Two species of Channel Islands plants make notable recovery due to conservation efforts

CHANNEL ISLANDS, Calif. – The two species, Santa Cruz Island dudleya (Dudleya nesiotica), a flowering succulent perennial and Island bedstraw (Galium buxifolium), a long-lived flowering plant in the coffee family, have stabilized their populations due to coordinated conservation efforts on the California coastal islands.

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Geological Survey, The Nature Conservancy, National Park Services and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden helped in the efforts to remove the two plant species from the national Endangered and Threatened Plants list.

Both rare species are only found on the Channel Islands and were largely threatened by habitat loss from sheep grazing and soil loss from non-native feral pigs.

Part of the recovery plan employed included the ending of sheep grazing in 2000 and the removal of all non-native feral pigs by 2006.

“The recovery of these island plants is the result of long-term cooperation and conservation efforts by scientists and land managers,” said Paul Souza, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Southwest Region. “That’s what the ESA can bring to the table – attention, resources, and incentive for sustained conservation work that produces meaningful results.”