More than a third of threatened or undescribed oak species in southern Mesoamerica are poorly represented in ex-situ conservation collections, with oaks being one of the largest and most important plant groups to all humankind. The piece examines the essential ecosystem services these oaks offer and their impacts under climate change, land utilization conversion, and habitat degradation.
Hotspot for Biodiversity at Risk
The oak-rich territories of Mesoamerica, spanning the U.S.-Mexico border to Panama, are some of the most diverse in the world But the newly published Conservation Gap Analysis of Native Mesoamerican Oaks indicates that this is really a Boomeritis delusion. The region is home to a third of the oak tree species that are threatened or poorly understood and more than a third have no representation in any managed botanical collection globally.
Many of these species lack ex situ conservation recovery efforts, meaning that they are at an even higher risk of the many threats that they face. Lead author of the report, Kate Good says that it is a pressing priority to get more Mesoamerican oaks accessions integrated into country holdings, so that further loss of biodiversity can be prevented.
Threats to the Oaks
The report revealed marked threats to the Mesoamerican oak species. Climate change is a threat to each of 59 threatened or Data Deficient species examined. Furthermore, 72 and 69 species are threatened by agriculture and residential or commercial development, correspondingly.
In total, the report predicts that 85% of oak species examined will lose area in currently favourable climate conditions for the period between 2061-2080. That does not mean they are no longer going to survive, but it makes the urgency clear that conservation efforts need to be implemented in order to prevent possible biodiversity loss.
The result is that 16, or about a quarter of the targeted species, have less than 10% of their native ranges in protected area. The fact that their habitat is now even less protected only adds to the challenges these oaks have.
Conclusion
The results of our Conservation Gap Analysis of Native Mesoamerican Oaks provide a bleak outlook for the survival of these important tree species in the future. Most require urgent conservation action and climate change has been identified as a primary threat to most species with over one third of threatened or understudied oaks not represented in ex situ at all. Together, by incorporating conservation efforts into education and outreach strategies, research agendas, and the use of propagation collections or breeding programs to ensure long-term ex situ populations of a variety of keystone plant species; we can protect populations both in nature as well as in targeted remnant habitats. Now is the time that must be done, before it will be too late to save these treasures of Mesoamerican oak.
