Tree Species Thought Extinct Rediscovered

Scientists from The Morton Arboretum and the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) discovered a single oak of the species Quercus tardifolia, about nine meters tall, in Big Bend National Park in the U.S. state of Texas back in May of this year. This was reported in a press release issued by The Morton Arboretum on July 7, 2022. The oak species was described in the 1930s and had not been sighted since 2011, which is why it was assumed to have already gone extinct.

The scientists say that the oak is in poor condition: the trunk shows traces of fire, and there are signs of a severe fungal infection. A drought or another fire would be enough to kill what is probably the last oak of its kind. In cooperation with the National Park Service, the botanists want to reduce the immediate wildfire risk to Q. tardifolia. They are also searching for acorns that could potentially be used to grow further specimens.

If they do not find any acorns in the surrounding area, or if the acorns are no longer suitable for propagation, they are already considering other methods to save the species from extinction. One such method would be “grafting,” in which a piece of Q. tardifolia is joined, for example, with another oak species.

Murphy Westwood, vice president at The Morton Arboretum, explains why it is so important to preserve the oak Q. tardifolia: “If we ignore the decline of Q. tardifolia and other rare, endangered trees, we risk countless domino effects that result in other living beings that depend on these trees also disappearing from ecosystems.”