Plant Heritage « Threatened Plants Project · 2017-06-10 · Plant Heritage today •4,000 members...
Transcript of Plant Heritage « Threatened Plants Project · 2017-06-10 · Plant Heritage today •4,000 members...
Plant Heritage « Threatened Plants Project »
Sophie Leguil
Plant Conservation Officer
What is Plant Heritage?
Founded in 1978
« The practical role of gardens in the conservation of rare and threatened plants »
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1986
Plant Heritage today
• 4,000 members in 35 local groups
• ca. 620 National Plant Collections©
Collections focusing on a group of plants (often a genus, but also families, sections or non-taxonomic groups)
= “living plant libraries”
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Early days: the Pink Sheet
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« A list of rare and endangered garden plants », 1981
species & cvs. with less than 3 suppliers
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An action plan
2006 : « Growing Heritage » Conference 2008 : RHS Survey on plant conservation 122 respondents (from amateur breeders to retailers) 83% rated endangered cultivars conservation as high priority
The International Context
In 2010 : CBD « Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 »,
made of 20 « Aichi targets »
Target 13 :
« By 2020, the loss of genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species is maintained and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity. »
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The Threatened Plants Project
Started in 2009
• Red listing UK & Ireland cvs.
• Prioritise conservation efforts
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The process
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1. Which are the cultivars ? 2. Are they rare? 3. Can they be found? 4. Are they worthy of conserving?
1. Which cultivars ?
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Listing - RHS data for cultivars commercially available in Britain & Ireland - Old cultivars which have been documented
2. Are they rare?
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IUCN Red List© Criteria for wild species :
- Number of individuals left in the wild - Distribution range - Date last recorded
Similar scheme developed for cultivated plants
2. Are they rare?
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Number of nurseries over past 5 years:
● > 30 each year : widely available
LCic (Least Concern in cultivation)
● > 1 each year : available
NTic (Near Threatened in cultivation)
review in 5 years ● < 1 each year : last listed
THRic (Threatened in cultivation)
action
3. Can they be found?
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For all the plants listed as THR and not new…
Number of gardens, private or public collections holding the plant alive
● ≥ 3 sites : VUic (Vulnerable in cultivation) ● 1 or 2 sites : ENic (Endangered in cultivation) ● 0 sites : CRic (Critical in cultivation)
3. Can they be found?
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Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
4. Are they worthy of conserving?
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For each genus : we request experts to comment on - historical or heritage importance - horticultural merit - present or future usefulness to people
4. Are they worthy of conserving?
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COMMENTS
ALL threatened cultivars listed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Actinidia arguta 'Ananasnaya' (f/F)
new 2008, poss. syn Actinidia
ananasnaja - not a cv?, 1 supplier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Actinidia arguta 'Bayern' (F)
new 2002, LL 2003, Unchecked
name 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Actinidia arguta 'Geneva 2' (f/F) new 2008, 1 supplier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
- Each cultivar is given a mark out of 10
- Experts can add other information : wrong names, lookalikes, superseded cultivars…
Some outcomes of the project
Draft list of threatened cultivars online:
http://www.nccpg.com/tpp/Technical-data.aspx
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Within Plant Heritage Reports for new Collections/withdrawals Prioritise conservation efforts
Help Collection Holders acquire rare plants
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With partners
Reports to gardens Collaboration with National Trust, RHS, specialist societies
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The challenges
• Size of the task: should we focus on specific groups of plants?
• Evaluation of worthiness is subjective: use of several experts?
• Lack of interest for cultivars from conservation communities: not all are man-made plants
• When does a plant become « not threatened »?
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In other countries?
Networks of National Collections in France, the Netherlands, Germany, the USA, New Zealand.
Thank you!
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www.plantheritage.com
/OurPlantHeritage
@Plantheritage