Native Magnolia Tree Species Rediscovered in Haiti After Nearly A Century of Disappearance

After being lost to science in 1925, a conservation team has now found a native magnolia tree species in a forest in Haiti for the first time in almost a century.

The northern Haiti magnolia, or Magnolia emarginata, which has pure white flowers and unusually shaped leaves, was first discovered in the Morne Colombo forest, which has since been destroyed by deforestation. Its rediscovery has ignited new hope for the possible rewilding of Haiti's forests because it was listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and considered endangered.

Rediscovery

Many indigenous plants can now only be found growing in unreachable mountains or ravines due to the rapid downturn of forest space-only 1% of the original forest in the country is still present. A team from the Haiti National Trust visited the Massif du Nord, Haiti's longest mountain range, in quest of the elusive plant because they believed it might thrive in high-altitude environments.

The team discovered one tree three days into the expedition and snapped the first images ever taken of the plant. They soon found juvenile plants in the early stages of growth and 16 flowering trees in different developmental stages.

Conservational Efforts

According to them, these findings raise the possibility that even more members of the species may exist nearby. The team collected specimens and samples for DNA analysis after identifying the trees and intends to return in late autumn to gather seeds.

Four additional native magnolia species, which also include the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola, have been successfully cultivated by the Haiti National Trust. They intend to start a nursery and use their expertise to assist nearby communities in supporting restoration initiatives.

The expedition's leader, Eladio Fernández, expressed optimism in the wake of the rediscovery of this extinct species. Fernandez is also the communications director for the Haiti National Trust. Although the country's degraded forests are in a bad state, he claimed that they still contain species like this that are unique to the world, giving us the chance to save them, The Guardian reports.

Anne-Isabelle Bonifassi, the executive director of Haiti National Trust, said that this rediscovery gives Haitian rewilding efforts new life. The team is eager to put their hard work toward rewilding the forests in Haiti's Grand Bois, which include other endemic magnolia species, to use to protect yet another stunning and recognizable magnolia.

Together with Haiti National Trust, Re:wild has been working to restore the Grand Bois ecosystem and establish Haiti's first private reserve. This is a component of Re:wild's bigger initiative to safeguard and revitalize Caribbean islands.

Jenny Daltry, Caribbean alliance director for Re:wild, said that it is a miracle that Haiti's northern magnolia has escaped widespread deforestation. The largest-ever effort to locate and preserve lost species is the Search for Lost Species program, which is coordinated by Re:wild. She continued by saying that the loss of biodiversity poses a serious threat to both people and the environment throughout the Caribbean. To protect and restore the Caribbean islands, including Hispaniola, Re:wild and Fauna & Flora International has joined forces.

Sunrise Airways, Fundación Progressio, and Asociación Popular de Ahorros y Prestamos (APAP) all contributed generously to the success of this project, Re:wild reports.