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Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological DiversityISBN: 92-9225-095-7

Copyright: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 2009

The designation employed and presentation of material in this publication do notimply the expression of any opinions whatsoever on the territory, its, or of its

authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This publication may be reproduced for education or non-profit purposes without

special permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledgement of thesource is made. The Secretariat of the Convention would appreciate receiving a copyof any publication that uses this document as a source.

Citation: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2009)The Convention on Biological Diversity Plant Conservation Report : A Review of Progress

in Implementing the Global Strategy of Plant Conservation (GSPC) , 48 pages

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity413 St. Jacques St, Suite 800

Montreal, QC H2Y 1N9 CanadaTel.: +1-514-288-2220Fax: +1-514-288-6588

Email: [email protected] Website: www.cbd.int


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Foreword |2

From the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation |3

Acknowledgements |4

Key messages from the Plant Conservation Report |5

Introduction: he essential role of plant diversity |6

A summary of the in-depth review of the implementation of the Strategy by the Conference of the Parties tothe Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) |8

Progress in the national and regional implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation |9

Target 1 A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete world �lora

| 12Target 2 A preliminary assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, at national, regionaland international levels |14

Target 3 Development of models with protocols for plant conservation and sustainable use, based onesearch and practical experience |16

Target 4: At least 10% of each of the world’s ecological regions effectively conserved |18

Target Protection of 0 % of the most important areas for plant diversity assured |20

Target 6 : At least 30 % of production lands managed consistent with the conservation of plant diversity |22

Target 7 60% of the world’s threatened species conserved in situ |24Target 8 60% of threatened plant species in accessible ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin,and 10 % of them included in recovery and restoration programmes |26

Target 9 70% of the genetic diversity of crops and other major socio-economically valuable plant speciesconserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained |28

Target 10: Management plans in place for at least 100 major alien species that threaten plants, plantcommunities and associated habitats and ecosystems |30

Target 11: No species of wild �lora endangered by international trade |32

Target 12: 30% of plant-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed |34

Target 13: The decline of plant resources and associated indigenous and local knowledge, innovations andractices that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care halted |36

Target 14: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated intocommunication, educational and public-awareness programmes |38

Target 15: The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities in plant conservation increased,according to national needs, to achieve the targets of this Strategy | 0

Target 16: Networks for plant conservation activities established or strengthened at national, regional andinternational levels |42

Annex 1 : SBSTTA 12 recommendation XII/2. In-depth review of the implementation of the Global Strategyor Plant Conservation |45

Annex 2: Information note for COP 9 on the Plant Conservation Report | 47

Annex 3: COP 9 decision IX/3 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation | 48

Contents


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FOREWORD

Plants are universally recognized as a vital part of the world’s biological diversity and an essentialresource for the planet. Many thousands of wild plants have great economic and cultural importance,

providing food, medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter for humans around the world. Plants also playa key role in maintaining the Earth’s environmental balance and ecosystem stability. They also providehabitats for the world’s animal and insect life.

Many plant species are threatened by habitat transformation, over-exploitation, invasive alien species,pollution and climate change, and are now in danger of extinction. The disappearance of such vital andlarge amounts of biodiversity presents one of the greatest challenges for the world community: to halt thedestruction of plant diversity that is essential to meet the present and future needs of humankind.

In 2002, the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, through decision VI/9,adopted the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC): a strategy that aims to halt the current andcontinuing loss of plant diversity, and to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

The development of the Strategy has bene�ited from a number of consultations and submissions of viewsfrom Parties, and from supporting resolutions and related initiatives. The recent in-depth review of theStrategy generated valuable information for communicating progress, challenges, opportunities andgaps, and has yielded new examples and case studies on the implementation of the various targets of theGSPC. This information has been synthesized into the present report.

As you may know, the Subsidiary Body on Scienti�ic, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) ofthe Convention on Biological Diversity recommended that this report should provide inputs to thethird edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook. However, while for some targets (1, 2, 7, 8 and 10) thequantitative information on their global progress is presented, indicators are still under development oradditional data still being collected. As such, it is anticipated that for these latter targets, this informationwill be available by 2010.

However, I am con�ident that the Plant Conservation Report, developed in collaboration with the GlobalPartnership for Plant Conservation and other relevant organizations and stakeholders, will serve as avaluable communication and awareness-raising tool for the further implementation of the Strategy.

I wish to thank all those involved in the preparation of this report, as well as everyone who submittedmaterials, case studies, experiences and comments.

Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf Executive SecretaryConvention on Biological Diversity


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FROM THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPFOR PLANT CONSERVATION

It is a pleasure for me to welcome this important report documenting the progress that has beenmade worldwide towards the achievement of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Theadoption of the Strategy in 2002 by the Convention on Biological Diversity was a major achievement

for biodiversity conservation worldwide. It provided much needed and urgent recognition not only ofthe importance of plants for humanity but also of the critical threats faced by tens of thousands of plantspecies throughout the world. The unique importance of plants as essential renewable natural resourcesand as the basis for most terrestrial ecosystems demanded that such a strategy was required to help haltthe loss of plant diversity and raise new awareness of the threats faced by plants.

