Pityopsis ruthii: an updated review of conservation efforts for an endangered plant

Authors: Wadl, Phillip; DATTILO, ADAM - Tennessee Valley Authority; CALL, GEOFF - Us Fish And Wildlife Service; HADZIABDIC, DENITA - University Of Tennessee; TRIGIANO, ROBERT - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Plants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2023
Publication Date: 7/18/2023
Citation: Wadl, P.A., Dattilo, A.J., Call, G., Hadziabdic, D., Trigiano, R.N. 2023. Pityopsis ruthii: an updated review of conservation efforts for an endangered plant. Plants. 12(14):2693. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142693.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142693

Interpretive Summary: Ruth’s golden aster is an endangered Asteraceae species that grows in the riparian zone along small sections of two rivers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States of America (USA). Since 1985, the species has been listed under the Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The mission of the USFWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continued benefit of the American people. The agency provides national leadership in the recovery and conservation of imperiled plant species by working with the scientific community to protect important habitat, increase species’ populations, and in identifying and reducing threats to survival with the goal of removal from federal protection. Over the past 35 years, research efforts have focused on studies designed to delineate the range and size of populations, determine habitat requirements, reproductive and propagation potential, and understand the demographic, ecological, and genetic factors that may increase vulnerability to extinction for Ruth’s golden aster. Cooperative partnerships have led to successful completion of specific actions called for in the species recovery plan for Ruth’s golden aster. These partnerships have been invaluable in filling knowledge gaps and providing a foundation for the USFWS to guide conservation and management decisions for the species and in this review, we highlight these efforts within the context of species conservation.

Technical Abstract: Pityopsis ruthii, Ruth’s golden aster, is an endangered Asteraceae species that grows in the riparian zone along small sections of two rivers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States of America (USA). Since 1985, the species has been listed under the Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The mission of the USFWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continued benefit of the American people. The agency provides national leadership in the recovery and conservation of imperiled plant species by working with the scientific community to protect important habitat, increase species’ populations, and in identifying and reducing threats to survival with the goal of removal from federal protection. Over the past 35 years, research efforts have focused on studies designed to delineate the range and size of populations, determine habitat requirements, reproductive and propagation potential, and understand the demographic, ecological, and genetic factors that may increase vulnerability to extinction for P. ruthii. Cooperative partnerships have driven the completion of actions called for in the strategy to recover P. ruthii, and in this review, we highlight these efforts within the context of species conservation.