Monitoring an endangered and rare plant: population growth and viability of Lotus kunkelii (Esteve) Bramwell and Davis (Gran Canaria - Canary Islands)
Species monitoring is a valuable tool that can
be used to answer a wide range of questions directly related to species
conservation, management, and population improvement. We monitored the
only remaining population of Lotus kunkelii on a monthly basis
over 3 years to reveal important characteristics of the population that
could help protect it. In this study, the main hypothesis to be tested
is whether the population of L. kunkelii is stable or not. The
study site is located in Gran Canaria. Monthly censuses of the
population recording size (height and diameter), mortality,
regeneration, and presence of reproductive structures in each individual
were carried out, and this monthly information of variables was
correlated with climatic variables. The population is growing (from 105
to more than 200 individuals during the studied time) at a slow pace and
is restricted by the environmental conditions of its surroundings (the
proximity of the population to the sea that cushions the weather
conditions), but we also determined high vulnerability of the species
with respect to flooding and heavy rain. However, the population can be
considered endangered due to its low number of individuals, and also
because it is restricted to a very small area of land. We suggest that
to conserve the population new individuals should be protected from
grazing where the natural population is found. Finally, the climatic
changes predicted by the IPCC in this area should also be considered in
future conservation plans.
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