The Strategy was also an extremely innovative advance for the Convention as it incorporated for the �irsttime a series of targets for biodiversity conservation, aimed at achieving measurable plant conservationoutcomes by 2010. The catalytic role of the Strategy in stimulating new programmes and initiatives atall levels has been signi�icant, linking a wide range of organizations and institutions in its support. It

is clear that much new plant conservation action has been encouraged and supported by the GSPC todate, including the generation of substantial new resources for biodiversity conservation that would nototherwise have become available without the Strategy.

This report shows that substantial progress has been made towards reaching some of the GSPC targets,although for others it has been limited and their ultimate achievement will require renewed effort bythe international community The establishment of a Global Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC)in 2004, as a voluntary initiative to bring together international, regional and national organizations tocontribute to the implementation of the GSPC has been widely welcomed and this report testi�ies to theimportant contributions of the Partnership and its members.

This report provides a useful and welcome synopsis of progress to date. Thus far, a good beginning hasbeen made in tackling the huge task of safeguarding plant diversity worldwide, but it is only a beginning.The urgency of this work is without question; if we do not succeed in conserving tens of thousands ofwild plants, of importance for food, �ibres, medicines, fuel and multiple other purposes, there will befar fewer natural resources to support future generations. It is also urgent that work should begin inensuring that the work of the Strategy continues beyond 2010, to help maintain the momentum andgenuine enthusiasm for the Strategy that has been a hallmark of its �irst six years, as well as to ensure thatthe focused approach to urgent plant conservation action continues in the decade up to 2020.

The Global Partnership for Plant Conservation has been privileged to support the preparation of thisreport. As the Chairman, I am pleased to offer my congratulations to those members who have beeninvolved in the preparation of this report and encourage all those able to contribute to plant conservationto redouble their efforts over the coming years.

Peter Wyse JacksonChairmanGlobal Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC)Dublin, Ireland


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Executive Secretary was requested by the twelfth Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scienti�ic,Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity to develop, for theninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, in collaboration with the Global Partnership forPlant Conservation (GPPC), the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP-WCMC) and relevant organizations, and taking into account contributions from Parties,other Governments and relevant stakeholders, a “Plant Conservation Report” that could provide input tothe third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook. The report would also serve as a communication andawareness-raising tool on the implementation of the Strategy.

The Executive Secretary, with support from the Government of Ireland and the Global Partnership forPlant Conservation, working closely with UNEP-WCMC and Botanic Gardens Conservation International(BGCI), organized a meeting of a voluntary drafting group held in the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin,from 28 to 30 November 2007. The voluntary group consisted of members of the Secretariat of theConvention on Biological Diversity; the GPPC Chair; BGCI; IUCN; PlantLife International; UNEP-WCMC;the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI); Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (UK); andthree GSPC focal points (Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom). The meeting agreed on content and possiblecase studies and developed the outline for this report. Further, a call was made by the Chair of the GPPCfor volunteers to draft the elements and outlines for the various targets, agree on time-lines and overseethe production of the report.

The draft elements of the report were circulated in December 2007 for further input, following whichthe initial draft was generated. Three versions of the report were reviewed between January and March2008. A draft was then made available on the CBD website for peer review between 1 and 15 April 2008.Comments to this draft were received from Parties, including Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Mexico,South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as international agencies and partners, including themembers of the GPPC, BGCI, Plantlife International, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Species 2000, the Food

and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and UNEP-WCMC.

We would like to acknowledge the input of the drafting team: GSPC focal points David Galbraith (Canada),Matthew Jebb (Ireland) and Chris Chef�ings (UK); members of the GPPC Peter Wyse Jackson (NationalBotanic Gardens, Ireland), Christopher Willis (SANBI, South Africa), Claire Brown (UNEP-WCMC), SaraOld�ield and Suzanne Sharrock (BGCI), Steve Blackmore (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK), AlanPaton (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK), Geoffrey Howard (IUCN),Liz Radford and Alan Hamilton (PlantlifeInternational).

Additional input and comments were provided by Domitilla Raimondo and Ian Oliver (SANBI, SouthAfrica), Kingsley Dixon (Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, Perth, Australia), Linda Collette (FAO), Jane

Smart and Julie Grif�in (IUCN), Frank Bisby (Species 2000), Eimear Nic Lughadha, Natasha Ali and ChinaWilliams (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) and �inally the CBD Secretariat staff.

We wish to acknowledge all the individual and corporate contributions that have enriched this report andtherefore express our gratitude.

Stella SimiyuSCBD/BGCI GSPC Programme Of�icer


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KEY MESSAGES FROM THE PLANT CONSERVATION REPORT

1. Plants are a vital component of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. They provide a range ofecosystem services, from production of oxygen and removal of atmospheric carbon dioxideemissions, creation and stabilization of soil, protection of watersheds and provision of naturalresources including food, �ibre, fuel, shelter and medicine.

2. Two thirds of the world’s plant species are in danger of extinction with pressure from the growinghuman population, habitat modi�ication and deforestation, over-exploitation, spread of invasivealien species, pollution and the growing impacts of climate change.

3. The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) whose goal is to halt the current and continuingloss of plant diversity; has provided a solid foundation for real and signi�icant progress in plantconservation throughout the world. The implementation of the GSPC has demonstrated theimportance of diverse networks, collaborations and the crucial role played by strong cross-sectoralpartnerships within the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

4. In addition, the Strategy provides a useful entry point for Parties to address issues related to povertyalleviation and foster the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals at national level andglobal level while ensuring that communities continue to derive bene�its from plant diversity, aneed so clearly highlighted by the recent �indings of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

5. While in some instances a national approach to implementation of the Strategy has been by default

the most pragmatic option, in other instances, a regional approach has provided a more rationalapproach through development of regional targets, based on national and/or regional priorities,capacities and capabilities. In both options, the need to reach beyond the botanical and conservationcommunities to integrate the Strategy into agricultural, forestry and other land management policies,as well as poverty reduction initiatives and development strategies, has been emphasized.

