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Conservation of the Juan Fernandez firecrown and its island habitat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2009

Michael S. Roy ,
Juan Carlos Torres-Mura ,
Fritz Hertel ,
Marina Lemus  and
Renate Sponer
Juan Carlos Torres-Mura
Affiliation:
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Casilla 787, Santiago, Chile.
Fritz Hertel
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
Marina Lemus
Affiliation:
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Casilla 787, Santiago, Chile.
Renate Sponer
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. E-mail: michael.roy@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
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Abstract

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The Juan Fernandez Islands constitute two distantly separated (182 km) major islands, of which Isla Robinson Crusoe is the closest (667 km) to the Chilean mainland, and a number of smaller surrounding islets. The endemic Juan Fernandez firecrown Sephanoides fernandensis once inhabited both major islands and numbered many thousands. Today it exists only on Isla Robinson Crusoe and numbers just a few hundred. Another hummingbird, the green-backed firecrown S. sephaniodes, inhabits this island but also occurs on the mainland. The islands are in ecological meltdown as a result of the removal of much of the native (largely endemic) biota. This degradation has been exacerbated by introduced herbivorous and carnivorous mammals, which are extirpating all that remains. In a previous investigation the authors assessed the evolutionary relationships and genetic variation in the Juan Fernandez firecrown population. They showed that the species: (i) is a relative of the high Andean hummingbirds; (ii) is a close sister species of the green-backed firecrown; (iii) dispersed to the islands approximately 0.5–1 million years ago, unlike the green-backed firecrown, which is probably a very recent invader; (iv) maintains some genetic variation, although significantly lower than that found in the green-backed firecrown island population. Because of their relatively recent divergence the authors aimed to find out if the two species compete for resources. In addition, they assessed the conservation options for the Juan Fernandez firecrown and provided recommendations for its management. They concluded that the survival of the Juan Fernandez firecrown is inextricably linked to the holistic restoration of ecosystem/ community function of the island. The initial step must involve the removal of introduced mammals, followed by replanting of native flora. Although the authors do not support the use of captive propagation as a general conservation tool, they believe that, because the Juan Fernandez firecrown is composed of only one small population that is under extreme threat of extinction, a captive population should be established.

Keywords

Conservationintroduced mammalsislandsJuan Fernandez firecrownrestoration
Type
Research Article
Information
Oryx , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , July 1999 , pp. 223 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © Fauna and Flora International 1999

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