Population demography, community composition and similarity, and habitat requirements of Abronia macrocarpa, an endangered Texas endemic were examined to aid in monitoring changes in populations over time, assist in determining possible reintroduction sites and help in restoring populations subjected to disturbances.
I examined population density and structure, and community composition of existing populations. Density varied significantly (p<0.005, F=8.387, df=6) among seven populations. Sites with highest density of A. macrocarpa have greater than 50% bare ground. Population structure varied, with significant differences between number of seedlings and vegetative plants (p = 0.007, df = 2). Coefficient of Community Index indicates that communities supporting populations of A. macrocarpa are similar, with coefficient values ranging from 0.67 to 0.99. The majority of sites have a pH ranging from 5.3 to 6.6, with one strongly acidic at pH 4.8.
Recovery criteria require the existence of 20 populations. Obtaining the goal of recovery may entail creating populations by reintroduction. This study has revealed specific habitat requirements that should be considered when selecting potential sites for the reintroduction. Soil chemistry should fall within similar ranges of the known A. macrocarpa sites. The community should support commonly associated species with a community similarity index of at least 0.65. Because the sites with high A. macrocarpa densities have a higher percentage of bare ground, this should also be taken into consideration in selecting reintroduction sites.
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