Trollius laxus (American Globeflower) Reintroduction Success

Christopher Dunn, Todd Bittner and Robert Wesley, Cornell Botanic Gardens

In situ conservation efforts for American globeflower (Trollius laxus) are ongoing within two Cornell Botanic Garden Natural Areas. A reintroduction program was initiated to augment the globeflower population and a total of 344 propagated plants have been successfully introduced with a 90-95% survival rate. The introduced population now surpasses the original population at the site, which has declined by during the same period 50%. Excessive shading is suspected as the causal factor for this population decline. Data collection on light intensity is underway to quantify the level of shading across the population, and will be used to inform future experimental canopy thinning to obtain 30-50% light availability.