Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew UK Overseas Territories ...

Hamilton (editor) 2016. PR Bank June-July 2016 OFC 559-11

Appendix 15: Varronia bellonis survey and collecting, July 2016 Prepared by: M.A. Hamilton

Figure 96. Varronia bellonis growing along the Maricao River (Left) and DNA sample of Varronia bellonis collected into fine grade silica gel © Dr M.A. Hamilton

Figure 97. Scale insects observed attacking Varronia bellonis in Maricao State Forest (Left); Highway 10 developed through Varronia bellonis habitat (Middle); Mature specimen of Varronia bellonis with large basal diameter in Rio Abajo State Forest (Right) © Dr M.A. Hamilton

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Suggested citation Hamilton, M.A., 2016. Appendix 15: Varronia bellonis survey and collecting, July 2016. In M.A. Hamilton, ed. Puerto Rican Bank (British Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico) June-July 2016 fieldwork report. Overseas Fieldwork Committee registration number 559-11. Richmond, Surrey, U.K.: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

Acknowledgements Activities reported here are focused on the USFWS funded project [F15AC01225] through the CFDA Program 15.657 “Population status and gene bank development for the endangered species Varronia bellonis” administered by DNER. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivatives 4.0 International License. All images copyright ©Dr M.A. Hamilton unless otherwise noted. Please direct queries and feedback to: Dr Martin A. Hamilton Research Leader (UKOTs) Conservation Science Department The Herbarium, Kew Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE United Kingdom +44 (0)2083325020 +44 (0)2083325278 [fax] [email protected]

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Introduction This project is part of on-going regional collaborations with several Puerto Rican collaborators, namely the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office, University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Mayagüez Department of Biology Herbarium (MAPR) and the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER). In 2015, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Kew) submitted a proposal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office (CESFO) in Boquerón, Puerto Rico to assist in the recovery efforts related to the federally listed, endangered species Varronia bellonis. This appendix provides a summary of the activities undertaken from 05 to 15 July 2016 in collaboration with Puerto Rican colleagues under the USFWS funded project [F15AC01225] “Population status and gene bank development for the endangered species Varronia bellonis” administered by DNER. The survey and monitoring activities were specifically focused on the species Varronia bellonis; however, many other plant species of conservation concern were also observed and data/vouchers collected as a result of this project. The plant taxonomy presented follows the Catalogue of Seed Plants of the West Indies (Acevedo-Rodríguez & Strong, 2007) unless otherwise noted. Detailed daily entries that provide the areas visited, participants and specimens collected are available in this field trip report under the section “Daily log”. Images herein are provided to illustrate the contents and demonstrate the work undertaken. The project team undertook one day of initial field survey in Maricao State Forest in April 2016 to test data collection methods and agree primary areas for subsequent surveys. This visit saw the first dedicated project visit focused specifically on strengthening collections, identifying flora and fauna associated with the species and developing an overall greater understanding of Varronia bellonis in order to inform its conservation. Staff from Kew, USFWS and DNER started to work together to gather necessary data and samples to answer key questions about the biogeography, genetics and reproductive biology of Varronia bellonis. The trip focused on field based collecting of samples and biogeographical data, with opportunistic observations of macro-morphology and recruitment. Desk based studies were undertaken prior to the trip to start gathering specimen data and literature related to the species. The activities undertaken during the July 2016 visit and significant findings are described and illustrated in the following sections.

Figure 98. Collaborative surveying for Varronia bellonis: Jong Piel Banchs and Jose Sustache survey a stretch of Highway 120 in Maricao State Forest with historic records (Left); Omar Monsegur surveys along the Maricao River (Middle); and Jose Sustache surveys a mogote in Rio Abajo State Forest (Right) © Dr M.A. Hamilton

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Notable findings during this field visit Surveys were undertaken in areas with records for the species (e.g. in Maricao and Rio Abajo State Forests). We confirmed the species is extant in Maricao and Rio Abajo State Forests. Seedlings were observed during the July survey in Maricao State Forest only. For maps depicting exact locations, view the “Daily log” entries in the main text of the report between 05 and 15 July 2016. Updated maps of the species distribution will be provided in the first year annual report which will cover the period August 2015 to July 2016. The surveys in Rio Abajo State Forest yielded a single living individual that appears to be a transplant from the Highway 10 road construction mitigation.

Figure 99. Tag attached to an extant individual of Varronia bellonis in Rio Abajo State Forest © Dr M.A. Hamilton

DNA samples and vouchers collected during July 2016 surveys were processed and added to the initial gene bank collection started in April 2016 which is stored at the SJ herbarium in San Juan. We observed exotic (Ceroplastes cirripediformis) and native (Petrusa epilepsis) pests attacking Varronia bellonis. The species habitat has been impacted by road and trail development in and around Maricao and Rio Abajo State Forests.

Figure 100. Pests observed attacking Varronia bellonis included: Petrusa epilepsies (Left) and an unknown gall forming insect (Right) © Dr M.A. Hamilton

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Next steps and recommendations Several extant individuals were recorded in Maricao and Rio Abajo State Forests. Due to the need to focus on previously agreed priority areas in these two forests, no surveys were undertaken in Susúa State Forest. This will need to be a focus area for subsequent visits. No reproductive structures were observed in April or July 2016. Subsequent visits will need to initiate studies of the species reproductive biology. Further work is needed to determine the identity of several insect pest species and the impact they are having on Varronia bellonis. Samples and images have been sent to Dr Chris Malumphy at Fera Science in the UK.

Figure 101. Challenging terrain in and around the Rio Abajo State Forest is dominated by steep mogotes as seen in the vicinity of Highway 10 which was developed through Varronia bellonis habitat and negatively impacted the species © Dr M.A. Hamilton

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