Conservation Efforts and Economic Feasibility of

Preserving Clematis socialis

Courtney Holt

May 1, 2005

Species Background

Alabama leather flower

Distribution

Reproduction

Status

Endangered

Threats

Management effortsSpecies recovery plan (USFWS)

Increasing population sizesBoyd and Hilton (1994)

Conservation Efforts

Tissue Culturing

Collection of plant tissue

Grown on mediaHormones

Nutrients

Sugars

Undefined constituents

Acclimation

Shoot Growth

103 shoot and flower bud samples collected on March 16, 2000

Growth media0.5 mg/l BAP, 0.5 mg/l NAA

Antibiotics

Removal of NAA and increase in BAP to 1.0 mg/l increased shoot production

Root Growth

Cultures with successful shoots transferred to medium with 0.5mg/l IBASome transferred to hormone-free media

50% rooting

Some left on 0.5IBA media

62% rooting

Acclimation

80 mm terra cotta pots

1:1 sand soil mixture

Covered with clear plastic cups

Plants remained small ex vitro

Potential reintroduction

Further Efforts at Root Growth

Decrease in rooting success with .5IBA WP

Plants taken from all 17 lines and placed on either

.5IBA WP (38 plants)

.5IBA 1/2WP (37 plants)

Shoot height recorded

Root Density

Shoot Growth

Economic Feasibility

Methods of Valuation

Use values

Passive-use valuesOption value

Existence value

Combinations of these values typically motivate preservation

Contingent Valuation

Directly places value on resource, species, etc.

People are asked their willingness to pay contingent on a hypothetical scenario

Surveys

4 survey typesBlack and white picture

Color picture

In-state

Only in Alabama

Open-ended question

Survey Results

Total Payment Projections

Willingness to pay extrapolated using US population (18 years and older)$6,485 spent by CREW per year on C. socialis

Conclusions

Conservation efforts appear to have support for C. socialis

Support for larger variety of species?

More extensive surveys necessary

Questions?