tree conservation and the role of botanic gardens · international (bgci). it is published twice a...

Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Volume 12 • Number 2 • July 2015

Tree conservation and the role of

botanic gardens

BGCI • 2015 • BGjournal • Vol 12.2 02

BGjournal is published by Botanic Gardens ConservationInternational (BGCI). It is published twice a year and issent to all BGCI members. Membership is open to allinterested individuals, institutions and organisations thatsupport the aims of BGCI (see inside back cover forMembership application form).

Further details available from:

• Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Descanso House, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BW UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5953, Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5956 E-mail: [email protected], www.bgci.org

• BGCI-Russia, c/o Main Botanical Gardens, Botanicheskaya st., 4, Moscow 127276, Russia. Tel: +7 (095) 219 6160 / 5377, Fax: +7 (095) 218 0525, E-mail: [email protected], www.bgci.org/russia

• BGCI-Netherlands, c/o Delft University of Technology Julianalaan 67, NL-2628 BC Delft, Netherlands Tel: +31 15 278 4714 Fax: +31 15 278 2355 E-mail: [email protected] www.botanischetuin.tudelft.nl

• BGCI-Canarias, c/o Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo,Apartado de Correos 14, Tafira Alta 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain. Tel: +34 928 21 95 80/82/83, Fax: +34 928 21 95 81, E-mail: [email protected]

• BGCI-China, 723 Xingke Rd., Guangzhou 510650 China.Tel:(86)20-37252692. email: [email protected]/china

• BGCI-Colombia, c/o Jardín Botánico de Bogotá, Jose Celestino Mutis, Av. No. 61-13 – A.A. 59887, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. Tel: +57 630 0949, Fax: +57 630 5075, E-mail: [email protected], www.humboldt.org.co/jardinesdecolombia/html/la_red.htm

• BGCI(US) Inc, c/o Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois 60022, USA. E-mail: [email protected], www.bgci.org/usa

BGCI is a worldwide membership organisation established in1987. Its mission is to mobilise botanic gardens and engagepartners in securing plant diversity for the well-being ofpeople and the planet. BGCI is an independent organisationregistered in the United Kingdom as a charity (Charity Reg No1098834) and a company limited by guarantee, No 4673175.BGCI is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation in theUSA and is a registered non-profit organisation in Russia.

Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarilyreflect the views of the Boards or staff of BGCI or of itsmembers

Suzanne SharrockDirector of GlobalProgrammes

EDITOR

Volume 12 • Number 2

Cover Photo: Propagation of native tree species in Kenya(Barney Wilczak)

Design: Seascape www.seascapedesign.co.uk

EDITORIAL BOTANIC GARDENS AND TREE CONSERVATION Paul Smith

APPROACHES TO TREE CONSERVATION BGCI’S WORK IN CHINAEmily Beech and Joachim Gratzfeld

TREE RED LISTING IN BRAZIL: LESSONS AND PERSPECTIVESEline Martins, Rafael Loyola, Tainan Messina, Ricardo Avancini,Gustavo Martinelli

CONSERVATION ROLE FOR A NEW ARBORETUM IN CANBERRA,AUSTRALIA Mark Richardson and Scott Saddler

THE GLOBAL TREES CAMPAIGN – SAFEGUARDING THE WORLD’STHREATENED TREES FROM EXTINCTION Kirsty Shaw

GENETIC OPTIMIZATION OF TREES IN LIVING COLLECTIONS Alison KS Wee, Yann Surget-Groba and Richard Corlett

WHITHER RARE RELICT TREES IN A CLIMATE OF RAPID CHANGE?Joachim Gratzfeld, Gregor Kozlowski, Laurence Fazan,Stéphane Buord, Giuseppe Garfì, Salvatore Pasta, PanagiotaGotsiou, Christina Fournaraki, Dimos Dimitriou

EX SITU CONSERVATION OF ENDANGERED MALAGASY TREES AT PARC IVOLOINA Chris Birkinshaw, Karen Freeman andGeorge Schatz

THE GLOBAL TREES CAMPAIGN AND ARBNET – WORKING TOGETHER TO ADVANCE PROFESSIONALISM AND TREECONSERVATION IN ARBORETA Murphy Westwood

SAVING MALAWI’S NATIONAL TREE Paul Smith

LEARNING ABOUT THE CLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS OFTHREATENED TREE SPECIES Dr Trevor Booth

RESOURCES

CLICK & GO 03

CLICK & GO 04

CLICK & GO 08

CLICK & GO 12

CLICK & GO 15

CLICK & GO 18

CLICK & GO 21

CLICK & GO 26

CLICK & GO 34

CLICK & GO 40

CLICK & GO 30

CLICK & GO 37

03 • BGCI • 2015 • BGjournal • Vol 12.2 03

Trees are surely the most charismaticof plant species. The tallest trees inthe world grow to a height of over

100 metres and even the commonspecies found in our gardens inspirewonder in our children who feelcompelled to climb them as high as theydare. It was trees that first sparked myinterest in botany. I worked as a safariguide in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley in my early twenties and found myselfsurrounded by majestic 30 metrewinterthorns (Faidherbia albida), baobabs(Adansonia digitata) and ebonies(Diospyros mespiliformis). However,despite the wealth of tree diversity thatdominated the riverine landscapes of theSouth Luangwa National Park, there wereno field guides or sources of informationon these trees. This was in stark contrastto the wealth of information on the birdsand mammals of the valley. Admittedly, it was the lions, leopards, elephants andgiraffe that tourists mainly came to see,closely followed by legions of twitchershoping to get a glimpse of a rare bird likethe Angolan pitta. However, the closeryou looked the more you realised theimportance of the trees to these andother species. Food for the giraffe andelephant; somewhere to stash your kill forthe leopard; a perch to spot prey for thelion; and a nest for a rare bird. For ushumans, trees provide us with shelter,fuel, medicines and a myriad of otherprovisioning services. They give us cleanwater, control erosion and generate theoxygen that we breathe. All of these arethe strongest possible reasons forconserving them in all of their diversity.

Last year the first State of the World’sForest Genetic Resources report waspublished by FAO. This report estimatesthat there are 80,000-100,000 treespecies in the world, of which around

8,000 (<10%) are reported as being used.Of these, only 2,400 (<3%) are activelymanaged, and only 500-600 (<1%) are intree breeding and improvementprogrammes. The good news here is thattree diversity represents huge scope forhuman innovation, adaptation andresilience. The bad news is that we knowso little about trees and, in particular,whether we are losing species that maybe essential for our own survival.

In this edition of BGjournal you will readabout what we, in the botanic gardenscommunity, are doing to address theseissues. At BGCI we are building the mostcomprehensive list of tree species in theworld (see page 16 TreeSearch). Currentlystanding at around 70,000 taxa, we hopeto complete this register of tree diversityby early next year. Using this list as areference, the next step is to carry out a Global Tree Assessment (page 16);working with partners all around theworld and led by the Global TreesSpecialist Group of the IUCN, we aim tohave assessed the conservation status ofevery known tree species by 2020. Youcan read about the massive effort underway to assess Brazil’s estimated 8,000native tree species on page 8. Theseassessments will drive our conservationactions. The Global Trees Campaign(page 15) aims to prevent all treeextinctions. Wherever possible we willwork to conserve trees in situ, addressingthreats directly and ensuring that theycontinue to thrive in nature as self-sustaining populations. Where this is notpossible, we will conserve their seeds inseed banks, keep them alive in tissueculture or grow them in our arboreta.Increasingly, we will need to learn how to translocate trees, reinforce treepopulations or restore their habitats inincreasingly human-dominated

landscapes. A particular challenge will beto manage tree populations unable torespond quickly enough to a rapidlychanging climate, by maximising theirgenetic diversity and adaptive potential.

Despite the obstacles, I believe that it isentirely possible to conserve, manageand pass on all tree diversity to futuregenerations. There is no technical reasonwhy any plant species should becomeextinct given the array of managementoptions open to us – both in situ and ex situ. And it is botanic gardens andarboreta that need to lead these efforts.As the articles in this issue of BGjournaldemonstrate, we have the information,skills and knowledge to find, identify,conserve and manage tree diversity rightacross the taxonomic array. As incomingSecretary General of Botanic GardensConservation International I am excited tobe part of a community of botanicgardens around the world that is doingsomething so positive.

Paul SmithBGCI Secretary General

EDITORIALBOTANIC GARDENS AND TREE CONSERVATION

Authors: Emily Beech and Joachim Gratzfeld

04-07 • BGCI • 2015 • BGjournal • Vol 12.2 04

Just as there are many tree species,there are many approaches to theirconservation. Trees occur in

different habitats and ecosystems andare at risk due to a diverse range ofthreats including land use changes,overexploitation and climate change.These threats result in differentconsequences on the ground; the habitatmay have disappeared, been replaced orbecome degraded. Some tree specieshave declined to the point at which theyare in need of special help in order tosurvive.

Covering an area of 9,596,961 km², Chinafeatures a large diversity of ecosystemswith numerous rare and threatened nativetrees. BGCI’s projects operate in a rangeof these habitats, including tropicalrainforests, temperate desert, riparianforest as well as temperate and

subtropical forests. The threats to treesdiffer in each location, requiring multipleapproaches to their conservation.

Here we take a quick look at the variedways in which local Chinese partners andBGCI are working together to conservethe threatened trees of China.

Species recovery

The focus of the Global Trees Campaignis to protect and improve theconservation status of threatened trees(see page 15) There are 9,641 threatenedtrees worldwide and China is home to atleast 760 of these species. Assistedspecies recovery focuses on one orseveral species with few individualsremaining in the wild and gives a helpinghand to increase numbers and encouragenatural reproduction in the future.

BGCI’s work in China includes a range of projects toensure the survival of threatened tree species

APPROACHES TO TREE CONSERVATION

Above: Magnolia sinostellata(Shouzhou Zhang)Top: Xishuangbanna Tropical BotanicalGarden (Barney Wilczak)

Target 8 of the Global Strategy for PlantConservation (GSPC) calls for 75% ofthreatened species to be in ex situcollections by 2020. In order forcollections to have the greatest value toconservation and reintroductionprogrammes they must represent thegenetic variation of the species.

However, many threatened tree speciesare not well represented in ex situcollections. It is therefore necessary toimprove this representation and developpropagation protocols to enablepopulation reinforcement in situ.

In the case of Magnolia sinostellata, it is its horticultural value which has directlycontributed to its decline. Only threepopulations are known to remain in thewild with limited genetic diversity. BGCI, in collaboration with Fairy Lake BotanicalGarden, Shenzhen has been working toimprove the conservation status of thisspecies in Zhejiang. Ex situ conservationcollections are being established torepresent all three remaining populationsalong with the development of propagationprotocols, using cuttings, grafting anddividing. Efforts to enrich the dwindlinggenetic diversity of Magnolia sinostellataare a particular focus in one population(Jingning population) which has the leastfertile seeds. This project is in its earlystages and it is hoped that work willultimately lead to population reinforcementand reintroduction programmes in thefuture. There are plans to plant out 1,000 –

2,000 seedlings in to the wild, to improvethe chances of self-reproduction andpopulation growth.

Other BGCI species recovery programmesare in their later stages and showpromising results. A project incollaboration with Guilin Botanical Garden,the Guangxi Institute of Botany and the

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) aimsto improve the conservation status of threerare Golden camellias, Camellia nitidissima,C. euphlebia and C. tunghinensis. Theproject has so far successfully propagatedall three species and has introduced 6,000plants into a demonstration base, with anadditional 20,000 plants being grown inthree nurseries in the vicinity. Ex situcollections in Guilin Botanic Garden andNanning Arboretum are now extensive,harbouring the genetic diversity of the wildpopulations.

Major efforts to maximise the geneticdiversity of botanic garden ex situcollections are also being developed atXishuangbanna Tropical BotanicalGarden. See page 18.

Ecosystem restoration

It is not only individual species that are inin danger. Many unique ecosystems arerapidly becoming degraded or damagedto the point where they no longer providethe ecosystem services they onceoffered. Restoration of an ecosysteminvolves facilitating natural succession.Human disturbances often prevent thisprocess and interventions are needed tokick-start the process, for instance byremoving exotic plants, reducing soilerosion and reintroducing native species.


Tree planting in Mangyangguan, China (Barney Wilczak)

Camellia nursery in China (BGCI)

In partnership with XishuangbannaTropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), BGCI isworking to restore tropical forest remnantsin Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. The tropicalforest of the region is fragmented due tothe increase in cash crop cultivation,especially large-scale rubber plantations.One of the remaining, yet degraded forestareas is Dai Holy Hill Forest. Large, maturenative trees have been extensivelyextracted for timber, leaving the forestfloor liable to erosion. With the aid ofhistorical records and ex situ collections,this collaborative project aims to restorethe forest remnant to a similar plantcomposition as was present prior todisturbance. Two years into this project,several hundred saplings of 25 endemicwoody species have been planted in a tenhectare pilot restoration site in the forest.Exotic weeds have been removed with thehelp of the local community. In the longterm, this project hopes to scale upplanting as well as encourage similaractivities in other forest remnants.

Another example of BGCI’s efforts torestore ecosystems and unique habitatsin partnership with our members is theconservation work carried out in riparianforests along the Tarim River in the arid

Xinjiang region. The poplar forests areunder a triple threat from expandingagriculture, livestock grazing and ashrinking water table. In partnership withTarim University, BGCI is working toprotect the habitat whilst propagatingand planting two of the target treespecies, Populus euphratica and P.pruinosa in pilot plots. Seed regenerationis low so studies are ongoing to identifynatural ways to promote naturalreproduction. In the meantime, plantingof vegetatively propagated individuals isbeing carried out.

Boosting conservation throughlivelihoods enhancement andcommunity engagement

2010 figures from the World Bankestimate that 84.1 million people in Chinalive on less than $1.25 a day. Povertypushes communities towardsunsustainable levels of harvesting,encouraging conversion of forest toagriculture and the over-exploitation oftimber resources for income generation.

Conservation programmes will thereforebe most successful when they considerthe needs of local communities. In certain

locations, communities have beenexploiting forest resources withoutknowledge of the full impact on treepopulations. A key to reducing the threatsto many of these species is to provideincentives and training to avoid futureunsustainable harvesting.

For instance, much of the natural forestsurrounding Dahetou village in southernYunnan is owned by the community andindividual households. Threats come inthe form of various forms of commercialinterest, especially the extraction oftimber. Working with the Yunnan Instituteof Environmental Science, BGCI ispromoting population reinforcementprogrammes of two rare flagship trees,Magnolia cathcartii and M. doltsopa,which are heavily utilised in localconstruction. There is a real need forreliable incomes in the village to preventfurther overharvesting of forest resourcesfor economic reasons. In addition topropagating and planting hundreds ofsaplings of the two species, publicoutreach materials with information onthe ethnobotanical importance of localplant diversity have been produced anddistributed to the local community. Infuture the project will facilitate income


Caption

Members of the Dai ethnic minority replanting forest in China (Barney Wilczak)

generation through enhanced promotionof home gardening of medicinal speciesto reduce overreliance on the forestnatural resources.

Although widely acknowledged, theimportance of engaging localcommunities from the outset of a newconservation endeavour is still oftenoverlooked. When ecosystems andspecific tree species are faced withhuman threats, it is essential to identifythe reasons why people resort tounsustainable exploitation. Withouttackling the drivers of decline of a treespecies it is likely to face furtherproblems in the future. Projects whichdirectly affect local communities can beviewed more positively if they incorporateelements of community engagement,opportunities for employment andeducation programmes.

Most of BGCI’s tree conservation projectstherefore include specific social aims,working in harmony and with the help ofthe local community to ensure that peopledirectly experience the benefits ofconserving trees and their habitats. Forexample, the Golden Camellia project inGuangxi mentioned above, aims toenhance the incomes of local farmers byproviding access to high-value plantresources, while work in Yunnan hasdirectly engaged several hundred schoolchildren in the restoration of tropical forestremnants in Xishuangbanna.

One of the most successful examples ofthis approach was a restoration projectrun between 2008 and 2011 in Pingbiancounty, Yunnan to conserve three globallythreatened trees, Dipteronia dyeriana,Magnolia odoratissima and Magnoliaaromatica. During the project,stakeholder workshops were held to raiseawareness in the local community of theimportance of plant conservation.Encouraged by these sessions, severalfarmers set up nurseries for threatenedtree species, in addition to partnering onthe establishment of a ‘near situ’conservation field collection with over14,200 saplings of threatened species.This generated additional incomeopportunities from the sale of seedlings.

