Rescue and Recovery of Hawaii s Endangered Plant Taxa Through Ex Situ Conservation

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Beverly Gilbert
5 years ago
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1 Thesis project information sheet Project Title Rescue and Recovery of Hawaii s Endangered Plant Taxa Through Ex Situ Conservation Mentor(s)/Supervisor(s) Nellie Sugii/Cindy Yamamoto Affiliation Lyon Arboretum sugii@hawaii.edu/cnose@hawaii.edu Number Project Description Desired Skills and Experience What students will learn Aids the Hawaiian Rare Plant Program staff in the investigation and implementation of new and modified seed sowing and cloning protocols to optimize growing and storage conditions for the program s in vitro plant cultures. This includes: 1) the preparation of various plant growth nutrient media formulations and chemical stock solutions, 2) investigating disinfestation and sterilization techniques, 3) developing new propagation protocols, and 3) the maintenance of the living plant germplasm stored as in vitro cultures. Experience working in a science lab setting is desirable but not required. Should possess some working knowledge of the Microsoft Word and Excel. Plant tissue culture, seed storage technology, germplasm storage, endangered plant conservation, indigenous plant conservation Start Date Approx. January 2018 End date Minimal Expected Duration Student Support ($) 1 year Hours per week Possible Project posted on 11/09/2017

Doing our part to preserve Hawai i s unique and endangered flora.

propagation as horticultural tools for plant germplasm conservation.

introduced crop plants, (b) propagate plants for approved restoration projects and garden use, and (c) initiate and

Lyon Arboretum s HRPP works cooperatively, in joint conservation efforts with other botanical gardens, various state

Micropropagation Laboratory To date, the Lyon Arboretum Micropropagation Lab has successfully grown over 300 Hawaiian

Currently, we house more than 30,000 plants, representing ~200 native plant taxa (of which more than half are

Last year alone, over 1,000 plants were produced via micropropagation for various conservation projects, entailing

Seed Conservation Lab In the Seed Lab, over 16 million seeds are banked, representing more than 500 taxa of native

Of these collections, over half are federally listed as threatened or endangered.

seeds, but many of our taxa do require special storage conditions.

time, with data for some species that have been stored for up to 20 years.

2 Doing our part to preserve Hawai i s unique and endangered flora... The Lyon Arboretum Hawaiian Rare Plant Program (HRPP) utilizes micropropagation, seed banking and greenhouse propagation as horticultural tools for plant germplasm conservation. The objectives for this project are to (a) prevent further extinction of native Hawaiian plant species and Polynesian introduced crop plants, (b) propagate plants for approved restoration projects and garden use, and (c) initiate and maintain an in vitro germplasm collection of these critically endangered Hawaiian plants. Lyon Arboretum s HRPP works cooperatively, in joint conservation efforts with other botanical gardens, various state and federal agencies including the Plant Extinction Prevention Program, the State of Hawai i Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as other environmental conservation organizations and land managers. Micropropagation Laboratory To date, the Lyon Arboretum Micropropagation Lab has successfully grown over 300 Hawaiian plant taxa using micropropagation techniques. Currently, we house more than 30,000 plants, representing ~200 native plant taxa (of which more than half are federally listed as endangered or threatened). This includes over 50 varieties of Hawaiian kalo. Last year alone, over 1,000 plants were produced via micropropagation for various conservation projects, entailing restoration & reintroduction, research and education, as well as botanical and display gardens and forestry projects. Seed Conservation Lab In the Seed Lab, over 16 million seeds are banked, representing more than 500 taxa of native Hawaiian plants (~40% of the Hawaiian flora). Of these collections, over half are federally listed as threatened or endangered. Prior to the establishment of the Seed Conservation Lab in 1995, little was known about the storage life of Hawaiian seeds. However, with our current knowledge, we now know that only about 6% of Hawaiian taxa have recalcitrant (non-storable) seeds, but many of our taxa do require special storage conditions. We continue to conduct research on new and existing collections, testing viability under different conditions over time, with data for some species that have been stored for up to 20 years. In 2016 we also launched the #OhiaLove Project to collect and bank seeds of ōhi a (Metrosideros species) during the crisis of Rapid Ōhi a Death. Rare Plant Greenhouse The greenhouse receives both vegetative material and seed collected from the wild by partner organizations and individuals. This material is propagated under conventional greenhouse conditions and grown for living germplasm storage or to a size desirable for reintroduction into managed habitat. The greenhouse is also critically important for transitioning laboratory grown plants and cultures from the sterile lab environments and ideal growing conditions to the greenhouse for eventual out-planting back into the wild.. Harold L. Lyon Arboretum-University of Hawai i at Mänoa, 3860 Mänoa Road, Honolulu, Hawai i 96822, Phone (808)

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HAROLD L. LYON ARBORETUM

HAROLD L. LYON ARBORETUM University of Hawai i at Mānoa STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2023 THE LYON ARBORETUM A BRIEF HISTORY The 193-acre Harold L. Lyon Arboretum was established in 1918 as a means to control erosion