‘Extinct’ Tree Is Still Alive in a Texas Park—however Barely

Standing at 30 toes tall, with a trunk scarred by fireplace and a extreme fungal an infection, is the Chisos Mountains oak, or Quercus tardifolia, a species considered extinct. The tree is probably going one fireplace or drought away from demise. Researchers are actually eager to guard this lonely survivor.

The oak tree, presumed extinct by 2011, was discovered inside Big Bend National Park, an 880,000-acre park in Texas. A workforce of researchers from greater than 10 teams, led by the Morton Arboretum and United States Botanic Garden, made the invention on May 25. They instantly collaborated with the National Park Service to cut back any instant threats to the tree, the most important concern being wildfire.

Murphy Westwood, vp of science and conservation on the Morton Arboretum, mentioned in a statement that oak bushes are ecologically vital due to their means to wash air, filter water, sequester carbon dioxide, and help varied species of animals.

Oak bushes have the tendency to crossbreed, permitting them to completely different local weather situations. However, the frequent crossbreeding can blur genetic strains between oak bushes in giant space like Big Bend. So it can be crucial that researchers additionally affirm the DNA of the tree matches earlier Q. tardifolia samples. And whether it is confirmed, then the subsequent steps are much more vital.

“We’ve been given that second chance, and we just can’t blow it,” Michael Eason, a conservation officer for San Antonio Botanical Gardens, mentioned to the New Republic. “It’s not one we’re going to waste.”

Researchers have returned to the tree’s location to search for acorns or small sprouts, from which they may try to develop new bushes. But oak tree acorns can’t be historically seed banked, as a result of the acorn needs to be preserved within the wild or in its dwelling situation, in line with the Morton Arboretum. And anyway, the tree doesn’t look like producing acorns—one other signal of its fragile well being.

This isn’t the one latest rediscovery of a supposedly extinct species. A Fernandina Island tortoise was discovered alive in 2019, the primary sighting of her species in a century.