“If we ignore the decline of Q tardifolia and other rare, endangered trees, we could see countless domino effects with the loss of other living entities in the ecosystems supported by those trees.”ĭr. Murphy Westwood, vice president of science and conservation at The Morton Arboretum, said: “This work is crucial to preserve the biodiversity that Earth is so quickly losing." “The discovery is just the beginning of the conservation work we are doing in partnership with The Morton Arboretum to better understand and conserve threatened trees.”ĭr. Susan Pell, executive director at the USBG, said: “The USBG is thrilled about the success of this partnership and collecting trip that rediscovered such a rare oak. They are also working with the National Park Service to protect it from wildfires and believe that studying the tree will help them protect other organisms from the same fate.ĭr.
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Researchers led by The Morton Arboretum and United States Botanic Garden (USBG) say the oak is in poor condition and in immediate need of conservation.
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Officially called Quercus tardifolia (Q tardifolia), the species was first described in the 1930s and the trees are about 30 feet tall. Scientists say climate change is making it more likely that drought and fire will kill it off and they are scrambling to find acorns with which to grow more.
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The tree is clinging on despite being scarred by fire and having a fungal infection and has immediately been put under conservation. A less rare variety of oak tree in the UK. A type of oak tree thought to have become extinct in 2011 has just been rediscovered in Texas, scientists have announced.