Education

Target 14 of GSPC calls for plantconservation to form part of educationand public awareness programmes.

BGCI’s project in the ZhibenshanMountains in west Yunnan practisesextensive replanting of threatenedspecies in an area degraded from miningactivities and extraction of naturalresources by local communities.Alongside this, the project has alsodeveloped numerous outreach activitiesto engage local people in theconservation work, linked with theestablishment of a series of interpretationmaterials such as panels along the sideof a new road in the project area topromote interest and pride in thesurrounding plant diversity and theimportance of securing it for the future.

Conclusion

As discussed above, the threats to nativetree species are not homogenous acrossa country like China, with a large range ofhabitats and social settings. Beforeembarking on a tree conservation project,there are numerous issues to considerand stakeholders to consult. Theseinclude conservation status assessmentsto identify threatened species of the area,historical records and floras to assess thedifferences in diversity and the amount of

damage which has occurred, the driversfor the threats, as well as uses of plantresources by the local community. All ofthese factors will influence whichapproach or combination of differentmethods would be most successful inconserving the area’s target trees andrestoring the habitat at large.

The success of former and continuingprojects of BGCI and partners in Chinademonstrates that tree conservation canhave benefits which go far beyond theimmediate protection of the target species.This work also endeavours to inspire thenext generation of ‘environmentalstewards’ and boost ownership of andpride in the local biodiversity. The projectslisted above represent only a snapshot ofBGCI’s work in China. More informationabout BGCI’s China programme can befound on the BGC website (www.bgci.org),with information also available in Chinese(www.bgci.org/china).

Emily Beech and Joachim GratzfeldBGCI199, Kew Road, Richmond [email protected].


Magnolia sinostellata (Shouzhou Zhang)


Introduction

Brazil has the largest number of plantspecies in the world (46,097) withone new species being described

every two days. The country has 8,058native tree species, mainly concentrated inthe Amazon and the Atlantic Rainforest(List of Species of the Brazilian Flora,2015). The Brazilian National Centre forFlora Conservation (CNCFlora) isresponsible, at the national level, forassessing the conservation status of the

Brazilian flora and developing recoveryplans for species threatened withextinction. CNCFlora is the Red ListAuthority for plants in Brazil and adoptsthe standards and proceduresrecommended by the International Unionfor the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Since 2010, CNCFlora has assessed theextinction risk of 5,165 species of theBrazilian flora (11.2% of the national flora).As a result, 2,478 plant species areconsidered threatened with extinction atthe national level: 527 CriticallyEndangered - CR; 1,378 Endangered - EN,and 573 Vulnerable – VU. (Martinelli andMoraes, 2013; Martinelli et al., 2014).

The importance of trees

Trees play a pivotal role in Brazilianecosystems. They are important not onlybecause of their ecology and complexinteractions with other species andenvironments, but also because of theircultural and socioeconomic value.Considering these values is essential inunderstanding the threats and identifying

the knowledge gaps for tree species inBrazil. Such information will ultimatelyinform the development of on-the-groundconservation actions. So far, CNCFlora hasevaluated the extinction risk for 1,125 treespecies (13.9% of the total of Brazilian treespecies), resulting in 420 tree speciesbeing assigned to a given threat category(66 CR; 224 EN and 130 VU) (Fig. 1).

TREE REDLISTING IN

BRAZIL: LESSONS ANDPERSPECTIVES

Authors: Eline Martins, Rafael Loyola, Tainan Messina, Ricardo Avancini, Gustavo Martinelli

A part of the remains of the Atlantic Rainforest in Itatiaia National Park, Rio de Janeirostate, the first National Park in Brazil (Eduardo Fernandez)

An individual of “Brazilwood”(Caesalpinia echinata) in the Rio deJaneiro Botanic Garden (Lucas Moraes)

Figure 1: Risk assessment overview in Brazilconsidering the total number of plantspecies and the total number of tree species

50,00046,097

8,058

5,1651,125 2,478

420

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0BrazilianFlora

Total Species

Number of Species

Tree Species

Evaluated Speciesof Brazilian Flora

Threatened Flora Species

Threats to trees in Brazil

As in many parts of the world, the mainthreats for native plants in Brazil arehabitat conversion/alteration for cattleranching, agricultural expansion andmining. Some tree species have also beenheavily exploited due to the value of theirtimber for real-estate and shipbuildingapplications, as well as for furniture andmedicinal uses, and are consequentlyexperiencing large population reductions.For example, the tree that originally gavethe country its name, the “Brazilwood”(Caesalpinia echinata Lam. - Fabaceae) iscurrently classified as EN on the officiallist of threatened flora in Brazil, and it hasa long track record of being unsustainablyharvested. Following the colonization ofBrazil in the 1500’s a red dye taken fromthe tree’s heartwood was extensivelyused. Although this use ceased with theadvent of synthetic dyes during the1800’s, today the wood of this species isprized for the manufacture of high-qualitybows for stringed instruments. Currently,the main threat to the species is theextensive habitat destruction arising fromthe intense urbanization and agriculturalexpansion that is taking place along theBrazilian coast.

The International Pernambuco

Conservation Initiative (IPCI) is

dedicated to the conservation

and sustainable use of

Caesalpinia echinata, with the

aim of ensuring the future of

stringed instrument music.

Recovery plans

After the red listing process, the next stepin the conservation of species identified asunder threat, is the elaboration of recoveryplans (referred to as ‘action plans forconservation’ in Brazil). Recovery plansconsider information about species’ecological traits, historical and currentthreats and socio economic uses/conflictsto support the elaboration and executionof effective actions for conservation basedon the engagement of stakeholders. The effort to produce red lists (Moraes et

al., 2014) and recovery plans is veryimportant, but the elaboration,implementation and monitoring ofconservation action plans requiressignificant human and financialresources.

“To date, Brazil has only one

officially published recovery plan

for a tree species."

The only Brazilian tree species with apublished recovery plan is Dimorphandrawilsonii Rizzini, (Faveiro-de-Wilson). Thisspecies is found in the transition zonebetween the Cerrado and the AtlanticRainforest in the state of Minas Gerais,and it is classified as CR. The specieswas considered top priority for theelaboration of a recovery plan given thatthere are only 246 adult individualsknown after 10 years of intense efforts forits in situ and ex situ conservation

(Martins et al., 2014). Since December2014, new Brazilian legislation protectsthis species from harvesting, cuttingdown, transporting without authorization,storing, managing and trading.Legislation also reinforces the need forrobust species extinction riskassessments and the elaboration ofrecovery plans to guarantee the viabilityof populations for threatened species.Sustainable management is allowed forspecies classified as VU, as long as theactivity respects internationalagreements, and the recommendations ofrisk assessments and recovery plans,when in place.

Assessing species’ extinctionrisk in the Atlantic Rainforest of the state of Rio de Janeiro

The original area of the Atlantic Rainforesthas been continually devastated sincethe colonization period. Over the lastcentury it is estimated that close to 86%


Faveiro-de-Wilson tree classified as Critically Endangered (Fernando Fernandes)

"Assessments so far reveal that

37% of tree species in Brazil are

threatened with extinction."

of this forest has been lost (Ribeiro et al.,2009). However, when compared toother regions in Brazil, the Rio de Janeirostate has preserved a greater percentageof this forest (21%; Fundação SOS MataAtlântica and INPE, 2015). This providesan enormous opportunity to focus oneffective actions that will ensure theprotection of what is left of thisastonishing environment.

The state of Rio de Janeiro has highlevels of endemism (Jenkins and Pimm,2006). It harbors 7,662 known plantspecies, distributed among 198 families,of which 1,897 are trees species (List ofSpecies of the Brazilian Flora, 2015).Nearly 1,000 of these plant species areendemic, including 230 tree species.During 2015, CNCFlora aims to assessthe extinction risk of all endemic speciesin partnership with the EnvironmentSecretary of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

The challenge ahead: towardsthe achievement of GSPCtargets

The challenge to conserve tree species inBrazil is huge and has just started. Wehave a long way to go to guaranteeeffective protection of known threatened

species and the challenge goes beyondthis. Brazil has the most diverse flora inthe world and much more yet to bediscovered. Since 2010, an average of1,235 new species have been includedper year in the List of Species of theBrazilian Flora.

Considering this challenging scenario,CNCFlora is focused on achieving fivetargets proposed by the Global Strategyfor Plant Conservation (GSPC), which are(1) assessing the extinction risk for theknown Brazilian flora (Target 2), (2)ensuring the in situ conservation of 75%of the threatened species (Target 7), (3)ensuring the ex situ conservation of 75%of the threatened species (Target 8), (4)capacity building for plant conservation(Target 15), and (5) establishing a broadernetwork to accomplish strategicobjectives (Target 16).

To reach these targets, CNCFlora has atrained team working with a network ofover 500 botanical specialists. CNCFloraalso developed a tailor-made onlineplatform for species’ evaluation, whichallows the recording of up to 49 fieldsrelated to the biology of the species,ongoing threats to populations andconservation actions needed for their

survival. The data gathered during theassessment phase are stored in adatabase which is the basis for theelaboration of recovery plans, and whichalso supports the elaboration of spatialconservation plans, pinpointing priorityareas for the conservation andsustainable use of threatened plants inBrazil.

In December 2014, the first results of theextinction risk assessment carried out bythis dynamic and integrated onlinemethod was officially recognized by theBrazilian Ministry of Environment. Thisallowed the publication of the updatedofficial list of threatened flora in Brazil, animportant tool for public policy and lawenforcement for the conservation ofthreatened flora (MMA, 443/2014), andalso regulating the commercial use of treespecies. This was a first and critical steptowards more effective conservation inBrazil. However, further resources andmeans to guarantee the execution of thecommitments made by the country inaccordance with the GSPC targets arestill required.


Faveiro-de-Wilson tree, the only tree thathas an official published recovery plan inBrazil (Fernando Fernandes)

Box 1. The case of Terminaliaacuminata – Is the speciesEndangered or Extinct in the Wild?

In 2013, CNCFlora assessed the risk ofextinction of a mysterious species:Terminalia acuminata (Allemão) Eichler- Combretaceae, an endemic speciesof Rio de Janeiro. The species wasformerly listed as Data Deficient (DD) inthe last official list of threatened floraof Brazil from 2008. However, after amore comprehensive search andassessment, the species wasconsidered threatened (Martinelli andMoraes, 2013).

The most updated informationindicates its occurrence in twolocations and with incident threatssuch as urban expansion, logging andhabitat loss. This tree was last seen innature in 1942 and further recordsindicated its occurrence in a mountainregion of the state, as well as in theTijuca National Park located in the city

of Rio de Janeiro, one of the mostimportant National Parks in an urbanarea in the world (Pougy et al., 2014).Moreover, the literature describes T.acuminata as rare and a timberspecies, since its wood is used forbuilding and furniture making(Marquete, 1984; 2003).

This year, a new systematic search forthe species has been carried out andwhile this text was being edited thespecies was found in a forest remnantin the city of Rio de Janeiro. Our fieldteam found one fertile tree in a privateproperty close to the limits of a stateprotected area, as well as a maturetree, two juveniles and two seedlingsinside a municipal protected area.Local people appeared to know thespecies and could help to locate moreindividuals. This is good news, butthere is still an urgent need to increasecollection efforts for this species, inorder to better understand its realconservation status.

References

, Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica andInstituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais.2015. Atlas dos Remanescentes Florestaisda Mata Atlântica- Período 2013-2014.São Paulo. 60pp.

, Jenkins, C.N. and Pimm, S. L. 2006.Definindo Prioridades de Conservaçãoem um Hotspot de BiodiversidadeGlobal in Rocha, C.F.D., H.G. Bergallo,M. Van Sluys, and M.A.S. Alves (Eds.).Biologia da Conservação: Essências.RiMa Editora, São Carlos, SP. Brazil.

, List of Species of the Brazilian Flora. Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Available at:http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/.Accessed on: 25 Jun. 2015.

,Marquete N.F.D.S. 1984.Combretaceae do Estado do Rio deJaneiro. Subtribo Terminaliinae.Rodriguésia 36: 81-104.

,Marquete N.F.D.S., Teixeira J., ValenteM.D.C. 2003. Terminalia L.(Combretaceae) na Região Sudestedo Brasil. Bradea 9: 99-123.

,Martinelli, G., Messina, T., Santos Filho,L.A. 2014. Livro Vermelho da Flora doBrasil-Raras do Cerrado. AndreaJakobsson Estúdio: Instituto dePesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio deJaneiro, Rio de Janeiro.

,Martinelli, G., Moraes, M.A. 2013. LivroVermelho da Flora do Brasil. AndreaJakobsson Estúdio: Instituto dePesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio deJaneiro, Rio de Janeiro.

,Martins, E.M., Fernandes, F.,Maurenza, D., Pougy, N., Loyola, R.and Martinelli, G. 2014. Plano de AçãoNacional para a Conservação doFaveiro-de-wilson (Dimorphandrawilsonii Rizzini). Andrea JakobssonEstúdio: Instituto de Pesquisa JardimBotânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio deJaneiro.

,MMA, 2014. Portaria no 443, de 17 deDezembro de 2014. Diário Of. da União110–121.

,Moraes, M.A., Borges, R.A.X., Martins,E.M., Fernandes, R.A., Messina, T.,Martinelli, G. 2014. Categorizingthreatened species: an analysis of theRed List of the flora of Brazil. Oryx48:258–265.

, Pougy, N., Martins, E.M., Verdi, M.,Oliveira, J. A., Maurenza, D., Amaro, R.and Martinelli, G. 2014. Urban forestsand the conservation of threatenedplant species: the case of the TijucaNational Park, Brazil. Nat Conserv2:170–173.

,Ribeiro, M.C., Metzger, J.P., Martensen,A.C., et al. 2009. The Brazilian AtlanticForest: How much is left, and how isthe remaining forest distributed?Implications for conservation. BiolConserv 142:1141–1153.

Gustavo Martinelli. Instituto de Pesquisas JardimBotânico do Rio de Janeiro, Centro Nacional de Conservaça� o da Flora. Rua Pacheco Lea� o 915, 22460-030, Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [email protected]


An individual of Terminalia acuminata inthe Rio de Janeiro Botanic Garden, an endemic tree of Rio de Janeiro state(Lucas Moraes)


Introduction

In 2003, a bushfire that ravagedCanberra, the capital city of Australia,was the catalyst for the creation of an

arboretum as originally envisaged by thecity’s designer, Walter Burley Griffin. This is the National Arboretum Canberra1. The goal has been to create a place ofoutstanding beauty, of internationalstandard and interest. As a part of this, it has provided an opportunity to promoteand in some cases conserve threatenedspecies and it provides a valuable futureresource in Canberra for education andresearch.

The arboretum has been developed on a250-hectare site near Lake Burley Griffinabout six kilometres from the centre ofCanberra. The site incorporates existingstands of Himalayan Cedar (Cedrusdeodara) and Cork Oak (Quercus suber),much of which were planted about 80years ago.

A nation-wide design competition for theNational Arboretum Canberra commencedin September 2004, and on 31 May 2005the Australian Capital Territory Chief

Minister, Jon Stanhope, announced thelandscape architects Taylor Cullity andLethlean, with the architects TonkinZulaikha Greer, as the winners with the“100 Forests 100 Gardens” entry. Thedesign includes a series of single speciesforests, such as the existing ones ofcedars and oaks, instead of the usualwider arboretum collection of individualtrees or small groups. The first trees wereplanted in 2007 and ninety four of theforests have been planted so far. TheNational Arboretum opened to the publicin February 2013.

Tree Conservation

An important aspect of the “100 Forests100 Gardens” design concept was thedesigners’ focus on rare and threatenedtrees. While the conservation ofAustralia’s flora must still be seen as thepriority for the majority of conservationprograms in Australia, the work that isbeing done at the National Arboretumtakes into account its role to promote the importance of trees in a worldwidesense. Being the diplomatic capital ofAustralia, Canberra is well placed to fulfil such a role.

The National Arboretum’s conservationtheme has provided it with an excellentopportunity to contribute to the GlobalStrategy for Plant Conservation and as a national institution, it is already playingits role in supporting the GSPC Targets 8(ex situ conservation and restoration) and14 (education and public awareness).