6. While substantial progress has been reported for eight of the sixteen targets, limited progress hasbeen made so far in the achievement of others, notably on Target 2 (completion of preliminaryconservation assessments), Target 4 (ecological regions conserved), Target 6 (conservation ofbiodiversity in production lands), Target 12 (sustainable use of plant-based products) and Target15 (capacity and training for plant conservation). Accelerated and increased investment in Target

15 is critical for the overall achievement of all the targets by 2010.

7. The emerging trends of climate change pose an even more serious threat to the conservationand sustainable use of plant diversity and may compromise gains made this far, if not urgentlyaddressed. A rise in global temperature will increase the extinction rate of plant species. There istherefore a real need to look beyond 2010, building on the framework of, and achievements madeduring, the implementation of the current strategy.


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INTRODUCTION

THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF PLANT DIVERSITY

Plants are universally recognized as a vitalcomponent of biodiversity and globalsustainability. For example, plants provide

food (around 7,000 1 species are used for food 2),�ibre, fuel, shelter, medicine. Healthy ecosystemsbased on plant diversity provide the conditionsand processes that sustain life and are essential tothe well-being and livelihoods of all humankind.Ecosystem services provided by plants include:

• The production of oxygen and assimilation/sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO 2)in both terrestrial and marine systems

that currently removes about 50% ofanthropogenic CO 2 emission;

• The creation, stabilization and protectionof soil, essential for most of the Earth'sproductive agricultural systems andthe major carbon pool in the terrestrialbiosphere; and

• The creation and protection of watersheds,slowing run-off rate of precipitation

and promoting water in�iltration andpuri�ication.

Plants also form the basis of the trophic pyramidin all terrestrial and most marine ecosystems onwhich we and all other animal species inevitablydepend. In addition, plants provide a vast multitudeof natural resources for humanity, especially inthe developing world. They provide the basis forall of our food, most medicines and many othermaterials essential for our daily lives.

The overall status and trends of plantdiversity

An accurate picture of the status of plants and thetrends that are impacting on them is dif�icult todetermine. Indeed, we do not yet know the exactnumber of plant species in the world (estimatedcurrently at 370,000 known species). However,it is predicted that as many as two-thirds of theworld’s plant species are in danger of extinction in

1 Wilson, E.O. (1992). The Diversity of Life. Penguin,Lon on, UK. 432 pp

2 http://www.underutilized-species.org/documents/PUBLICATIONS g u_icuc_strategic_ ramewor .p

nature during the course of the 21 st century (GranCanaria Declaration - 2000) 3.

Extinction and declines in plant diversity isdue to a range of factors including populationgrowth, high rates of habitat modi�ication anddeforestation, over-exploitation, the spread ofinvasive alien species, pollution and climatechange. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessmentnoted that approximately 60% of the ecosystemservices evaluated are being degraded or usedunsustainably. 4 The degradation of ecosystemservices often causes signi�icant harm to human

well-being and represents a loss of a natural assetor wealth of a country. The assessment also noteda continual decline in the status of provisioningservices of the environment, especially wild foods,timber, cotton, wood-fuel, genetic resources, andmedicine. It is clear that the overall trend for plantdiversity is declining.

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation(GSPC)

The 16 h International Botanical Congress inSt. Louis, Missouri in 1999 called for plantconservation to be recognized as an outstanding

3 Blackmore, S.; Bramwell, D.; Crane, P.;Dias, B;Given,F.,T.,Leiva, A; Morin, N.R.; Pus panga an,P.; Raven,P.H.; Samper, C.; Sarukhan, J.,J.; Simiyu, S.;Smirnov,I;an Wyse Jac son, P.S. 2000 . T e Gran CanariaDeclaration, BGCI, Richmond, U.K.

4 www.mi eniumassessment.org


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g o a priority in io iversity conservation, givent e continuing oss o p ant iversity an t eun amenta ro e p aye y p ants or sustenance

o uman i e an ot er io iversity.

In response to this call, in 2000, Botanic GardensConservation International convened an adhoc meeting for a group of leading botanistsand conservationists representing a rangeof international and national organizations,institutions and other bodies from 14 countries.The outcome of this meeting was the Gran CanariaDeclaration (2000), outlining the need for a globalinitiative to address the loss of plant diversity. Asa result of this call for action, it was proposedthat a Global Strategy for Plant Conservationshould be developed and implemented throughthe framework of the Convention on Biological

Diversity (CBD).

A 16 target framework was developed andadopted by the sixth meeting of the Conference ofthe Parties to the CBD in 2002 addressing the �ivethemes of the GSPC:

1. Understanding and documenting plantdiversity;

2. Conserving plant diversity;

3. Using p ant iversity sustaina y;4. Promoting e ucation an awareness

a out p ant iversity; an

. Bui ing capacity or t e conservation op ant iversity.

Since its adoption, the GSPC has been implementedthroughout the world through an impressivecombination of local, national and internationalinitiatives.

