also written about for the first time. The conditions for the delisting plan require that all of the previous criteria for downlisting have been met. The additional rules are that the population has been stable for 20 years, and that the Mauna Loa silversword no longer needs specific protection. The five main points of this recovery plan are to: Protect and manage existing populations Develop a research program on the ecology of the Ka’u Silversword Re-establish the Ka’u Silversword in areas of former abundance Enhance current populations Periodically reevaluate recovery objectives While no Species Status Assessment has been performed, three five-year reviews of the status of the Mauna Loa silversword have taken place since its initial listing. The most recent one was published on September 30, 2020. A highlighted discovery was of differences between the plants living in wet forests as compared to the drier ones. This suggested the potential for the emergence of two distinct species. It also highlighted new threats to the species since its initial listing, such as climate change shifting their available habitat. Other factors were the loss of native pollinators and predation by rats. The review also highlighted positive news for the species’ recovery though. For example, new research had found that the populations were much more diverse than feared. Most of these populations are also now fenced. This will protect them against the grazing animals which were responsible for their past decline. Finally, it set new research goals of identifying areas where new plants could be grown, as well as studying the effect of the loss of native pollinators. References External links kauense Endemic flora of Hawaii Biota of Hawaii (island) Taxonomy articles created by Polbot