GSPC Target 8

In line with GSPC Target 82, one of theNational Arboretum Canberra’s principalroles is to grow threatened species in theclimatic conditions of Canberra, so as togather horticultural information that mayassist their ex situ conservation generally.It will also be a source of propagationmaterial.

As an important part of this, the NationalArboretum has been working with in-country and international conservationiststo obtain provenanced propagationmaterial of several of the species beinggrown. One collection that has beenestablished using these connections is Cedrus libani, the Cedar of Lebanon.While the species has been growing inAustralia for some time and is reasonably

CONSERVATION ROLE FOR A NEWARBORETUM IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA

Authors: Mark Richardson and Scott Saddler

National Arboretum Canberra’s Central Valley for dignitary plantings (M. Richardson)

1www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/2Target 8: At least 75% of threatened species in ex situ collections, preferably in thecountry of origin and at least 20% available for recovery and restoration programmes.

easy to acquire, a closer link with thenatural stands in Lebanon was sought. A contact was made in Lebanon with theLebanese Agricultural Research Institutewho collected the seed at the Al ChoufCedar Nature Reserve. The seed wasthen passed on to the NationalArboretum via the Millennium Seed Bankin Kew. By doing so it has not only madeother conservationists aware ofAustralia’s new National Arboretum butcould be an opportunity to promote thespecies and the Al Chouf Cedar NatureReserve through the Lebanese Embassyin Canberra.

As some of the forests are being plantedwith species that are endangered or evencritically endangered in the wild, theamount of seed available can be verylimited and this has had to be addressedto enable the of planting a large forest lot.An example is Sophora toromiro whichwas endemic to the Pacific island ofRapa Nui (Easter Island) but is now isextinct in the wild (Maunder et al., 1999).As the National Arboretum was initiallynot able to produce a large enoughnumber of plants for the total forestplanting, it currently shares the forest lotwith a ‘host species’. In this case it isStyphnolobium japonicum, a speciesfrom China, which has been planted withthe Sophora toromiro and will be slowlyreplaced as the S. toromiro ispropagated. Until the forest is only onespecies, propagation will be throughvegetative material collected from acrossthe S. toromiro planting of over 100seedlings, not using seed collected fromS. toromiro in the Arboretum. Despite

this, testing from other collections aroundthe world indicates that the NationalArboretum’s S. toromiro planting is stilllikely to have only a low level of geneticdiversity (Maunder et al., 1999).

Although the majority of the forests are nonindigenous trees, about 20% of theplantings are indigenous to Australia, withcurrently six being threatened Eucalyptusspecies. These are Eucalyptus argophloia,E.benthamii, E.lacrimans, E.michaeliana,E.morrisbyi and E.parvula. The Arboretum’soldest eucalypt forest, Eucalyptusbenthamii (planted in 2007), has startedproducing seed and a request for seed has already been received. In addition tothe eucalypt forests, a diverse display oflocally occurring eucalypt species is beingdeveloped by a community-based group,Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park(STEP) and a mixed forest of Corymbiamaculata and E. tricarpa are being grownas research lots for the Australian NationalUniversity.

Another notable indigenous species inthe National Arboretum is the Wollemipine (Wollemia nobilis). Since the firstplanting at the National Arboretum, muchhas been learned about the growing, andassociated ex situ conservation, of thisgenetically limited species (Peakall et al.,2003). There is considerable microhabitatvariation in the forest where the treeswere planted and the impact of thatvariation has obviously affected thegrowth of the trees. The part of the forestthat appears to be most suitable forgrowing Wollemi pine is steeper, southfacing and on the edge of a rock outcrop.In that relatively small area some of thetrees planted in 2007 are now over 3 mhigh and have already produced seed.Outside that area, most trees have diedand the planting strongly demonstratesthe possibility for developing healthy exsitu collections in climatically challenginglocations if the best microhabitats can beidentified. It is possible that a secondforest of the Wollemi pine will beestablished in a section of the NationalArboretum that strongly suits the tree’shabitat needs.

One of the issues that has been taken intoaccount when selecting the species for theNational Arboretum is the possible orrecorded weediness of the trees and theweed status list produced by the CRC forAustralian Weed Management (Randall,2007) played an important role. As a resultof this review, several threatened specieshave been rejected because of likely weedissues in Canberra. However, this has notbeen an easy task as the variation in thelocalities in which plants have becomeweedy is substantial. As a result treesknown to have been weedy in areasthought significantly different to Canberrahave sometimes been accepted. But theprevious records must still not be ignoredand it is noted in management plans that if


National Arboretum Visitor Centre including interpretation (M. Richardson)

Early plantings at the National Arboretum (M. Richardson)

a newly introduced species commences to show a weediness that could lead to itbecoming naturalised, it will be removed.

GSPC Target 14

As an important part of its role, theNational Arboretum is also activelysupporting the GSPC’s Target 14 topromote ‘the importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated intocommunication, education and public awareness programmes’.

Although the Arboretum has only beenopen for two years it has alreadyattracted over a million people, and itsimportance in Canberra continues toclimb. In addition, many members of theCanberra community have generouslydonated their time. The assistanceprovided has included the monitoring oftree growth and health as well as theinterpretation of the forests, including aone and a half hour guided tour aboutplant conservation.

In addition, an education program forschool children addresses the issue ofconserving our forests. It looks at howtrees have changed over time and howthey have adapted to their environment. Italso addresses the role that institutionslike the National Arboretum must play inpreserving these trees for the future.

Since the National Arboretum Canberrawas established, a significant number ofdignitaries from different countries(including the UN Secretary-General)

have planted a tree that is relevant totheir country or role. The majority of thetrees planted have been threatenedspecies and it has always emphasisedthe importance of the world’s trees. Thedomestic and international mediaaccompanying these ceremonial treeplantings have also been encouraged topromote the importance of global treeconservation. Such events will continueto provide a powerful avenue fordisseminating the conservation status ofparticular tree species and the workunderway to maintain them.

Summary

Although the National Arboretum has onlybeen open for two years, its visitation andlevel of community involvement hasalready shown the strong role that itcould play in increasing people’sunderstanding of plant conservation. In addition, there will be an excellent

opportunity for the National Arboretum tofurther refine the genetic make-up of itscollections and continue to play its role inex situ conservation.

References:

,Maunder M.M., Culham, A., Bordeu, A.,Allainguillaume, J. and Wilkinson, M.1999. Genetic diversity and pedigreefor Sophora toromiro: a tree extinct inthe wild. Molecular Ecology, 8 (5) pp.725-738.

, Peakall, R., Ebert, D., Scott, L.J.,Meagher, P.F. and Offord, C.A. 2003.Comparative genetic study confirmsexceptionally low genetic variation inthe ancient and endangered relictualconifer, Wollemia nobilis(Araucariaceae). Molecular Ecology,12(9) pp. 2331-2343(13).

,Randall, R.P. 2007. The introduced floraof Australia and its weed status. CRCfor Australian Weed Management.

Mark RichardsonBotanical Consultant356 Mt Barker Road, Bridgewater, S.A. 5155 AustraliaPhone: +61-0431247214Email: [email protected]:www.plantingforplants.com.au

Scott SaddlerManagerNational Arboretum CanberraForest Drive, Weston Creek, A.C.T. AustraliaEmail: [email protected]


Easterly view from Dairy Farmers Hill (M. Richardson)

Microhabitat most preferred by theWollemi nobilis at the National Arboretum(M. Richardson)


The Global TreesCampaign (GTC)is a joint initiative

between BotanicGardens ConservationInternational (BGCI) andFauna & Flora

International (FFI). The Campaign waslaunched in 1999, responding to TheWorld List of Threatened Trees (Oldfield etal., 1998) which assessed over 7,000 treespecies as globally threatened. Since itsinitiation, the GTC has gone fromstrength to strength, running projects thatdirectly support the conservation ofthreatened tree species with partners inover 25 countries, leading trainingprogrammes to build capacity for treeconservation, and campaigning to scaleup the use of threatened trees in plantingschemes and conservation programmes.

Many of our key GTC partners arebotanic gardens and arboreta. Theirhorticultural and research expertise,documented collections of living plants,seeds and herbarium specimens, andoutreach potential make them excellent

partners for spearheading innovativeconservation programmes for the world’sthreatened trees, providing training tobuild the capacity of other stakeholdersto take action for the conservation ofthreatened trees, and raising awarenessof the importance of tree conservation.

The number of trees threatened withextinction continues to rise as a result ofland clearance and habitat degradation,unsustainable exploitation, and theimpact of invasive species, pests anddiseases, among other threats. Individualtrees offer cultural, ecological and

THE GLOBALTREESCAMPAIGN – SAFEGUARDINGTHE WORLD’STHREATENEDTREES FROMEXTINCTION

Author: Kirsty Shaw

Forest restoration work at Brackenhurst Botanic Garden, Kenya, has incorporatedover 100 rare and threatened East African tree species (Barney Wilczak)

Diospyros nodosa , a Critically Endangered ebony endemic to Mauritius (George Schatz)

ornamental values; they provide food,medicine and timber, and some treespecies can serve as flagships to drivelarger conservation programmes.

GTC recognises that saving forests will notnecessarily save the immense variety oftree species. It therefore adopts a species-focused approach to drive and guide treeconservation efforts worldwide, throughfour main approaches:

1. Prioritisation of tree speciesof greatest conservation concern

BGCI holds the Secretariat of theIUCN/SSC Global Trees Specialist Group,the lead authority undertaking Red Listconservation assessments for trees todetermine their conservation status in thewild. By publishing taxonomic andregionally focused Red List reports, andensuring up to date assessments arepublished on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species, we identify whichtrees are threatened in the wild andhighlight the need for conservation action. BGCI has recently compiled a list ofglobally threatened trees from 36 sources

in addition to the IUCN Red List. This isthe most comprehensive global list ofthreatened trees, and the results indicatethat over 9,600 trees are threatened withextinction.

GTC is working with The MortonArboretum, U.S.A. to undertake aconservation assessment for all of theworld’s oak species. This internationaleffort will identify which oaks arethreatened in the wild and in need ofurgent protection.

Using BGCI’s PlantSearch database, we undertake analyses to assessrepresentation of threatened trees in exsitu collections. Our recent ex situ surveyof the world’s most threatened trees(assessed as Critically Endangered andEndangered using IUCN Categories andCriteria, or equivalent) has identified thatonly 1 in 4 of the most threatened treesare backed up in ex situ collections. Lookout for the full report, including a list ofCR and EN trees and representation in exsitu collections, which will be publishedand available to download from the BGCIand GTC websites soon.

GTC is working with Missouri BotanicalGarden, U.S.A. to undertake a global ex situ survey of ebony collections. This study will assess the value of currentconservation collections, and be used toguide and mobilize future collecting andconservation programmes to secure thefuture of the world’s ebonies.

Our prioritisation work underpins the GTCprogramme. The results of tree Red Listassessments and ex situ surveys areshared with our network of partners andthe wider conservation community toinform which species should beprioritised as a matter of urgent concernfor conservation action.

2. Empowering partners andpractitioners to undertake treeconservation

With over 9,600 tree species threatenedwith extinction, conservation requiresaction from a large number ofstakeholders. GTC delivers trainingprogrammes to partners and localstakeholders to develop the technicalskills and knowledge required to


TreeSearch – a world list of trees

BGCI is developing a world list oftrees which has been compiled fromvarious data sources. Still indevelopment, this list already contains65,000 accepted names, making it themost comprehensive list of the world’stree species. “TreeSearch” will providea valuable resource to botanic gardensas well as many other stakeholdersincluding international and nationalforestry and agroforestry bodies, landmanagers and conservation andrestoration practitioners.

This searchable tree list provides thebackbone for the Global TreeAssessments, led by the IUCN/SSCGlobal Tree Specialist Group (GTSG),which aims to undertake conservationassessments for all of the world’s treespecies by 2020. TreeSearch enablesa gap analysis to be performed, toidentify where conservationassessments are lacking.

TreeSearch has compiled data frommultiple information sources, as wellas contributions from GTSG members.Additions from other sources arewelcome, with the aim of creating afully comprehensive global list of treespecies. TreeSearch, Red Listassessments and PlantSearchcollection data will allow BGCI, along with our partners, to prioritiseconservation action for the world’smost threatened trees.

To find out more about the IUCN/SSCGlobal Tree Specialist Group, visit:http://globaltrees.org/iucn-ssc-global-tree-specialist-group/

To contribute to TreeSearch, pleasecontact [email protected]

Euphorbia cussonioides, a Vulnerable succulent tree growing in the restored indigenousforest at Brackenhurst Botanic Garden, Kenya (BGCI)

The African Zebrawood (Microberliniabisulcata) is endemic to Cameroon. GTC works with partners in Cameroon to protect this Critically Endangered treein situ (FFI)

implement effective conservation ofthreatened trees, in addition to theproduction of technical manuals andguidance for non-specialists.

Building the capacity of our partners andother stakeholders scales up ourinfluence and ensures impact issustained in the long-term.

GTC is working with the University ofOxford Botanic Garden and HarcourtArboretum, U.K. to deliver training in seedcollection, propagation, nurserymanagement and recovery and restorationprogrammes to the national network ofbotanic gardens in Ethiopia. Training willempower and enable Ethiopian botanicgardens to lead conservation efforts for thewide variety of endemic and endangeredtree species in Ethiopia.

3. Taking direct action to securepriority tree species and ensurepopulations are recovering in the wild

Working in collaboration with ourinternational network of partners andlocal stakeholders, GTC carries out directand practical interventions to reducethreats, and ensure wild populations ofthreatened tree species are stable orrecovering. Actions include monitoring,protection and sustainable use of in situpopulations, ex situ conservation of livingand seed collections and recovery andrestoration programmes.

GTC is working with the Royal BotanicGardens, Jordan, to develop propagationprotocols for the country’s tree species thatare restricted to small remainingpopulations, at the edge of their range,with little natural regeneration. Propagation

protocols will be shared with NGOs andgovernment bodies to enable a supply ofmaterial to be cultivated for planting andpopulation restoration programmes.

GTC adopts best practice, trials novelapproaches and shares outcomes toensure our projects provide inspirationand guidance to other conservationpractitioners.

In Kenya, GTC is working withBrackenhurst Botanic Garden toincorporate threatened trees in an area ofrestored indigenous forest. Over 100 rareand threatened East African trees havebeen planted in an area of 40 hectares,providing ex situ protection andproducing valuable guidance to informreintroduction efforts to support therecovery of wild populations.

4. Mobilizing other groups to actfor threatened trees

By sharing the results of our prioritisationwork, lessons learnt from practicalprojects, and GTC resources, we work toencourage a larger group of protected areamanagers, conservation NGOs,government agencies, tree planting groupsand other stakeholders to protect, plantand promote conservation of threatenedtrees as part of their work programmes.

Through our website and social mediachannels, GTC also engages the public,with the aim to inspire broader societyinterest in threatened trees and raiseawareness of the need for theirconservation.

Our international network of partners,including botanic gardens and arboreta,extends outreach ability considerably.

With an estimated 500 million visitorseach year, the world’s botanic gardensoffer huge outreach potential forhighlighting the need for treeconservation and the values that eachindividual tree species offers.

GTC is uniquely placed to play thisadvocacy role, drawing on lessonslearned from 15 years of species-focusedconservation action for threatened trees.

Conclusions

The GTC provides a vehicle for guidingconservation action for the world’s mostthreatened trees, for promoting the treeconservation work of our internationalnetwork of partners, and for sharing bestpractice. As GTC scales up itsprogramme of work, we will be callingupon and supporting botanic gardensand arboreta to take integratedconservation action for the threatenedtrees in their region, adopting acollaborative, coordinated and informedapproach to secure the future of theworld’s threatened trees.

For more information about the GlobalTrees Campaign, please visit our websitewww.globaltrees.org, follow us on Twitter@globaltrees, or get in [email protected]

Kirsty ShawConservation Manager, BGCI 199 Kew Road, Richmond, TW9 3BW [email protected]


Magnolia sinica, a Critically Endangered treeendemic to China, with only c. 50 matureindividuals remaining in the wild (FFI)

18

Introduction

In the face of rapid habitat loss andheightened threats to biodiversity, ex-situ conservation has become an

increasingly important strategy topreserve viable populations of threatenedtaxa. Ideally, ex-situ collections shouldinclude genetically diverse individuals, inorder to prevent inbreeding (Krauss et al.,2002), maintain the long-termevolutionary potential of the species(Enßlin et al., 2011) and to ensure thesuccess of future reintroduction efforts(Hogbin & Peakall, 1999). However, thehigh cost of molecular work and theabsence of molecular markers that canbe used for all angiosperm species haveprevented genetic screening from being aroutine procedure in establishing ex-situpopulations (Heywood & Iriondo, 2003).

