A Tree Species Extinction Safety Net
The Global Conservation Consortia aims to mobilise a network of institutions and experts to collaboratively develop and implement conservation strategies for threatened plants.
Accelerating Effective Conservation of Global Tree Diversity
Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is scaling up tree conservation via the Global Conservation Consortia, which brings together groups of institutions and experts to collaboratively tackle the conservation of priority threatened plant groups.
Palms at Montgomery Botanical Center (2018-10-12) by M. Patrick GriffithBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Why do botanic gardens matter?
There are more than 3,000 botanic gardens worldwide, maintaining at least one third of known plant diversity.
3/4 of a billion people visit botanic gardens each year
Botanic gardens are uniquely placed to address conservation challenges. With 3/4 of a billion people visiting gardens annually, gardens can effectively use public engagement along with their horticulture and science expertise to tackle issues.
The long term nature of their collections also make them especially well-suited to conserving trees. Therefore, along with other partners across the world, the Global Conservation Consortia are mobilizing botanic gardens to conserve threatened tree species in regions where urgent action is needed the most.
Target Plant Groups
Plant groups that are technically challenging to conserve and manage, e.g. 'exceptional species' whose seeds cannot be stored by conventional means, are good targets.
These include some of the planet's most charismatic species, including oaks (Quercus), magnolias (Magnolia), maples (Acer) and cycads.
Quercus graciliformis acorns (2018-08-18) by Shannon M. StillBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Quercus graciliformis acorns
Among these groups are species that are down to less than 50 individuals remaining in the wild.
Quercus acerifolia at The Morton Arboretum (2018-09-15) by Deb BrownBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Quercus acerifolia at The Morton Arboretum
Oaks (Quercus) are one of several plant genera whose seeds cannot be stored by conventional means.
Conserving species in native habitats may be impractical
Although ideal for preventing extinction, this can even be impossible for many species due to global threats such as climate change, invasive species, and habitat degradation.
Several tree species are already extinct in the wild and many survive only in botanic gardens today.
It is vital to back up and maintain species at safe sites
For example, botanic gardens. For exceptional species whose seeds don’t store well in the cold, dry environments of seed banks, growing living plants in the world’s botanic gardens is the most secure way to safeguard these important plants against extinction.
Growing a single plant of a species, or holding a collection of a threatened species in a single location, are insufficient ways to conserve a species. Collections in isolation are vulnerable to a myriad of threats including extreme weather events, climate change, and pests and diseases.
Effective Conservation
In order to effectively conserve threatened species, plants need to be grown across multiple sites, and ideally represent the genetic diversity of the species.
This way, material can be used to support species recovery in the wild.
Increasing the potential to conserve species
A metacollection — a collection of collections — greatly increases the potential to conserve species, and provides more opportunities to study them to learn how we can better support species recovery in the wild. The metacollection concept is central to the work of the Global Conservation Consortia.
Hurricane damage at Naples Botanical Garden, Florida, United States (2017-09-17) by Chad WashburnBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Hurricane damage
Damage to the plant collections from Hurricane Irma in 2017 at Naples Botanical Garden, Florida, United States.
Hurricane damage at Naples Botanical Garden, Florida, United States 2 (2017-09-17) by Chad WashburnBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Hurricane damage at a garden
Metacollections provide opportunities to study species, and therefore better understand how to support their survival in the wild.
This is key to recovery from natural disasters such as hurricanes.
Conservation nursery at a seed bank in Chilé
Threatened native plant species can be grown in nurseries like this, to support conservation and species recovery in the wild.
Cycas thouarsii, photographed at Montgomery Botanical Center (2017-08-24) by M. Patrick GriffithBotanic Gardens Conservation International
Cycas thouarsii, Montgomery Botanical Center
Though we have an idea of how many tree species there are globally — around 58,000 — we are far from knowing everything about their ecological significance and the role that they play in their native habitats.
What we do know is that the world’s plant diversity is essential to our existence.
To conserve it, we need to work together
It is our vision that botanic garden expertise, collections, and facilities can and do serve as a global safety net to prevent species extinctions.
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