This Plant Conservation Report outlinesprogress made from 2002 to 2008. The Reportalso highlights the urgent challenges and somepriorities for further implementation up to 2010,as well as providing a background and rationalefor further global initiatives in plant conservation

eyond 2010.

One of the world’s most remarkable plants, the

fully underground orchid Rhizanthella gardneri from the Western Australian biodiversityhotspot produces a tulip-like cluster of smallorchid owers from a leaess undergroundplant. The GSPC has facilitated ac on to save thiscri cally endangered orchid with a popula onsize of less than 50 mature individuals as anex situ collec on of seed and plants as partof a major program by Kings Park and BotanicGarden aimed to secure seed and mycorrhiza of all orchids from the Western Australian

biodiversity hotspot.Photo: K. Dixon

Goal: "...to halt the current and continuingloss of plant biodiversity..."


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A SUMMARY OF THE IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONOF THE STRATEGY BY THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TOTHE CBD

Landscape diversity securing plant diversity (Photo:PlantLife Interna onal).

Le : Habitat destruc on leading to loss of plant diversity (Photo:Peter Wyse Jackson). Right: Change in land use affec ng plantdiversity (Photo: Christopher Willis).

The Global Strategy for Plant Conserva onwas adopted in 2002 (annex to decision VI/9)with the ul mate goal to halt the current and

con nuing loss of plant diversity. It includes 16outcome targets to be met by 2010. In line with themul -year programme of work of the Conferenceof the Par es up to 2010, adopted through decisionVII/31, an in-depth review of the GSPC has beencarried out, based on (i) informa on compiledfrom the third na onal reports; (ii) addi onalinforma on submi ed by Par es, stakeholdersand partners; and (iii) input from the mee ng of aliaison group convened by the Execu ve Secretaryin collabora on with the Global Partnership for

Plant Conserva on, held in Glasnevin, Dublin, from 23

to 25 October 2006.

The review indicates that, in line with its objec ves,the Global Strategy has provided a useful frameworkto harmonize and bring together various ini a vesand programmes in plant conserva on at both thena onal and regional levels. The GSPC has beennotably successful in s mula ng the engagement ofthe botanical and plant conserva on communi esin the work of the Conven on, through inter alia theestablishment of na onal, regional and global networks,including in par cular the Global Partnership for PlantConserva on, launched at the seventh mee ng of theConference of Par es to the Conven on. The GSPChas also s mulated the development of new projectsand ini a ves and helped to mobilize resources forthe implementa on of its targets. The ndings of theMillennium Ecosystem Assessment provide a furtherra onale for implemen ng the Strategy, includingat the na onal level, with a view to securing plantresources and their provisioning services and allowingcommuni es to con nue to derive benets from plantdiversity, for example, food, medicines, fuel, bre, woodand other uses. In addi on, the context of na onalimplementa on of the GSPC provides opportuni es toaddress the Millennium Development Goals especially

by seeking to reduce poverty (Goal 1), combat diseases(Goal 6) and promote environmentalsustainability (Goal 7).

Efforts are being made to facilitatena onal implementa on of theStrategy, including through thedevelopment of na onal strategiesand targets, and/or the integra on ofthe GSPC targets into na onal plans,programmes and strategies includingthe na onal biodiversity strategies andac on plans (in response to decisionVI/9, paragraphs 3 and 4). Currently

however, less than 10% of Par es havedeveloped na onal strategies and/or targets, or incorporated these into

their na onal biodiversity strategies and ac on plans.

Constraints to the na onal implementa on of theStrategy include limited ins tu onal integra on,lack of mainstreaming, and inadequate policies andlegal frameworks at the planning stage; and at theopera onal level, lack of data, tools and technologies,limited sectoral collabora on and coordina on, as wellas limited nancial and human resources. The reviewindicates also that further implementa on of the GlobalStrategy should include considera ons related to: (i)climate change, a driver of biodiversity loss increasing inintensity in recent years; and (ii) the impacts of nutrientloading on plant diversity.

With the key challenges for plant conserva on iden ed,it should now be possible to focus on enhancedimplementa on of the Strategy up to and beyond 2010.This should include reaching beyond the botanical andconserva on communi es to address the wider impactson plant diversity from agriculture and climate change,integrate the Strategy into poverty reduc on ini a vesand development strategies, and consider the ways inwhich the Strategy can be developed beyond 2010 (seeAnnex 1 of SBSTTA recommenda on XII/2 on the in-depth review of the Strategy in 2007).


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PROGRESS IN THE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL IMPLEMENTATIONOF THE GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR PLANT CONSERVATION

Iormation on t e imp ementation o t e

Strategy at t e nationa eve is ase on

in ormation provi e y t e nationa ocapoints or t e Convention an or t e G o aStrategy or P ant Conservation, reports on t eesta is ment an imp ementation o nationaan regiona strategies, an responses to t e t ir

ationa reports.

A. National reports

In response to paragraph 10 of decision VII/10,the targets of the Strategy were integrated into theformat of the third national reports under Article

26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Todate, only one out of three Parties has set one or

ore national targets corresponding to the globaltargets and integrated these into relevant, plansprogrammes and strategies.

Less than 10% of Parties reported having setational targets, baselines, milestones and

indicators related to the Strategy. This makes itdif�icult to analyse and consolidate the informationprovided into a global status report on theprogress in implementation of the Strategy.

