AUTHOR=Yu Haoze , Pei Xuechen , Zhang Hui 

TITLE=Threat categories of Vatica mangachapoi should be reassessed

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Forests and Global Change

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/forests-and-global-change/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2024.1356104

DOI=10.3389/ffgc.2024.1356104

ISSN=2624-893X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Asian tropical rainforests have the highest rates of degradation in the world. Consequently, a large decline in Chinese <italic>Vatica mangachapoi</italic> (a keystone species) had led to its listing in the category of “vulnerable” species by IUCN. However, its current status after decades of conservation efforts remains unknown.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Here, we evaluate the current status of Chinese <italic>V. mangachapoi</italic>.</p></sec><sec><title>Results and Discussion</title><p>We found that its population is now dispersed in 14 protected areas, the largest being a coastal forest that contains 96.84% of all the Chinese <italic>V. mangachapoi</italic>. Compared to their historic records, the age of this forest was estimated at ≤ 70 years. The mono-culturing of <italic>V. mangachapoi</italic> in this forest, since 1960, has replaced all the older trees, resulting in its extremely high (91%) relative abundance, and an extensively low (only 44) tree species richness. Further, these <italic>V. mangachapoi</italic> trees now suffer from vine strangulations and severe <italic>Amauroderma perplexum</italic> infections: 18.5% of <italic>V. mangachapoi</italic> have died and 75% are at a high risk, thereby creating a threat of its extinction. Although, the other 13 protected areas have a higher tree species richness (152–451), a lower (6.1–25%) relative abundance of <italic>V. mangachapoi</italic>, and they neither suffer from vine strangulation or disease infections, they contribute to only 3.16% of total Chinese population of this species. Therefore, an immediate revision of threat status of this species in IUCN, from vulnerable to endangered, is warranted. Further, a change in planting patterns, from monocultures to mix-plantations of native species, is needed to promote biodiversity and restrict other biotic challenges so that this species is not extinct.</p></sec>