[PCA] NEWS: Neon green gecko key to preventing Mauritian plant extinction

Megan_Haidet at fws.gov Megan_Haidet at fws.gov
Thu Apr 19 08:00:40 CDT 2007


A vibrantly colored gecko plays a key role in a highly threatened 
ecological community in Mauritius, reports new research published in 
American Naturalist.

Studying plant-animal interactions in Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island 
famous for its extinct dodo bird, researchers found that a rare plant, 
Trochetia blackburniana, benefits from its proximity to Pandanus plants 
because they house high densities of geckos responsible for pollination. 
The findings, which unusually identify a lizard as a key pollinator, are 
significant because they provide "valuable management insights for ongoing 
conservation efforts to save the highly endangered flora of Mauritius."

To view the entire article, visit: 
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0417-gecko.html



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