scholarly journals Conservation of threatened plant species in botanic garden reserves in Brazil

Oryx ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Lúcia M. N. da Costa ◽  
Peter Wyse Jackson ◽  
Ricardo Avancini Fernandes ◽  
Ariane Luna Peixoto

AbstractOver the last few decades botanic gardens worldwide have been encouraged to adopt complementary measures for the conservation of plant species from their own regions, combining in situ conservation efforts with ex situ methods, both in cultivation and in storage. This integrated approach is particularly important for botanic gardens in the tropics, which face the challenge of conserving a highly diverse and often threatened flora. We gathered information on the occurrence of threatened species in the natural vegetation reserves of 21 Brazilian botanic gardens. The data were collected from herbarium records in the database of the National Centre for Flora Conservation, and from the available plant inventories of these reserves. The results indicate that 148 species from the List of Threatened Species of Brazilian Flora are recorded as having been collected in the reserves. Of these, 51 species were maintained in the living collections of 18 botanic gardens and 83 species were recorded in federally protected areas. The occurrence of threatened species in the reserves of botanic gardens highlights the scientific value of these areas, as well as their biological, social and cultural importance for conservation. The results may be used to inform the planning of integrated conservation strategies for threatened species.

Author(s):  
Milton Díaz-Toribio ◽  
Victor Luna ◽  
Andrew Vovides

Background and Aims: There are approximately 3000 botanic gardens in the world. These institutions cultivate approximately six million plant species, representing around 100,000 taxa in cultivation. Botanic gardens make an important contribution to ex situ conservation with a high number of threatened plant species represented in their collections. To show how the Francisco Javier Clavijero Botanic Garden (JBC) contributes to the conservation of Mexican flora, we asked the following questions: 1) How is vascular plant diversity currently conserved in the JBC?, 2) How well is this garden performing with respect to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) and the Mexican Strategy for Plant Conservation (MSPC)?, and 3) How has the garden’s scientific collection contributed to the creation of new knowledge (description of new plant species)?Methods: We used data from the JBC scientific living collection stored in BG-BASE. We gathered information on species names, endemism, and endangered status, according to national and international policies, and field data associated with each species. Key results: We found that 12% of the species in the JBC collection is under some risk category by international and Mexican laws. Plant families with the highest numbers of threatened species were Zamiaceae, Orchidaceae, Arecaceae, and Asparagaceae. We also found that Ostrya mexicana, Tapirira mexicana, Oreopanax capitatus, O. echinops, and O. xalapensis are highly threatened species representative of cloud forest currently in the collection. Conclusions: The conservation and scientific utility of the JBC collection is reflected in the exceptional accession data and the description of 24 new plant species. Having a significant number of threatened plant species in its ex situ collection, the JBC contributes to the implementation of the GSPC, particularly Target 8, as well as the implementation of the MSPC.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Couch ◽  
Denise Molmou ◽  
Sékou Magassouba ◽  
Saïdou Doumbouya ◽  
Mamadou Diawara ◽  
...  

AbstractTo achieve conservation success, we need to support the recovery of threatened species. Yet, <5% of plant species listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List have Species Conservation Action Plans (CAPs). If we are to move from a Red List to a Green List for threatened plant species, CAPs need to be devised and implemented. Guinea is one of the most botanically diverse countries in West Africa. Recent research found that nearly 4000 vascular plants occur in Guinea, a 30% increase from previous estimates. 273 of these plant species are now assessed as threatened with global extinction. There is increasing pressure on the environment from the extractive industry and a growing population. In parallel with implementation of an Important Plant Area programme in Guinea, CAPs were developed for 20 threatened plant species. These plans elaborate conservation efforts needed first to safeguard threatened species both in situ and ex situ and then to support their recovery. We document the approach used to assemble the Species Conservation Action Plans, and we discuss the importance of having up to date field information, IUCN Red List assessments, and use of a collaborative approach. The need for these plans is increasingly important with recent calculations suggesting a third of African plants are threatened with extinction. This paper outlines initial detailed plant conservation planning in Guinea and offers a template for conservation practitioners in other tropical African countries to follow.


2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Burgman

Despite the fact that the most changes in lists of threatened species reflect changes in knowledge rather than changes in conservation status, the lists continue to provide social and legal mandates for conservation; they are used to report on the state of the environment and to guide the allocation of scarce resources. There is a substantial under-representation of non-vascular species in threatened plant lists, reflected in an absence of documented extinctions among fungi and algae. Turnover in the composition of extinct flora lists in Australia suggests that the lists of threatened species may not be sufficiently reliable to form the basis for reporting on the state of the environment. They are of limited use in distinguishing between levels of threat and may not be a reliable guide for the allocation of scarce conservation resources among plant species. Systems for listing threatened species create a feedback loop, responsive to the subjective preferences of scientists, largely unresponsive to underlying true threats, self-perpetuating and accentuating bias with each iteration. Other tools, including formal decision approaches and the acquisition of new kinds of data, are needed to fill the roles.


Author(s):  
Paul Smith

Botanic gardens and arboreta offer the opportunity to conserve and manage a wide range of plant diversity ex situ, and in situ in the broader landscape. The rationale that botanic gardens have a major role to play in preventing plant species extinctions is based on the assumptions that (1) there is no technical reason why any plant species should become extinct, and (2) that, as a professional community, botanic gardens possess a unique set of skills that encompass finding, identifying, collecting, conserving and growing plant diversity across the entire taxonomic spectrum. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is the pivotal centre of a global network of c. 2,600 botanic gardens and arboreta, which includes living collections representing at least one-third of known plant diversity; world class seed banks, glasshouses and tissue culture infrastructures; and technical knowledge networks covering all aspects of plant conservation. Following the example of the crop conservation community, BGCI is promoting the concept of a cost-effective, rational,botanic garden-centred Global System for the conservation and management of plant diversity.This system will aim to collect, conserve, characterise and cultivate samples from all of the world’s rare and threatened plants as an insurance policy against their extinction in the wild and as a source of plant material for human innovation, adaptation and resilience.


