Eddie Duff (St. Helena National Trust) Critically Endangered St Helena Plover is the island's only surviving endemic landbird. Zoom In

St Helena plant back from the sedge of extinction

23-07-2008

The South Atlantic Invasive Species project, funded by the European Union and managed by the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK), has rediscovered a plant not seen for two centuries on the UK Oversea Territory island of St Helena.

The tiny plant, named by its rediscoverers the ‘Neglected Tuft Sedge', Bulbostylis neglecta, was found in a remote, western part of the island, known as High Hill. Prior to its rediscovery, it was last seen in 1806, nine years before Napoleon was exiled on the island for six years after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

But competition from non-native species, including a recently-colonised African grass sweeping across the island, could consign the sedge to extinction for good. The plant’s discoverer, Dr Phil Lambdon, has stated that without action to remove the threats from invasive plants, the sedge could be lost within a decade.

Andrew Darlow (rspb-images.com) Neglected Tuft Sedge was last seen nine years before Napoleon was exiled on St Helena after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Zoom In

Neglected Tuft Sedge was last seen nine years before Napoleon was exiled on St Helena after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo

The RSPB’s Claire Miller, who is managing the work on the island, said: “St Helena’s wildlife has been ravaged by species introduced to the island. Goats, gorse, grasses, and cage birds have all been liberated on the island where they have wreaked havoc with the native species.”

She added that St Helena is a noted extinction hotspot, driven largely by non-native species, and that native birds have suffered more here than on many other islands. Of eight species of bird confined to the island, seven have become extinct since the island’s discovery in 1502.

St Helena’s only surviving endemic landbird, the St Helena Plover or Wirebird Charadrius sanctaehelenae, is Critically Endangered partly as a result of predation of eggs and nestlings by introduced feral cats and Common Myna Acridotheres tristis. Grazing is declining, and the grassland the plover depends on is being invaded by scrub, including introduced gorse.

“We wonder whether this island has given up all its wildlife secrets…” —Claire Miller , RSPB (BirdLife in the UK)

Altogether, UK Overseas Territories hold 34 Globally Threatened Birds, which places the UK 19^th in the world for threatened bird species – ahead of Madagascar and South Africa. But UK Overseas Territories – and those belonging to France, which would be fifth in the world league of threatened species if its overseas territories were included - are not covered by the European Birds Directive. Under this directive, the UK and French governments would be compelled to set aside Special Protection Areas, and fund action to protect threatened species.

“The rediscovery of the sedge does give some renewed hope that other extinct species may be still be lurking in isolated spots on St Helena”, said Claire Miller. “For example, it is not completely beyond possibility that one of the nocturnal seabirds may yet be discovered still nesting in burrows in remote parts of the island. We wonder whether this island has given up all its wildlife secrets.”