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Plant Conservation Challenges in the Bahama Archipelago

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Abstract

The Bahamian archipelago has a rich flora with 89 endemic species. An international symposium held at Nassau in October 2012 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the publication of the “Flora of the Bahama Archipelago” provided a forum to discuss plant conservation issues on these islands. This article builds on conclusions from this symposium and results from joint plant conservation research projects among the authors. The two main conservation challenges for these islands are: (1) environmental uncertainties derived from global warming and associated sea level changes and (2) the need for increased plant conservation awareness among the predominant urban population of the archipelago. Legal tools and biodiversity international agreements in place for The Commonwealth of the Bahamas can facilitate mechanisms for effective plant conservation. Further legal developments need to be established in The United Kingdom Overseas Territory of The Turks and Caicos Islands. There is an urgent need to redevelop the Botanic Garden of Nassau and designate it as the national botanic garden of The Bahamas. Further research related to the taxonomy, biology, conservation status, and distribution of the endemic species is urgently needed. Research initiatives pertinent to the detrimental effect and biology of invasive species are also lacking. The heterogeneous environments and uneven distribution of human populations across the archipelago are major challenges for conservation. Finally because of the political and economic status of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos, conservation agencies from the archipelago do not have easy access to international or British/European Union funds for global conservation initiatives.

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Acknowledgments

We dedicate this paper to the memory of Oris Russell (1922–2002) and Michael Lightbourn (1927–2012) for their exemplary lives devoted to preserve the Bahamian environments to future generations. This paper was presented at an international symposium held at Nassau between October 30 and 31, 2012 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the publication of the “Flora of the Bahama Archipelago” (title of symposium: Celebrating 30 Years of the Flora of the Bahamas: Conservation and Science Challenges). Our gratitude to the symposium organizers [The Bahamas National Trust and The College of The Bahamas in collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG), Florida International University (FIU), and The New York Botanical Garden] for providing a venue to present this paper. The symposium was funded by The Bahamas Environmental Fund. The Latin American and Caribbean Center of FIU and FTBG supported attendance to the symposium. This is contribution number 256 from the Tropical Biology Program of FIU. Our gratitude to the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and Montgomery Botanical Center for supporting conservation initiatives for the Critically Endangered Long Island endemic Zamia lucayana.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Bahamas National Trust, P. O. Box N-4105, The Retreat, Village Road, Nassau, The Bahamas

    Eric Carey, Lynn Gape, Lindy Knowles & Ethan Freid

  2. National Environmental Centre, Lower Bight Road, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

    B. Naqqi Manco

  3. School of Chemistry & Environmental Life Sciences, College of The Bahamas, Nassau, The Bahamas

    Dion Hepburn

  4. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, P. O. Box N-3913, Nassau, The Bahamas

    Ross L. Smith

  5. The Bahamas National Trust, Abaco National Park, Abaco, The Bahamas

    David Knowles

  6. Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve, P.O. Box N-4105, Eleuthera, The Bahamas

    Mark Daniels

  7. Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, 45056, Oxford, OH, USA

    Michael A. Vincent

  8. Kushlan Tropical Science Institute, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, 33156, Miami, FL, USA

    Brett Jestrow & Javier Francisco-Ortega

  9. Montgomery Botanical Center, Coral Gables, 33156, Miami, FL, USA

    M. Patrick Griffith & Michael Calonje

  10. USDA-ARS-SHRS, National Germplasm Repository, 33158, Miami, FL, USA

    Alan W. Meerow

  11. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, 10458, New York, NY, USA

    Dennis W. Stevenson

  12. Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 33199, Miami, FL, USA

    Michael Calonje & Javier Francisco-Ortega

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  1. Eric Carey
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  2. Lynn Gape
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Correspondence to Eric Carey or Javier Francisco-Ortega.

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Carey, E., Gape, L., Manco, B.N. et al. Plant Conservation Challenges in the Bahama Archipelago. Bot. Rev. 80, 265–282 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-014-9140-4

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