Enhancing restoration success of rare plants in an arid-tropical climate through water-saving technologies: a case study of Scalesia affinis ssp. brachyloba in the Galapagos Islands.

ABSTRACT: Arid tropical archipelagos, such as the Galapagos Islands, host a high concentration of endemic plant species, many of which require restoration intervention to recover from past environmental degradation. Water-saving technologies (WSTs) have potential for hastening restoration by providing plants with additional water during the early stages of growth. However, it remains unclear whether such technologies provide an advantage for plant species of arid-tropical regions. This study examined the effect of the water-saving technology Groasis Waterboxx® (Groasis) on the rare endemic plant species Scalesia affinis ssp. brachyloba during early stages of restoration. Survival was monitored for 374 individuals planted across six sites on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos (326 with techno

SUBMITTER: Plunkett E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10710167 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature