Sequel - Fall 2007 - (Page 14) NATIONAL RESCUE EFFORT COORDINATED BY UVSC BIOLOGISTS TO SAVE UTAH PLANT , The Autumn Buttercup is known to exist in just one remote area of the world – near Utah’s Sevier River. And as a result of the endangered nature of the species, Daniel Cloward, a UVSC senior majoring in biology from Salem, Utah, chose to aid with its preservation for his senior project. Scientifically named Ranunculus aestivalis, the plant was originally recorded by botanists in 1894 in Panguitch, Utah. But fading from an original count of 400 plants to a mere 20 in 1988, it was feared that the bright yellow species had succumbed to extinction, leaving UVSC Biology Professor Renee Van Buren deeply concerned. With a special interest in rare plant preservation, Van Buren supervised Cloward’s contributions to the project, which came during the final and most exciting phases. With assistance from The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, land was acquired to fence in much of the species’ remaining habitat near Panguitch. In June of this year, 200 endangered, native Utah autumn buttercup plants completed the final leg of a long and complex reintroduction process. The plants were transferred to the Arboretum at Flagstaff, Ariz., for growing. Monitored under close care, the plants acclimated to the soil and continued to grow until botanists from UVSC could identify suitable locations and prepare the soil for planting. On June 4, Van Buren and Cloward were among a small group who traveled to Flagstaff, transported the plants to Utah and assisted in effectively reintroducing 200 plants, and the rebirth of a new population of the endangered species in Utah’s wild. According to School of Science & Health Dean Sam Rushforth, “This is one of the most amazing projects to come out of UVSC, and we are delightfully proud.” 14 FA L L 2 0 0 7 utah valley state college alumni magazine
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.