Taxus floridana

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	CONIFEROPSIDA	CONIFERALES	TAXACEAE

Scientific Name:

Taxus floridana

Species Authority:

Nutt. ex Chapman

Common Name/s:

English

–

Florida Yew

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2011

Assessor/s:

Spector, T., Thomas, P. & Determann, R.

Reviewer/s:

Nicholson, R. & Gardner, M.

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Taxus floridana has a restricted extent of occurrence (EOO) of less than 100 km². It occurs at a single location as the principal threats, a lack of regeneration and the impact of an increasing deer population, affect all known subpopulations and localities. There is a continued decline in the quality of habitat in some parts of its range. Adult mortality is greater than recruitment leading to an overall decline in the number of mature individuals. It is therefore listed as Critically Endangered.

History:

1998	–	Critically Endangered (Oldfield et al. 1998)
1998	–	Critically Endangered
1997	–	Vulnerable (Walter and Gillett 1998)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Tauxs floridana is restricted to a 24 km section of ravines and bluffs along the Apalachicola River in Liberty and Gadsden counties in northern Florida. Its current EOO is estimated to be less than 100 km². Its area of occupancy is estimated to be 24 km²
Countries:	Native: United States (Florida)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Almost all subpopulations of T. floridana are comprised mainly of large multi-stemmed individuals. Although seed is produced, virtually no new recruitment has occurred during the past two decades. A study of four subpopulations over the last 27 years indicates that adult mortality is greater than recruitment (Redmond and Winn 2010). Individuals only persist through layering and sprouting. Stem densities may range from several hundred to several thousand per hectare. Small stems are particularly vulnerable to browsing and rubbing by deer.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Almost all subpopulations of T. floridana are comprised mainly of large multi-stemmed individuals. Although seed is produced, virtually no new recruitment has occurred during the past two decades. A study of four subpopulations over the last 27 years indicates that adult mortality is greater than recruitment (Redmond and Winn 2010). Individuals only persist through layering and sprouting. Stem densities may range from several hundred to several thousand per hectare. Small stems are particularly vulnerable to browsing and rubbing by deer.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Almost entirely restricted to the mid and lower slopes within a few ravines along the the Apalachicola River Bluffs area. Soils are generally moist and acidic. It occurs with a rich assemblage of evergreen and deciduous species including another threatened endemic conifer, Torreya taxifolia. Florida yew is generally shade tolerant and very fire sensitive.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Clear felling of Pinus palustris forests during the 19th century along with selective logging of the slope forests in the early 1900s may have resulted in range reduction and habitat fragmentation during the 19th and 20th centuries (Reinsmith and Foreman 1934, Kwit 1998). The most immediate threat facing Florida yew is the lack of regeneration; a causal agent for this has not yet been identified. Rubbing and browsing by white tailed deer is also a problem as it may lead to the death of individual stems. As hunting within protected areas is prohibited, deer numbers within these areas increase during the hunting season (winter), resulting in increased pressure on the yew trees.

Major Threat(s):

Clear felling of Pinus palustris forests during the 19th century along with selective logging of the slope forests in the early 1900s may have resulted in range reduction and habitat fragmentation during the 19th and 20th centuries (Reinsmith and Foreman 1934, Kwit 1998). The most immediate threat facing Florida yew is the lack of regeneration; a causal agent for this has not yet been identified. Rubbing and browsing by white tailed deer is also a problem as it may lead to the death of individual stems. As hunting within protected areas is prohibited, deer numbers within these areas increase during the hunting season (winter), resulting in increased pressure on the yew trees.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The state of Florida lists Florida yew as endangered while at a national level, The Nature Conservancy lists it as as imperiled. Florida yew occurs in several protected areas such as the Nature Conservancy's Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve and the TorreyaState Park. Several populations are on private land without specific protection.

Conservation Actions:

The state of Florida lists Florida yew as endangered while at a national level, The Nature Conservancy lists it as as imperiled. Florida yew occurs in several protected areas such as the Nature Conservancy's Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve and the TorreyaState Park. Several populations are on private land without specific protection.

Citation:	Spector, T., Thomas, P. & Determann, R. 2011. Taxus floridana. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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