These Hawaiʻi native plants are the last of their kind in the wild – Hawaii Public Radio

Report on Conservation of Critically Endangered Flora in Hawaiʻi in Accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 15

Executive Summary

• Hawaiʻi is experiencing a severe biodiversity crisis, possessing more endangered plant species than all other U.S. states combined. This situation directly impacts the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land).
• This report documents the critical status of 18 native Hawaiian plant species, each reduced to a single known individual in its natural habitat.
• Conservation initiatives led by the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) are examined, highlighting their direct alignment with SDG 15 targets aimed at halting biodiversity loss and protecting threatened species.

Conservation Strategy and Alignment with SDG 15.5

The Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) implements a critical intervention strategy to prevent species extinction, directly addressing SDG Target 15.5, which calls for urgent and significant action to halt biodiversity loss and protect threatened species.

Key Methodologies

1. In-situ Monitoring: Botanists actively monitor the health and status of the last remaining individual plants in their wild habitats.
2. Ex-situ Conservation: To safeguard genetic material, each of the 18 species has been successfully preserved in seed banks and propagated in nurseries. This action serves as a crucial firewall against total extinction.
3. Habitat Restoration Planning: Efforts are underway to identify and prepare suitable native forest habitats for the future reintroduction of these species, a core component of restoring terrestrial ecosystems as outlined in SDG 15.

Ecosystem Threats and Linkage to SDG 15.8

The decline of Hawaiʻi’s native flora is attributed to severe ecosystem degradation. The primary threats directly correspond to the concerns of SDG Target 15.8, which mandates measures to control and eradicate invasive alien species.

Identified Threats

• Disruption of Pollination Cycles: The extinction of native pollinators, such as honeycreepers, has broken essential co-evolved relationships, exemplified by the bellflower species Cyanea dunbariae.
• Invasive Alien Species: Non-native pests are a primary driver of decline. Slugs consume seedlings, rats devour berries, and feral animals like pigs and goats destroy plants and their habitats through trampling.
• Ecosystem Fragmentation: The breakdown of native ecosystems weakens the resilience of all species, making them more vulnerable to extinction.

Case Studies: Species on the Brink of Extinction

The following species represent the acute conservation challenges in Hawaiʻi and the targeted efforts to preserve the state’s unique biodiversity, contributing to global goals for life on land.

The Bellflower Family (Campanulaceae)

• Cyanea dunbariae: A Molokaʻi endemic whose decline is linked to the loss of its honeycreeper pollinators. Restoration efforts focus on identifying habitats where remaining pollinators, like the ʻiʻiwi, can support the species.
• Cyanea heluensis: Discovered in 2010, this West Maui species has only ever been known from a single individual.
• Cyanea cf. fernaldii: A single plant of this undetermined species remains in East Hawaiʻi.
• Delissea kauaiensis: This Kauaʻi endemic may now be extinct in the wild, underscoring the urgency of conservation action and the importance of ex-situ collections.

The Mintless Mint Family (Lamiaceae)

• Stenogyne kauaulaensis: A viny plant from West Maui that, through evolution in an environment without predators, lost its defensive minty characteristics, rendering it vulnerable to introduced threats.
• Phyllostegia waimeae: A single individual is known on the steep slopes of Kauaʻi’s Waimea Canyon.

The Citrus Family (Rutaceae)

• Melicope oppenheimeri: The last wild specimen of this woody shrub survives in West Maui. A recent rapid decline in its population highlights its extreme vulnerability.

Conclusion: A Programmatic Approach to Halting Biodiversity Loss

• The work of PEPP provides a crucial model for implementing SDG 15 at a local level, employing a targeted, species-by-species approach to prevent extinction.
• While the potential loss of the last wild individuals is a significant setback for ecosystem health, the success of ex-situ conservation in seed banks and nurseries provides a foundation for future restoration.
• Achieving the global targets of SDG 15 requires sustained capacity and resources to manage these intensive conservation challenges, ensuring that Hawaiʻi’s unique botanical heritage can be preserved for future generations.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • This goal is the most relevant as the article’s central theme is the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems and the prevention of biodiversity loss. The article focuses on the critical endangerment of native plant species in Hawaiʻi, which directly relates to the aim of SDG 15 to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems… and halt biodiversity loss.” The efforts of the Plant Extinction Prevention Program (PEPP) to save species like Cyanea dunbariae and Melicope oppenheimeri from extinction are a clear example of actions taken towards achieving this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

   • The article directly addresses this target by highlighting the extreme situation in Hawaiʻi, where “18 native species are so rare that only a single plant remains in the wild.” The work of PEPP botanists, who “monitor these critically endangered individuals” and work to “ensure that when these last plants die, their entire species doesn’t vanish,” is a direct action to prevent the extinction of threatened species. The preservation of these species in seed banks and nurseries is a key strategy mentioned for achieving this target.

2. Target 15.8: By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species.

   • The article identifies invasive species as a primary threat to native plants. It states that for the bellflower Delissea kauaiensis, “Slugs eat their seedlings, rats devour their berries, and feral animals like pigs and goats trample their delicate roots and stalks.” Botanist Matt Keir explicitly states that for these plants to be successfully repopulated, “these pests have to be controlled.” This directly aligns with the goal of reducing the impact of invasive alien species.

3. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests…

   • The article discusses the breakdown of ecosystems, noting that the extinction of native honeycreepers, which were original pollinators, likely contributed to the decline of plants like C. dunbariae. The effort to “identify habitats where remaining honeycreepers, like the ʻiʻiwi, can serve as pollinators” is an action aimed at restoring the functions of the forest ecosystem, which is a core component of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Target 15.5 (related to IUCN Red List Index): Number of critically endangered species.

   • The article provides specific data that can be used as an indicator of the status of threatened species. It states, “A total of 18 native species are so rare that only a single plant remains in the wild.” This number serves as a direct measure of the scale of the extinction crisis. Tracking this number over time would indicate whether conservation efforts are succeeding in preventing more species from reaching this critical state.

2. Indicator for Target 15.5: Number of species preserved through ex-situ conservation.

   • The article implies this indicator by stating, “Each of these species has been successfully preserved in seed banks and nurseries.” The number of species and the genetic diversity held in these facilities are key metrics for measuring progress in safeguarding biodiversity and preventing total extinction, even if wild populations are lost.

3. Indicator for Target 15.8: Impact of invasive alien species on native ecosystems.

   • While not providing a quantitative measure, the article implies the need for this indicator by identifying specific threats. The mention that “Slugs eat their seedlings, rats devour their berries, and feral animals like pigs and goats trample their delicate roots” points to the need to measure and monitor the populations and impact of these invasive species in native habitats to gauge the effectiveness of control measures.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hawaiipublicradio.org