The Zero Extinction Project inXishuangbanna, China

Xishuangbanna is a plant diversity hotspot,supporting 10% of China’s angiospermflora. Agricultural expansion in recentdecades had resulted in habitat loss andfragmentation, threatening the survival of

native flora. To ensure the long-termsurvival of these threatened species, theXishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden(XTBG) initiated the “Zero ExtinctionProject”, which aims to prevent extinctionin Xishuangbanna (Fig. 1). Central to thisproject is the ex situ conservation ofthreatened species in the living collectionwithin XTBG, which is mainly intended forspecies with recalcitrant seeds, i.e. thosewith drying-sensitive seeds that cannot bestored in the seed bank.

The need for geneticoptimization

Conserving the maximum geneticdiversity of threatened species in theliving collection is a challengingundertaking. The main technical issuestems from the shear diversity andnumber of the species involved. Anassessment of the conservation status of3,851 native angiosperm taxa inXishuangbanna identified 106 taxa as

Improving ex-situ conservation of threatened species – initial results of a pilot project

GENETIC OPTIMIZATION OF TREES IN LIVING COLLECTIONS

Authors: Alison KS Wee, Yann Surget-Groba and Richard Corlett

In situ conservation Ex situ conservation

Species with recalcitrant seeds

Grow as genetically optimizedpopulation in the living collection

Species with orthodox seeds

Add to seed bank

The Zero Extinction Project goals(1) To assess the conservation status of the total flora.(2) To prioritize and conserve threatened species via:

The extent of rubber plantation expansion in Xishuangbanna, China

Figure 1: Components of the Zero Extinction Project in Xishuangbanna TropicalBotanical Garden. Genetic optimization aims to improve ex situ conservation of species with recalcitrant seeds

18-20 • BGCI • 2015 • BGjournal • Vol 12.2

endangered or critically endangered and493 taxa as vulnerable to extinction.Many of these threatened species arelarge trees and hence space is a majorconstraint to the number of individuals abotanical garden can preserve. Thisplaces great priority on geneticallyoptimizing the living collection, i.e.ensuring that the genetic diversity of aspecies is represented by the leastnumber of individuals. Fig. 2 outlines asimple work flow for genetic optimizationof living collections.

The search for a practicalgenetic optimization protocol

Traditionally, candidate individuals for ex-situ conservation are genotyped withspecies-specific, fast-mutatingmicrosatellites markers to select for agenetically diverse subgroup amongthem (Storme et al., 2004; Dreisigacker etal., 2005). However, with a large numberof target species from across the plantphylogeny, employing species-specificmarkers for genetic screening is toolabour-intensive, time-consuming andcostly for the process to be practical.Consequently, genetic optimization of theentire living collection remains a modelpractice that is yet to go beyondtextbooks and technical guidelines.Therefore, there is a need for agenotyping protocol that is rapid,universal and cheap.

In September 2014, the Center forIntegrative Conservation in XTBG startedexploring potential genotyping protocols.We focused our search on methods thatutilize next generation sequencing (NGS),with the expectation that genotyping costsvia NGS will become affordable and thetechnology accessible to many botanicalgardens in the near future. By enablingbotanical gardens to increase the capacityof their living collections without asubstantial investment in space, geneticoptimization represents a largetechnological step forward in the ex situconservation of tropical plant species.Currently, the Zero Extinction Projectinitiated by XTBG has been replicated inother gardens in the Chinese Union ofBotanical Gardens. Therefore, geneticoptimization can potentially be widelyapplied in these botanical gardens.

The requirement for universality narroweddown our methodological options togenotyping-by-sequencing, either withRestriction-site associated DNAsequencing (RAD-seq) (Baird et al. 2008)or a newly developed PCR-basedmethod termed MIG-seq (Suyama andMatsuki in preparation). Both methodsgenerate large numbers of singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) loci, canbe used without any prior knowledge ofgenomic sequences, and promise cheapand fast output. Data can be obtainedwithin a month from DNA extraction, andcan cost less than 15 USD per samplewith multiplexing (Henri et al., 2015;Suyama and Matsuki in preparation).Also, both RAD-seq and MIG-seqprotocols are sufficiently generic foroutsourcing. For future large-scaleimplementation of genetic optimization,botanical gardens without molecularfacilities can choose to outsource theNGS library preparation and sequencingto private companies.

Aglaia teysmanniana: a pilotstudy for genetic optimization

A pilot study was initiated to test thegenetic optimization protocol. Creatingan ex-situ collection of rare andthreatened species is a challenging task,in terms of locating the individuals orpopulations, and understanding thephenology (for fruit or seed collection)and germination requirements. Inaddition, there is a prolonged waitingperiod for fruiting and seed germinationprior to transplantation. Therefore, thefocal species in the pilot study has to

have (1) known and accessiblepopulations, (2) known phenology, and (3)fairly simple and rapid germination.

Aglaia teysmanniana (Meliaceae) is anideal focal species for the pilot study. The seedlings are easy to identify in thewild and can be found in clusters near tothe mother tree. Collecting seedlingsfrom the wild allowed us to circumventthe phonological and germinationchallenges of sample collection. Thespecies is distributed across most ofSoutheast Asia, including Indonesia,Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.In China, it is found only in South andSoutheast Yunnan, and is largelyrestricted to limestone forests. Aglaiateysmanniana is listed as NearThreatened on the IUCN Red List andVulnerable on the Zero Extinction Projectassessment in Xishuangbanna.

We collected 418 seedlings from sevenpopulations in four locations inXishuangbanna (Fig. 3). The GPScoordinate of the seedling patches wererecorded, leaf samples of potential


Identification ofdistributional range

Field collection of seeds

30 – 50individuals

Germination in nursery

Identification of geneticallyoptimized population

Establishment of the living collection in XTBG

300 – 500individuals

10%

Aglaia teysmanniana sapling growing onlimestone substrate

Field collection of Aglaia teysmannianaseedlings

Figure 2: A schematic diagram of theworkflow for genetic optimization

mother trees in the vicinity werecollected, and the seedlings weretransplanted to the XTBG nursery. Only204 seedlings (49%) survived thetransplantation process; root damagemay be the cause of most of themortality. The surviving seedlings will begenotyped with both RAD-seq and MIG-seq to evaluate the cost, time and labourrequirements of both methods.

Future plans

The genotype of the seedlings (from bothRAD-seq and MIG-seq) will be analyzed,and the most genetically diverse 10% ofthe total seedling population will beincluded in XTBG’s living collection (Fig. 4).Among these, several individuals will betransplanted into the garden area that isopen to the public for education purposes.The remaining seedlings will either betransplanted to other botanical gardens (asa backup living collection) or adopted bylocal schools and communities as part ofXTBG’s outreach program.

Upon completion of the pilot study, themost efficient and low-cost genotypingmethod of the two will be used toimprove the ex situ conservation of otherthreatened tree species in the ZeroExtinction Project’s assessment, e.g.Magnolia hypolampra, Cephalotaxusmannii and Goniothalamus cheliensis.

References

,Baird, N.A., Etter, P.D., Atwood, T.S.,Currey, M.C., Shiver, A.L., Lewis, Z.A.,Selker, E.U., Cresko, W.A. andJohnson, E.A. 2008. Rapid SNPdiscovery and genetic mapping usingsequenced RAD markers. PloS one, 3.

,Dreisigacker, S., Zhang, P., Warburton,M., Skovmand, B., Hoisington, D. andMelchinger, A. 2005. Genetic diversityamong and within CIMMYT wheatlandrace accessions investigated withSSRs and implications for plant geneticresources management. Crop Science,45: 653-661.

, Enßlin, A., Sandner, T.M. and Matthies,D. 2011. Consequences of ex situcultivation of plants: Genetic diversity,fitness and adaptation of themonocarpic Cynoglossum officinale L.in botanic gardens. BiologicalConservation, 144: 272-278.

,Henri, H., Cariou, M., Terraz, G.,Martinez, S., El Filali, A., Veyssiere, M.,Duret, L. and Charlat, S. 2015.Optimization of multiplexed RADseqlibraries using low-cost adaptors.Genetica, 143, 139-143.

,Heywood, V.H. and Iriondo, J.M. 2003.Plant conservation: old problems, newperspectives. Biological Conservation,113: 321-335.

,Hogbin, P.M. and Peakall, R. 1999.Evaluation of the contribution ofgenetic research to the management ofthe endangered plant Zieria prostrata.Conservation Biology, 13: 514-522.

,Krauss, S.L., Dixon, B. and Dixon, K.W.2002. Rapid genetic decline in atranslocated population of theendangered plant Grevillea scapigera.Conservation Biology, 16: 986-994.

, Storme, V., Broeck, A.V., Ivens, B.,Halfmaerten, D., Van Slycken, J.,Castiglione, S., Grassi, F., Fossati, T.,

Cottrell, J. and Tabbener, H. 2004.Ex-situ conservation of Black poplar inEurope: genetic diversity in nine genebank collections and their value fornature development. Theoretical andApplied Genetics, 108: 969-981.

, Suyama, Y., and Matsuki, Y. (submitted)MIG-seq: an effective PCR-basedmethod for genome-wide singlenucleotide polymorphism genotypingusing the next-generation sequencingplatform. Scientific Reports.

Acknowledgement

This project is funded by the ChinaPostdoctoral Science Foundation and theChinese Academy of Sciences. Theauthors benefitted greatly from discussionwith Frank Rheindt and Yoshihisa Suyama.

Alison Wee Postdoctoral FellowCenter for Integrative Conservation Xishuangbanna Tropical BotanicalGardenChinese Academy of SciencesYunnan, China [email protected]


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Future plan for transplanted seedlings

Map of the sampling locations. (A) The location of Yunnan province (in red) inChina. (B) The location of Xishuangbanna prefecture (in red) in Yunnan province.(C) The locations of XTBG (black star), the limestone forest fragments (red)where Aglaia teysmanniana seedlings were collected, and the limestone forest fragments (white) where A. teysmanniana was not found

Transplanted seedlings in the XTBG nursery


Introduction

Specimens of Zelkova spp., whichmay be up to 1,000 years old,found in places of worship and

contemplation in eastern Asia, giveevidence to the ancient and closerelationship of people with these trees.Likewise, traditional herbal medicine,household items and other objects madefrom various parts of the tree, aretestimony to the strong cultural andsocio-economic values and customsassociated with this genus.

Relict trees

Zelkova species form part of the Arcto-Tertiary relict flora that covered largeparts of the northern hemisphere during

the Caenozoic Era (some 55 – 2.5 millionBP). Fossil discoveries attributed to thegenus, dating back more than 50 millionyears, give proof of the plant’s oncewider, circumboreal occurrence. Todaythe highly disjunct distribution of the sixextant species – Z. sicula, Z. abelicea, Z.carpinifolia, Z. schneideriana, Z. sinicaand Z. serrata – from the Mediterraneanover to the Caucasus and East Asia,make this genus a fascinating subject forphylogenetic and biogeographic studiesto advance the understanding ofevolutionary processes.

Zelkova (Ulmaceae)

Z. siculaZ. abelicea

Z. carpinifolia

Z. serrataZ. sinica

Z. schneideriana

Conservation challenges of Zelkova sicula and Z. abelicea – two Mediterranean narrow endemics

WHITHER RARE RELICT TREES IN A CLIMATE OF RAPID CHANGE?

Authors: Joachim Gratzfeld, Gregor Kozlowski, Laurence Fazan, Stéphane Buord, Giuseppe Garfì,Salvatore Pasta, Panagiota Gotsiou, Christina Fournaraki, Dimos Dimitriou

Zelkova serrata. Buddhist shrine, Hita,Japan. (S. Bétrisey)

Shepherd’s crooks (‘Katsouna’) madefrom Zelkova abelicea. Omalos, Crete. (G. Kozlowski)

Zelkova zelkovifolia. Pliocene.Willershausen, Germany. (H. R. Siegel)

Global distribution of Zelkova spp. Map by Natural History Museum Fribourg, Switzerland

Unfortunately, the relict nature of thegenus is no recipe for survival in a rapidlytransforming environment. As elsewherein the world, habitat loss,overexploitation, fast changing climaticconditions and many other drivers ofchange exert high pressure on remainingnatural Zelkova populations, especiallythe two Mediterranean species, Z. siculaand Z. abelicea. These species occur inexceptionally isolated and fragmentedlocations. Among the rarest trees in theworld, they require specific managementapproaches combining a set of integratedin and ex situ conservation measures.

Zelkova sicula – one of the raresttrees in Sicily and in the world

Within the genus, Z. sicula Di Pasq., Garfì& Quézel has a particularly remarkableposition. Discovered in 1991 (Di Pasqualeet al., 1992), this narrow endemic isknown from only two locations. Bothpopulations cover an area of occupancyof less than one hectare and include afew hundred small trees each. Occurringbetween 350 and 450 m above sea level

on the north-eastern slopes of the IbleiMountains (south-eastern Sicily), thepopulations are found in open forestcommunities with other tree species suchas Quercus suber, Q. virgiliana, Oleaeuropaea var. sylvestris, Pyrus spinosaand Calicotome infesta.

Staying alive in a changingclimate

Several of the morphological and lifetraits of Z. sicula can be interpreted asthe result of a long-lasting process ofadaptation to a rather suboptimalenvironment. Unlike the other Zelkovaspecies, Z. sicula is a shrub or a smalltree. Characteristic for plants at the limitof their distribution range, this habit ismost likely a response to water shortagein the current habitat. The location ofboth populations restricted to the bottomof gullies and along narrow streams,suggests that these micro-habitats play akey role in enabling the species towithstand drought. Nonetheless, extremeenvironmental hazards, such asprolonged drought can cause moderateto severe damage, ranging from witheringof leaves to dieback of branches andstems. What is more, rising habitatfragmentation and livestock grazingrepresent major further threats to bothpopulations. Due to its rarity, Z. sicula hasbeen included as Critically Endangered(CR) on the IUCN Red List of ThreatenedSpecies.

Two populations – two clones:two individuals?

Recent studies (Christe et al., 2014b)suggest that Z. sicula has been subject tosevere isolation and geneticimpoverishment. Fructification is irregularand seeds are most probably sterile dueto its triploidy. Regeneration relies onvegetative mechanisms such as rootsuckering and layering; as a result,individuals in both geneticallyimpoverished but distinct populations areassumed to be of clonal origin; hence,each population could be regarded as asingle individual. This, in addition to theextended geographic isolation, has mostlikely caused a sharp decline in gene flowand a decrease in intra-specific geneticvariability. On the other hand, clonalityand vegetative reproduction are adding afurther trait of uniqueness to this speciesin the genus Zelkova; as with Lomatiatasmanica (Proteaceae) – known from asingle, clonal population estimated to beseveral ten thousands of years old (Lynchet al., 1998), each Z. sicula populationcould potentially represent a manythousand year-old genetic unit.


Distribution of Z. sicula (red colour). Mapby Natural History Museum Fribourg,Switzerland

Z. sicula. Population of Ciranna, Sicily. (G. Garfì)

Young tree of Z. sicula developing by rootsuckering. (G. Garfì)Z. sicula micro-habitat.(G. Garfì)

Z. sicula leaf withering. (G. Garfì)

Rescue trials in progress

Since 2011, a major project fundedthrough the European Commission EC LifeProgramme (http://www.zelkovazione.eu/)is implementing a range of integrated inand ex situ conservation actions in theareas of knowledge and monitoring, activeconservation, expertise, andeducation/awareness and communication.To date, a number of key milestones havebeen achieved, including the exclusion ofgrazing through fencing and a sustainablemanagement plan involving formalagreements with local stakeholders, aswell as the legal protection of the targetspecies through the enactment of aCouncillor’s Decree by the RegionalDepartment of Environment.

The recent successful development ofprotocols for in vitro and in vivovegetative multiplication is a further majorstep towards effective in and ex situconservation, with the poor intra-specificvariability in the species facilitating theestablishment of the field collections.

Z. sicula in vitro rooted plantlet. (A. Carra)

Introduction to otherecosystems?

Securing viable populations in situnevertheless remains the mainconservation challenge. Introduction toother ecosystems is being studied toestablish further populations in newlocations. These have been identifiedusing the guidelines for ‘assistedcolonisation’ (Brooker et al., 2011), andbuild on paleo-ecological data andobservations of specimens grown underdifferent ex situ conditions which revealthe growth potential of Z. sicula intoactual trees (Garfì et al., 2011; Garfì andBuord, 2012). These findings suggest thatmore humid and cooler climaticconditions typical to montane mixeddeciduous forests with Fagus, Acer,deciduous Quercus, etc. may offer a

better match for the ecologicalrequirements of Z. sicula. Thisconservation approach is applied as the‘last resort’ for narrow endemics confinedto very specialised habitats andincreasingly encroached upon byunfavourable environmental conditions.

Zelkova abelicea – a Cretanpersisting against all the odds

Zelkova abelicea (Lam.) Boiss. is the onlyendemic tree of the east-Mediterraneanisland of Crete. The species is found inopen, mountain forest communities

between 900 and 1,800 m above sealevel, where it grows in mixed stands withAcer sempervirens, Quercus cocciferaand occasionally Cupressussempervirens. Populations of Z. abeliceaoccur in all four main mountain rangesincluding Levka Ori, Psiloritis, Dhikti andThripti. Primarily, they occupy north-facing slopes and areas around dolines(sinkholes) with adequate and relativelyconstant water supply, but the species isalso found near river beds and gullies,where moisture tends to remain close tothe surface during the dry summer period.

Threatened and fragmentedpopulations

More than 40 populations of Z. abeliceaare known, mainly in Levka Ori (ca. 30)and in the Dhikti Mountains (ca. 10). Onlytwo populations occur in the PsiloritisMountains, and one small population inthe Thripti Mountains. This fragmenteddistribution occurred already prior to themodern, botanical exploration of Crete(ca. 300 years ago) and forms part of alively debate whether Crete was everdominated by continuous woodland


Bosco Pomieri, Madonie Mountains, 1340 masl, a potential introduction site.(G. Garfì)

Z. abelicea, Omalos, Crete. (J. Gratzfeld)

before the arrival of man. To date, it is notresolved if the fragmented pattern of Z.abelicea populations is the result ofanthropogenic habitat transformation or ifits occurrence always consisted of apatchy distribution (Kozlowski et al., 2014).

Recent studies confirm however, that allpopulations are subject to threats fromovergrazing and browsing (goats andsheep), as well as from soil erosion,drought and fires. As a result, all standsof Z. abelicea are dominated by dwarfedand heavily browsed individuals. Thishabit is especially pronounced inrelatively small and isolated populations(e.g. in Thripti where there are no largetrees at all). This is of great concern toconservation as only fully developedtrees are able to flower and produce fruits(Fazan et al., 2012; Kozlowski et al.,2014). Z. abelicea has been included asEndangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species.

Each mountain chain representsa separate genetic andconservation unit

Because of the extreme fragmentation,gene flow between distant populations ishighly unlikely, mainly because of thelimited dispersal capacity of seeds. Thiswas confirmed by recent genetic studiesdemonstrating that Z. abeliceapopulations are highly genetically diversewithin and between the four mountainregions (Christe et al., 2014a). Thisindicates on the one hand that thecolonization of Crete by Z. abelicea is veryancient (probably before the earlyMiocene, some 25 million years ago), and,on the other hand, that each mountainchain with Z. abelicea populations shouldbe considered as a separate genetic unit.

Ex situ conservation challenges

In comparison with other Zelkovaspecies, especially those from EasternAsia, Z. abelicea is underrepresented inbotanic garden collections (Kozlowski etal., 2012). In addition, only a very smallportion of the genetic variability in naturalpopulations is found in ex situ collections(Christe et al., 2014b). In fact, allinvestigated individuals cultivated inbotanic gardens and arboreta, originatefrom one single region of the OmalosPlateau (Levka Ori), while the othergenetically distant populations do notappear to be in ex situ collections.

Future ex situ conservation efforts will needto consider the entire genetic diversity ofthe species, whilst avoiding geneticmixture of differentiated populations fromthe four mountain chains, especially whenestablishing field living collections(Kozlowski et al., 2012, 2014).Furthermore, dwarfed and heavily browsedpopulations do not produce seeds.Vegetative propagation is the only optionto establish collections of thesepopulations, enhancing the complexity andcosts of ex situ conservation measures.

In situ conservation challenges

Conventional measures of protection andmanagement, including effectivemethods to limit and/or completelyprevent livestock grazing and browsingshould be implemented by means offencing, and should comprise the entirerange of the genetic diversity of thespecies. Such measures require to bedeveloped in close collaboration with

shepherds and other stakeholders (e.g.local administration, municipalities,national park administration), andaccompanied by long-term scientificsurveys to monitor progress and allowadaptive management.

Ongoing conservation action

Based on the thorough research workundertaken in recent years, aninternational, interdisciplinary andintegrated conservation programme for Z.abelicea has been initiated. Theimplementation of the project is assumedby the Mediterranean Agronomic Instituteof Chania (MAICh) in collaboration withthe Forest Directorate of Chania (FDC) aswell as with forest agencies from otheradministrative regions of Crete.International coordination and scientificsupport is assured by researchers andconservationists from the Universities ofFribourg (Switzerland) and Athens(Greece), Botanic Gardens ConservationInternational (BGCI, United Kingdom) andthe Institute of Biosciences andBioResources of the National ResearchCouncil in Palermo (Sicily, Italy). Amongstothers, new and genetically representativeex situ collections (field living collectionsas well as seed banks) are beingestablished using seeds and vegetativeplant material sampled from all mountainregions where Z. abelicea occurs.Additionally, selected pilot plots havebeen fenced and are regularly monitoredby the team of MAICh and researchersand students of the University of Fribourg.What is more, a range of local andinternational campaigns and public


Distribution of Z. abelicea (red colour).Map by Natural History Museum Fribourg,Switzerland

Isolated, shrub habit population of Z. abelicea in the Thripti Mountains,Eastern Crete. (G. Kozlowski)

Seed collections for ex situ conservationof Z. abelicea at the MediterraneanAgronomic Institute of Chania, Crete. (G. Kozlowski)

outreach events have been realized,including scientific seminars, conferencesand exhibitions, accompanied by a seriesof first-rate public outreach materials.

Conclusions

The conservation challenges presented byZelkova spp. have attracted the attentionof researchers, conservation practitionersand horticulturalists in a joint endeavour tosecure the remaining genetic diversity inthe genus. Inspired by this sharedconcern, since 2010, a highlyinterdisciplinary and international researchgroup represented by partners fromEurope, the Caucasus and East Asia havebeen participating in the development andimplementation of an integratedconservation action plan for Zelkova spp.(Kozlowski G. & Gratzfeld J., 2013).

The isolated occurrence and rarity of Z.sicula and Z. abelicea provide an idealcontext to practise integrated conservationaction and serve as models forsafeguarding other threatened species.While the exclusion of grazing pressuresuch as through fencing is the mostpragmatic measure for immediateprotection in the wild, long-term in situconservation efforts need to beimplemented in close collaboration withlocal stakeholders and anchored innational legislation and policy. Systematicscientific evaluations to monitor progressand allow adaptive management will inturn, inform the nature of populationreinforcement programmes and options forpotential introduction to other analogousenvironments in situations where theoriginal habitat has been lost, or no longerprovides a viable option for the speciessurvival. This is especially urgent for Z.sicula, known from only two locations.

As elsewhere in the world, ex situconservation of Zelkova faces thechallenge of ensuring geneticallyrepresentative collections, preferably in thecountries of the species’ naturaldistribution, where current ex situ holdingsare still largely inadequate. The complexityof capturing the whole range of a species’genetic variation for ex situ conservation iswell illustrated by the distinct geneticdiversity of Z. abelicea found in each of itsfour main locations of occurrence. Whilethe remoteness and inaccessibility of someof the last remaining natural Zelkovapopulations prevent the broader publicfrom appreciating their grandeur in thewild, ex situ collections at botanic gardensand associated scientific institutions, playa critical role in enhancing environmentalawareness and education. Linking reportsof fossil finds with their extant relatives andnew population discoveries, Zelkova andrelict plants in general, can providecompelling stories to reach out to thewider society. Relict species from ancienttimes not only function as storehouses ofinformation of the Earth’s transformationsover millions of years but also deliver adiverse range of ecosystem services.Though ultimately a matter of societalchoice, their conservation may thereforepresent a vital element in the developmentof future ecosystem managementapproaches, especially in a period ofunprecedented, rapid global change.

References

,Brooker, R., Britton, A., Gimona, A.,Lennon, J. & Littlewood, N. 2011.Literature review: species translocationsas a tool for biodiversity conservationduring climate change. Scottish NaturalHeritage Commissioned Report No.440,68 pages.

,Christe, C., Kozlowski, G., Frey, D.,Bétrisey, S., Maharramova, E., Garfì, G.,Pirintsos, S. & Naciri Y. 2014a. Footprintsof past intensive diversification andstructuring in the genus Zelkova(Ulmaceae) in south-western Eurasia.Journal of Biogeography. 41: 1081-1093.

,Christe, C., Kozlowski, G., Frey, D.,Fazan, L., Bétrisey, D., Pirintsos, S.,Gratzfeld, J. & Naciri Y. 2014b. Do botanic garden collections capturethe genetic variation of wildpopulations? A molecular analysis oftwo relict tree species Zelkova abeliceaand Z. carpinifolia. Biodiversity andConservation 23: 2945-2959.

,Di Pasquale, G., Garfì, G. & Quézel P.1992. Sur la présence d’un Zelkovanouveau en Sicile sudorientale(Ulmaceae). Biocosme Mésogéen, 8-9: 401-409.

, Fazan L., Stoffel M., Frey D., Pirintsos S.& Kozlowski G., 2012. Small does notmean young: age estimation of severelybrowsed trees in anthropogenicMediterranean landscapes. BiologicalConservation 153: 97-100.

,Garfì G., Carimi F., Pasta S., Rühl J. &Trigila S., 2011. Additional insights onthe ecology of the relic tree Zelkovasicula di Pasquale, Garfì et Quézel(Ulmaceae) after the finding of newpopulation. Flora, 206: 407-417.

,Garfì G. & Buord S., 2012. Relictspecies and the challenges forconservation: the emblematic case ofZelkova sicula Di Pasquale, Garfì etQuézel and the efforts to save it fromextinction. Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 281-296.

,Kozlowski G., Frey D., Fazan L., Egli B.,Bétrisey S., Gratzfeld J., Garfi G. &Pirintsos S., 2014. Tertiary relict treeZelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae):distribution, population structure andconservation status. Oryx 48: 80-87.

,Kozlowski G., Gibbs D., Huan F., FreyD. & Gratzfeld J., 2012. Conservation ofthreatened relict trees through living exsitu collections: lessons from the globalsurvey of the genus Zelkova(Ulmaceae). Biodiversity andConservation, 21: 671-685.

,Kozlowski G. & Gratzfeld J., 2013.Zelkova – an ancient tree. Global statusand conservation action. NaturalHistory Museum Fribourg, Switzerland,60 pages.

, Lynch A.J.J., Barnes R.W., CambecèdesJ. & Vaillancourt R.E., 1998. GeneticEvidence that Lomatia tasmanica(Proteaceae) Is an Ancient Clone.Australian Journal of Botany 46: 25-33.

Joachim GratzfeldBotanic Gardens ConservationInternational, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3BW, United Kingdom, [email protected]


Fenced pilot sites with Z. abelicea. Onthe left: non-fenced and heavily grazedarea. Xeropotamos, Crete. (M. Beffa)


Introduction

The flora of Madagascar is bothhighly diverse (with 11,000 namedspecies of flowering plants and

ferns, and an estimated 3,000 speciesthat have yet to be named) and largelyendemic to the island (with ca. 90% ofspecies known from nowhere else)(Callmander et al. 2011). Unfortunatelythis botanical wealth is also highlythreatened by the survival tactics of theimpoverished and growing humanpopulation, many of which remain largelydependent on natural resources for theirlivelihoods. Following centuries of everincreasing habitat degradation, thecountry is now faced with a wave ofspecies extinctions. Typically the mostthreatened species occur as tinypopulations in small, degraded fragmentsof natural vegetation. Ideally, thesefragments should be included withinprotected areas but this rarely occursbecause of their small size, degradednature and the normal absence of large,prestigious animals. Thus, the most viablealternative to extinction for these specieswill be ex situ conservation followed,where possible, by introduction intosecure and appropriate native habitats.

To date the most important contributionto the ex situ conservation ofMadagascar’s flora has been the RoyalBotanic Garden, Kew’s Millennium SeedBank (MSB) Project that through apartnership with Madagascar’s SiloNationale des Graines Forestières hascollected and preserved the seeds of ca.

1,900 species (pers. comm. Stuart Cable,2015). However, many of the trees ofMadagascar’s evergreen forests haveseeds that do not survive normal seedbanking protocols (i.e. they arerecalcitrant). Currently the only option forthese species is conservation as growingplants at safe locations: either gardens orpossibly field gene-banks.

Madagascar’s only significant native plantcollections are at the National BotanicGarden at Parc Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo;the Antsokay Botanical Garden, where acollection of plants from the south west ofMadagascar is maintained; and the formerforestry station at Parc Ivoloina that is nowmanaged by the Madagascar Fauna andFlora Group (MFG) – a consortium of

international zoos and botanical gardens.Between October 2006 and August 2011,with the financial support of the NationalGeographic Society, ConservationInternational and St Louis Zoo, MFG andthe Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG)worked in partnership to collect andpropagate material of 36 threatened treespecies from central eastern Madagascar,and then grow these plants within the Parc Ivoloina.

Collecting material, propagationand planting out

The target species for this project wereselected using information obtained fromthe literature and experts. Prior tolaunching fieldwork to locate the target

EX SITU CONSERVATION OFENDANGERED MALAGASY TREES

AT PARC IVOLOINA

Authors: Chris Birkinshaw, Karen Freeman and George Schatz

The nurseryman at Parc Ivoloina (Jean Francois) with seedlings of Schizolaenanoronhae growing strongly at Parc Ivoloina

species, a dossier was compiled on eachthat included information concerning theirdistribution, identification, vernacularnames, phenology, and images of thespecies. Sometimes exact locationinformation was available and the specieswas re-found easily. However, in manycases, such detailed location informationwas unavailable and then we found thatsoliciting the help of local people was themost effective way of relocating thespecies.

Priority was given to the collection ofseeds over the collection of material forvegetative propagation. This is becausethe seeds, if selected carefully, normallygerminate easily and grow into strongsaplings, represent a genetically diversepopulation and their collection has littlenegative impact on the parent plant.Thus field trips were planned to coincidewith the period when our analysis ofherbarium specimens suggested that thetarget species were likely to be fruiting.To maximize the genetic diversity of thecollections the team tried to follow theseed collection protocols developed bythe MSB Project (Royal Botanic GardensKew, 2001). Voucher herbariumspecimens were made to accompanyeach collection. When we were unable toobtain un-predated, ripe seeds weresorted to vegetative propagation bycuttings or air-layering.

The material collected by field botanistswas propagated in a simple nursery atParc Ivoloina which was constructed oflocally available materials. The seedswere cleaned to remove traces of thefruit, sorted to identify and discardimmature, rotten or parasitized seeds,and sown. According to their size, theseeds were either sown in seed beds ofcompost or directly into polythene potsfilled with compost. The composition ofthe compost was: two parts river sand,

one part well-rotted organic matter andone part alluvial soil. The seeds werecovered with compost to a depth ofapproximately their own width.

When the seeds had germinated and theseedlings had grown three to five leaves,they were pricked out into plots. Theseremained in the nursery, being watered asrequired, until they had attained a heightof 30 to 60 cm, at which time they wereplanted out into the Park. Planting outwas conducted during the wet season.Six weeks prior to planting the bambooroof sheltering the saplings was firstpartially removed and then totallyremoved, to “harden off” the youngplants to the sunny conditions they wouldlikely experience at the planting site.

