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Encephalartos woodii

24th June, 2024

Encephalartos woodii

Source: The Hindu

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context

  • Encephalartos woodii, discovered in 1895, is a critically endangered cycad species with only male specimens remaining, leading to an existential crisis due to the lack of natural reproduction.
  • Advanced technologies such as remote sensing and AI are being employed to search for a female E. woodii in Ngoye Forest to enable sexual reproduction and genetic diversity.

Details

Key Points

  • Encephalartos woodii, discovered by botanist John Medley Wood in 1895, is a critically endangered species with only male clones existing.
  • woodii belongs to the cycad family, ancient plants dating back 300 million years to the Carboniferous period.
  • The species is extinct in the wild, with the last known wild specimen removed for safekeeping in 1916 and propagated in botanical gardens.
  • Cycads, including E. woodii, are gymnosperms and use cones for reproduction, but all known E. woodii plants are male, preventing natural reproduction.
  • The Ngoye Forest in South Africa is being surveyed using drones and AI to find a female E. woodii, covering 195 acres in recent surveys.
  • Cycads are the most endangered living organisms due to their slow growth, habitat loss, and poaching, with some specimens fetching exorbitant prices.
  • Finding a female E. woodii would enable sexual reproduction and increase genetic diversity, critical for the species' survival.
  • The Great Famine in Ireland and the Panama disease in bananas illustrate the vulnerability of clonal plants to environmental changes and diseases.

Encephalartos woodii (E. woodii) Features:

  • Evolutionary Biology:
    • woodii represents an ancient lineage, surviving multiple mass extinctions and outlasting dinosaurs.
  • Conservation Efforts:
    • The use of AI and drones to locate a female E. woodii highlights innovative conservation strategies.
  • Biodiversity and Ecosystems:
    • woodii's plight underscores the importance of genetic diversity for species resilience against environmental changes and diseases.
  • Historical Botanical Expeditions:
    • Discovery by John Medley Wood and subsequent conservation efforts reflect historical and ongoing botanical research.
  • Endangered Species Protection:
    • woodii is protected under stringent measures due to its rarity, emphasizing the need for legal and practical conservation frameworks.

Ngoye Forest, South Africa:

  • The location where E. woodii was discovered and where current searches for a female are focused.

Sources:

The Hindu

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Consider the following statements:

1.Encephalartos woodii is a flowering plant and reproduces through seeds.

2.All known specimens of Encephalartos woodii are male clones, hindering natural reproduction.

Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 2 only

c) Both 1 and 2

d) None

Answer: b)