world magnolia adventures magnolia dixonii: cr...unit at tesoro escondido and confirming in the...

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Magnolia dixonii: Rediscovered in Chocó Biogeográfico, ECUADOR World Magnolia Association For Conservation WMAC A rediscovery of Magnolia dixonii “mamey” took place on Nobember 2017 at Reserva Tesoro Escondido, a reserve conserving 2000 ha of primary rainforest at the highly threatened Ecuadorian Chocó. Magnolia dixonii had not been seen for over half a century since its discovery at Hoja Blanca-Gualpi. A magnolia propagation workshop by Eduardo Calderón at Quito Botanical Garden (November 2017) led to Citlalli Morelos-Juárez, Director of the Reserve, to show coauthors, a picture of a smooth fruit. In less then two weeks, we were ready for the expedition involving a 2.5 hour trip in a 4-wheel drive vehicle from Pedro Vicente, including crossing Río Canandé on flatboat, “gabarra”, plus a 1.5 hour walk through plantations, pasturelands and few tropical forest fragments, until reaching the rural ecotourism system unit at Tesoro Escondido and confirming in the field the rediscovery of this Critically Endangered species. Magnolia dixonii is up to 40 m tall and 1 m in dbh. Five trees, no saplings, were observed in the area, but efforts of the Reserve have secured over 50 seedlings on their rustic nursery. Plans for demographic studies including georeferencing seed production, predation and dispersal are underway. Luckily, A adult tree was found producing over one hundred mature fruits that could be used as a great source of seeds. The wood of Magnolia dixonii is heavy and has been selectively extracted from several areas, the heavy weigth of its wood generates questions about its reported use for building canoes. Contact: [email protected] Tel: +593(0)994906472 CR Critically Endangered World Magnolia Adventures July 11, 2019 2(1): 1-2 Yadira G., Patricio Paredes, Citlalli Morelos-Juárez, David Neill, Efrén Merino-Santi Erika G. Romero-González & J. Antonio Vázquez-García “Helping save from extinction magnolias and their habitats”

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Page 1: World Magnolia Adventures Magnolia dixonii: CR...unit at Tesoro Escondido and confirming in the field the rediscovery of this Critically Endangered species. Magnolia dixonii is up

Magnoliadixonii:RediscoveredinChocóBiogeográfico,ECUADOR

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A rediscovery of Magnolia dixonii “mamey” tookplace on Nobember 2017 at Reserva TesoroEscondido, a reserve conserving 2000 ha of primaryrainforestatthehighlythreatenedEcuadorianChocó.Magnolia dixonii had not been seen for over half acenturysinceitsdiscoveryatHojaBlanca-Gualpi.A magnolia propagation workshop by EduardoCalderónatQuitoBotanicalGarden(November2017)ledtoCitlalliMorelos-Juárez,DirectoroftheReserve,toshowcoauthors,apictureofasmoothfruit.Inlessthen two weeks, we were ready for the expeditioninvolving a 2.5 hour trip in a 4-wheel drive vehiclefrom Pedro Vicente, including crossing Río Canandéon flatboat, “gabarra”, plus a 1.5 hourwalk throughplantations, pasturelands and few tropical forestfragments,untilreachingtheruralecotourismsystemunit at Tesoro Escondido and confirming in the fieldtherediscoveryofthisCriticallyEndangeredspecies.Magnolia dixonii is up to 40m tall and 1m in dbh.Five trees, no saplings, were observed in the area,but efforts of the Reserve have secured over 50seedlings on their rustic nursery. Plans fordemographic studies including georeferencing seedproduction, predation and dispersal are underway.Luckily, A adult tree was found producing over onehundredmature fruits that couldbeused as a greatsourceofseeds.ThewoodofMagnoliadixonii isheavyandhasbeenselectively extracted from several areas, the heavyweigth of its wood generates questions about itsreporteduseforbuildingcanoes.Contact:[email protected]:+593(0)994906472

CRCriticallyEndangered

WorldMagnoliaAdventures

July11,20192(1):1-2

Yadira G., Patricio Paredes, Citlalli Morelos-Juárez, David Neill, Efrén Merino-Santi Erika G. Romero-González & J. Antonio Vázquez-García

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Page 2: World Magnolia Adventures Magnolia dixonii: CR...unit at Tesoro Escondido and confirming in the field the rediscovery of this Critically Endangered species. Magnolia dixonii is up

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Yadira Giler, Patricio Paredes (bottom left) is currently administering the communal scientific stationat the Tesoro Escondido Reserve where Magnolia dixonii was rediscovery. She has rescued seedlings and is currently the guardian of this speciesl. Recently, a poster dealing with this finding was presented by Erika G. Romero González in the Consortium for the Conservation ofNneotropical Magnolias (bottom right) early in July 2019. And is going to be formally published soon.