For FY 2025 2026, the mcintire stennis program at the university of the virgin islands school of agriculture agricultural experiment station will continue to study the forests of the usvi, both on a…

For FY 2025 2026, the mcintire stennis program at the university of the virgin islands school of agriculture agricultural experiment station will continue to study the forests of the usvi, both on a land scape scale and a rare native species scale. IT focusses research on both federally endangered tree species, such as buxus vahlii and catesbaea melanocarpa, and locally rare and threatened tree species, such as guaiacum officinale and zanthoxylum flavum. IT is necessary to continue to study site requirements such as soil and climate, phenology, and seed dispersal to propagate these rare tree species in a nursery setting and successfully plant them in the forest. The mcintire stennis program also will continue to promote the planting of native trees in public spaces as opposed to nursery stock imported into the islands. Since the majority landscape of the US virgin islands is considered urban, due to numbers of inhabitants per square mile, a major consideration is planting the right tree in the right place, taking in consideration tree size and available planting space. By developing innovative ways to propagate the rare tree species, IT also encourages the planting of native trees in the agricultural landscape for windbreaks and as shade trees for livestock in pastures.