Most Parties mentioned activities beingndertaken at national level that were of relevance

to the targets of the Strategy but did not provide a

precise indication of the status of implementationof those activities in terms of speci�ic indicators

and milestones. Also, a large number of responseswere qualitative in nature rather than providingquantitative indications.

For a targets, t e main constraints were: tec nicaac o ata, too s an tec no ogies , inanciaimite un ing avai a e , institutiona poor

sectora coor ination an imite institutionacapacity an capa i ity an regu atory aco appropriate supporting po icies an egaramewor .

B. National focal points for the GSPC

At its seventh meeting, the Conference of theParties encouraged Parties to nominate focalpoints for the Strategy, or to designate themfrom among the existing focal points (decisionVII/10, para. 6) so as to facilitate nationalimplementation of the Strategy. To date, 71Parties have nominated national focal points forthe Strategy. These national focal points haveplayed a key role in building awareness on theneed for national strategies and targets. Theyhave also been instrumental in bringing togethervarious stakeholders through national workshopsand consultations to establish national baselinesin plant conservation and sustainable use and infacilitating the development of national responsesto the Strategy. Some of them have participated inliaison group meetings related to the Strategy, aswell as other regional and international meetingsand presented their national experiences and

5 ttp: www.c .int oc ists n p-c -gspc.p

Workshop to facilitate preparation of the FourthNational Reports (Photos: SCBD).


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1 0 c a enges, inc u ing at t e irst meeting o t e

G o a Partners ip or P ant Conservation e inDu in, Ire an . 6

C. National and regional strategies

In accordance with paragraph 4 of decision VI/9,

arious countries have developed national and/orregional targets and developed national Strategies,

sing the global targets as a �lexible framework.These include China Ireland , the Philippines,Seychelles and the United Kingdom of GreatBritain and Northern Ireland 1 . South Africa 11 hasdeveloped a national response that provides astatus report on the national implementation ofthe Strategy and a summary of actions requiredto achieve the targets by 2010. Colombia hasdeveloped a National Plant Conservation Strategy

that pre-dates the GSPC.In Germany, Honduras, Malaysia, Mexico andSpain, initiatives aimed at developing nationalstrategies are underway. Germany has integrated

ost of the GSPC targets in the National Strategyon Biological Diversity.

Brazil 1 has developed a set of national targetson the basis of the global targets for theStrategy and the sub-targets contained in theConvention’s framework for the assessment of

progress towards the 2010 biodiversity targets.hile the initial response to the development

of national and/or regional strategies byParties has been slow, there is now growing

omentum using various approaches includingational workshops and consultations. In

some countries, such as the United Kingdom,the global targets have been adopted in the

ational context, whereas in others, e.g.Seychelles and Brazil, they have been viewedas a flexible framework from which national

targets have been developed. There are nowaluable experiences at national and regionallevel that could be used as models for thedevelopment of national strategies and targets.

6 http://www.botanicgardens.ie/news/20051027.htm7 ttp: eng is .cas.cn eng2003 news etai news .

asp?infono=270398 ttp: www. otanicgar ens.ie gspc gspc. tm9 ttp: www. otanicgar ens.ie gspc gspc. tm10 http://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/plantlife-saving-

species-g o a -strategy-PDCC2006. tm11 http://www.sanbi.org/biodivseries/1strategyplantcons.

tm12 http://www.mma.gov.br/index.php?ido=conteudo.

monta&i Estrutura=72&i Menu=2337

T ese experiences wi e inc u e in t e too itrequeste in paragrap 7 o ecision VII 10 tourt er en ance t e eve opment o nationa

targets an strategies.

At a regional level, the targets adopted as part ofthe European Plant Conservation Strategy 13 havebeen harmonized with the Strategy during itsmid-term review in 2004.

The �inal review in 2007 provided an insight intothe progress, challenges and opportunities forimplementation of the Strategy at the regionallevel. As a result, a new Strategy for the period2008-2014 has been developed 1 and launchedat the ninth Conference of the Parties to theConvention on Biological Diversity.

Ot er initiatives, w ic ave ocuse ondeveloping regional strategies and/or responses,include the IUCN-Species Survival Commission’sAra ian P ant Specia ist Group, w ic e tworegional meetings to explore the potential for anArabian Regional Plant Conservation Strategy (in2004 an 200 an t e XIII th Latin AmericanBotanical Congress, which reviewed potentialopportunities for regional and/or nationalresponses to t e Strategy 15 .

13 http://www.plantlife.org.uk/international/plantlife-po icies-strategies-epcs. tm

14 http://www.plantaeuropa.org/15 ttp: www. otanica-a .org

1

S A V I N G T H E P L A N T S O F E U R O P E

E U R O P E A N P L A N T C O N S E R V AT I O N S T R A T E G Y

CBD


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organized the Plants 2010 Conference in Dublin,Ire an , rom 22 to 2 Octo er 200 , w ose ocuswas to strengthen national implementation of theStrategy .

23 ttp: www.p ants2010.org

The Caribbean Regional GSPC training workshop in Montserrat hosted by the CBD Secretariat, Botanic GardensConservation International, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew withsupport from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, UK (Photo: M. Hamilton, RBG Kew).

ield trip (above) and training led by StellaSimiyu (below) in a plant conservationworkshop in Montserrat (Photos: Colin Clubbe,

BG Kew).

