Cooperative Agreement F23AC02553

THE MISSION OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CONTRIBUTE A FIRST STEP TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE CONSERVATION NEEDS OF THE NATIVE ILEX SPECIES IN PUERTO RICO, INCLUDING TWO FEDERALLY-LISTED SPECIES (ILEX SINTENISII, AND ILEX COOKII). THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE: TO CARRY OUT SAMPLING OF LEAF TISSUE OF PLANT SPECIES IN THE GENUS ILEX TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR A FUTURE, SEPARATE PROJECT TO RESOLVE KNOWN BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION CONFLICTS SPECIES BOUNDARIES BY MOLECULAR APPROACHES. THE COLLECTION OF LEAF TISSUE SAMPLES WILL ALSO MAKE POSSIBLE A FUTURE, SEPARATE ANALYSIS TO DESIGN CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACTIONS FOR THE FEDERALLY-LISTED PLANTS ILEX SINTENISII AND ILEX COOKII, AIMING TO PRESERVE THE GENETIC DIVERSITY AND SECURE THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THESE SPECIES. A SECOND GOAL OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS GATHERING DATA ON THE FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF THE PLANT ILEX SINTENISII THROUGHOUT PERIODIC FIELD EVALUATIONS TOGETHER WITH HERBARIUM SPECIMEN STUDY TO ASSESS ITS REPRODUCTIVE SEASONALITY. THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED IN THE PROPOSED PROJECT ARE 1. SAMPLING OF LEAF TISSUE OF EIGHT DIFFERENT PLANT SPECIES IN THE GENUS ILEX THROUGHOUT PUERTO RICO. 2. SAMPLING AND ASSESSMENT OF HERBARIUM SPECIMENS IN PUERTO RICO AND ABROAD (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND THE UNITED STATES). FIELDWORK IN PUERTO RICO TO GATHER DATA ON THE FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF THE PLANT ILEX SINTENISII. THE DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES ARE 1. A COLLECTION OF LEAF SAMPLES, VOUCHER SPECIMENS AND MORPHOLOGICAL DATA OF ILEX SPECIES FROM PUERTO RICO. 2. A COLLECTION OF LEAF SAMPLES AND MORPHOLOGICAL DATA FROM SPECIMENS HOUSED IN HERBARIA IN PUERTO RICO, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AND THE UNITED STATES. 3. FIELD OBSERVATIONS ON FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF ILEX SINTENISII. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: LEAF SAMPLE MATERIAL WILL PROPEL FUTURE MOLECULAR ANALYSES TO TEST WHETHER ILEX SINTENISII IS OR IS NOT A VALID SPECIES. THUS, THE FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT FROM THE PROJECT. IT WILL HELP THE AGENCY TO MAXIMIZE THE FUTURE INVESTMENT OF HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TOWARD THE RECOVERY OF OTHER PRIORITY SPECIES. WISE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS WILL ENSURE BETTER CONSERVATION OF THE LOCAL FLORA, THUS BENEFITING ALL THE CITIZENS. POPULATION IT WILL SERVE: THIS PROJECT WILL HELP PUERTO RICO AND ITS COMMUNITIES IN THEIR EFFORT TO PRESERVE THE ISLAND S RICH TROPICAL FLORA. IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY: THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES WILL HELP TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION OF THE LOCAL WILD FLORA BY STIMULATING STUDIES ON THE GENETIC DIVERSITY OF WILD RARE ELEMENTS OF PUERTO RICO. IT WILL PROVIDE A CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF RARE SPECIES IN THE WILD. KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM THIS PROJECT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT THE CONSERVATION COMMUNITY OF PUERTO RICO. AS ILEX SINTENISII AND ILEX COOKII OCCUR IN PROTECTED FOREST AREAS UNDER COMMONWEALTH AND FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION, VARIOUS CONSERVATION COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PUERTO RICO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPED FROM THIS PROJECT. SOME EXAMPLES ARE BIOLOGISTS, WILDLIFE MANAGERS, BOTANISTS, FOREST ADMINISTRATORS, AND OUTREACH PROGRAM EDUCATORS OF AGENCIES LIKE THE U.S. FISH WILDLIFE SERVICE, THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, AND THE PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES. OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WILL BENEFIT ARE ENVIRONMENTAL NON-GOVERNMET ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSING ON ENVIRONMENTAL OUTREACH AND CONSERVATION AWARENESS. IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT INCLUDES THE PARTICIPATION OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND WILL SERVE AS AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN BOTANY AND CONSERVATION.