• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Sunday, August 3, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

The impact of geopolitical boundaries on cycad conservation efforts

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
March 18, 2021
in Science News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Conservation measures across multiple governments and countries necessary to mitigate extinction risks

IMAGE

Credit: University of Guam

Geopolitical boundaries can have a profound effect on the protection of threatened species. A case in point is the native cycads of the United States. A recent review paper written by researchers at the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center at the University of Guam highlights extinction risks of cycad species that occur in U.S. controlled lands and the profound effect geopolitical boundaries has had on the protection of these threatened species. The paper appears in the December 2020 issue of the MDPI journal Diversity.

Cycads are the most threatened plant order worldwide. This is due to a combination of factors including habitat loss, poaching predation by invasive species, and lack of appropriate conservation measures. As a native habitat for this most endangered group of plants in the world, the United States has a responsibility to protect members of this group from extinction.

Species arise over time via several mechanisms. One of these mechanisms is called allopatric speciation, which is separation and isolation through geological time. The eventual result is a distinct species that is different from the original population. This is especially true for islands where plants and animals are isolated and evolve without defenses from plants and animals that do not occur naturally in their environment.

Since the dawn of the Anthropocene, humans have made attempts to classify life based on a hierarchy. Additionally, countries have been established and each country has unique laws pertaining to the conservation of nature. The United States is one such country with a rich history of geopolitical expansion. Over time, U.S. geopolitical changes have altered the number of cycad species that come under U.S. political purview. There are presently five cycad species that come under U.S. jurisdiction: Zamia integrifolia in the Southern United States; Zamia erosa, Zamia pumila, and Zamia potoricensis in Puerto Rico; and Cycas micronesica in Micronesia.

The only cycad species endemic to Micronesia, Cycas micronesica, is listed as “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service and “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Once the most abundant tree in Guam forests, the Cycas micronesica has drastically declined in number since the accidental introduction of several invasive insects to Guam. Additionally, extinction of this cycad would constitute the loss of the only native gymnosperm in the region. Due to the shifting geopolitical designations, this cycad is found within four different political entities.

The authors highlight that species were distinct long before geopolitical boundaries were erected. For example, saying that these are “U.S. cycads” is purely a human distinction. Furthermore, the classification of life into a hierarchy is an anthropogenic attempt to understand biology.

“As taxonomy changes in light of new morphological and genetic evidence, the need becomes clear to use the best available science to inform conservation efforts. Coordinating conservation measures across multiple governments and countries often presents unique challenges but is necessary to mitigate extinction risks,” said Benjamin Deloso, a cycad specialist at UOG.

###

Media Contact
Jonas Macapinlac
[email protected]

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12120445

Tags: BiodiversityBiologyEcology/EnvironmentEntomologyEvolutionForestryGuidelines/Treaties/AgreementsPlant SciencesScience/Health and the Law
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Detecting High Liver Tumor Burden in NETs

Detecting High Liver Tumor Burden in NETs

August 3, 2025
blank

Expanded Subventricular Zone Aids Postnatal Interneuron Migration

August 3, 2025

Bipolar-Barrier Tunnels Boost Mid-Wave Infrared Detection

August 3, 2025

Micro- and Nanoplastics Threaten Early-Life Health: Risks

August 3, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    52 shares
    Share 21 Tweet 13
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Detecting High Liver Tumor Burden in NETs

Expanded Subventricular Zone Aids Postnatal Interneuron Migration

Bipolar-Barrier Tunnels Boost Mid-Wave Infrared Detection

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.