scholarly journals Education and training in Brazilian botanical gardens: are we achieving GSPC targets?

Rodriguésia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 1603-1612
Author(s):  
Tania Maria Cerati
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
The Public ◽  
Botanical Gardens ◽  
Representative Species ◽  
Education And Awareness

Abstract Engage, educate and raise public awareness of the importance of plant diversity is the means through which plant conservation can be achieved. The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) is a programme to halt the loss of plant diversity and recognize botanical gardens as a partners. This paper investigates the implementation of targets 14 and 15 GSPC in Brazilian botanic gardens specially in education and awareness about plant diversity and trained people. A survey was carried out on the institutional websites of 21 gardens registered in the National System of Botanical Gardens Registration to identify actions that follow the guidelines of these two targets. Websites outdated, difficult access and lack online resources for the public shows us that internet tools are poorly used to divulgation. The target 14's activities performed in most gardens are educational visits and environmental interpretation and explore collections in situ and ex situ from representative species of regional flora. Trained people is held in all gardens but some stand out as important research centers and graduate programs. Despite the efforts Brazilian botanical gardens need improve the public communication and develop strategies to measure the targets progress.

scholarly journals An Introduction to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

2003 ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
David Rae
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Building Capacity ◽  
Education And Awareness

The background to, and development of, the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is described and the agreed global targets for 2010 are listed. The 16 targets are arranged in five groups as follows: understanding and documenting plant diversity, conserving plant diversity, using plant diversity sustainability, promoting education and awareness about plant diversity and building capacity for the conservation of plant diversity

scholarly journals The Restoration of Erica verticillata

2017 ◽  
pp. 39-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Hitchcock ◽  
Anthony G. Rebelo
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Natural Ecosystem ◽  
Restoration Process

The Threatened Species Programme at the South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, is integrated to include both ex situ and in situ conservation activities. Plant conservation is driven by South Africa’s Strategy for Plant Conservation which was developed in response to the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. This case study examines the conservation of Erica verticillata (whorl heath), a flagship for threatened species at Kirstenbosch, and documents the integration of ex situ with in situ conservation at three areas on the Cape Flats. The whorl heath was thought to be extinct by 1950. Horticulturists have since rediscovered eight clones in botanic gardens worldwide, the Heather Society and commercial growers. Ex situ conservation in botanic garden collections and the Millennium Seed Bank has since allowed in situ conservation in the critically endangered Cape Flats Sand Fynbos vegetation type. The process of restoring the whorl heath presented many challenges. Initially attempts were hampered by limited available knowledge on suitable niche habitats. Pioneering work carried out at Rondevlei Nature Reserve identified the suitable habitat and this was applied in subsequent in situ work at Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area and at Tokai Park – the only natural areas remaining in or near this species’ historical distribution range. Successful re-establishment of this species depends upon its capacity to recruit after fire, which is an essential ecological process in the fynbos. Many clones have been in cultivation for a long time and are poor seed producers: seed production was first recorded at Rondevlei only after additional clones were planted together. Only one population (Rondevlei) to date has seen a fire and thus has recruited seedlings; however these are competing with vigorous companion plants. The study continues and is currently exploring the role of herbivory in the restoration process. The key lesson learnt to date is the need to include sustainable management of the entire ecosystem in the restoration process and not limit it to single species. Success in restoring a species depends upon a healthy stand of the vegetation type in place, along with pollinators and other key fauna and other natural ecosystem processes. It is recommended that successful re- establishment of a species in fynbos requires the reintroduced population to survive three fire cycles.

scholarly journals The Role of Gardens in Integrated Conservation Practice

2019 ◽  
pp. 177-188
Author(s):  
Audrey Denvir ◽  
Jeannine Cavender-Bares ◽  
Antonio González-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Integrated Research ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Conservation Plan ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Integrated Conservation

Gardens and horticulturists play an increasingly important role in plant conservation, both in situ and ex situ. Integrated research and conservation of species intends to work across fields to connect science to conservation practice by engaging actors from different sectors, including gardens. The case of integrated conservation of Quercus brandegeei, a microendemic oak species in Baja California Sur, Mexico, is presented as an example of a collaboration between gardens and academic researchers to create a species-specific conservation plan that incorporates horticultural knowledge.

scholarly journals Building a Global System for the Conservation of all Plant Diversity

2016 ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
Paul Smith
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Professional Community ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Global Network ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Botanic Gardens ◽  
Global System ◽  
Wide Range

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.

scholarly journals Application of the MSAP Technique to Evaluate Epigenetic Changes in Plant Conservation

