Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status
The fern of Achala Asplenium achalense Hieron. (Aspleniaceae), endemic to north-west and central Argentina, was formerly considered a lost species. We describe its rediscovery in August 2022 in the Yungas biogeographical province, compile a map of all historical and current records of the species, a...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-09-01
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| author | Marcelo Arana Evangelina Natale Antonia Oggero |
| author_facet | Marcelo Arana Evangelina Natale Antonia Oggero |
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| description | The fern of Achala Asplenium achalense Hieron. (Aspleniaceae), endemic to north-west and central Argentina, was formerly considered a lost species. We describe its rediscovery in August 2022 in the Yungas biogeographical province, compile a map of all historical and current records of the species, and propose an IUCN Red List status. We estimated the fern of Achala's range using the area of occupancy of the rediscovered population, calculated as 4 km2 because it is located in a single 2 × 2 km grid square. The extent of occurrence cannot be calculated because only a single living population is known. These data suggest a provisional categorization of the fern of Achala as Critically Endangered based on criteria B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v). The species should be considered Regionally Extinct in its locus classicus in Comechingones biogeographical province. We recommend securing the conservation of the single known population (which does not lie within a conservation unit), further surveys for the species in the five protected areas where it was recorded historically, and restoration of the species in the wild. To support the latter, we are cultivating spores and gametophytes of the fern of Achala, in collaboration with colleagues from the National University of La Plata. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aeb72f83b4c14bc691ee4ceddc422d6d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
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| spelling | doaj-art-aeb72f83b4c14bc691ee4ceddc422d6d2025-01-16T21:50:48ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-30082024-09-015860761010.1017/S0030605324000486Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation statusMarcelo Arana0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7921-6186Evangelina Natale1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6056-0745Antonia Oggero2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5354-4779Instituto Criptogámico, Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina IUCN Species Survival Commission Temperate South American Plants Specialist Group Grupo GIVE, Departamento Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente (ICBIA), Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto-CONICET, Río Cuarto, Cordoba, ArgentinaGrupo GIVE, Departamento Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente (ICBIA), Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto-CONICET, Río Cuarto, Cordoba, ArgentinaGrupo GIVE, Departamento Ciencias Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente (ICBIA), Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto-CONICET, Río Cuarto, Cordoba, ArgentinaThe fern of Achala Asplenium achalense Hieron. (Aspleniaceae), endemic to north-west and central Argentina, was formerly considered a lost species. We describe its rediscovery in August 2022 in the Yungas biogeographical province, compile a map of all historical and current records of the species, and propose an IUCN Red List status. We estimated the fern of Achala's range using the area of occupancy of the rediscovered population, calculated as 4 km2 because it is located in a single 2 × 2 km grid square. The extent of occurrence cannot be calculated because only a single living population is known. These data suggest a provisional categorization of the fern of Achala as Critically Endangered based on criteria B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v). The species should be considered Regionally Extinct in its locus classicus in Comechingones biogeographical province. We recommend securing the conservation of the single known population (which does not lie within a conservation unit), further surveys for the species in the five protected areas where it was recorded historically, and restoration of the species in the wild. To support the latter, we are cultivating spores and gametophytes of the fern of Achala, in collaboration with colleagues from the National University of La Plata.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000486/type/journal_articleArgentinaAspleniaceaeAsplenium achalensebiogeographical provinceconservation statusfern of AchalaIUCN Red Listrediscovery |
| spellingShingle | Marcelo Arana Evangelina Natale Antonia Oggero Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status Oryx Argentina Aspleniaceae Asplenium achalense biogeographical province conservation status fern of Achala IUCN Red List rediscovery |
| title | Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status |
| title_full | Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status |
| title_fullStr | Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status |
| title_short | Lost and found: the rediscovery of the lost fern species Asplenium achalense (Aspleniaceae) and assessment of its conservation status |
| title_sort | lost and found the rediscovery of the lost fern species asplenium achalense aspleniaceae and assessment of its conservation status |
| topic | Argentina Aspleniaceae Asplenium achalense biogeographical province conservation status fern of Achala IUCN Red List rediscovery |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000486/type/journal_article |
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