Pests and diseases attacking the plants inthe nursery were controlled usingtreatments made from locally availablematerials. The most effective of these,used to control insect pests, was made bycrushing chili peppers and mixing theresultant pulp with water. This was paintedon affected plants in the afternoon.

After planting, the location of each youngplant was defined using a description andprecise geo-coordinates provided by aglobal positioning system unit. Eachplant was marked with an individuallycoded aluminum tag.

Outcomes

From the original list of 36 target species,20 species are now growing at ParcIvoloina. Some of these species arerepresented by many individuals andsome by one sole plant.

To illustrate some of the species thatwere included in our project consider thefollowing three examples: Schizolaenanoronhae (Sarcolaenaceae) fromAndohakakavy Forest; Pentachlaenabetamponensis (Sarcolaenaceae) fromBetampona Reserve, and Rhopalocarpusparvifolius (Sphaerosepalaceae) fromAmbila Lemaintso Forest.

Schizolaena noronhae is classified asCritically Endangered because it is nowknown from less than 100 individuals fromtwo adjacent, unprotected and highlythreatened littoral forests. With theassistance of a local person, who diligentlymonitored the phenology of the plants atAndohakakavy, we were able to obtain 500seeds. From these we obtained 249seedlings of which 82 were planted at ParcIvoloina (72 of these survive and aregrowing well today) and 167 were used toreinforce the wild population.

Pentachlaena betamponensis is alsoclassified as Critically Endangeredbecause it is known only from theBetampona Reserve where we have beenable to locate just 12 individuals. Duringthe entire project these individuals weremonitored by a local guide (Roilahy) butall remained sterile. Then in November2011, after the conclusion of this project,we were notified that Roilahy, on his owninitiative, had continued to monitor theseplants and successfully obtained seedsand propagated 200 seedlings. Onehundred of these seedlings were plantedat Parc Ivoloina and 95 have beenplanted in the “protection zone” of theBetampona Reserve. Survival of theseedlings planted at Parc Ivoloina after12 months was 100%.


Although many fruits of Baudouinia louvelii were obtained, nearly all the seeds withinhad been predated

So many plants of Sarcolaena grandiflora

Rhopalocarpus parvifolius is anotherCritically Endangered tree. It is now knownfrom less than 50 individuals that are allfound in just two forest fragments that areboth unprotected and highly threatened byshifting cultivation, timber extraction andcharcoal production. Although the trees atAmbila Lemaintso were monitored fornearly three years they never producedfruits therefore we resorted to trying topropagate this species by air-layering. Intotal we made 20 attempts at air-layeringbut only two of these succeeded. One ofthese young plants was planted locally toraise awareness of the plight of thisspecies, and the other was planted at Parc Ivoloina.

There are several reasons why 16 of thetarget species were not successfullyintegrated into the ex situ collectionincluding:

• Two species were found to besynonymous with other quitewidespread species and thereforedropped from the list. These includeHubertianthus cardiostegius that is nowconsidered to be a synonym of theMacrostelia laurina (Malvaceae), andTinopsis tampolensis that is a synonymof Tinopsis conjugata (Sapindaceae).

• Seven species were not located in thewild and at least three of these arelikely to be extinct at the locationwhere they were sought. Among thesespecies is Gnidia neglecta(Thymelaeaceae) that is known onlyfrom a single herbarium specimencollected in 1912 from Andevoranto.

On four occasions, our team and otherbotanists have unsuccessfullysearched for this species at this site(and other sites nearby) and it is likelythat this species is now extinct.

• Seven species were located in the wildbut no viable seeds were obtained andattempts to propagate the speciesusing techniques for vegetativepropagation failed. One of thesespecies was the endangered treePentachlaena orientalis

(Sacrolaenaceae) from Tampolo(Fenerive-Est). While we re-found threeindividuals of this plant at this site wewere not able to obtain viable seedsdespite several visits, nor were wesuccessful in propagating this speciesusing air-layering. It would seem thatthis species does not flower and fruitannually and local people report thatseveral years may pass betweensuccessive fruiting events.

Challenges and perspectives

In total this project cost just $50,000 yethas enabled 20 threatened Malagasytrees to be conserved ex situ. While weare proud of this result, we are also awarethat our work has some importantweaknesses, these are listed anddiscussed below.

• Low genetic diversity in collections

In several cases the seedlings nowgrowing at the Park were derived fromseeds (or cuttings) collected from a smallnumber of parent trees and thus our ex situpopulation is likely to include low geneticdiversity. Little can be done about thissituation when the remaining wildpopulation is very small but, in somecases, the wild population was larger butfew individuals were fruiting at the time ourcollectors visited the site. In this latter


Species name Number of individuals surviving to 2014

Baudouinia louvelii 20Chaetocarpus rabaraba 1Dypsis hovomantsina 7Dypsis poivreana 30Hyperacanthus ravinensis 214Leptolaena raymondii 127Mammea castrae 1Mantalania longipedunculata 82Marojejya darianii 194Melanophylla sp. nov. 1Molinaea brevipes 138Orania trispatha 397Pentachlaena betamponensis 100Poupartiopsis spondiocarpus 34Rhodolaena leroyana 329Rhopalocarpus parvifolius 1Sakonala madagascariensis 5Sarcolaena grandiflora 99Schizolaena manomboensis 2Schizolaena noronhae 72

Mammea castrae is known only from the Analalava forest where we were able to locateten mature plants only

Endangered Malagasy trees now growing at Parc Ivoloina

situation it is desirable to organise multiplecollection trips to the same populationthereby sampling different individualsduring each trip. Alternatively we couldseek to practise vegetative propagationmore frequently and improve its outcomes.Two of the species now growing in ParcIvoloina’s collection were propagatedthrough air-layering or cuttings(Rhopalocaprus parvifolius, Melanophyllasp. nov.), but we tried unsuccessfully topropagate several of the other speciesusing these techniques. Even for the twospecies that were successfully propagatedusing these techniques, the success ratewas low and consequently both speciesare represented in the collection by justone individual. However it is likely that ourpropagation protocols could be improvedto increase the efficacy of theseapproaches.

• Wasted expenditure on futile fieldtrips

The most important expenditure duringthis project was the organisation of fieldtrips to locate and collect seeds from thetarget species. Therefore it is of concernwhen, despite careful planning informedby the phenology of the species, fieldtrips failed to coincide with the fruiting ofthe target species. A solution to thisproblem, that we trialled with somesuccess in the later stages of the project,is to identify and motivate a local person

to monitor the target species and eitherinform us when fruiting occurs or tocollect fruit themselves and dispatchthese samples to us. In this latter optionit is important to provide the localcollector with training in seed collectiontechniques.

• Lack of secure system fordocumenting and trackingaccessions

A major weakness of this project is thatalthough each seedling planted in ParcIvoloina has been carefully labelled, theinformation linking the code on the labelto its origin and history is spread betweendiverse field-books and computers.Such information is clearly verysusceptible to loss and it is now essentialthat we invest in capturing thisinformation in a secure system. For thisreason we are currently exploringadapting MBG’s Live CollectionsMonitoring System for this purpose(Wyatt and Sucher, 2014).

• No long-term funding available

Serious ex situ conservation requireslong-term funding. Yet mostconservation funding available inMadagascar is for short periods only, andcurrently there is no support to continuethe ex situ conservation of plants at ParcIvoloina. Therefore it is fortunate that thetarget species of this project are allwoody plants and now are sufficiently bigand vigorous to require little further care. The project described here is bestconsidered as a pilot project duringwhich we were able to trial the viability ofex situ plant conservation in Madagascarand develop low-cost and effectiveprotocols. Generally the results werevery positive and with the integration ofthe improvements listed above thisapproach could constitute a very realisticand effective method of preventing theextinction of a portion of Madagascar’stree flora for which no other conservationoptions are currently available.

References

,Callmander, M. W., Phillipson, P. B.,Schatz, G. E., Andriambololonera, S.,Rabarimanarivo, M., Rakotonirina, N.,Raharimampionona, J., Chatelain, C.,Gautier, L. & Lowry, P. P. 2011. Theendemic and non-endemic vascularflora of Madagascar updated. PlantEcology and Evolution, 144(2): 121-125.

,Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, WakehustPlace. 2001. A field manual for seedcollectors. http://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/English_kppcont_035653_A%20field%20manual%20for%20seed%20collectors.pdf

,Wyatt A. and Sucher R. 2014. The evolution of living collectionsmanagement to support plantconservation. BGjournal 11 (2): 07-10

Acknowledgements

This project was a team effort and wewould particularly like to thank: AdolpheLehavana, Cyprien Miandrimanana,Monique Randriatsivery, MargianneHariline Rasoafaranaivo, and HonoréAndriamiarinoro for their hard work inseeking the target species and collectingmaterial for propagation; and also JeanFrançois for propagating seeds.

We also gratefully acknowledgecourtesies extended by the Governmentof Madagascar (Direction Générale de laGestion des Ressources Forestières).

Chris BirkenshawMadagascar Research andConservation Program, Missouri Botanical Garden, BP 3391, Antananarivo, Madagascar [email protected]


Less than 50 individuals of Mantalanialongipedunculata (Rubiaceae) remain inthe Kilalao Forest, Ile Ste Marie

The planting plan for part of the ex situcollectoin at Parc Ivoloina


Introduction

With at least 10% of the world’stree species threatened withextinction, there is a great need

for gardens to support tree conservationefforts both ex situ and in situ. The GlobalTrees Campaign provides the mechanismand guidance through which gardens can

act as a community to engage in activetree conservation initiatives. Whileacknowledging that gardens have a varietyof missions and goals they seek to fulfill(e.g. display, public education, horticulturetraining, providing green space to thecommunity, etc.), and that gardens ofdifferent sizes will have varying capacitiesfor active conservation, it should be

emphasized that even small gardens cantake steps to improve the conservationquality of their collections and work tosupport the mission of the Global TreesCampaign (Cavender et al., 2015). Toencourage and support gardens of all sizesto participate in tree conservation, ArbNet(www.arbnet.org) is working incollaboration with BGCI to facilitate moreengagement by gardens in the GlobalTrees Campaign.

ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative,global community of arboreta thatsupports the common purposes andinterests of tree-focused public gardens.Sponsored and coordinated by TheMorton Arboretum (Lisle, USA), ArbNetwas launched on Arbor Day (April 29),2011 to facilitate the sharing ofknowledge, experience, and otherresources to help arboreta meet theirinstitutional goals and to raise

ArbNet – the interactive community of arboreta – and its ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program setindustry standards for arboretum management,collections curation, and scientific and educationalprogramming among tree-focused gardens. In collaboration with the Global Trees Campaign, the Accreditation Program supports and encourages an active role in tree conservation at the higher levels of arboretum accreditation.

THE GLOBAL TREESCAMPAIGN AND ARBNET

WORKING TOGETHER TOADVANCE PROFESSIONALISM

AND TREE CONSERVATION IN ARBORETA

Author: Murphy Westwood

Discussions between staff from the Harcourt Arboretum in the UK and Wondo Genet College Arboretum, Ethiopia (BGCI)

professional standards through theArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program.Through ArbNet, arboreta from aroundthe world can work collaboratively as partof a broad network to help advance theplanting and conservation of trees.ArbNet provides:

• The ArbNet Arboretum AccreditationProgram to recognize standards ofexcellence in tree-focused gardens.

• Helpful resources to improvearboretum management, operations,research, conservation, andeducational programming.

• The Morton Register of Arboreta – adatabase of arboreta and other publicor private gardens that have asubstantial focus on woody plants.

• Relevant arboretum news and eventsfrom around the world.

• The opportunity to identify and connectwith other arboreta to collaborate onscientific, collections, and conservationactivities.

• A broad network of professionals tohelp advance the planting, care andconservation of trees.

• An online forum for tree-focuseddiscussions.

• A platform to demonstrate value andimportance of tree collections to localland planners and policy makers.

In addition to providing these benefits,ArbNet is also a powerful tool foradvancing the conservation efforts oftree-focused gardens of all sizes.

Mission

“The mission of ArbNet is to foster theestablishment and professionalism ofarboreta; identify arboreta capable ofparticipating or collaborating in certainscientific, collections, or conservationactivities; and advance the plantingand conservation of trees.”

The ArbNet ArboretumAccreditation Program

The Morton Arboretum created theArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Programto establish a widely recognized set ofindustry standards for the purposes ofunifying the arboretum community,providing a mechanism for benchmarkingtree-focused gardens, and establishingguidelines for professional development.The ArbNet Arboretum AccreditationProgram recognizes arboreta at various


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The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL

BECOME ACCREDITED. GET CONNECTED.

Strengthening the arboretum community

FOUR LEVELS OF ACCREDITATION Join the professional arboretum networkDifferent levels of accreditation recognize arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity, and professionalism.

LEVEL

I

LEVEL

II

LEVEL

III

LEVEL

IV

of tree-focused professionalsIn addition to offering the Arboretum Accreditation Program, ArbNet is also an interactive community that supports information exchange and collaboration. Through arbnet.org, individuals can:

Access helpful resources.

Participate in online forum discussions.

Read about arboretum-focused news.

Identify other arboreta to collaborate with in scientific, collections, and conservation activities.

Work collectively as part of a broad network to help advance the planting, care, and conservation of trees.

AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

VISIT ARBNET.ORG/ACCREDITATION FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS.

Arboretum plan

Organizational or governance group

Labeled trees/woody plant species

25+

100+

500+

Staff or volunteer support

Volunteer or paid

Paid management

Curator

Scientific or conservation staff

Public dimension

Public access and at least one event per year

Enhanced public and educational programs

Substantial educational programming

Participation in ArbNet

Collections policy

Collaboration with other arboreta

Collections data sharing with networked collections

Agenda for tree science, planting, and conservation

Collections conservation

Conservation role in Global Trees Campaign

Table 1: ArbNet Accreditation

No. of accredited arboreta: 108No. of countries represented: 7Level I arboreta: 40Level II arboreta: 40Level III arboreta: 13Level IV arboreta: 15No. of tree-focused gardens listed in the Morton Register: 954

The Montgomery Botanical Centre, USA

levels of development, capacity, andprofessionalism. No other internationalprogram of accreditation exists that isspecific to arboreta.

“Individuals and organizations have longsought definitions, standards, and meansof establishing an official or legitimatearboretum.” according to Dr. Gerard T.Donnelly, President and CEO of TheMorton Arboretum, which sponsors andcoordinates ArbNet.

Any international arboretum or publicgarden with a substantial focus on woodyplants may apply for accreditation.Examples of institutions that may beaccredited arboreta include botanicalgardens, cemeteries, zoos, city treecollections, historic properties, collegecampuses, corporate campuses,retirement communities, nature reservesand municipal parks. Accreditation isbased on self-assessment anddocumentation of an arboretum’s level ofachievement of accreditation standards,including planning, governance, numberof species, staff or volunteer support,education and public programming, andtree science research and conservation.

Benefits of accreditation

• Be recognized for achievement ofspecified levels of professional practice.

• Work toward higher levels ofprofessional standards once accredited.

• Identify other organizations at similar orhigher levels of accreditation to providecomparative benchmarks and modelsfor further achievement.

• Earn distinction in your community,university, or government agency.

• Exert leadership and influence byserving as a model to encourageprofessional development in otherorganizations

• Identify opportunities for collaborationwith other arboreta for scientific,collections, or conservation activities.

Four levels of accreditation

The four levels of accreditation recognizearboreta at various degrees ofdevelopment, capacity, andprofessionalism. Accredited arboreta areencouraged to seek and achieve higherprofessional standards and move upthrough the levels. Categorization alsoallows an assessment of which arboretaare capable of participating orcollaborating in certain scientific,collections, or conservation activities.

Level I arboreta are generally smallerpublicly accessible sites with at least 25species of woody plants, one or a fewemployees or volunteers, a governingbody, and an arboretum plan. Examples ofarboreta at this level may include golfcourses, college arboreta, cemeteries,zoos, private estates, or towns with alabeled and curated tree collection. Level IIarboreta have at least 100 species ofwoody plants, employ paid staff, and haveenhanced public education programs anda documented collections policy. Level IIIarboreta have at least 500 species ofwoody plants, employ a collectionscurator, have substantial educationalprogramming, collaborate with otherarboreta, share their collection data, andactively participate in tree science andconservation. At the highest level ofaccreditation, Level IV arboreta employwell-qualified tree scientists engaged in

publishing sophisticated research, manageliving tree collections for the purpose ofconservation, and take an active role insupporting tree conservation therebycontributing to the mission of the GlobalTrees Campaign. Level IV arboreta areworld-renowned tree-focused institutions.