2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74
Author(s):  
R. Verma ◽  
K. Kapoor

A study was conducted to understand the plant diversity along an altitudinal gradient with elevations varying from 2750 to 5000m above msl in Lippa – Asrang valley falling in cold desert area of Pooh sub division of district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh during 2007. The number of tree species at 2750-3200m and 3200-3650m elevations were 10 and 8 with the dominance of Cedrus deodara and Pinus wallichian respectively. The number of shrub species were 19, 17, 7 and 3 in the elevations of 2750-3200m, 3200-3650m, 3650-4100m and 4100-4550m respectively. Juniperus communis taking shape of the dominant shrub at 2750-3200 m, 3200-3650 m and 3650-4100m elevations. Rhododendron anthopogon was the dominant shrub at 4100-4550m elevation range. The number of herb species were 76, 73, 46, 39 and 33 at 2750-3200m, 3200-3650m, 3650-4100m, 4100-4550m and 4550-5000m elevational ranges respectively. On the basis of importance value index (IVI), Artemisia brevifolia, Heracleum candicans, Thymus linearis, Bergenia stracheyi and Bistorta affinis were the dominant herbs dotting different elevational ranges and distribution pattern of plant species was mostly contiguous in all the altitudes. Index of diversity for herb species in different elevational ranges was 3.89, 3.82, 3.47, 3.21 and 2.95. Out of 78 medicinal plant species as recorded from the area, 20 species fall in the category of threatened plants. The better conservation of natural resources can be well achieved through promotion of community based conservation stressing in-situ conservation through the establishment of nature reserves and ex-situ conservation through tissue culture, developing cultivation technologies and nurseries of medicinal plants and conducting regular trainings on the procedure of medicinal plants collection, processing amongst the end users/ the local people, traders and real stake holders.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-315
Author(s):  
Jibankumar S. KHURAIJAM ◽  
Rup K. ROY

Ex-situ conservation is an important key in the management of rare, endangered and threatened (RET) plant species and its effectiveness depends on several factors. Maintenance of viable germplasm and its subsequent propagation plays an important role in long term conservation of many RET species. Nepenthes khasiana is a rare and gravely threatened species in the wild due to over-collection and other threats. The species needs urgent in-situ and ex-situ conservation. Development of easy to propagate techniques would pave faster multiplication for its use of educational, medicinal and horticultural purpose. In the present paper, successful propagation technique of Nepenthes khasiana through seeds is demonstrated along with detailed information on precautions to be taken during the adoption of the techniques.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 7459
Author(s):  
María Elena González-Benito ◽  
Miguel Ángel Ibáñez ◽  
Michela Pirredda ◽  
Sara Mira ◽  
Carmen Martín

Epigenetic variation, and particularly DNA methylation, is involved in plasticity and responses to changes in the environment. Conservation biology studies have focused on the measurement of this variation to establish demographic parameters, diversity levels and population structure to design the appropriate conservation strategies. However, in ex situ conservation approaches, the main objective is to guarantee the characteristics of the conserved material (phenotype and epi-genetic). We review the use of the Methylation Sensitive Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) technique to detect changes in the DNA methylation patterns of plant material conserved by the main ex situ plant conservation methods: seed banks, in vitro slow growth and cryopreservation. Comparison of DNA methylation patterns before and after conservation is a useful tool to check the fidelity of the regenerated plants, and, at the same time, may be related with other genetic variations that might appear during the conservation process (i.e., somaclonal variation). Analyses of MSAP profiles can be useful in the management of ex situ plant conservation but differs in the approach used in the in situ conservation. Likewise, an easy-to-use methodology is necessary for a rapid interpretation of data, in order to be readily implemented by conservation managers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 243 ◽  
pp. 108435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leland K. Werden ◽  
Nellie C. Sugii ◽  
Lauren Weisenberger ◽  
Matthew J. Keir ◽  
Gregory Koob ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-391
Author(s):  
Rong Tang ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Yulin Xu ◽  
Johann Schinnerl ◽  
Weibang Sun ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Shedley ◽  
Neil Burrows ◽  
Colin J. Yates ◽  
David J. Coates

Inappropriate fire-regimes brought about by patterns of human settlement and land-use threaten plant diversity in Mediterranean-type climate (MTC) regions. In south-west Western Australia (SWWA), where there are many threatened plant species distributed across a range of human-modified landscapes, there is a need for approaches to identify where the threat is greatest. This requires knowledge of contemporary fire regimes, how they vary across landscapes, and the sensitivity of threatened species to these regimes. Currently, this information is lacking, and this limits strategic fire management. In this study we compiled fire response information for SWWA’s threatened plant species and undertook a bioregional assessment of variation in fire interval over the last 40 years. We determined the fire response traits of 242 (60%) of the region’s 401 extant threatened species. Over half of the 242 species were obligate seeders and will therefore have population dynamics particularly sensitive to fire interval. Our study highlights large differences in fire interval across nine bioregions in SWWA. The differences were greatest for the heavily cleared and fragmented bioregions compared with more continuously vegetated bioregions. We discuss how variations in the frequency of fire life-history traits and fire interval interact to determine the nature and relative level of threat posed by fire in these landscapes. Survival of many populations of threatened flora in this biodiversity hotspot will depend on developing appropriate fire regimes that match the regeneration requirements of each species.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document