rsg_book_2013

PlantsMajor difficultiesfaced The population size isextremely small. Thelimited individuals cannotreproduce any individualsnaturally. Lack of efficient visitorsor flowering in theheaviest rainy season. Noseeds can be collected forpropagation under thenatural conditions soartificial cross-pollinationmust be carried out forseeds.Plant growth one year after re-introduction Thetall height of M.longipedunculata makesartificial cross-pollination difficult. So a huge bamboo scaffolding (about 20 mhigh) must be set up. M. longipedunculata is a newly published species, without any existing biotemperatureinformation for reference. So we hired the local people toobserve and record the flower and fruit bio-temperature for pollinationbiological research.Major lessons learned Evaluating the conservation status: Prior to any restoration or re-introductioneffort, the population amount, size and structure of M. longipedunculata andcauses of the endangerment should be clear. Comprehensive fieldinvestigations and pollination biological experiments of M. longipedunculataduring the flowering time (June) and fruiting time (September) should beconducted to evaluate its conservation status. Selecting the appropriate location: The site is very important for successful reintroduction.The site for re-introduction should: i) have a similar ecologicalenvironment to its natural habitat; ii) be close to the original population; iii)have the traits to be able to survive in the long-term, and iv) be convenient formanagement. Strengthening conservation awareness of local community: Local people arethe custodian of plants. Their awareness of plant diversity conservation is veryimportant for successful plant conservation. To enhance their awareness ofplant diversity and environment protection, we held some stakeholderworkshops in project location and distributed public outreach materials tothem. People living around Nankunshan Nature Reserve were invited to attendworkshops and actively communicated with government leaders andscientists. Local people are also involved in re-introduction activities andmanaging transplanted plants. Their awareness has been greatly enhancedthrough the engagement of those activities and will protect plants actively inthe future.244