Conception, construction, implementation, and challenges with establishing a Tinian ex situ conservation program for <scp> <i>Cycas micronesica</i> </scp> : Lessons learned

Abstract Guam was invaded by the cycad‐specific Aulacaspis yasumatsui (Diaspididae) in 2003. Aulacaspis yasumatsui is a major threat to cycad species. Within months, the pest began killing Cycas micronesica trees. A conservation plan to establish an ex situ germplasm collection of this cycad species on the nearby island of Tinian (Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands) that was free of the pest was developed in 2005. We report on the original construction and development of this collection and discuss the relevance of this case study to the international plant conservation agenda. Seeds were collected from 12 areas of occupancy in Guam, and more than 1000 seedlings were planted in a remote forested site in north Tinian in 2008. The semi‐natural germplasm collection was maintained by a resident crew, and the population grew to almost 1200 healthy individuals by 2018. Changes in management personnel in the funding agency occurred in 2018, excluding all cycad specialists from the project thereafter. An invasion of A. yasumatsui into the remote ex situ site was recognized in 2019, and observations from 2023 confirm only 208 surviving individuals remain due to the changes in conservation protocols. Conservation failures should be summarized and published such that the international conservation community can learn from the mistakes. Therefore, our goal herein is to document the developments of this case study to inform conservation of all cycad species that become threatened by A. yasumatsui .