About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

10 Endangered Species Tech. Bull. 1 (1985)

handle is hein.animal/endanspb0010 and id is 1 raw text is: January 1985 Vol. X No. 1 Department of Interior US Fish and Wildlife Service Technical Bulletin dangered Species Program, Washington, D.C. 20240 Rare Hawaiian Tree Listed as Endangered An attractive but rare Hawaiian tree, Kokia drynaniotdes (Hawaii tree cotton, koki'o, or hau-holeula), has been listed by the Service as Endangered (12/4 84), and it is now eligible for the protection authorized under the Endangered Spe- cies Act. Due to the effects of Ilvestock grazing, destruction of seeds by exotic rodents, competitive introduced plants, and fire, this species is on the verge of extinction. One small population, which consists of only about 15 trees. is all that is known to survive Kokia drynariodes is a small tree, growing up to about 25 feet in height, and has palmately lobed leaves, large red flowers, and three large bracts at the base of the flower and fruit It is en- demic to the Island of Hawai i, and the remaining individuals currently are scat- tered within or near the Ka upulehu For- Pt Reserve and the adjoining I uwa awa a Ranch Habitat within the species historical range has been greatly modified by many years of management as range- land for ilvestock, and the plants them- selves apparently are extremely palata- ble to cattle and feral herbivores. Cattle browse on the mature trees and graze any seedlings that may occur. Acciden- tally introduced rodents. particularly the roof rat (Rattus rattus), eat many of the seeds. The recent invasion of the habi- tat by an exotic plant, fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), further inhibits regeneration and threatens the adult trees by increasing the probability, ex- tent, and intensity of wildfires. On September 12, 1983 the Service proposed to list Kokia drynaroides as an Endangered species, and to desig- nate its Critical Habitat. (See story in BULLETIN Vol. VIll No 10.) Comments supporting the proposal were received from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources the Office of the Mayor, Hawaii County; and several individuals. With publication of a final rule, Kokia drynarnodes is now listed as an Endan- gered species Among the benefits it re- ceives under the Endangered Species Act are protection from interstate inter- national trafficking in the species, a re- quirement for the Service to develop a recovery plan, possible Federal funding for State conservation efforts, and Sec- tion 7 protection from certain Federal activities. Under Section 7 of the Act, Federal agencies now are required to ensure that any actions they fund, authorize, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the survival of Kokia drynaroides or ad- versely modify its Critical Habitat. The designated Critical Habitat includes three areas in the North Kona District, Island of Hawaii, totalling about 3 86 square miles of private and State- owned lands that are primarily used for cattle grazing. Since there is no Federal involvement in this use of the land, no economic impacts of the Critical Habitat designation are anticipated. Although the Federal Endangered Species Act does not authorize the Service to prohibit the taking of Endan- gered plants that are not on Federal lands. the State of Hawaii's own legisla- tion does, and this protection now applies to Kokia drynanoides Recovery Plans for Four Southwest U.S. Cacti Among the species for which recov- ery plans have been approved within the past year are four Endangered or Threatened cacti native to the south- western United States. All four are fac- ing serious threats from a variety of hu- man activities, particularly habitat modification and overcollecting The re- covery plans, when funded and carried out, may help to restore the following cacti to a more secure status: Mesa Verde cactus (Scierocactus mesae-verdae) Named for the Mesa Verde area of southwestern Colorado, this cactus oc- curs only in parts of Montezuma -ounty, Colorado, and San Juan )unty, New Mexico. After experiencing dramatic decline, the Mesa Verde cactus was listed by the Service on Oc- continued on page 7 The Mesa Verde cactus (Scierocactus mesae-verdae) can reach up to about 6.5 cm in height. Cracks in the clay soil, where the seeds fall and may germinate, ap- parently are an important part of the plant's microhabitat. ENDANGERED SPECIES TECHNICAL BULLETIN Vol. X No. 1 (1985) Digitized from Best Copy Available

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most