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (20) ◽  
pp. 7459
Author(s):  
María Elena González-Benito ◽  
Miguel Ángel Ibáñez ◽  
Michela Pirredda ◽  
Sara Mira ◽  
Carmen Martín
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Regenerated Plants ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Methylation Patterns

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.

scholarly journals Mitigating Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valarie Thomas ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Pascale Van Rooij ◽  
Elin Verbrugghe ◽  
Vojtech Baláž ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Situ Conservation ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Batrachochytrium Salamandrivorans ◽  
Mitigation Methods

Abstract The infectious chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has been responsible for severe population declines of salamander populations in Europe. Serious population declines and loss of urodelan diversity may occur if appropriate action is not taken to mitigate against the further spread and impact of Bsal. We provide an overview of several potential mitigation methods, and describe their possible advantages and limitations. We conclude that long-term, context-dependent, multi-faceted approaches are needed to successfully mitigate adverse effects of Bsal, and that these approaches should be initiated pre-arrival of the pathogen. The establishment of ex situ assurance colonies, or management units, for species threatened with extinction, should be considered as soon as possible. While ex situ conservation and preventive measures aimed at improving biosecurity by limiting amphibian trade may be implemented quickly, major challenges that lie ahead are in designing in situ disease containment and mitigation post-arrival and in increasing public awareness.

Integrating animal welfare into wild herbivore management: lessons from the Australian Feral Camel Management Project

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan O. Hampton ◽  
Bidda Jones ◽  
Andrew L. Perry ◽  
Corissa J. Miller ◽  
Quentin Hart
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
The Public ◽  
Audit System ◽  
Management Project ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
High Standards

The Australian Feral Camel Management Project (AFCMP) was initiated in 2009 to manage the growing impacts of feral camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Australia. One of the most important considerations for the project was achieving high standards of animal welfare and demonstrating this to stakeholders and the public. The novelty of feral camels as an invasive species meant that relatively little was known about the animal welfare aspects of the available management techniques. To address this knowledge gap, quantitative animal-based assessment tools were developed to allow independent observers to perform repeatable in situ field auditing of the two main control methods used: aerial (helicopter) shooting and live capture (mustering and transport for slaughter). Although observation protocols allowed most stages of aerial shooting (in situ killing) to be assessed, not all stages of live capture operations could be assessed (namely transport and slaughter at ex situ abattoirs) due to the limitations of the jurisdiction of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. For assessments that were performed, audit results were made available to project partners to allow procedures to be reviewed and published through peer-reviewed literature to improve transparency. Empirical evidence produced through the audit system was also used to refine humaneness ranking assessments comparing management methods. We present the lessons learnt through the animal welfare approach of the AFCMP to assist future wild herbivore management programs.

scholarly journals Towards a working list of all known plant species

2004 ◽  
Vol 359 (1444) ◽  
pp. 681-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eimear Nic Lughadha
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Large Databases ◽  
Complete Listing

A complete listing of the world's known plant species has long been considered desirable but has remained an elusive target for generations of botanists. The adoption of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation has reinforced the urgent need for a global plant checklist to support, facilitate and monitor the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity worldwide. The increasing availability of large databases of biological information over the Internet has demonstrated that many of the obstacles to the collation and dissemination of vast, shared datasets can be overcome. We examine the challenges that still remain to be addressed if the botanical community is to achieve its ambitious objective of delivering a working list of all known plant species by 2010.

scholarly journals Botanic gardens, education, and orchid conservation strategies: the need for a coordinated approach

Lankesteriana ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Mirenda
Keyword(s):  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Botanic Gardens ◽  
Botanic Garden ◽  
Orchid Conservation ◽  
Public Garden ◽  
Para Determinar

