Conservation Translocation of the Rare and Endangered Tree Euryodendron excelsum in South China

Euryodendron excelsum H. T. Chang is an evergreen tree and a wild plant with extremely small populations. There are no more than 200 individuals of this species at ten isolated sites in the wild. The distribution, conservation status, ecological and biological characteristics, genetic diversity, reproductive biology and technique, seed biology, and cultivation of E. excelsum were studied. Reintroduction experiments including augmentation and translocation were conducted at Yangchun City and Guangzhou City of Guangdong, Hekou County, and Jinghong City of Yunna. The survival rate of cuttings was about 20%. Both the survival rate and growing speed of the augmentation individuals were greater than that of the translocated individuals. As a species with high level of genetic variation, rational collocation of subpopulation individuals of E. excelsum during reintroduction is needed.