There’s a race to protect one of the most iconic species of Parrot in the Neotropics: The Critically Endangered Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus). In order to do this, we must protect the wild birds and their chicks, educate communities in the protection of this species, and restore the degraded habitat necessary for the species’ survival.
The last objective in the list is probably the most difficult to achieve and the one that takes the most time. Regenerating forest cover and making it functional is a task of tens of years due to the germination and growth of the trees. And since many of the trees rely on wildlife cycles, they are extremely difficult to germinate in artificial conditions and their growth process is very slow. An example of this is the Titor tree (Sacoglottis trichogyna), which represents an invaluable food source for the Great Green Macaw in the plains of Northern Costa Rica. In fact, it is the second most important food source for the Great Green Macaw.
Highly valued by loggers for its resistance and ease of use, Titor has become rare in Northern Costa Rica. As a result, finding individuals to collect seeds from is a very complicated task, but that’s not the only difficult thing about the Titor.
The germination percentage of this species is very low compared to other trees, such as the Mountain Almond (Dipteryx oleifera). For every 100 seeds of Mountain Almond, 90 germinate successfully. Yet for every 100 seeds of Titor, only 10 germinate or, in some cases, none. I faced this many times. After looking for the seed trees, an already difficult tasks, we collected as many seeds as possible (500-800), and none of those seeds germinated. No doubt a great disappointment after all the search work for these rare trees.
I must admit that sometimes I thought about giving up, because in some cases I’d spend nine months waiting for germination and nothing would happen. But my love for the Great Green Macaw and that instinct for exploration did not allow me to give up.
In early August, I returned to the forest to collect more seeds from a Titor tree near our field station in Sarapiquí. My team and I collected a total of 240 seeds, which we cleaned and placed in a substrate made of 50% soil with a high organic content and 50% sand. In addition to this, the seeds were kept under complete shade with constant humidity. At this time, we had already spent three years attempting different pre-germination treatments, following expert recommendations, and consulting literature. If we were going to be successful germinating the precious Titor seed, surely this was the time.
By the end of October, after taking care of a seed for three months (like a baby, literally), I felt a little disappointed when I didn’t see any change. Then, during the first week of November while doing maintenance of the nursery, I observed a strange plant coming out of the ground. I knew the moment I saw it that it was not a weed. After almost four months, I was looking at my first Titor seedling! I had a feeling as comforting as the one I had the first time I observed a Great Green Macaw chick in a natural nest – something amazing!
While we still have a lot to learn about this seed, including new methods to accelerate germination, we now know the necessary basis to germinate this incredible seed. This is an amazing start that will lead to more efficient production of seedlings and, ultimately, the protection of a valuable food resource for the Great Green Macaw.
By Mario Jiménez
Field Team Leader
