Pityopsis ruthii: An Updated Review of Conservation Efforts for an Endangered Plant

Abstract

Pityopsis ruthii (Small) Small, Ruth’s golden aster, is an endangered Asteraceae species that grows in the riparian zone along small sections of two rivers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States of America (USA). Since 1985, the species has been listed under the Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The mission of the USFWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continued benefit of the American people. The agency provides national leadership in the recovery and conservation of imperiled plant species by working with the scientific community to protect important habitats, increase species’ populations, and identify and reduce threats to species survival with the goal of removal from federal protection. Over the past 35 years, research efforts have focused on studies designed to delineate the range and size of populations, determine habitat requirements, reproductive and propagation potential, and understand the demographic, ecological, and genetic factors that may increase vulnerability to extinction for P. ruthii. Cooperative partnerships have driven the completion of actions called for in the strategy to recover P. ruthii, and in this review, we highlight these efforts within the context of species conservation.

Introduction to the Special Issue of Plants on “Advances in Plant Reproductive Ecology and Conservation Biology”

“…Lastly, three studies in the Special Issue focused on several aspects of the ecology of three rare species. Wadl et al [ 18 ] provide a comprehensive review of the research accomplished with the endangered Pityopsis ruthii (Small) Small (Asteraceae), endemic to a small geographic area in Tennessee, USA. A collaborative research team has worked for almost three decades to better understand the biology and ecology of this species and factors that could increase its vulnerability to extinction.…”