COS 170-3 - Hurricane-induced forest disturbance has opposing effects on the health of the critically endangered Florida torreya

Abstract: Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida panhandle in 2018, sweeping through the entire extant range of Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia), one of the world’s most endangered conifers. In the aftermath, the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Southeastern Center for Conservation and collaborators launched a long-term research project to understand the consequences of habitat change on this glacial relict species. This long-term study follows the health of 40 of the torreya individuals that survived the initial hurricane impact and monitors the state of lethal fungal canker diseases that are plaguing the species. Preliminary analyses suggest that torreya suffered more cankers and greater branch die-back when more of the neighboring forest remain intact. Data loggers revealed that temperature may play a role in influencing fungal canker disease severity. These findings challenge the popular conception of Florida torreya as a shade-loving species and suggest contrasting effects of light and temperature on the health of this species.