ArbNet-accredited arboretaworking in support of the GlobalTrees Campaign

By becoming accredited as an arboretumat any level, gardens are alreadyimproving their potential conservationefforts by becoming part of the globalnetwork of arboreta. However, at thehighest level of accreditation (level IV),specific consideration for a conservationrole in the Global Trees Campaign isexplicitly required. Level IV arboreta canparticipate in a variety of treeconservation activities that directlysupport the mission of the Global TreesCampaign (GTC), including for example:

• Curate wild-collected trees of well-documented, known provenance;

• Include and prioritize threatened treesin their collections and collectingstrategy;

• Highlight threatened trees in ex situcollections with GTC interpretation;

• Participate in collaborative collecting orseed banking field trips for threatenedtrees;

• Propagate and exchange germplasm ofthreatened trees with other institutionsand conservation networks;

• Undertake planting trials for threatenedtrees, develop horticulture andpropagation protocols;

• Carry out education and awareness forthreatened trees;

• Provide training workshops onthreatened trees (e.g. identification, seedcollecting, nursery management, IUCNred listing, propagation, germination,population monitoring, etc.) locally orremotely in locations of need;


• Undertake active in situ conservationefforts for threatened trees in regions ofhigh biodiversity and low capacity forconservation. Activities includepopulation monitoring, surveys,invasive species removal, seedcollecting, reintroduction of threatenedand associated trees, local communityengagement and education,developing sustainable managementplans for threatened trees, etc.;

• Participate in ecological restorationprogrammes for degraded habitats ofthreatened trees, for example incollaboration with the EcologicalRestoration Alliance of BotanicGardens (www.erabg.org);

• Host GTC conferences, seminars, ortraining workshops;

• Promote the work of the GTC andprovide information and a GTC link ontheir website;

• Host staff who are members of theIUCN Global Trees Specialist Group;

• Support a joint staff position betweenthe host institution and BGCI/GTC;

• Provide support, guidance, training andmentorship to arboreta at lower levelsof accreditation;

• Lead or substantially contribute toIUCN red listing efforts for trees withina taxonomic group or region;

• Author GTC manuals, reports,interpretation content, articles, or otherconservation-focused resources.

Examples of how arboreta inAccreditation levels I, II and III cansupport tree conservation and improvethe conservation value of collections:

Level I and II arboreta • Document and database treecollections, including provenance data,and maintain detailed records;

• Collaborate with other local treeholding institutions on conservationprojects, staff exchanges/training, plantexchange;

• Label trees, verify identity;

• Strive to obtain wild-collected seed ofknown provenance;

• Provide education and interpretation thatadvocates for tree conservation andbuilds awareness of threatened trees;

• Share collections data with PlantSearch;• Collaborate with larger arboreta thatcan act as a coordination hub forconservation projects.

Level III arboreta • Support local/regional collecting effortsfor threatened trees;

• Work to protect locally threatened treesand their habitats;

• Monitor locally threatened treepopulations;

• Collaborate with a conservationconsortium or other arboretum toparticipate in ex situ and/or in situconservation;

• Prioritize wild-collected seed of knownprovenance for living collections;

• Contribute wild-collected seed to seedbanks for long term preservation if thespecies is amenable to seed bankingconditions (i.e orthodox seeds);

• Phase out accessions with unknownprovenance;

• Conduct a conservation value audit onthe living tree collection;

• Support Level I and II accreditedarboreta to improve the conservationquality of their collections;

• Contribute to IUCN Red Listassessments;

• Engage citizen scientists to increasecapacity for conservation efforts

References

,Cavender, N., Westwood, M.,Bechtoldt, C., Donnelly, G., Oldfield, S.,Gardner, M., Rae, D. and McNamara,W. 2015. Strengthening theconservation value of ex situ treecollections. Oryx 49:3 416-424.

,Botanic Gardens ConservationInternational. 2014. Building living plantcollections to support conservation: A guide for public gardens.http://www.bgci.org/files/UnitedStates/MBC_Collections_Guide_2014.pdf

Murphy Westwood, PhDTree Conservation Specialist at The Morton Arboretum & Global Tree Conservation Officer for BGCIThe Morton Arboretum4100 Illinois Route 53 Lisle, Illinois 60532, [email protected]


University of Oxford Botanic Garden andHarcourt Arboretum (UK)

In support of the GTC and to achieve level IVaccreditation, the University of Oxford BotanicGarden and Harcourt Arboretum in the UKestablished a valuable partnership with WondoGenet College Arboretum (WGCA), a level Iaccredited arboretum in Ethiopia. Harcourt issupporting WGCA in developing aconservation program for rare and endangeredendemic trees. This includes establishing seedcollecting, germination and propagationprotocols; improving operations in the treenursery; developing a long term strategy forrestoration and reintroduction of threatenedtrees; providing training workshops for staff;helping build capacity; improving curationstandards; and conducting a conservationaudit of the existing tree collection. Thispartnership helps drive forward theconservation mission of both organizations,creates enhanced fund raising opportunities,and results in valuable information andexpertise exchange between the organizations.

Montgomery Botanical Center (USA)

The Montgomery Botanical Center in CoralGables, FL, USA is a world leader in palm andcycad conservation and an active participantin several GTC initiatives and projects. One ofthe many activities it undertakes thatcontributes to its level IV accreditation isdeveloping manuals and resources incollaboration with BGCI that build capacity forgardens to engage in ex situ tree conservation.One such resource is “Building living plantcollections to support conservation: A guidefor public gardens” that was published in2014. This guide provides helpful advice onhow to prioritize target species, leverageexisting institutional assets, collect seed,curate the ex situ collection, and gain supportfrom donors and the public. MontgomeryBotanical Center is an excellent model forother tree-focused gardens to follow, as itprioritizes wild-collected, geneticallyrepresentative germplasm in its ex situ palmcollections. Conservation of threatened palmsand genetic diversity is at the forefront of itsmission, and its living collection is testamentto this objective. As a level IV arboretumfocused on conservation, Montgomeryprovides a gold standard benchmark thatother arboreta can work towards as theyachieve higher levels of accreditation.


Introduction

The Mulanje cedar (Widdringtoniawhytei Rendle) is Malawi’s nationaltree. Its natural distribution is

confined to the 30 km2 Mount Mulanjemassif in the south of the country, south-central Africa’s highest peak at 3,002metres above sea level. Despite itsmountain fortress – or perhaps becauseof it – the Mulanje cedar is criticallyendangered (Bayliss et al, 2007). Thelatest estimates suggest that the areacovered by Mulanje cedar has declinedfrom 1,462 hectares in 1986 to 917hectares in January 2014, i.e. a 37%decline in 28 years. The main cause ofthe cedar’s destruction has been loggingfor timber and fire, although there arealso strong indications that other factorsmay be contributing to its demise. As ofJanuary 2014, overall estimates indicated

that there were 63,747 standing cedartrees on the mountain and, of these,25,609 were dead (41.5% of thepopulation). It is necessary to investigatethe causes of the cedar’s decline in moredetail if we are to come up with arecovery plan that might have somechance of success.

Over-exploitation

The wood of the Mulanje cedar is verybeautiful, it polishes well, is light tomoderately heavy, and extremely durable.In fact, it is so resistant to termites, woodborers and rot that the Thuchila Forestrycottage, built from this timber 110 yearsago, still stands today, as do a number ofmountain huts built for hikers andclimbers in the 1920s. The wood of theMulanje cedar emits a distinctivefragrance from the tannins and resins that

it contains, and which presumably give itdurability. As well as being an excellentbuilding timber, the cedar is useful forshipbuilding, furniture and for roofshingles. As a result of its multiple uses,Mulanje cedar wood has a very higheconomic value.

“At an auction of confiscated

wood held by the Malawi

Department of Forestry in 2010,

a cubic metre of cedar wood

fetched nearly US$4,000.”

SAVING MALAWI’SNATIONAL TREE

Author: Paul Smith

Can a combination of in situ and ex situ conservationapproaches bring this iconic species back from the brink?

Mulanje cedar (Widdringtonia whytei),Sombani Basin, Mt Mulanje, Malawi

For these reasons the cedar is heavilyexploited, and much of this offtake isillegal. Furthermore, poor lawenforcement, and the presence of somany people on the mountain, has led toa proliferation of wild fires, despite theefforts of a local NGO (Mulanje MountainConservation Trust (MMCT)) to set upfirebreaks and fire control measures1.

Despite its thick bark, the Mulanje cedaris highly flammable, and it is particularlyvulnerable at the seedling stage. In fact,fire has been the main cause of thedestruction of Widdringtonia seedlingsthat have been planted on the mountainby MMCT since 2004. Ironically, the cedaralso needs fire to establish otherwise it isoutcompeted by other native evergreentrees and exotic invasive species such asPinus patula and Rubus ellipticus.

Other threats to the Mulanjecedar

The over-exploitation of Widdringtoniawhytei is only one part of the story. Thelarge proportion of dead standing treeshints at a species that is under somestress. In the 1990s there was an aphidinfestation of Cinara cupressi on themountain that severely affected maturecedars but this was treated successfullywith a biological control. More worrying isthe very restricted ability of the Mulanjecedar to regenerate and establish itself.

The 2014 cedar assessment furthershows very low natural regenerationtaking place within the cedar clusters.

This could be attributed to several factorsincluding low viable seed output(Chanyenga, 2013). 285 naturallyregenerating seedlings were recorded in16 clusters out of the 34 clusters that arestill stocked with cedar trees. Thisrepresents 1 seedling ha-1. 152 seedlingswere in the ≤20cm height category, 106seedlings in the 21-150 cm heightcategory while only 7 seedlings werefound in the sapling category.Examination of the remaining maturestands on the mountain shows that thetree exhibits very distinctive size classes,or cohorts, rather than a continuum oftrunk diameters. This suggests that theright climatic and ecological conditionsfor cedar regeneration and establishmentdon’t come along very often. Theseintervals will be even further apart whenthe occurrence of fires is factored in.

Over the past two decades, tens ofthousands of Widdringtonia seedlingshave been produced and planted out bythe Forestry Department and MMCT butthey have nearly all failed to establish.The result is a species that appears to bein terminal decline.

Changing conditions

It is often our assumption that plants arehappy where they are and, for thisreason, most species recovery efforts aimto augment existing populations orreintroduce plants to their historical sites.The Mulanje cedar is an interesting casestudy of why this may not always beappropriate.

It is entirely likely that the Mulanje cedar’shistoric range was far greater than it istoday and that the Mulanje massif is arefugium for this species where it hasbeen afforded some protection from firein a warming climate. It is also quitepossible that the climatic conditions onthe mountain are not optimal for thespecies. The natural distribution of thetree ranges from 1,500-2,200m on themountain and, interestingly, while effortsto plant the tree on Mulanje mountainitself have failed, the tree has beensuccessfully planted on the ZombaPlateau (1,500 m) and Viphya Plateau(1,600 m) with growth rates far exceedingthose on Mount Mulanje. In addition, theMulanje cedar is reported as growing inBogor Botanical Garden, only 265 metersabove sea level and only 6 degrees southof the equator!

The Management Plan

Given the challenges associated withunderstanding the Mulanje cedar’sgrowing requirements and autecology, amulti-disciplinary approach will berequired to ensure its continued survival.The following actions are proposed in theMulanje cedar’s recently publishedManagement Plan:

• To plant approximately 1,400 hectaresof cedar seedlings in the approximately1,600 hectares of historical cedarhabitat sites on the mountain;

• To protect the growing stock fromforest fires, insects and disease, andillegal harvesting;


Lichen-draped cedars on the slopes ofMount Mulanje

Sombani mountain hut, constructed from Mulanje cedar

• To develop and manage good workingrelationships with all stakeholders andthe surrounding communities topromote cedar protection andrestoration;

• To develop and conduct appropriateecological research on the species.

BGCI will work with local andinternational partners to support thiswork and, in addition, will:

• Establish trials of Widdringtonia in ‘fieldgenebanks’ elsewhere in Malawi, inorder to better define its optimalgrowing conditions.

• Conduct horticultural research toimprove seedling survival andestablishment in nurseries, and enableolder trees to be reintroduced.

• Work with local communities and theMalawian Forestry Department toinclude the Mulanje cedar in theportfolio of (mainly exotic) plantspecies for sale in community andprivate tree nurseries.

The reintroduction of the cedar toMulanje mountain has some precedence.Before the Second World War, 190hectares (470 acres) of the Mulanje cedarwere planted. Most of these establishedsuccessfully under the strictly controlledfire regime of the day. From the 1970s,however, a number of these stands weredestroyed by fire. Clearly, effectiveprotection from fire, pests and invasivespecies will require pro-activemanagement and good relations withlocal communities.

The research required to fully understandthe autecology of the Mulanje cedar willembrace a number of disciplines. Thepopulation genetics of the cedar is poorlyunderstood, even to the extent of therebeing some doubt about whetherWiddringtonia whytei is synonymous withthe far more widespread Widdringtonianodiflora (L.) Powrie. The most recentstudy of Widdringtonia systematics(Pauw & Linder, 1997) suggests that thetwo species live side by side on themountain. Regardless of whether there isone species or two, it will be essential toknow more about the genetic diversity ofthe remaining populations on themountain as well as those populationsthat have been established on Zombaand Viphya. In this way, we will be ablesource seed from as wide a genetic baseas possible, and thereby maximize theadaptive potential of reintroduced

seedlings. It should also become clearerabout whether inbreeding depression is afactor for the remaining populations onthe mountain.

A further topic for research is thepathology of the cedar. Currently, seedlingsurvival drops off drastically after theplants reach 5-10 cm in height in thenursery. As mentioned above, survival afterplanting in the field is even lower. This maybe due to a microbial pathogen or it maybe due to the absence of a symbiont, suchas an ecto-mycorrhizal fungus.

Finally, optimal abiotic and edaphicconditions are not well characterized forthis species. Experimentation in thenursery and in reintroduction sites willhelp to resolve this knowledge gap, as willtrial planting in different sites in Malawi. Tothis end, the World Agroforestry Centre(ICRAF) has five field genebanks (or seedorchards) distributed throughout Malawi’sdifferent ecological zones and these willbe ideal for testing the edaphic andclimatic tolerance of the cedar.

Our final strategy will be to define optimalhorticultural protocols for Widdringtoniawhytei. This will involve testing thespecies in a range of potting media,watering regimes, containers (includingaerial pruning), light and temperature. Theultimate aim here is to domesticate thespecies to the extent that it can be grownand sold in nurseries throughout Malawi.There are a number of precedents for thisapproach. Other indigenous timberspecies sold in nurseries in Malawiinclude the pod mahogany (Afzelia

quanzensis), the Natal mahogany (Trichiliaemetica) and the red mahogany (Khayaanthotheca). All have a ready market and,best of all, represent a potential incomestream for local communities thatcurrently can only earn money fromcutting these trees down.

We will keep you informed of progressbut are hopeful that, by applying a rangeof in situ and ex situ conservationapproaches, we can conserve this iconicspecies and improve the livelihoods ofthe inhabitants of Mulanje Mountain.

References

,Bayliss, J., Makungwa, S., Hecht, J.,Nangoma, D., and Bruessow, C. 2007.Saving the island in the sky: the plight ofthe Mount Mulanje cedarWiddringtoniawhytei. Oryx 41 (1), 64–69.

,Chanyenga, T.F. 2013. Effect ofpopulation size on viable seed output,seed rain and natural regenerationpattern of a tropical coniferWiddringtonia whytei Rendle in Malawi.PhD Thesis, Stellenbosch University,Stellenbosch, South Africa.

, Pauw, C.A. and Linder, H.P. 1997.Tropical African Cedars (Widdringtonia,Cupressaceae): Systematics, ecologyand conservation status. Bot J. Linn.Soc. 123 (4): 297-319.

