Scientists issue warning over newly discovered species that is already on the brink of extinction: 'Quite distinct'
Urban development in California is threatening a new manzanita species — a plant species already considered highly vulnerable since its discovery in the area.
The Dana Reserve project, a housing development in Nipomo, is a 288-acre community with 1,370 residential units on land where a new manzanita species was discovered, the University of California, Riverside observed.
Manzanitas are drought-tolerant evergreen shrubs or tiny trees. Growing to 6 to 12 feet, they are easily spotted by their smooth, red-brown bark. These trees thrive in xeric conditions, appearing frequently on rocky slopes, canyons, and barren ridges, according to a Department of Agriculture plant database.
Indigenous peoples of California sometimes used the wood of manzanita trees to dry and smoke fish and the dried berries of the plant, ground to coarse grains, to make biscuits, according to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. The tree's flowers naturally attracted pollinators including hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
"We weren't expecting to find a new species in such a developed area," said Amy Litt, UC Riverside plant biologist. "But as we examined the plants, we realized the Nipomo Mesa plants were quite distinct." For example, they featured a shaggy gray bark.
Using genetic analysis, Litt and a team of researchers confirmed the discovery of the new species. They named it Arctostaphylos nipumu after the Nipomo Mesa area where it was discovered, paying homage to its indigenous heritage, too.
Scientists estimate that there are fewer than 700 (and perhaps only 300) individual A. nipumu trees in the Nipomo Mesa area. The Dana Reserve project risks wiping out this new manzanita species before it can fully take hold.
"This manzanita isn't just a plant," study co-author and graduate student Tito Abbo said. "It's part of what makes this ecosystem unique. Losing it would mean erasing a piece of California's natural history and heritage."
Manzanita trees also provide much-needed shelter and habitat for wildlife, including birds, rabbits, and foxes that find shelter in their low-growing branches. Per the National Park Service, the tree's berries feed black bears, coyotes, mule deer, and other wildlife, while its flowers attract important pollinators that protect the food supply.
Though this development project received final approval in November, the scientists are hopeful that their discovery will spark important discussions on the conservation of threatened native plants.
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In January, the Nipomo Action Committee and California Native Plant Society filed a lawsuit against Dana Reserve developer Nick Tompkins and the San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission to protect the species, according to New Times.
Recently, New York issued a $121,000 fine to a contractor for removing native trees and plants from protected wetlands for commercial development. And a couple in California was fined $165,000 for ruining the habitat of a rare flower on their property.
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