Wrightoporia araucariae (Wrightoporia araucariae)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 222530589

First efforts to preserve Wrightoporia auraucariae, a rare and critically endangered species endemic to Araucaria forests

This project aims to provide robust data to improve the knowledge of the target species, especially regarding its distribution, confirming or not its potential rarity. At the same time, we aim to conserve the species ex-situ in an in vitro collection. Also, we aim to generate DNA sequences of the species, improving its systematics, as well as, enabling molecular identification of the species in further studies. To achieve these objectives, field expeditions will be carried out in the locations of known records (FLONA-SFP and PARNA-SJ), as well as adjacent locations with A. angustifolia. Specimens of W. araucariae will be collected and cultured in vitro, and identified based on morphological and molecular data (phylogenetics). Finally, small portions of the cultures of W. araucariae will be placed in vials with sterilized distilled water at a temperature of 4 °C for long-term preservation and ex-situ conservation. The results will be disclosed in scientific journals, oral presentations at conferences, social media, and institutional websites.