Non-governmenta partners ave a so eenactive in enhancing national, regional and globalimplementation of the Strategy. For example,targets ase on t e Strategy ave eendeveloped as part of the International Agenda forBotanic Gardens 1 , the African Botanic GardensNetwor 17 , t e Nort American Botanic Gar ens

Strategy for Plant Conservation1

, the CanadianBotanical Conservation Network 1 the AustralianNetwor or P ant Conservation 20 , t e NewZealand Plant Conservation Network 1 , Centre forPlant Conservation (United States of America) 22 ,t e Brazi ian Botanic Gar ens Action P an, anthe Association of Botanic Gardens in German-speaking countries, among others.

The Executive Secretary in collaboration withembers of the Global Partnership for Plant

Conservation, assiste Parties, in particu ardeveloping country Parties, in the developmentof their national targets and strategies, byorganizing a num er o training an capacity-

uilding activities, including the African RegionalExpert Training Course on the implementationo t e Strategy 2004 , t e Cari ean Regiona

orkshop on the Strategy (April 2006), the GlobalLeadership in Plant Conservation Workshop inC ina Novem er 2006 an t e Asian Regiona

orkshop on the Strategy (April 2007). In addition,the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation

16 ttp: www. gci.org ourwor internationa _agen a17 ttp: www. gci.org a rica a gn18 http://www.azh.org/Conservation/

Nort AmericanBotanicGar enStrategy2006.p19 http://www.rbg.ca/cbcn/20 ttp: www.an g.gov.au anpc21 http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/22 ttp: www.center orp antconservation.org


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or ing- ist o nown p ant species isessentia or io iversity management. It isan inventory o resources an a means o

organizing in ormation in a ogica an retrieva eay. It a so e ps prevent up ication o e ort an

acci enta oversig t w en p anning conservationaction. T e name o a p ant is t e ey to in ormationa out its uses, conservation status, re ations ipsan p ace wit in ecosystems. Most p ants ave

ore t an one name. T e target see s to in t eaccepte Latin name or a particu ar species to aits ot er names synonyms . T e accepte name isa unique i enti ier or species wit out w ic it isimpossi e to in t e in ormation necessary to p anan manage t e conservation an sustaina e useo p ants, an un erstan t eir ro e in ecosystems.T us a wor ing ist o nown p ant species as a

ery roa range o potentia users

Taking a medicinal plant example, in a recent studyof the medicinal uses of the genus Plectranthus ,the �ive most used species are referred to usinga name other than the current accepted namein 80% of literature citations. The medicinaluses of the plants within this genus can neverbe effectively studied without an adequatelyreferenced synonymized list.

Comp eting or even measuring progress towar st e ot er 1 targets o t e GSPC is extreme y

i icu t or impossi e in t e a sence o a wor ing

ist o t e accepte names o nown p ant species.For examp e, Target 2, to measure an ac ievea pre iminary assessment o t e conservationstatus o a nown p ant species , can etac e on t e asis o current now e ge, ut acompre ensive assessment cannot e ac ievewit out a ac one ist o t ose species to eassesse . Li ewise, Target 7, to conserve 60 % ot e wor s t reatene species in situ , an Target8, to conserve 60 % o t reatene p ant speciesin accessi e ex situ co ections , a so epen on

aving a correct an accurate ist o acceptenames an t eir synonyms as a ro ust ase ine.

Progress

Globally, good progress has been made with

working lists for just over half of all plantsavailable on the Internet, as shown in the �igurebelow.

TARGET 1:

A WIDELY ACCESSIBLE WORKING LIST OF KNOWN PLANTSPECIES, AS A STEP TOWARDS A COMPLETE WORLD FLORA

BG Kew Herbarium, UK (Photo: RBG Kew).

P ecrant us sp., a wi e y use me icina p ants(Photo: SCBD).


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orking lists for mosses, ferns and gymnospermsare close to completion, and working lists existfor about half of the 370,000 �lowering plants.At current rate of progress, the target will bearound 85% complete by 2010. However, there isa chance of complete coverage by the end of 2010

y making use of existing resources such as theInternational Plant Names Index and TROPICOS.

Pro uction o wor ing ists o nown p ants isgreatly facilitated by increasing access to botanicalliterature and to herbarium type specimens.Severa countries ave pro uce nationainventories of their �loras. The main constraintscontinue to be lack of funds, limited investmentin taxonomy, ac o institutiona capacity, ac

of legislative framework, lack of taxonomists/experts and poorly maintained collections.

Future

The large majority of plant families for whicht ere is no wor ing ist avai a e are eit ercosmopolitan or pan-tropical in distribution.However, progress to date suggests that neither

roa istri ution nor arge num ers o speciesin a family are insurmountable problems incompiling working lists. Such lists have already

een compi e or eig t o t e ten argest anmost widely distributed families such as orchidsand grasses.

Benin Flora

In 2006 Benin became the rst West-Africancountry to have an up-to-date list of ora inits offi cial language. By means of this book,Benin’s various endangered ecosystems canbe researched, described and managed moreeffec vely.

Several large botanical institutions are engagedin synthesizing global working lists from existingsources. In recent years, developments by theSpecies 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life PartnershipCoL) and Global Biodiversity Information

Facility (GBIF) have done much to provide thetechnological means for serving the content ofa widely accessible list of known species via theInternet from a variety of sources .

