The Environmental Awareness Group of Antigua & Barbuda

Raising awareness & promoting sustainable use of natural resources

The EAG has an exciting new project to research and conserve the native ferns of Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda. The project seeks to determine the status of the ferns of the country, to highlight those of critical conservation concern and develop a conservation outlook for the species and their habitats, including their overall value to the country’s biodiversity heritage, while working to increase local awareness and appreciation for them. The project will also develop a Regional Red List of Threatened Species, an educational booklet and a fern atlas.

Ferns in Antigua and Barbuda come in amazingly diverse forms - mangrove ferns which can grow to 4 metres high, tiny epiphytic ferns, a centimetre or so high, aquatic ferns, vine-like climbers and grass-like species. The leaf shapes come in an enormous variety of feathery arching fronds, tongue-shaped fronds, grass like fronds and even clover-shaped fronds.

The effort is being led by Antiguan biologist Kevel Lindsay, and runs from April 2011 to April 2013.

We are very grateful to the Rufford Small Grants Foundation  http://www.ruffordsmallgrants.org/rsg/ and the Mohammed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund http://www.mbzspeciesconservation.org/ who have generously provided funding for this project.

If you would like further information or to participate in this effort, please contact the EAG.

Why are ferns so important?

Tropical ferns are extraordinarily beautiful plants with their delicate arching leaves, or fronds as they are usually called - undoubtedly the most beautifully shaped leaves in the plant kingdom!

Also, ferns beautify the environment in a way that other plants cannot. This is because many ferns live in environments that other plants cannot tolerate - on shady tree branches ("epiphytes"), on rock faces (lithophytes), in wetlands and in mangrove environments. Tourists from Europe and America are especially awestruck as they normally only encounter these beautiful plants as indoor pot plants! Although most ferns prefer damp, shady conditions, some of our ferns, like the spectacular Goldback Fern on Redonda, grow in dry, sunny locations ("xerophytes") - this is particularly amazing to many tourists who have never encountered such ferns.

As well as their beauty, ferns are especially valuable plants for the following reason: Because most fern species can only survive in healthy moist, shady forests, many of which are under threat throughout the Caribbean and also in threatened mangrove and wetland areas, they are an important barometer of the ecological health of the environment.

Background to the Project

The project is a natural outcome of the Antigua and Barbuda Plant Conservation Project (ABPCP), which in 2009 produced one of the most significant works on the country’s native and naturalised plants: The Wild Plants of Antigua and Barbuda: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Native and Naturalised Vascular Plants – click here for more information.

Progress to Date

The list of ferns for the islands currently stands at over 60 species, and that number is growing. Fieldwork this in October 2011 resulted in the spectacular find of the Adder’s Tongue (Ophioglossum reticulatum), a species of primitive ferns with simple leaves reminiscent of a tongue, and spores on long stalks. While this species is widespread throughout parts of the world, it was not one that was expected for our island. This tells us that our biodiversity and ecology are far more dynamic and interesting that is led to believe.

The ferns of Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda are one of the least studied and least understood groups of plants. Many are quite rare, and most are found in the volcanic southwest of the island, some restricted to the moist sheltered valleys of the this region. Some species are rarely seen, including Thelypteris patens—common on other more mountainous Lesser Antillean islands, but quite rare in Antigua and last seen perhaps over 40 years ago; or Thelypteris hispidula, a species that has been nicknamed the “pepper fern” because of the stinging sensation that results when the leaves are pressed on to the tongue. Antigua has two varieties: var. hispidula causes a mild to moderate burning sensation to the mouth, and var. inconstans cause extremely mild numbness. These species can only be observed in steep remote valleys with stable montane forests where there is lots of moisture such as in upper Christian Valley.

As part of this effort to protect and conserve the country’s plant diversity, the first draft of the Regional Red List of ferns has already been completed and is now under review.

Slideshow

Click here for a short slide-show of some of the islands’ ferns, including those mentioned above, and of the various habitats where many of the species are found.

Researching and Conserving Native Ferns

The EAG would like to thank the Rufford Small Grants Foundation and the Mohammed Bin Zayed Conservation Fund for their generous financial support for this project.