RESTORATION OF MAGNOLIA SINICA

With only 50 individuals in the wild and 5000-6000 saplings in nurseries, Magnolia sinica has been identified as one of the most endangered magnolia species in the world. FFI China has been working with Kunming Botanic Garden and local protected area and forestry staff to restore this tree, which is threatened by over cutting, habitat destruction and poor natural regeneration. in 2010 this project is continuing and developing support to Wenshan National Nature Reserve (NNR) and assessing other highly threatened magnolias and an endemic conifer in Wenshan County, south-east Yunnan.

FURTHER INFORMATION

A Global Trees Campaign publication in April 2007, The Red List of Magnoliaceae, revealed that 112 species of magnolia are globally threatened with extinction. Southern China is a major centre of diversity for magnolias, and 31 species from China are listed as threatened.

Magnolia sinica (also commonly known as Manglietia sinica and Manglietiastrum sinicum) is one of the most endangered magnolia species. Only known from Yunnan Province, south-west China, field surveys conducted in 2005 / 2006 as part of the GTC Chinese Magnolia Project found only 10 individual trees remaining in the wild, all in Wenshan Xiaoqiaogou National Nature Reserve, Xichou County, south-east Yunnan. Subsequent field surveys have discovered only 40 more trees, bringing the total known population of the species to 50.

During the surveys, some 5000-6000 saplings of the species were found to be in various private nurseries, state-owned forestry farms and nurseries of nature reserves.

In partnership with the Kunming Botanic Garden (KBG) and through FFI’s China office, the Global Trees Campaign has been working to reinforce the wild population of this highly threatened tree with some of the nursery-grown saplings. The project is being implemented in partnership with Wenshan Xiaoqiaogou National Nature Reserve (where the saplings are being planted), Wenshan Forestry Bureau and Yunnan Forestry Bureau. Staff from these institutions have been trained in planting and post-planting care and monitoring as part of the project

Update: December 2011

Nature reserve staff continued to remove Amomum tsao-ko (believed to inhibit natural regeneration) from around the wild M. sinica trees, which are now almost completely clear of the invasive plant.

A project conclusion and evaluation workshop involving all project partners, staff from the three other nature reserves where the species is known to occur and media representatives was held in late October 2011. The workshop completed a conservation strategy and action plan for M. sinica, as well as presenting and discussing project achievements and future needs.

The project was very positively evaluated by participants, who praised it for its efficient organization, strong scientific research support, and important multi-stakeholder cooperation. Building on this successful model of support to nature reserve staff and development of multi-institution partnerships, we are now aiming to develop a broader programme of support to other reserves with important threatened trees, to develop their capacity to conserve them.

2010 - 2011

In this phase the project worked to develop the capacity of reserve and forest office staff in threatened tree conservation and increasing the range of partner organisations involved in the reserve. The occurrence of threatened trees (especially magnolias) in surrounding areas is being investigated. Achievements included: Management of M. sinica within Wenshan NNR assessed and recommendations made to Provincial government; Four further M. sinica trees located within the reserve and 47 in the surrounding area; Environmental education activities conducted in surrounding communities, including the production and distribution of over 2,000 calendars on magnolia conservation for local government and communities and a range of school and village activities.

Phase 2: 2009

In 2009 this project worked to build on the reinforcement of Magnolia sinica in Wenshan National Nature Reserve in 2007-2008. Using M. sinica as a flagship, the profile of Wenshan NNR was substantially boosted, thus enhancing its long-term future. This phase of the project had five main work areas:

• monitoring and management of the planted M. sinica saplings within Wenshan NNR
• conservation and management of the wild M. sinica trees and their forest habitat within Wenshan NNR
• improving community involvement in Wenshan NNR and raising awareness of magnolia conservation amongst local inhabitants
• surveys and the development of conservation strategies for six threatened tree species in Wenshan county
• sharing experiences and lessons learnt from the conservation and reinforcement of M. sinica

Earlier work: 2007 - 2008

The first 200 saplings were planted in November 2007. 100 one-year old saplings, 60 two-year old saplings and 40 three-year old saplings were carefully chosen from the nurseries and suitable positions chosen at two sites within the nature reserve. The position of each sapling was recorded on a map and each was carefully labelled and further monitoring was carried out.

As well as substantially decreasing the risk of imminent extinction of this species in the wild, the project attracted significant attention from the Chinese authorities as a model for restoring threatened plants. The capacity of reserve and forest office staff in threatened tree conservation was increased and the range of partner organisations involved in the reserve has expanded.

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