The shortage of taxonomic skills remains a barrierto effective implementation of the Convention.There are also various large regional �lora projectst at provi e use u ase ines an , t roug arge

otanical institutes with a regional or globaloutlook, have become an important mechanism forstimu ating t e pro uction o regiona c ec ists,such as the African Plants Initiative, which bringstogether over 50 institutions.

24 www.cata ogueo i e.org; an www.g i .org

The Chinese Virtual Herbarium

This provides immediate on-line access to thewealth of data associated with several millionplant specimens maintained in Chinese herbariaand related botanical databases. h p://www.cvh.org.cn/

15%

53 %

85 %

2010

Proportion of plants in accessible working lists

P e r c e

n t a g e

20072002


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Introduction

n assessment of which species aret reatene a ows resources or speciesconservation to be prioritized. However,

despite the importance of this target, presently,on y a sma raction o p ant species as eenassessed in a globally comparable way.

T is is t e on y target in t e Strategy t at isexplicitly designed to include national and regionalcomponents in addition to a global assessment.T e g o a target is imperative, ut t e nee or

ational and regional assessments will need to beconsidered according to national priorities andcapacities. T e g o a assessment can provi econtext for all national prioritizations, whilst

ational and regional assessments can be moreocusse on provi ing input to egis ation an on

speci�ic species groups of concern.

There are clear economic arguments for targetimp ementation, an t ese go eyon provi ing aprioritization of resources. National assessments

can focus on threats to traded species and otherspecies o socio-economic importance, suc ascrop wild relatives and medicinal and aromaticplants. Livelihoods are dependent on all threeeve s o io iversity: ecosystems, species, an

genetic diversity. Impoverishment of ecosystemsas a consequence of gradual threats to thecomponent species an genetic iversity, canaffect local livelihoods to the same degree as theglobal extinction of species.

The dominant method for assessment,particularly at global level, has been the IUCN RedList process. However, it is un i e y t at t e target

TARGET 2:

A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE CONSERVATIONSTATUS OF ALL KNOWN PLANT SPECIES, AT NATIONAL,REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELS

Prunus africana, now listed as Vulnerable because of itswide medicinal use (Photo: SCBD).

Plant assessments on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species

Progress has been made in increasing thenumber of plant assessments on the IUCN RedList: all known cycad species have now been

assessed, and there is also complete coverageof the conifers.

In 2003, 1,164 plant species from Ecuador wereincluded in the Red List of which 813 werethreatened. Ecuador is extremely importantfor plant conserva on, with four highly diverseregions - the Galapagos archipelago, the coastallowlands, the Andes, and the Amazon - allsqueezed into an area the size of Italy. Cycads,the oldest seed plants on Earth, are now alsoamongst the most threatened plants. Two

species are categorized as Ex nct in the Wild, andthere are likely to be more. Again, in 2003, 303cycads were evaluated and 155 of them (morethan 50%) were categorized as Threatened.Botanists were excited by the discovery of anew conifer, Xanthocyparis vietnamensis , inVietnam in 2001, but the species has beenassessed as Endangered based on its restrictedrange and ongoing deforesta on in the area.www.iucnredlist.or g

can e reac e using t is process a one, anhence it should be stressed that it is a preliminaryassessment that is called for, and that this neednot e a u Re List assessment.

In the last decade there has been a gradual increasein the number of species included in the IUCN RedList at a g o a eve . However, given an estimateof approximately 370,000 �lowering plants, theglobal assessments still only include 3-4% of plantspecies. More encouraging progress as occurreat a national level. During the consultation on thistarget, 52% of countries indicated that they hadcomp ete some orm o Re List assessment.This �igure is known to have increased sincethe consultation, and would be even greater ifassessments ot er t an Re Lists were inc u e .It is not known how comprehensive some of thesenational assessments have been, which makes it ofconsi era e concern t at a u g o a assessmentis lacking to provide context to these nationalpriorities. In response to the need for a more rapid


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g o a process ocusse on provi ing a pre iminaryassessment, IUCN has developed a new method

amed ‘RapidList’ (see end of Target 3 for furtheretai s .T is met o was eve ope speci ica y as

a response to the need articulated by the GSPC, andcan be regarded as a signi�icant achievement for theStrategy. T e new met o an ree on ine too was

launched in 2007, and hence progress towards thetarget cannot yet be measured, but it will hopefullyencourage a rapi acce eration in pre iminary anfull assessments towards 2010.

Anot er major contri ution wi e t e Samp eRed List Index project, which will produce 1,500full IUCN Red List assessments for each major plantgroup: ryop ytes, pteri op ytes, gymnosperms,

onocots and dicots. For gymnosperms there arefewer than 1,500 taxa, so in total around 7,000assessments wi e a e y 2010.

Full IUCN Red Listing remains a popular approachto target implementation due to its high publicpro i e; target outputs en t emse ves to pu ic

awareness campaigns as a part o Target 14, anthere have been signi�icant achievements in raisingawareness of threatened species. There has also

een progress in increasing capacity or ma ingassessments, with a number of training initiativesworldwide, as a part of implementing Target 15.Fie wor an taxonomic pu ications are a so

more focused on making status assessments thanthey were prior to the Strategy being adopted.

Major constraints include lack of funding for�ield work and assessment activities leading tointer a ia insu icient researc an ata; acof experts taxonomists/plant experts; limitedcollaboration; incomplete taxonomic knowledgeo some ami ies; imite er arium an ex situfacilities, and lack of an active global or regionalassessment initiative for vascular plants.

