IABG/BGCI European Botanic Gardens Consortium Suzanne Sharrock Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Relevant targets In the overall context of EU biodiversity policies and strategies European Action Plan for Botanic Gardens European Plant Conservation Strategy Global Strategy for Plant Conservation International Agenda targets for botanic gardens EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Action Plan for Botanic Gardens in the EU Published in 2000 More than 30 objectives on Science and horticulture Conservation of biodiversity Education, training and awareness Networking and capacity building Funding EuroGard, Septmber 2006

European Plant Conservation Strategy Published in 2002 and reviewed in 2004 42 targets to be achieved by 2007 Contribution to the GSPC BGs – lead organisations for ex situ conservation and education EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Adopted in 2002 16 targets Botanic gardens especially implicated in ex situ and education targets EuroGard, Septmber 2006

International Agenda targets for botanic gardens Developed at the 2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress, Barcelona, 2004 Adopted at end of 2004 20 targets Harmonise the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation with the GSPC EuroGard, Septmber 2006

European botanic garden targets? European botanic gardens consortium No new targets Review of actions contributing to existing targets Special focus on GSPC Target 8 via the BGCI PlantSearch database EuroGard, Septmber 2006

GSPC I A EU biodiversity EPCS Botanic garden (viii) 60% of threatened plant species in accessible ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and 10 per cent of them included in recovery and restoration programmes (8) 50% of threatened plants plants included in accessible botanic garden ex situ conservation collections, preferably in the country of origin Sub target: 75 per cent of critically endangered species (CR) included in ex situ conservation collections by 2010, preferably in the country of origin; 1.9 Support strengthened for ex situ conservation programmes which are operated in line with best practice. EU Action plan to 2010 A1.3.3 identify and fill critical gaps in EU ex situ conservation programmes for wild species List of threatened plant taxa published on the web; Recovery programmes for 50 priority plants across all taxa; Inventory of taxa held in EU germplasm collections and gaps identified; Manual with guidelines and case studies for best practice for integrated conservation available on the web 19 botanical gardens in Poland posses documented ex situ collections of threatened species of Polish flora. - Among 446 species of threatened of vascular plants native to Poland 219 taxa are kept in ex situ collections of the Polish botanical gardens (48,4%) EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 1 – Working list of known plant species The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland provides taxonomic support for Irish botany, including publication of floristic lists and county (regional) Floras. Irish botany news and updates are provide on its website. The National Botanic Gardens maintains the national Census Catalogue (checklist) of the Irish flora and a new edition is planned for publication. The National Botanic Gardens maintains the most comprehensive herbarium on the Irish national flora. EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 2 – conservation status Since 1994 Tallinn BG is participating in the national monitoring program of rare and endangered plant species of Estonia. The botanic garden of the University of Vienna has compiled a list of plant taxa deserving conservation action as a basis for the development of seed collection priorities EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 3 – models and protocols Portugal: Models, protocols and case studies for priority plants, their ecosystems and cultural landscapes: Convolvulus fernandesii, Culcita macrocarpa, Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Jonopsidium acaule, Linaria ricardoi, Lycopodium cernuum, Marsilea bartadae, Narcissus cavanillesii, Narcissus scaberulus, EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Targets 4, 5 and 7 – in situ Austrian BGs are involved in research activities related to different ecological zones in Austria (e.g., the pannonian drylands) The Balkan BG in Greece manages an in situ conservation area of natural oak forest In Slovenia, the BG manages some additional special areas in the vicinity of the capital. EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Targets 6, 9 – agro-biodiversity Development of manuals for good agricultural practice in Portugal NBG, Belgium holds a seed bank of wild Phaseolineae recognized as base collection by IPGRI. In Norway, the BG is involved in a project aiming to conserve clones of old and rare ornamental plants. The project is coordinated by the Committee on Plant Genetic Resources under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 10 – invasive aliens In Span, eradication in some collections of those species that are potentially invading. − Alerts about potentially invading species to the competent authority. A list of invasive species in the Czech Republic has been prepared by the BGs EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 11 – International trade BG of Warsaw Uni. organized in 2004 a special International Conference on CITES use by botanical gardens and has edited 3 guide books about CITES Several Austrian Botanic gardens serve as rescue centers for confiscated plants. Tallinn BG is a research unit for the national committee of CITES EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 12 – sustainable use The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland has an active and on-going policy to reduce the use of peat in horticulture. In our restaurant only ‘Fair Trade’ coffee is served. Norway - all plant based products used in the garden come from sustainable sources EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Other targets T14 – education – all BGs T15 – Capacity building – many BGs T16 – Networking – e.g. EuroGard. EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 8 – ex situ Estonia - ex situ collection of 70 nationally endangered or threatened plant species in Tallinn Botanic Garden and 28 species protected by Bern Convention. The two botanic gardens of Latvia have about 22 per cent of flowering plant and fern species protected by law in Latvia. 20 threatened medicinal and 10 arboreal plant species belonging to national red list are cultivated at Kaunas Botanic Garden of Vytautas Magni University, Lithuania All Norwegian gardens keep some red list taxa. Oslo has ca. 500 taxa included in international red lists and ca. 30 taxa included in the Norwegian red list. In the UK, 137 UK Red Listed species (67%) in collections (73 of wild British origin and 38 represented by one accession in one garden) . EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Target 8 – BGCI PlantSearch database EuroGard, Septmber 2006

PlantSearch database Target 8 – GSPC 60% threatened plants in ex situ collections 11,000 threatened plants recorded in PlantSearch EuroGard, Septmber 2006

EuroGard, Septmber 2006

PlantSearch and EU collections EU Consortium – focus of activities in 2006 Letter sent from BGCI to all EU gardens (+800) National representatives encouraging input Significant input of data Still many gaps EuroGard, Septmber 2006

PlantSearch and EU gardens 698 gardens registered in BGCI database 220 have provided plantlists 245,218 plant records (same plant will be recorded in many gardens) Analysis of internationally red listed species done country by country Regional analysis still required EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Conclusions EU botanic gardens are contributing to many EU and global plant conservation targets Is this being recognised by GSPC/CBD focal points? Main EU botanic garden policy document is the EU Action Plan – does this need updating? EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Conclusions Many EU botanic gardens have contributed data to BGCI’s PlantSearch database – but even more have not – how can we improve? In the absence of an EU Red List, how can we measure the achievement of Target 8 at the regional level? What about the future – what are the implications of climate change? Are we prepared? EuroGard, Septmber 2006

Thank you ! EuroGard, Septmber 2006