when I looked quick.
Currently out in the field sampling fish and reading the forums between tows.
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Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Here's a link to the original article:
Data sharing for conservation: A standardized checklist of US native tree species and threat assessments to prioritize and coordinate action
AJL
Chumono
Leo, clearly the forestry and commercial nursery propagation community in USA are better educated and informed than those I know here in UK!!
If I mentioned the dark arts of Air layering to an average tree nurseryman here they just wouldnt have a clue!!
Similar to those Penumbra mentions ,I also came into the bonsai hobby after a lifetime of working in the horticulture and arboriculture and conservation land management.
Surely the joint knowledge and expertise within the Bonsai world in keeping half-dead trees in pots for decades and re-growing root systems and propagating entire mature branches of old trees could be put to use in conserving our declining veteran trees?
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If I mentioned the dark arts of Air layering to an average tree nurseryman here they just wouldnt have a clue!!
Similar to those Penumbra mentions ,I also came into the bonsai hobby after a lifetime of working in the horticulture and arboriculture and conservation land management.
Surely the joint knowledge and expertise within the Bonsai world in keeping half-dead trees in pots for decades and re-growing root systems and propagating entire mature branches of old trees could be put to use in conserving our declining veteran trees?
/
Leo in N E Illinois
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Certainly our skills should be put to use. I assumed the UK forestry were at least as well informed as our forestry community. And of course my experience here might be biased, my brother-in-law teaches agronomy at our state university, and of his fellow faculty I met, I assumed a high level of competence. I've seen their back yards, they have their horticulture hobbies too. The fruit specialists in particular keep alive olde techniques like air layering.
But remember air layering is not considered commercially viable because you only produce a few at a time. So a commercial nurseryman might not be familiar, especially if new. But a seasoned developer of nursery stock would know air layering, as this might be the only way to get propagation stock for future use.
In the Tropical Fish Hobby, the Killifish fanciers have an organized breeding program for threatened, endangered and extinct in the wild species of killifish. It might be worth digging into how they organize their program, and replicate it for saving endangered trees and shrubs.
Tecate Cypress, Cuyamaca Cypress and Engelmann Oak. They're all very young still and need years of growing. The oak fried and dropped all its leaves. It looks dead but I think it's still alive--green cambium under a bark test. I hope it leafs out again in the Spring.