Se ha escuchado a nivel mundial el llamado para la conservación de orquídeas, por parte de científicos, profesionales de horticultura, propagadores comerciales y los apasionados entusiastas privados, todos con diferentes opiniones sobre la manera para atacar este problema global. Las noticias han sido desalentadoras en relación al calentamiento global, destrucción de hábitat, desplazamiento de poblaciones nativas por parte de agresivas, exóticas e insostenibles depredaciones /cosechas de plantas y los esfuerzos impotentes para hacer cumplir las protecciones legales. Se han dedicado muchas ideas y esfuerzos para determinar estrategias específicas para la conservación de orquídeas, incluyendo la protección al hábitat, la compra y preservación de los “puntos calientes,” así como las tendencias hacia la creación de reservas hortícolas, tanto nativas (reservas de los Jardines de Lankester, Fundación EcoMinga, Ecuagenera) y ex situ (jardines de orquídeas en Hawái, colecciones bajo vidrio, etc.). Tácticas como un banco de semillas, tecnología ADN, esfuerzos de propagación ex situ, así como eventuales reintroducciones, inherentemente dependen de recursos y propiedades de jardines botánicos y cultivadores comerciales responsables. Es este tipo de trabajo de horticultura el que ha salvado a otros géneros que no corresponden a las orquídeas, tales como Franklinia, Torreya, Wollemia, y especies de orquídeas como Paphiopedilum vietnamense, Epidendrum ilense, y Angraecum longicalcar de la extinción. Los jardines botánicos unidos bajo ciertas organizaciones como la Asociación Americana de Jardines Públicos (American Public Garden Association - APGA) y Jardines Botánicos para la Conservación Internacional (Botanic Garden Conservation International - BGCI), necesitan de una mayor cooperación y coordinación para el éxito de sus esfuerzos para la conservación de plantas. Además, es un aspecto crítico que los jardines botánicos se conecten con la comunidad científica (y viceversa), especialmente aquellos que mejor pueden asesorar sobreaquellas especies más amenazadas. Si las colecciones van a ser utilizadas en forma óptima, las sociedades científicas y de horticultura deben estar más conscientes de sus respectivos activos y prioridades. En el Primer Congreso Internacional para la Conservación de Orquídeas (International Orchid Conservation Congress - IOCC), se adoptaron cuatro resoluciones de la Estrategia Global para la Conservación de Plantas (Global Strategy for Plant Conservation – GSPC en inglés): 1): el 90% de todas las orquídeas amenazadas deberían ser asegurada en colecciones ex situ; 2) el 50% debería constar en programas para su recuperación activa; 3) Se debe considerar que las orquídeas están amenazadas cuando su cosecha no es sostenible; y 4) Para el año 2010, cada niño y niña debe estar consciente de lo que es la diversidad de plantas (incluyendo a las orquídeas). ¿C.mo podemos evaluar si se está logrando el progreso hacia estos admirables objetivos sin que exista una entidad que unifique y que pueda recopilar el progreso, la información y el grado de éxitos alcanzado? Al ver el esfuerzo desplegado en tantos lugares separados, es indudable que se necesita urgentemente este tipo de entidad. Constituye la meta de muchos jardines botánicos y una meta específica del Instituto Smithsoniano, el promover la diseminación de conocimientos y comprensión. Con este fin en mente, el anterior objetivo #4 constituye una particular prioridad. A pesar de que alcanzar la meta del 100% de conciencia compartida en relación a la diversidad de plantas para el año 2010, hemos iniciado un proyecto que nos permita comprender y finalmente corregir el llamado síndrome de “Ceguera relativa a las Plantas,” bajo el cual la persona promedio no considera que las plantas son seres vivientes (en el mismo sentido de los animales). Mediante el uso de encuestas y entrevistas personales, se está analizando este síndrome generalizado y penetrante para determinar sus caracter.sticas demográficas, hombre/ mujer, urbano/rural, jóvenes/ viejos, etc. Es imperativo para los educadores que identifiquen la edad en la cual dichas actitudes empiezan a introducirse en la psiquis de los jóvenes. Es necesario aplicar ciertas técnicas que permitan elevar el grado de conciencia de los individuos de todas las edades en relación a la importancia de la diversidad de las plantas y su conservación. Esto puede tomar la forma de presentaciones, exposición a especies representativas, paseos de campo y otras oportunidades educativas, que permitan cultivar un enfoque mental que comprenda y a la final proteja el mundo natural. 

scholarly journals Plant Diversity Conservation Challenges and Prospects—The Perspective of Botanic Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2371
Author(s):  
Elinor Breman ◽  
Daniel Ballesteros ◽  
Elena Castillo-Lorenzo ◽  
Christopher Cockel ◽  
John Dickie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Seed Bank ◽  
Plant Material ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Wild Plant ◽  
Botanic Gardens ◽  
Integrated Conservation

There is a pressing need to conserve plant diversity to prevent extinctions and to enable sustainable use of plant material by current and future generations. Here, we review the contribution that living collections and seed banks based in botanic gardens around the world make to wild plant conservation and to tackling global challenges. We focus in particular on the work of Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with its associated global Partnership. The advantages and limitations of conservation of plant diversity as both living material and seed collections are reviewed, and the need for additional research and conservation measures, such as cryopreservation, to enable the long-term conservation of ‘exceptional species’ is discussed. We highlight the importance of networks and sharing access to data and plant material. The skill sets found within botanic gardens and seed banks complement each other and enable the development of integrated conservation (linking in situ and ex situ efforts). Using a number of case studies we demonstrate how botanic gardens and seed banks support integrated conservation and research for agriculture and food security, restoration and reforestation, as well as supporting local livelihoods.

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