According to a new study in the journal PhytoKeys, wild flower Gasteranthus extincus discovered in the cloud forest in Ecuador. The appearance of this flower was last recorded in 1985.
Dawson White, study co-author at the Field Museum in Chicago (USA), said scientists saw an uncertain future for this flower. So they named it “extincus” because they believed that the flower would soon die out. Much of the cloud forest in Ecuador was destroyed in the following years. Habitat loss has killed dozens of tree species.
The researchers decided to look again in western Ecuador in 2021. Thereby, looking for tree species that already exist in the forest. Within days, the team found the flower Gasteranthus extincus. The research team collected samples for validation ADN of this plant.
Researchers found photos of this flower posted in 2019 by a group of Ecuadorian students. However, according to Mr. White, this flower is still in danger of extinction. Despite the devastation that the cloud forest is suffering, the Ecuadorian government continues to clear the forest, he explained. According to Mr. White, the Ecuadorian government redistributed land to the working class in the 1950s and 1960s. People cut down trees to make way for the cultivation of crops such as cocoa and bananas.
“We went to the local landowners. They told us about the plan to continue cutting down some of these small remaining forests,” Mr. White said. Meanwhile, Carmen Ulloa Ulloa, curator botanist at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, who was not involved in the study, said she grew up in Ecuador and witnessed deforestation firsthand.
As an adult, however, Ms. Ulloa understands the delicate balance between needing to protect the environment and earning an income. “You need to protect the forest, but then you also need to feed the population of the country,” said Ulloa Ulloa.
According to Ms. Ulloa, a possible solution is to invest in ecotourism – where tourists come to enjoy and explore the natural land. According to the botanist, it’s a way to protect the forest, while still boosting Ecuador’s economy.
The researchers traveled to Ecuador before and after White’s team discovered the new plant species. According to Mr. White, the team that discovered the new species is hoping to publish the findings later this year. Mr. White’s goal is to preserve the environment of the cloud forest, while continuing to study the newly discovered species.
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