1. 110° Congresso DIPARTIMENTO DI BIOLOGIA
Symposium 3: Agro-biodiversity and its conservation
A survey of the Italian endemic vascular flora as a source of Crop Wild Relatives
Gianni Bedini, Angelino Carta, Francesco Roma-Marzio, Giovanni Astuti, Lorenzo Peruzzi
110° Congresso
della Società Botanica Italiana
II INTERNATIONAL PLANT SCIENCE CONFERENCE
“NOT ONLY FOOD: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,
AGRO-BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
& HUMAN WELL BEING”
DIPARTIMENTO DI BIOLOGIA
Pavia, September 2015 1

2. CWR research 2

3. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs3

4. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many? 4

5. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many?
Where are they distributed? 5

6. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many?
Where are they distributed?
What is their conservation status? 6

7. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many?
Where are they distributed?
What is their conservation status?
What is their representation in ex situ collections? 7

8. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many?
Where are they distributed?
What is their conservation status?
What is their representation in ex situ collections?
To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective?
, so as to generate meanigful data to apply more restrictive gene pool categories (sensu Harlan & De Wet, 1971) or taxonomic groups (sensu Maxted et al., 2006)? 8

9. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many?
Where are they distributed?
What is their conservation status?
What is their representation in ex situ collections?
To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective?
Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs? 9

10. Italian endemic vascular plants as CWRs
How many?
Where are they distributed?
What is their conservation status?
What is their representation in ex situ collections?
To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective?
Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs?
What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs? 10

11. 1. How many
1414 endemic taxa 11

12. 1414 endemic taxa of which 1227 (87%) are CWRs
1. How many
1414 endemic taxa
of which 1227 (87%) are CWRs 12

13. 1414 endemic taxa of which 1227 (87%) are CWRs
1. How many
1414 endemic taxa
of which 1227 (87%) are CWRs
based on the list of CWR published by Landucci et al. (2015) and following Taxonomic Group 4 criterium (all species of same genus as crop, Maxted et al. 2006). [Landucci et al. (2015) report a different number of endemic taxa due to a different taxonomical framework]. 13

14. 1. How many 14

15. 1. How many 15

16. 2. Where are they distributed?
Number of species
Number of genera
10 – 69
129 – 171
172 – 274
275 – 353
8 – 18
42 – 72
73 – 96
97 – 137 16

17. 3. What is their conservation status?17

18. 3. What is their conservation status?18

19. 3. What is their conservation status?
MOSTLY UNKNOWN! 19

20. Only 117 endemic CWRs (9.5%) assessed
3. What is their conservation status?
Only 117 endemic CWRs (9.5%) assessed
50 'policy', 67 'non policy' species 20

21. What is their representation in ex situ collections?21

22. What is their representation in ex situ collections?22

23. 5. To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective?23

24. 5. To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective?24

25. No database available, nor a review,
5. To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective?
No database available, nor a review,
but... 25

26. 5. To what extent are they studied from a phylogenetic / reproductive perspective [...]?26

27. 6. Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs?27

28. 6. Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs?28

29. CWR research 29

30. 61
Italian endemic taxa 30

31. 6. Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs?31

32. 6. Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs?32

33. 95
Italian endemic taxa 33

34. 6. Are Italian endemic CWRs represented in prioritised lists of CWRs?34

35. 35

36. 36

37. 38
Italian endemic taxa 37

38. Fill the gaps to complete the assessment of their conservation status
7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps to complete the assessment of their conservation status 38

39. Fill the gaps to complete the assessment of their conservation status
7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps to complete the assessment of their conservation status
On-going project for the compilation of the Red List of the Italian vascular flora led by the Italian Botanical Society: 39

40. 484 endemic taxa in step 2 (to be issued soon);
7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps to complete assessment of conservation status
On-going project for the compilation of the Red List of the Italian vascular flora led by the Italian Botanical Society:
484 endemic taxa in step 2 (to be issued soon); 40

41. 484 endemic taxa in step 2 (to be issued soon);
7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps to complete assessment of conservation status
On-going project for the compilation of the Red List of the Italian vascular flora led by the Italian Botanical Society:
484 endemic taxa in step 2 (to be issued soon);
~700 endemic taxa in step 3 (to start soon). 41

42. 484 endemic taxa in step 2 (to be issued soon);
7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps to complete assessment of conservation status
On-going project for the compilation of the Red List of the Italian vascular flora led by the Italian Botanical Society:
484 endemic taxa in step 2 (to be issued soon);
~700 endemic taxa in step 3 (to start soon).
Further efforts will be required to attain a full coverage of the Italian endemic CWRs. 42

43. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Record in situ occurence of endemic CWRs in protected areas and elsewhere 43

44. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Record in situ occurence of endemic CWRs in protected areas and elsewhere
Projects like Wikiplantbase #Toscana, #Sardegna are quickly accumulating diversity distribution data, but need to be focussed on this issue; collaboration with protected areas is of essence.
Distribution maps of:
Crocus etruscus Parl. (left), and
Crocus minimus DC. (right).
From Wikiplantbase #Toscana and Wikiplantbase #Sardegna respectively. 44

45. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Update the data on ex situ conservation and complete the collection of Italian endemic CWRs 45

46. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Update the data on ex situ conservation and complete the collection of Italian endemic CWRs
Seeds of endemic species are actively collected by seed banks of native plants in Italy: it's now time to produce a new catalogue of their holdings of Italian endemic CWRs 46

47. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps in chromosome counts and promote studies on the phylogenetic relationships and reproductive biology of endemic CWRs 47

48. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps in chromosome counts and promote studies on the phylogenetic relationships and reproductive biology of endemic CWRs 48

49. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps in chromosome counts and promote studies on the phylogenetic relationships and reproductive biology of endemic CWRs 49

50. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps in chromosome counts and promote studies on the phylogenetic relationships and reproductive biology of endemic CWRs 50

51. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Fill the gaps in chromosome counts and promote studies on the phylogenetic relationships and reproductive biology of endemic CWRs 51

52. 7. What conclusions can be drawn to enhance the knowledge and conservation of Italian endemic CWRs?
Given the growing interest for this topic by the Ministry for the Environment (Andreella et al ), time is ready for a national project specifically focusing on Italian endemic CWRs, involving also Società Botanica Italiana and RIBES, to complete above mentioned action points in a coordinated, efficient and scientifically valid synergy. 52