Palmiste Blanc

This species and its varieties face similar threats, to different degrees of impact. All varieties are affected by invasive flora and fauna, as well as the effects that climate change will bring to the Southwestern Indian Ocean. Both D. album var. aureum and D. album var. conjugatum face extinction in the wild by a single event (e.g. intense cyclones, drought etc.). Both are also affected by potential hybridization with D. album var. album which may have an effect on current re-introduction programmes. Additionally, D. album var. album faces threats of illegal harvesting due to its importance to domestic trade within the Mascarenes, as well as the unmitigated spread of invasive flora and fauna.

Conservation work has been unequal among the varieties and the countries that oversee their management. However, this work has been slowly seeing success, with important habitat being preserved, propagation increasing and numerous re-introductions. Within Mauritius, conservation efforts for D. album var. album is overseen by the National Parks and Conservation Service and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, while D. album var. conjugatum is overseen by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. In Rodrigues, conservation efforts for D. album var. aureum is also overseen by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, along with the Rodrigues Forestry Service. In La Réunion, conservation efforts for D. album var. album is overseen by Conservatoire Botanique National de Mascarin and the Parcs Nationaux de France. All varieties have some level of re-introduction regime occurring, as well as protection under Management Areas and restoration activities underway in surrounding habitat. Seed banking is underway for D. album var. aureum and D. album var. conjugatum, as well as invasive species management.