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Betula uber - (Ashe) Fern.
VIRGINIA ROUND-LEAF BIRCH
Other Related Names: BETULA LENTA VAR UBER
Heritage Identifier: PDBET020J0
 Informal Taxonomy: Plants, Vascular - Flowering Plants - Dicots - Other Dicots

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
PLANTAE ANTHOPHYTA DICOTYLEDONEAE FAGALES BETULACEAE BETULA

Taxonomic Comments: Betula uber, known from a single population, differs from the widespread black birch (Betula lenta) in having blunt leaves. It was originally described as a variety of B. lenta (Ashe 1918). Kartesz (1994 checklist and 5/98 review draft dataset) recognizes this as a full species, as does the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (formal listing as a threatened species, 1994). Peter Mazzeo, who is familiar with this plant in the field, considers these plants to be best treated as a full species (J.T. Kartesz, pers. comm. to Larry Morse, 25Nov99).

Conservation Status

   Heritage Status

Global Heritage Status Rank: G1Q (01Jan1996)
Rounded Global Heritage Status Rank: G1
Global Heritage Status Rank Reasons:
  First noticed in 1918, this taxon was not seen again until 1975 when the single population (then consisting of about 40 trees) was rediscovered in Smyth County, Virginia. Since that time, the number of trees in the natural, native population steadily declined until, in 1984, only 11 individuals remained. However, in the early 1980's an aggressive recovery plan, involving planting greenhouse-grown seedlings at various sites, was implemented. Although vandalism initially threatened the seedling recovery program, the total current population is now over 1,400 trees. Whether these immature trees will be capable of producing seed and competing successfully in these new locations remains to be seen.

Nation: United States
  National Heritage Status Rank: N1 (17Dec1994)

U.S. & Canada State/Province Heritage Status Ranks
United States Virginia (S1)

   Other Statuses

Status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act: LT (16Nov1994)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Lead Region: R5


Distribution

State/Province
Conservation Status Rank
     
SX: Presumed Extirpated
     
SH: Possibly Extirpated
     
S1: Critically Imperiled
     
S2: Imperiled
     
S3: Vulnerable
     
S4: Apparently Secure
     
S5: Secure
     
SR: Reported
     
SZ: Migratory
Transient
     
SE: Exotic
     
S?: Unranked
     
 Under Review
     
SU: Unrankable

U.S. & Canada State/Province Distribution
United States VA

Rank Factors

Economic Attributes
Management Summary

Ecology & Life History
Description: A moderate-sized tree, up to 15 m tall. validity of this species is in question; it may be a

Permanence: Permanent.

Habitat Comments: The only known natural population was found along the floodplain of a creek at an elevation of about 1160 m. The site is within a narrow strip of second-growth forest that includes many sweet and yellow birches (B. lenta and B. alleghaniensis). The band of forest is nearly surrounded by agricultural land.

Authors/Contributors
Global Ranking Factors Edition Date: 08Jul1987
Global Ranking Factors Author: Roth, E. (1987), rev. Maybury/Ludwig (1996), rev. L. Morse (1999)
Botanical data developed by The Association for Biodiversity's Central Botany group, in cooperation with U.S. Natural Heritage Programs and Canadian Conservation Data Centers, The North Carolina Botanical Garden, and other contributors and cooperators.
References
  • Kartesz, J.T. 1993. Species distribution data for vascular plants of 70 geographical areas, from unpublished data files at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, July, 1993.

  • Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

  • Kartesz, J.T. 1996. Species distribution data at state and province level for vascular plant taxa of the United States, Canada, and Greenland (accepted records), from unpublished data files at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, December, 1996.

  • Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.

  • Kartesz, John T. 1991. Synonym names from 1991 checklist, as extracted by Larry Morse, TNC, June 1991.

  • Kral, R. 1983. A report on some rare, threatened, or endangered forest-related vascular plants of the South. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service Technical Publication R8-TP2, Athens, GA. 1305 pp.

  • Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.

  • Morse, Larry E., North American Botanist, Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, Va.

  • Parkin, M., and D. Surabain. 1993. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; Proposed reclassification of Betula uber (Virgina round-leaf birch) from endangered to threatened. Federal Register 58(232): 64281-64285.

  • Sharik, T.L. 1985. Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber) revised recovery plan. Prepared for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, Newton Corner, MA.

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1978. Determination that 11 plant taxa are endangered species and 2 plant taxa are threatened species. Federal Register 43(81): 17910-17916.

  • UU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1994. Reclassification of the Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber) from endangered to threatened. Federal Register 59(220) 59173-59177.

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Copyright 2001
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Version 1.6 (03 December 2001)
Data last updated: November 2001
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