The Georgia Aster, Symphotrichum georgianum is a federal candidate for the threatened and endangered species list under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. On September 18, 2014 the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced in the Federal Register a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Georgia Aster as an endangered species
Threats to the survival of the species include elimination of habitat disturbance such as fire. Other threats include road construction and herbicide.
In 1999, the Service made Georgia aster a candidate for inclusion on the federal endangered species list, meaning it warranted being on the list, but other species were a higher priority. The move to protect the Georgia aster comes as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with states and other federal agencies, advance a large, partnership-based effort to conserve at-risk plants and animals across the Southeast.
Steps of saving this species :
A coalition of public and private conservation organizations is stepping up to save the Georgia aster, a purple Southern flower that is on the verge of being listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Avoiding mowing utility and transportation rights-of way with Georgia aster from late spring to mid-fall, when Georgia aster is at its tallest and reproducing. If possible, mowing in mid- to latespring to maximize impacts to invasive plants before Georgia aster is high enough to be significantly damaged;
Keeping forests with Georgia aster thinned to a level that provides ample sunlight, while minimizing threats from drought and competition.
For instance, conserving the open, grassy spaces the Georgia aster needs also benefits declining species such as the grasshopper sparrow, field sparrow and eastern meadowlark.
Current Range and Distribution
Georgia aster is presumed extant in 5 counties in Alabama, 15 counties in Georgia, 9 counties in North Carolina, and 14 counties in South Carolina (Figure 1). The species has been documented at 283 site-specific locations that (due to the proximity of many sites) aggregate into 146 probable populations of the species. Of these 146 populations, 118 are presumed extant.
Case Study
Symphyotrichum georgianum (Asteraceae), commonly known as Georgia aster, is a candidate for listing under the Federal Endangered Species Act in the four southeastern U.S. states where it lives. Rarity of this species is thought to be attributable in part to small population sizes and limited seed production. Protocols for in vitro germination, sustainable shoot micropropagation, shoot establishment in soil, and seed cryopreservation are presented that will assist in the safeguarding and augmentation of dwindling natural populations. Germination in vitro on growth regulator-free half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium after sterilization in H2O2 initiated the development of shoot cultures. Shoot multiplication and elongation occurred on half-strength MS salts containing 0.1 mg·L-l benzylaminopurine and 0.2 mg·L-l gibberellic acid, producing an average of 18 new shoots over a 6- to 8-week subculture cycle. Shoots rooted easily when planted into cutting mix after treatment with rooting powder containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) or in vitro rooting in medium with or without N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid (NAA). Plant survival after 1 month was 90% or higher for all treatments. Cryopreservation tests with seeds from three populations averaged 46.7% germination compared with control seed (no cryostorage) germination of 43%; differences were not statistically significant. Fresh seeds and seeds equilibrated for 1 to 4 weeks at room temperature and 12% relative humidity did not differ significantly in germination post-cryopreservation. Initial observations suggest that Georgia aster rapidly loses seed viability over 1 to 2 years when stored at room temperature. The ability to increase seed longevity through cryopreservation storage may be a critical step in the conservation of this species.
