Conserving Europe’s plant genetic resources for use now and in the future PGR Forum European crop wild relative diversity assessment and conservation forum PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Towards an information gateway for crop wild relatives: an introduction to PGR Forum N. Maxted, B.V. Ford-Lloyd, S.P. Kell and J. Moore University of Birmingham, UK UNEP-GEF Project, In Situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives through Enhanced Information Management and Field Application First Information Management Workshop 4-7 October, 2004 IPGRI, Rome, Italy

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development What is PGR Forum? A European forum to debate methodologies for the conservation of crop wild relatives, with a focus on in situ conservation Project participants represent a broad cross-section of the professional PGR community, including conservationists, taxonomists, plant breeders, information managers, policy-makers and end-users

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Who is involved? The project brings together national and regional partner institutes from 21 countries across Europe, plus partners representing IPGRI and IUCN -The World Conservation Union An Advisory Board, Stakeholder Panel, and guest speakers representing a number of further national and International organisations provide additional input and feedback on project activities and deliverables PGR Forum collaborates closely with other International projects and programmes, such as Euro+Med PlantBase, EPGRIS and the IUCN Red List Programme

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Funding A Thematic Network funded under the EC Framework 5 Programme for Research, Key action 2 ‘Global change, climate and biodiversity’, ‘Assessing and conserving biodiversity’ The project duration is 36 months, with a start date of November 1, 2002

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development What is a crop wild relative? “ Crops ” may include food, fodder and forage crops, medicinal plants, condiments, ornamental and forestry species, plants used for industrial purposes, such as oils and fibres, minor crops and under utilised species A crop wild relative is a wild plant taxon that has an indirect use derived from its relatively close genetic relationship to a crop; this relationship is defined in terms of the CWR belonging to gene pools 1 or 2, or taxon groups 1 to 4 of the crop

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development European crop wild relatives Europe is as an important centre for crop wild relative diversity; for example: Major crops, including oats (Avena sativa), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), apple (Malus domestica), annual meadow grass (Festuca pratensis), and white clover (Trifolium repens) have wild relatives in Europe Minor crops include arnica (Arnica montana), asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and sage (Salvia officinalis)

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development What are the problems? Populations of crop wild relatives throughout Europe are under threat from habitat alteration and loss; however, their conservation across the region has received relatively little attention While some European crop wild relative material is conserved ex situ, their conservation in situ has not been the subject of significant debate There are a number of initiatives to inventory European crop wild relative species at the individual country level, but there has not been a coordinated effort focusing on the production of a comprehensive European catalogue

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development What are our main objectives? Create a Crop Wild Relative Information System (CWRIS) providing access to crop wild relative data Develop methodologies and practical guidelines for the in situ conservation of crop wild relatives (in situ data management, threat and conservation assessment, genetic reserve location and management, population monitoring, and genetic erosion and pollution assessment) Communicate results to stakeholders, policy makers and user groups as a means of aiding the efficient and effective conservation and use of crop wild relative diversity

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Catalogue of European crop wild relatives Euro+Med PlantBase Mansfeld’s World Database genera Forestry + ornamental genera Catalogue of CWR species CWR genera

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development The Crop Wild Relative Information System (CWRIS) CWR catalogue Crops and their wild relatives c. 20,000 species CWR case studies Collection of in-depth data for selected taxa to illustrate the data model CWRIS Links to external data sources + Data entry module User requirements Data standards

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development CWRIS Model Crop Wild Relative Core Database Names of crops and their wild relatives; degree of relatedness (genetic and/or taxonomic) Euro+Med PlantBase Nomenclature Mansfeld’s World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops Crop names; uses; cultivation history; domestication; references; images… GRIN Crops and CWR uses EUNIS Habitat and site information IUCN Red List FAO Databases EURISCO Ex Situ Collections in Europe n ancillary data sources…….. Crop Wild Relative Data Users + Providers BGCI Botanic garden collections National Databases

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development PGR Forum Outputs GEF Output 1 – International information system Definition of CWR (gene pools and taxon groups) Methodology for generation of CWR list Identification of user requirements The CWRIS XML schema for CWR data exchange Coding of CWRIS CWR data standards

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development PGR Forum Outputs GEF Output 2 – National information system Methodologies for the collation and analysis of taxonomic, ecogeographic and conservation status data Application of the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria to CWRs (including forecasting and backcasting) Methodology for establishing CWR conservation priorities Methodology for carrying out gap analysis for CWRs Methodologies for reserve site selection, design, and management, and population monitoring Examples of CWR conservation case studies

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development PGR Forum Outputs GEF Output 3 – Inter-agency collaboration Identification of user requirements Protocols and procedures for information sharing and data management Methodologies for identification of CWR representation in protected areas and Important Plant Areas, including the identification of CWR hotspots Production of management plans and monitoring protocols PGR Forum listserver and online discussion forum

PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development PGR Forum Outputs GEF Output 4 – CWR public awareness Crop Wild Relative PGR Forum web site CWRIS Online Publications e.g. IPGRI Technical Bulletin, peer-reviewed journal articles PGR Forum Final Dissemination Conference, September 2005, Sicily

Conserving Europe’s plant genetic resources for use now and in the future PGR Forum European crop wild relative diversity assessment and conservation forum PGR Forum - EVK Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Thank you for your attention PGR Forum welcomes collaboration with the GEF CWR project