Paul SmithBGCI199 Kew Road, Richmond, [email protected]


Mulanje cedar seedlings, Fort Lister, February 2010


Introduction

Alimitation with most climatechange impact analyses of treespecies is that they have only

assessed species natural distributions. It is obvious to many people involvedwith botanic gardens that many speciescan grow successfully under climaticconditions somewhat different from thosewithin their natural distributions (Booth etal., 2015). Determining the extent towhich threatened tree species cantolerate different climatic conditions isimportant for devising appropriateconservation strategies. For example, if a rare species can cope with changingclimatic conditions it is desirable toconserve it in its current locations, ratherthan undertake risky and expensiverelocations. BGCI’s PlantSearchdatabase1, together with recently

developed biodiversity databases suchas the Atlas of Living Australia2, areproviding exciting opportunities toanalyse the climatic requirements ofthreatened tree species.

Eucalypt species are particularlyinteresting for climate change studies asmany of the more than 800 species foundin Australia have been tested widely intrials. Often these trials have been underhotter and drier conditions than where thespecies grow naturally. However,endangered or vulnerable eucalyptspecies, of which there are more than 50species, tend to be small and/or multi-stemmed trees. These have little potentialfor commercial use, so have usually notbeen included in trials. Many of thesespecies have relatively limited distributionsand narrow climatic ranges, so may beparticularly vulnerable to climate change.

A recent study has examined thepotential for using information frombotanic gardens to provide someindication of the climatic adaptability ofrare eucalypt species. Data for 12 rarespecies were obtained from BGCI’sPlantSearch database. Each species wasrecorded in between 11 – 28 gardens.The scientific paper describing the studywill be published shortly (Booth, in press).To illustrate the method here we considerjust one species, Eucalyptus kruseana F.Muell (Bookleaf Mallee). This is a smallbushy multi-stemmed tree, with a limitednatural distribution mainly to the east andsouth-east of Kalgoorlie, in WesternAustralia. As this was an initial proof-of-concept study, the focus was onexamining only annual meantemperature. More detailed studies wouldassess more climatic variables.

Natural distribution

The first step in the analysis was toexamine the species natural distribution.This was carried out using the freelyaccessible Atlas of Living Australia (ALA,www.ala.org.au). The ALA contains morethan 50 million records of speciesoccurrence, as well as more than 400spatial layers describing climatic,

BGCI’s PlantSearch database

together with the Atlas of

Living Australia and

the managers of relevant

botanic gardens are

providing new insights into

the climatic requirements

of rare tree species

LEARNING ABOUT THECLIMATIC REQUIREMENTS OFTHREATENED TREE SPECIES

Author: Dr Trevor Booth

1www.bgci.org/plant_search.php2www.ala.org.au

Eucalyptus kruseana (T. Booth)

substrate, topographic, social andvegetation data. An ALA-generated mapshowed 88 locations where E. kruseanagrows in Australia. The naturaldistribution has been highlighted hereand the scatterplot tool of the ALA usedto show ranges of annual meantemperature and annual meanprecipitation within the naturaldistribution (Fig. 1).

The ALA was used to zoom in and look at the natural distribution in more detail(Fig. 2). The main part of the natural

distribution was found where the annualmean temperature ranges from 17.8-18.8oC, but at two outlying locationsannual mean temperatures were 19.5oCand 19.9oC. Outliers such as these aresometimes omitted in species distributionmodelling studies, as they may beobservations of cultivated specimens,misidentifications or data entry errors.Considering climatic conditions atlocations clearly outside the naturaldistribution may lend credibility toconditions estimated for these outlying sites.

Returning to the first ALA map (Fig. 1), asmall number of cultivated locations wereshown in southern Australia. However,only the Myall Park Botanic Gardenlocation in Queensland (shown with thearrow) was of particular interest, as theannual mean temperature estimated forthis location (20.2oC) was warmer thanany location within the naturaldistribution.

PlantSearch data

Latitude and longitude data from thePlantSearch database for 16 botanicgardens growing E. kruseana wereentered into the ALA. Climatic conditionsat these locations were estimated usingthe WORLDCLIM data included in theALA and the scatterplot tool was used toexamine the range of conditions for thesesites. The scatterplot analysis showedthat most botanic gardens were growingE. kruseana at similar or cooler annualmean temperatures to those in its naturaldistribution. However, a small number oflocations in the United States, as well asthe Myall Park Botanic Gardens inAustralia already mentioned, weregrowing it at warmer annual meantemperatures up to 21.3oC (Fig. 3).

Data from the literature

Only two of the 12 rare species assessedhad any previously published descriptionsfrom which information on their climatictolerance, beyond that of their naturaldistributions, could be estimated. E.kruseana was one of these species, butinformation was only available from onesite at Shushtar in the Khuzestan provinceof Iran (Abravesh et al. 2007). The annualmean temperature estimated by the ALAfor this location was surprisingly high at25.5oC. However, the exact location of thetrial site in relation to the town was notknown, so the estimate may not bereliable.

Challenges

An important limitation to using ALA datafor estimating the climatic requirementsof rare species is that the accuracy oflocational data for the natural distributionis intentionally obscured. That is the fullaccuracy is not provided, but is simplifiedin the case of E. kruseana to a 20 kmgrid, to protect the exact locations of thisrare species. Fortunately, Australia is arelatively flat continent. So, if areasonable number of observations are


Fig. 1: E. kruseana occurrence records in the ALA, including natural locations (inhighlighted box) as well as cultivated locations in southern Australian and at the MyallPark Botanic Gardens in Queensland (indicated with an arrow). Map data: Google, ALA

Fig 2: E. kruseana natural distribution shown in greater detail. Arrows indicate outlyinglocations experiencing annual mean temperatures of 19.5oC and 19.9oC. Map data:Google, ALA

available, as was the case with E.kruseana, the scatterplot analysis can stillprovide a reasonable indication of therange of climatic conditions.

A particular limitation for Australianspecies is that there are relatively fewbotanic gardens in warmer environmentalconditions than those experienced bymany species in Australia. UsingPlantSearch data may be more useful forplants from cooler countries and regions.These species would be likely to begrowing at many more botanic gardensunder warmer conditions than those intheir natural distributions.

Using data from botanic gardens to inferclimatic adaptability has several importantlimitations, which are discussed in detail inthe Booth (in press) paper. The use ofirrigation in botanic gardens is one of themain limitations. This may allow species totolerate conditions somewhat warmer thanthey would otherwise be able to do.Similarly, planting locations within botanicgardens may be carefully chosen to suitparticular species. The influences ofparticular slopes, aspects and positions onslope will not be captured by informationabout just the latitude, longitude andelevation of the site. Soil differencesbetween natural locations and botanicgardens might also be considered to be amajor problem, but an important concernfor rare eucalypts is whether they cancontinue to grow under climate changewhere they are presently located. Soilconditions are not likely to be a majorfactor limiting survival at these existingsites under climate change, climaticadaptability is the key issue.

In view of the limitations of using datafrom botanic gardens it is suggested thatif observations from warmer locations arefew these should only be used to confirmclimatic conditions at outliers within ornear to the natural distribution that mightotherwise be rejected. Data from botanicgardens are particularly valuable whenother data relevant to climaticadaptability are either not available fromother sources, such as commercial trials,or are very limited.

Opportunities

The Booth (in press) paper indicates thatrare eucalypts do show some signs ofclimatic adaptability beyond theconditions found within their naturaldistributions. Overall, 11 of the 12species assessed showed some signs ofpossessing climatic adaptability beyondthat indicated by their naturaldistributions. In most cases thedifferences in annual mean temperatureswere of several degrees Celsius. Thissuggests it may well be worth carryingout some more detailed analyses forsome selected species, including studiesof their genetic diversity as well asclimatic adaptability.

Whether future climate change analysesprove to be helpful or not for rarespecies, systems such as the ALA maybe very useful for botanic gardens forother purposes. For example, the ALAcan help to provide information aboutconditions at the origins of particularspecimens already growing in botanicgardens, as well as assisting theselection of potential new specimens

that might be grown. An ALA-basedsystem is already in operation in Spain(datos.gbif.es) and the Global BiodiversityInformation Facility (GBIF) is supportingthe development of similar systems inseveral other countries.

In summary, the exploratory analysis ofthe 12 rare eucalypts indicated thatuseful information can be obtained usingPlantSearch and the ALA. However, thenumber of observations outside those ofthe conditions of the natural distributionwere small, so considerable cautionshould be used in interpreting the data.More detailed studies would be usefuland the establishment of trials to furtherexplore the climatic adaptability of rarespecies may well be worthwhile.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to BGCI for providing access tothe PlantSearch database and to theAtlas of Living Australia team. Thanksalso to botanic garden managers (seeBooth in press for fullacknowledgements).

References

, Abravesh, Z. et al. 2007. Extraction and identification of essential oilcomponents of five Eucalyptus speciesin warm zones of Iran. Iranian Journalof Medicinal and aromatic Plants. 23: 323-330.

,Booth, T.H., et al. 2015. Native forestsand climate change: Lessons fromeucalyptus. Forest Ecology andManagement. 347: 18-29.

,Booth, T.H. In press. Using a globalbotanic gardens database to helpassess the capabilities of rare eucalyptspecies to cope with climate change.International Forestry Review. 17 (3).

Copies of the recent papers are availablefrom Trevor Booth ([email protected]).The 2015 paper is available now and thesecond will be available soon, but can berequested now.

Dr Trevor H. BoothCSIRO Land and Water FlagshipGPO Box 1700, Canberra ACT 2601Australia


Fig. 3: E. kruseana planted locations from PlantSearch database. Locations in box ofscatterplot are warmer than those in the natural distribution and are circled in red withon the map. Map data: Google, ALA

40 • BGCI • 2015 • BGjournal • Vol 12.2 40

Integrated conservation of tree speciesby botanic gardens: a reference manualOldfield, S. and Newton, A.C. 2012Botanic Gardens Conservation International,Richmond, UKISBN: 978-1-905164-44-8

This reference manualhas been developed tosupport the integratedconservation ofthreatened tree speciesby botanic gardens andarboreta. It is aimed atthe staff and associatesof the world’s botanicgardens, and is designedto help the development,planning and

implementation of conservation activitiesfocusing on tree species. Botanic gardensare exceptionally well placed to make animportant contribution in this area, as theyhave access to the skills and techniques toidentify, cultivate and propagate a widerange of tree species. In addition, they holdimportant collections of living trees, seedsand other germplasm that can be of value insupporting both in situ and ex situconservation efforts. This manual builds onA handbook for botanic gardens on thereintroduction of plants to the wildpublished by BGCI in 1995 and reflects theincreasing imperative to restore andconserve damaged ecosystems. It draws onboth the scientific literature and on practicalexperiences gained in tree conservationprojects from around the world. The manualfirst briefly considers why tree speciesshould be conserved and restored and howintegrated approaches to conservation canbe developed. A step-by-step guide is thenprovided to support the design andpractical implementation of integratedconservation approaches. While this manualcan only serve as a brief introduction towhat is a large and complex subject, it ishoped that it will both facilitate andencourage botanic gardens and landmanagement agencies to developintegrated conservation activities focusingon tree species.

A copy of this publication can bedownloaded here:http://www.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/News/SeptDec12/tree_species_low.pdf

The State of the World’s Forest GeneticResourcesCommission on Genetic Resources for Foodand Agriculture Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations, Rome, 2014ISBN 978-92-5-108402-1 (print)E-ISBN 978-92-5-108403-8 (PDF)

Published in 2014, this first report on theState of the World’s Forest GeneticResources addresses the conservation,management and sustainable use of foresttree and other woody plant geneticresources of actual and potential value forhuman well-being in the broad range ofmanagement systems. This report aims tohelp differentiate between the state of theworld’s forest resources (as reported inFAO’s annual State of the World’s Forestsand the periodic Global Forest ResourcesAssessment) and the state of the geneticresources on which they depend for theirutility, adaptability and health. The reportindicates that about half of the forestspecies in the 86 reporting countries arethreatened or subject to genetic erosion,and only about one-quarter are activelymanaged for their products and/or services.The report documents the value andimportance of forest genetic resources(FGR) and looks at the current state ofconservation in situ and ex situ. It alsoexplores the drivers of change and trendsaffecting FGR and examines current andemerging trends in forest conservation andmanagement. The report notes that thestatus of botanical knowledge varies fromcountry to country. Very few countries havedetailed tree species checklists that includespecies characteristics allowing distinctionbetween different plant life forms, e.g. trees,shrubs, palms and bamboo. Furthermoreinformation on the conservation status ofspecies populations is not available in manycountries. Among other recommendations,and of relevance to botanic gardens, thereport calls for:

• The establishment and development ofefficient and sustainable ex situconservation systems

• Enhanced restoration and rehabilitation ofecosystems using genetically appropriatematerial

• Reinforcement of regional andinternational cooperation, includingnetworking, to support education,knowledge dissemination, research, andconservation and sustainablemanagement of FGR.

• Promotion of public and internationalawareness of the roles and value of FG

A copy of the report can be downloadedhere: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3825e.pdf

Genetic considerations in ecosystemrestoration using native tree species.State of the World’s Forest GeneticResources - Thematic study.Bozzano, M., Jalonen, R., Thomas, E.,Boshier, D., Gallo, L., Cavers, S., Bordács, S.,Smith, P. & Loo, J., eds. 2014.FAO and Bioversity International, Rome. 2014ISBN 978-92-5-108469-4 (print)E-ISBN 978-92-5-108470-0 (PDF)

There is renewed interest in the use ofnative tree species in ecosystem restorationfor their biodiversity benefits. Growingnative tree species in production systems(e.g. plantation forests and subsistenceagriculture) can also ensure landscapefunctionality and support for humanlivelihoods. Achieving full benefits, however,requires consideration of genetic aspectsthat are often neglected, such as suitabilityof germplasm to the site, quality andquantity of the genetic pool used andregeneration potential. This study providesfundamental information for theachievement of knowledge-basedecosystem restoration using native treespecies. It draws attention to theimportance of embedding geneticconsiderations in restoration activities, anaspect which is often overlooked both byrestoration scientists and practitioners, butis nonetheless crucial to rebuilding resilientlandscapes and ecosystems. The studyincludes a review and synthesis ofexperience and results; an analysis ofsuccesses and failures in various systems;and definitions of best practice, includinggenetic aspects. It also identifies knowledgegaps and needs for further research anddevelopment. Of particular relevance tobotanic gardens is the fact that limitedinformation and knowledge of nativespecies biology and lack of appropriateplanting material is a major constraint to theuse of native species in restorationprogrammes. The report concludes with aseries of recommendations to guideresearch, restoration practice and policy.

A copy of the report can be downloaded at:http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3938e.pdf

RESOURCES

BGCI’s INSTITUTION members receive numerous benefits: • Opportunities for involvement in joint conservation and education projects• Tools and opportunities to influence global conservation policy and action• Botanic Garden Management Resource Pack (upon joining)*• Our twice yearly e-publications: - BGjournal – an international journal for botanic gardens - Roots - Environmental Education Review• A wide range of publications and special reports• Invitations to BGCI congresses and discounts on registration fees • BGCI technical support and advisory services

BGCI’s INDIVIDUAL members receive• Regular e-publications (these publications are sent as a pdf file via email): - BGjournal - an international journal for botanic gardens (2 per year) - Roots - Environmental Education Review (2 per year)• Invitations to BGCI congresses and discounts on registration fees

J Conservation donor 275 450 375K Individual member 80 125 100M Friend -available through www.bgci.org/joinin 15 20 18

Institution Membership £ Stlg US $ € Euros

Individual Membership £ Stlg US $ € Euros

INDIVIDUAL members and donorssupport BGCI’s global network forplant conservation, and areconnected to it through ourpublications and events.

*Contents of the Botanic Garden Management Resource Pack include: Darwin Technical Manual for Botanic Gardens, A Handbook for Botanic Gardens on the Reintroduction of Plants to the Wild, BGjournal - an international journal for botanic gardens, Roots - Environmental Education Review, The International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation, Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, Environmental Education in Botanic Gardens, additional recent BGCI reports and manuals.

Many of these publications have been translated into Chinese. Please contact us for more details.

A BGCI Patron Institution 5,500 8,500 7,500A/B Principal member 1,900 3,000 2,275B Institution member (budget more than US$2,250,000) 1,100 1,650 1,325C Institution member (budget US$ 1,500,000 - 2,250,000) 600 990 770D Institution member (budget US$ 750,000 - 1,500,000) 440 715 550E Institution member (budget US$ 100,000 - 750,000) 240 385 310F Institution member (budget below US$100,000)* 110 165 130

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