Trochetiopsis erythroxylon
| Kingdom |
Phylum |
Class |
Order |
Family |
| PLANTAE |
TRACHEOPHYTA |
MAGNOLIOPSIDA |
MALVALES |
STERCULIACEAE |
| Scientific Name: |
Trochetiopsis erythroxylon |
| Species Authority |
(Forst.f.) Marais |
|
Common Name/s:
|
Assessment Information
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| Red List Category & Criteria: |
Extinct in the Wild
ver 3.1
|
| Year Assessed: |
2003 |
| Assessor/s |
Cairns-Wicks, R. |
| Evaluator/s: |
Cronk, Q. & Clubbe, C. (South Atlantic Island Plants Red List Authority) |
| History: |
| 1998 |
– |
Extinct in the Wild
(Oldfield et al. 1998)
|
| 1997 |
– |
Endangered
(Walter and Gillett 1998)
|
| 1978 |
– |
Endangered
(Lucas and Synge 1978)
|
|
Geographic Range
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| Countries: |
Regionally extinct:
Saint Helena
|
Population
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| Population: |
The Redwood soon became heavily exploited for its excellent timber and its bark which, like that of the Ebony, was used for tanning hides, after the settlement of the Island and had already become extremely rare by 1718.
Further losses of Redwoods were likely when flax plantations were established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the mid 20th century only one redwood survived in Peak Gut. This single tree is the source of all the Redwoods we know today.
|
Habitat and Ecology
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| Habitat and Ecology: |
The Redwood grew at mid elevations (500–750 m) in what historically was moist woodland within the range of both cabbage tree and moist gumwood woodlands. Formerly abundant under the Central Ridge and in Gullies on the Central Ridge.
|
| Systems: |
Terrestrial |
| Major Threat(s): |
Inbreeding depression and a depauperate gene pool are manifest in the poor growth and high mortality of cultivated specimens.
|
Conservation Actions
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| Conservation Actions: |
The hybrid of cultivated forms of this species and T. ebenus is extremely vigorous and may provide the only chance of survival for this part of the gene pool.
The Draft Recovery Action Plan for T. erythroxylon puts forward three recovery plan objectives, the aim of these objectives is to re-establish a viable population in nature. The objectives are:
1. to maintain all existing stock in local and international collections;
2. to maintain a programme of cross-pollinations that minimises inbreeding; and
3. to manage all planting programmes.
|
