Outplanting of the Endangered Pondberry
Abstract—Pondberry [Lindera melissifolia (Walt) Blume, Lauraceae] is an endangered shrub that occurs in seasonallyflooded wetlands in the Southeastern United States. We established new pondberry populations as an aid in conserving thespecies, whose distribution and abundance have been affected by habitat destruction and alteration. We dug equal numbersof young male and female pondberry stems from a natural population, planted them in pots, and translocated them to fiveprotected locations in the field. After 1 year, 69 percent of the plants survived, with male and female plants surviving equallywell. More than 90 percent of the surviving plants had stems that increased in height, although the height of the tallest stemsdecreased. Many of the plants produced new stems, but some older stems died during the year. Most of the presentpondberry habitat is surrounded by agricultural fields, which significantly limits dispersal. This study shows that pondberrycan be successfully outplanted, in efforts to assure survival of the species.
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| Publication | Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference |
|---|---|
| Section | 019 |
| Author | M.S. Devall, N.M. Schiff, and S.A. Skojac |
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