Mauritius may be the perfect getaway for tourists but the endemic flora aren’t chillin’

A quick Google search of Mauritius will make you want to hop on a plane and relax on the breathtaking beaches of this tropical paradise island. Sadly, the endemic flora are feeling a different kind of heat – that of extinction! According to the IUCN, Mauritius has the third most endangered flora in the world. Of the 315 plant species that are endemic to Mauritius, 200 are threatened to go extinct. This includes the national flower of Mauritius, Trochetia boutoniana, which is restricted to Le Morne Brabant, a mountain at the southern tip of the island. Another species of the same genus (Trochetia parviflora) which was thought to have gone extinct has been recently rediscovered in Corps de Garde Mountain Nature Reserve. However, all individuals of Trochetia parviflora are vulnerable to landslides or fires that could destroy the entire population. The greatest threat to the endemic plants of Mauritius is invasive plants such as strawberry guava that are degrading the areas inhabited by most endemic flora. Here’s a glimpse of just a few of the unique Mauritian flora:

Top to bottom: Trochetia boutoniana, Trochetia parviflora, Latania loddigesi, and Syzygium mauritianum.

 

 

 

 

Deforestation stopped in the 1970s in Mauritius but the endemic flora are still threatened due to invasive plants that are outcompeting the native flora. The greatest threat to endemic flora is strawberry guava which has successfully invaded most of the native forests. Currently, only about 1 % of the remaining forests is occupied by native vegetation.

The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation and National Parks and Conservation Services have made major efforts to grow seedlings of rare endemic plants from seeds obtained from wild mature individuals and later propagate them in the wild. However, the chances of survival of these seedlings are low in the presence of strawberry guava. At best, with rigorous removal of strawberry guava, the seedlings may reach maturity in small pockets of forests, but not at a larger scale since the manual removal of strawberry guava is very costly. Our field study will allow us to tackle this issue through the application of biochar to sites that have been severely degraded by strawberry guava. 

We will use rare endemic seedlings in our study. Potential candidates include Cassine orientalis, Eugenia tinifolia, Labourdonnasia glauca, Cyphostemma mappia, Trochetia boutoniana, Sideroxylon puberulum, Dracaena concinna, Tarenna borbonica, Foetida mauritiana, Labourdonnaisia revoluta and other endemics that may be available at the local nurseries. We plan on including hardwoods in our study since they have a greater carbon storage capacity and can be more effective at mitigating climate change. The black ebony or Mauritius ebony (Diospyros tesselaria) is a hardwood that was highly valued for its rare inner black wood. During the 17th and 18th century, European settlers exploited the ebony forests for its dense black wood. The black ebony is now an endangered species which occurs in areas that have been invaded by strawberry guava. Here’s a shot of a black ebony forest on Ile aux Aigrettes, an islet off the mainland of Mauritius that acts as a very important wildlife sanctuary for endangered endemic species:

 

It’s not only the endemic plants that are threatened to go extinct, but several endemic fauna as well. Their natural habitat, i.e. the native forests have been severely degraded by strawberry guava. A lot of the endemic fauna are restricted to tiny islets around mainland Mauritius, some with very few individuals left in the wild. Stay tuned for more about the beautiful endemic fauna of Mauritius…