Femeniasia balearica

– Critically Endangered

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	PLANTAE
Phylum:	TRACHEOPHYTA
Class:	MAGNOLIOPSIDA
Order:	ASTERALES
Family:	COMPOSITAE
Scientific Name:	Femeniasia balearica
Species Authority:	(J.J.Rodr.) Susanna
Synonym/s:	Centaurea balearica J.J.Rodr.

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:

CR B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v) ver 3.1 (2001)

Year Assessed:

2006

Assessor/s:

Mus, M. & Rita Larrucea, J.

Evaluator/s:

Strahm, W. & de Montmollin, B. (Mediterranean Island Plants Red List Authority)

Justification:

The area where this species is found covers less than 100 km², the extent and/or quality of habitat is declining, its populations are extremely fragmented, and the total number of individuals is declining. F. balearica covers a very small area and less than 2,200 mature individuals are found in six subpopulations.

History:

1998

Endangered (Walter and Gillett 1998)

Geographic Range

Range Description:	Endemic to the Balearic Islands, Femeniasia balearica now occurs only in six sites in the north of the island of Minorca.
Countries:	Native: Spain (Baleares)

Population

Population:	Less than 2,200 individuals are found in six subpopulations.
Population Trend:

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology:

This woody perennial shrub or small tree is a typical seashore species that grows in dry sunny places on sandy soils.

This woody perennial reproduces from seed. Its spines protect it from herbivores and trampling, but unfortunately not from motor vehicles. In some specialist literature the genus Femeniasia is considered to be synonymous with Centaurea. This means that some lists of protected species cite this plant under the name of C. balearica, demonstrating both the practical as well as legal problems that changes of nomenclature can cause.

System:

Terrestrial

List of Habitats:

3.8	Shrubland - Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation
12.2	Marine Intertidal - Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc

Threats

Threats:

It is threatened by building and road construction, although these activities may also create opportunities for colonization. This species is often removed from beach paths because of its spines. Several individuals disappeared when a land owner planted pines (Pinus halepensis) in one of its subpopulations. It has been observed that in someyears the activities of wood-eating beetles (Oxythrea funesta and Tropinota hirta) seem to reduce seed germination..

List of Threats:

1.4.2	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development - Human settlement (present)
1.4.4	Habitat Loss/Degradation - Infrastructure development Transport (land/air) (present)
2.1	Invasive alien species (directly affecting the species) - Competitors (past)
8.5	Changes in native species dynamics - Pathogens/parasites (present)

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions:

Actions in Place
Legally: This species is listed in Annex I (in danger of extinction) of the Spanish royal decree 439/1990 that guarantees it protection in its natural habitat. Internationally, Femeniasia balearica is included in Appendix I of the Bern Convention and as a priority species in Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive (in both cases under the name Centaurea balearica). In the context of the Birds Directive, the European Union protects the habitat of this species as an Important Bird Area.

In situ: A re-establishment plan for F. balearica is currently being drafted at the University of the Balearic Islands.

Ex situ: Seeds are being stored and individuals are cultivated at the Botanical Garden of Sóller (Majorca).

Actions Needed
Research is needed to understand this species' population dynamics (births and deaths per year or per generation) and the effect of competition and herbivory on young plant survival. The re-establishment plan that is being drafted needs to be completed and implemented. It is extremely important that motorized vehicles be prohibited from driving in the area containing this species.

List of Conservation Actions:

1.1.1	Policy-based actions - Management plans - Development (needed)
1.1.2	Policy-based actions - Management plans - Implementation (needed)
1.2.2.1	Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - International level (in place)
1.2.2.2	Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - National level (in place)
3.2	Research actions - Population numbers and range (needed)
3.3	Research actions - Biology and Ecology (needed)
3.5	Research actions - Threats (needed)
5.4	Species-based actions - Recovery management (in place, needed)
5.7.1	Species-based actions - Ex situ conservation actions - Captive breeding/Artificial propagation (in place)
5.7.2	Species-based actions - Ex situ conservation actions - Genome resource bank (in place)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Alomar, G., Mus, M. and Rosselló, J.A. 1997. Flora endèmica de les Balears. Consell Insular de Mallorca, Palma de Mallorca, Spain..

Amengual, J. 1992. Les espècies protegides. Govern Balear, Conselleria d'agricultura I Pesca, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Gómez-Campo, C. (coord.) 1987. Libro Rojo de especies vegetales amenazadas de España peninsular e Islas Baleares. ICONA, Madrid, Spain.

Montmollin, B. de and Strahm, W. (eds). 2005. The Top 50 Mediterranean Island Plants: Wild plants at the brink of extinction, and what is needed to save them. IUCN SSC Mediterranean Islands Plant Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Mus, M. 1993. Plans de Conservació dels Vegetals Amenaçats de Balears. II. Menorca. Govern Balear. Inédito.

Mus, M. 1995. Conservation of flora in the Balearics Islands. Ecologia Mediterranea 21(1/2): 185-194.

Rita, J., Orfila, G. and Mascaró, C. 1992. Atlas de endemoflora de Menorca. Consell Insular de Menorca. Unpublished.

Susanna, A. 1988. Femeniasia, novus genus carduearum. Collect. Bot. 17: 83-88.

Sáez, L. and J.A. Rosselló 2001. Libre vermell de la flora vascular de les Illes Balears. Documents Tècnics de Conservació n#9. Govern de les Illes Balears.

Walter, K.S. and Gillett, H.J. (eds). 1998. 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants. Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

Citation:	Mus, M. & Rita Larrucea, J. 2006. Femeniasia balearica. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 27 August 2008.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the Copyright and Data Disclaimer.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided.