Conserve & Restore the Carex Lutea

Conserve & Restore the Carex Lutea

By: Izamar Lopez

Golden Sedge (Carex lutea)

Listing Status: Endangered

Listed Date: January 23, 2002

(Photographer: Mike Kunz)

Description & Ecology:

Golden sedge is a perennial member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae). When its stems are fertile they can reach up to 39.4 inches or more in height and can produce two to four flowering spikes (multiple flowering structures with flowers attached to the stem). The terminal spike is male and is about 0.8-1.6 in long, 0.06-0.01 in wide and the one to three lateral female spike are round to elliptic, about 0.4-0.6 in long, 0.4 in wide. The time of year in which Golden sedge is most readily identified is from mid-April to mid-June which is during the flowering and fruiting season. This Carex is distinguished from other Carex species that share the same habitat due to the fact that Golden sedge has a bright yellow color, it is tall growing, and slender. The Sedge grows in sandy soils overlying coquina limestone deposits, where the soil Ph is unusually high for this region. Solis that support Golden sedge are very wet to periodically shallowly inundated. The type of ecotone in which this species prefers to reside is between the pine savanna and adjacent wet hardwood or hardwood/conifer forest. (USFWS, 1999)

Geographic Range & Population:

Carex lutea was first collected by Richard LeBlond on April 11, 1990, in Pender County, North Carolina. It was collected in an immature state. From analysis of a mature specimen collected on May 22, 1991, it was determined that the taxon belonged to the genus Carex, under section Ceratocystis, which was not previously known from North Carolina. The sedges that pertain to that section tend to occur in more temperate regions in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Golden Sedge consists of eight populations and are primarily found in Northeast Cape Fear River watershed in Pender and Onslow counties, North Carolina. (USFWS, 1999)

Listing Causes & Threats:

The remaining populations of Golden sedge are currently threatened by habitat loss or alteration posed by development, mining, encroachment of competing vegetation, fire suppression, intensive right-of-way maintenance activities, trash dumping, and wetland drainage activities associated with silviculture, agriculture and development projects. The following five listing factors which are outlined in section 4(a)(1) of the Act the analysis details relating to the threats of this species.

Factor A. Present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or range

Factor B. Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific or educational purposes

Factor C. Disease or predation

Factor D. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms

Factor E. other natural or manmade factors affecting the continued existence of a species

(USFWS, 1999)

Recovery Strategy:

The recovery plan for Carex lutea involves protection and management of known sites of the species. this includes addressing immediate threats with fire management and invasive species control as needed. The intention is to work closely with different partners like local governments, universities, and State agencies to reduce threats to the known populations, find new strategies and increase the knowledge of the biology of this plant in order to help it recover. The main goal is to be able to remove the species from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.  There are seven main recover actions needed in order to offer the best possible chance of growing number to the Golden sedge. These include:

1. Protect Carex lutea sites/occurrences and adjacent buffer habitat.

2. Increase and strengthen Carex lutea sites/occurrences through management, augmentation or other techniques.

3. Develop site specific management and prescribed burn plans for each occurrence.

 4. Conduct surveys for additional populations and investigate options/avenues for potential reintroductions.

5. Develop and implement a monitoring plan to assess population trends, reproductive success and threats.

6. Conduct research essential to the survival of Carex lutea.

 7. Develop and imp

The implementation of recovery tasks, from which cost estimates can be made over a three-year period of recovery effort, will total approximately $231,500. (79 FR 29200,2014) (USFWS, 1999)

Estimated date for full recovery of the Golden sedge is 2025, provided that funds are available.

References:

"Recovery Plans Search." Endangered Species. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.

"Species Profile for Golden Sedge (Carex Lutea)." Species Profile for Golden Sedge (Carex Lutea). N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.

"Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office Conserving the Nature of America"

Buchanan, M.F. and J.T. Finnegan. 2010. Natural Heritage Program List of the Rare Plant Species of North Carolina. NC Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh, NC.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1999. Proposed Endangered Status for Carex lutea (Golden Sedge)  http://www.fws.gov/raleigh/species/es_golden_sedge.html