Scientists at The Morton Arboretum have authored a new report that found “an urgent need” to increase conservation efforts of many oak tree species in east and southeast Asia.
The report, called Conservation Gap Analysis of Select Native Asian Oaks, included research efforts by scientists at the Arboretum, along with collaborators from the region. Together, they studied 54 species of oak trees identified as threatened or lacking data within an area that included Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
Findings show more conservation of Asian oaks is needed
The report found that 74% of the 54 Asian oaks studied are not included in any botanical collections — a far higher amount than the 1.1% of U.S. oaks not found in collections, according to Arboretum research.
“There are more threatened species of oak in Asia than anywhere in the world, and yet many of these species are not adequately represented in protected areas or in botanic gardens,” lead author Kate Good, the Arboretum’s global tree conservation research manager, said in a news release.
The research also identified species most at risk, including the “critically rare” Quercus trungkhanhensis, of which two individual trees remain in a protected area, and the Q. dilacerata, with only one known tree on record, located outside of a protected area.
All of the trees reviewed are included on the “Red List of Threatened Species,” compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, so study authors say it’s important to take steps to avoid their loss.
Threats to Asian oaks: Agriculture, development, climate
Oaks provide food and shelter for wildlife and people and are known as a “crucial species that anchor entire ecosystems,” Arboretum scientists said. Yet many are threatened by factors including agriculture — identified in the report as the most common hazard to east and southeast Asian oaks — as well as development, climate change and already “extremely small” remaining numbers of rare species.
“With so many species at risk of extinction, this report will help prioritize oak species for conservation in Southeast and East Asia,” said report co-author Silvia Alvarez-Clare, Ph.D., director of the Arboretum’s Global Tree Conservation Program. “By identifying the species that have very little protected area coverage, are not held in any managed botanical collections and experience high human pressure, we can focus efforts on the species and regions in which our work will have the greatest impact.”
Next steps: Planting in Vietnam, further study in Laos
Study authors say their findings have helped identify next steps toward “on-the-ground restoration projects” to help avoid the loss of biodiversity and habitats provided by the threatened oaks.
These steps include training local partners in oak propagation and planting, collecting and planting oaks in Vietnam and conducting further surveys in Laos, the Arboretum said.
Featured image: Courtesy The Morton Arboretum
If you have a story idea, send us a tip!