**1.1 Background and context**

*Bothriocline* is a genus of angiosperms belonging to the Aster family called Asteraceae [1, 2]. The *Bothriocline*s are hairy herbs with purple flowers whose species range from annual, bi-annual and perennial growth cycles. There are 62 known *Bothrine species*, most of which are native to tropical Africa and a few are native to isolated islands of the Indian Ocean [2]. Among the 62 species [1], *Bothriocline auriculata* (M. Taylor) hereafter referred to as *BAT* is the only endemic species in Uganda [3]. The *BAT* (**Figure 1**) thrives well in the montane forest, mountainous areas and bamboo thickets. The only known locations of *BAT* in Uganda are within Mount Elgon areas between 2745 and 3150 meters above sea level [4]. **Figure 1** presents photos of the *Bothriocline auriculata* (BAT) species.

However, the BAT natural habitat (**Figure 1**) is undergoing an unprecedented rate of ecosystem deterioration and destruction over the last two decades. The rapid ecosystem loss is attributed to exponentially increasing anthropogenic activities from exponentially increasing local populations, who have no livelihood option but to clear the remaining forest and protective vegetation cover to open up more land for arable farming and human settlement [5]. There is also increased frequency and intensity of other anthropogenic activities mainly deforestation for fuelwood and timber as well as overgrazing of livestock along the Mount Elgon slopes, which further destroys the species and its native ecosystems. For instance, the increasing livestock numbers, − which surpass the carrying capacity of the traditional rangelands, force farmers to drive their livestock upwards on the Mount Elgon slopes in search of dense vegetation [5, 6]. Farmers have shifted cultivation upwards because of the virgin fertile lands along the mount slopes [6].

**Figure 1.** *Bothrine species in native Mount Elgon ecosystems, Eastern Uganda.*

*Integrated Conservation Approaches for Rescuing, Regeneration and Adaptive Management… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106893*

The aforementioned anthropogenic activities coupled with climate changeinduced disasters like prolonged droughts, more frequent and intense flooding, landslides, and erratic precipitation are the leading threats to *BAT* species survival [5, 7]. The more severe and frequent flooding episodes within the species' natural habitat, − the Mount Elgon biosphere reserve, have not only damaged the micro-climate but also resulted in severe landslides that significantly destroy the species' protective vegetation [5, 6]. In summary, the aforementioned environmental challenges are responsible for the observed and continuing decline in the quality of native habitats for the *BAT* taxon*,* which is now categorized as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): "Red List of Threatened Species" [4, 7].

#### **1.2 Objectives of the action**

The main project goal was to assess the potential of using integrated-conservation approaches in Rescuing, Regeneration, and Protection of critically-endangered plant species, using *Bothriocline auriculata* as a case study. In this project, the target Asteraceae florae species was the *Bothriocline auriculata* M. Taylor (BAT). The BAT species were regenerated into mass seedlings. The clean (disease-free) juvenile species seedlings were propagated back into native ecosystems. Sone of the species seedlings was simultaneously introduced into the new Mabira tropical rainforest, to ensure full recovery under a protected natural environment.


Propagate and assess the growth performance of the newly regenerated BAT species under the different ecosystems and conservation management approaches.

#### **1.3 Justification of the interventions**

The *BAT* plant species are ecologically important in providing soil cover against erosion and nutrient recycling and are also palatable fodder crops for livestock. The BAT plants are also among the herbal medicine used by the local population [8]. Under this project, the plant specimens from existing populations of the criticallyendangered BAT species, which were on threatened with extension or were on the brink of extinction from their protective native ecosystem were surveyed and rescued from their harsh native ecosystems.

The rescued *BAT* species were regenerated and multiplied into mass seedlings, using germination and tissue culture techniques respectively. In order to support full species recovery and further in-situ conservation under the natural environment, the regenerated *BAT* seedlings were propagated and re-introduced back into their native ecosystems along Mount Elgon slopes. Similarly, replicate BAT species seedlings were introduced into a new forest ecosystem within Mabira tropical rainforest sites which have more favorable ecological conditions (e.g., soil fertility, moisture and weather).

The new sites are also protected from human activities and encroachment thereby providing suitable ground for mass regeneration and full recovery of the BAT species under natural environments.

Finally, the juvenile *BAT* species seedlings were shared with farmers as well as the national institutions mainly the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and the National Forestry Resources Research Institute (NaFORRI); as the key line stakeholders for inclusion in both the present and future conservation programs such as agroforestry, herbariums, gene banks, and re-afforestation programs.
