Ecology and genetics of Carpoxylon macrospermum H. Wendl. & Drude (Arecaceae), an endangered palm from Vanuatu Original Research Article

The documented population of the rare and endangered endemic Vanuatu palm, Carpoxylon macrospermum H. Wendl. & Drude (Arecaceae), comprises 154 reproductively mature individuals, and progressively larger numbers of associated juveniles and seedlings, scattered throughout nine islands of the Vanuatu archipelago. Of the total, only 32 mature individuals occur naturally on three islands — Aneityum, Futuna and Tanna — in the south of the archipelago. The remainder of the population are cultivated, primarily as single individuals, in village situations where the palm has varying degrees of traditional importance. The species is most often a subcanopy to emergent element in rainforest where it forms scattered small colonies. Preferred habitat appears to be moist lowland forest on high-fertility soils, in microclimates where drainage may be impeded or where high soil-moisture levels are permanently maintained. Genetic variation within the population was determined by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Only at two sites — Lownʹock and Yeruareng on Tanna — of the 26 sampled in total (of which 19 provided usable embryos), was there any significant variation detected. This result indicates that whatever variation there is will be found in the natural populations and that most cultivated plants are apparently derived from a limited number of trees. For practical conservation purposes and to maintain maximum genetic variation within the existing and future populations, propagating materials will need to be collected from these two sites plus any one of the other sites. In reference to population sustainability, the number of mature individuals in the known population is extremely small, and therefore the species is presently under considerable threat from land clearance, habitat degradation and genetic erosion induced by isolation and declining numbers. Vanuatu I gat wan spesiol kaen pamtri we ino gro plante olbaot long wol mo I save lus sipos yumi no lukaotem gud. Nohoich pamtri o Carpoxylon macrospermum (Arecaceae) tufela saentis H. Wendl. & Drude ibin raetem sam toktok long hem bifo. Populesen rikord blong spesiol pamtri ia we istap naoia I soem se igat; 154 mama tri we istap karem frut, mo plante moa yangfela wetem ol sidling istap gro olbaot long naen (9) aelen nomo long Vanuatu. Aot long populesen rikord ia, i gat 32 mama tri nomo we oli gro wael long trifala aelen—Aneityum, Futuna mo Tanna—long saot Vanuatu. Olgeta narawan pipol planem wanwan olbaot long vileg folem ol difren lokal yus blong kaen pamtri ia. Insaed long forest, Nohoich pamtri I gro andanit ol bigfala tri mo oli gro long fasin blong wanwan smolsmol grup. Oli laekem blong gro long forest we ino tik tumas wetem gudfala graon we oltaem I kolkol o wetwet lelebet. Wetem populesen we I stap gro naoia, wok ibin gohed tu blong traem facnemaot difrens blong famili (genetic variation) blong kaen pam ia. Wok ia oli karemaot tru long fasin blong testem ol frut folem wan spesiol fasin we long Inglis toktok oli kolem ‘DNA (RAPD) analysis’. Oli bin kolektem 26 frut evriwan long evri aelan we kaen pamtri ia i gro (9 aclan). Aot long koleksen ia 19 frut nomo ibin gud blong oli save yusum blong mekem test. Risalt blong test i soem se igat tri (3) difren kaen Nohoich pamtri i stap gro long Vanuatu. Tu (2) long ol kaen ia i gro nomo long Lownʹock mo Yeruareng long Tanna. Blong sevem Nohoich pamtri mo mekem sua se stret famili istap oltaem long populesen blong naoia mo fiuja, i gat nid blong kolektem ol sid blong planem bageken. Hemia long tufala ples: Lownʹock mo Yeruareng long Tanna, mo tu long ol narafala aelan we nambatri kaen Nohoich pamtri istap gro. Yumi mas save se namba ol kaen pamtri ia we laef naoia i smol tumas. I minim se hemi veri impoten blong kipim populesen blong hem long gud posisen oltaem. Laef blong Nohoich pamtri famili I stap long bigfala denja. Hemia from pipol I kliarem mo yusum bus we oli gro long hem, mo oli no lukaotem gud ol ples we ol pamtri ia I gro long hem. Mo tu ol pipol i nomo planem bageken ol yangfala pamtri.