Future

It will remain important for Parties and the globalcommunity to e a e to prioritize t e resourcingof species conservation. Sustainable developmentrequires that species are not being threatened

y over-exp oitation an tra e, an t is requiresa method for assessing threat. It is clear that anaccelerated rate of global assessment is urgentlynee e i we are to come c ose to ac ieving t istarget by 2010. The new RapidList method, beingoffered by IUCN as a complementary tool to theu IUCN Re List approac , may e p in ac ieving

this acceleration. Climate change will increase thethreats posed to species, and we will need to greatlyimprove ata accessi i ity an ana ysis met o s iwe are to cope with the challenges it poses.

Assessing magnolias

Some two thirds of known magnolia speciesare found in Asia, with over 40% occurring insouthern China. Popular as ornamental plantsin gardens around the world, magnolias in thewild are a source of mber, food and medicinesfor local communi es. The evalua on of theconserva on status of the Magnoliaceae,using the IUCN Red List categories and criteriawas carried out by a group of experts broughttogether by the IUCN/SSC Global Trees SpecialistGroup. The evalua on was based on the analysisof distribu on data for each species compiledfrom various sources.

Underpinning the report was a comprehensivemapping exercise, which now provides anexcellent baseline for future monitoring andconserva on planning. The Red List iden ed

131 wild magnolias as being in danger ofex nc on, from a global total of 245 species.

Daniele Cicuzza, Adrian Newton and Sara Oldfield

The Red List of Magnoliaceae

South Africa’s Red Data List for Plants

The South African Na onal Biodiversity Ins tutehas recently completed assessing the conserva onstatus for all 20,456 plant taxa that occur in SouthAfrica. The lis ng process is complete and hasresulted in an addi on of 6% of the world’s orahaving been assessed, bringing the por on ofplants assessed globally to over 10%.


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he aim of this target is to enhance thedevelopment of tools and protocols relevantto a aspects o p ant conservation, ut wit

an emphasis on those that have been tested, areased on research and experience, and optimized

or use y p ant conservation practitioners. W i ethis may focus on optimizing existing tools andadapting them to local needs, improved access tosuc too s is a so pivota to t is target.

Soil erosion in Europe (www.worldmapper.org)

Progress

arious protocols, tools and technologies linkedto the achievement of the Strategy targets

ave een ig ig te in t e nationa reports.Examples include: tools and technologies for invitro propagation (Algeria), recovery planningan t reat a atement Austria an Austra ia ,translocation of threatened species (Australia),greening using native seed (Australia), propagationan arvesting protoco s C i e , imp ementationof the ecosystem approach (Germany), speciesaction plans taking into consideration various

ationa an internationa conventions anlegislation (Hungary), designation of ImportantPlant Areas (IPAs) (Belarus, Romania andS ovenia , ex s tu an n s tu conservat onColombia, Chile, China, India, Indonesia and

Iran), forest tree breeding (Japan), GIS-basedconservation mo e s an permanent eco ogicaplots (Malawi), sustainable forest management

odels (Malaysia), and sustainable use modelsin community orest an pro-poor ease oforests (Nepal). Other tools and protocolsinc u e primor ia otanic gar ens an granorest par s In onesia , wi re atives projects

and integrated management of cedar forestsLe anon , me icina a n use u p ants Nepa ,

conservation of threatened species (Philippines),propagation and cultivation of South Africant reatene species Sout A rica , specia useforests (Viet Nam), economic valuation of forests(Malaysia) and eco-agriculture and sustainabletourism C ina . Many internationa agencies a sohave tools and protocols related to various targetssuch as Bioversity International for Targets 1, 2,8, 9, 13, 14 an 1 ; Botanic Gar ens Conservation

International for Targets 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13 and14; the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnite Nations or Targets 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 an15; the Global Invasive Species Programme forTarget 10; IUCN for Targets 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, and16; an P ant i e Internationa or Targets an15.

Future

The in-depth review of the GSPC noted thatthe main gap for this target is access to, and

issemination o in ormation on t e existingtools and protocols in appropriate formats. It istherefore critical that a means for disseminatingsuc too s an protoco s is eve ope . A use uoption will be collation of these in the toolkit tobe developed by the CBD Secretariat and as parto ot t e CBD an GPPC we sites.

TARGET 3:

DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS WITH PROTOCOLS FORPLANT CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE, BASED ONRESEARCH AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

The Gran Canaria Declaration

calling for a

Global Program for Plant Conservation


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T he protection of ecological regions is oneof the principal means for the conservationof biological diversity. This target calls forthe identi�ication of each of the world’s ecologicalregions, and the conservation of at least 10% ofits area. This is particularly important as it treatsplant conservation within the context of theprotection of communities, rather than individualhabitats, sites or species.

Target 4 is clearly related to Target 5; that of havingthe protection of 50% of the most important areasof plant diversity assured. The protection of plantdiversity through the conservation of ecologicalregions also provides an element of mainstream-ing or p ant conservation, an a rea y in ageto ecological planning and monitoring. Further-

ore, achievemento Target 4 wou ea substantial contri-

ution to the 2010Bio iversity Target,“to achieve by 2010 asigni�icant reductiono t e current rate o

iodiversity loss atthe global, regionalan nationa eve asa contribution to pov-erty alleviation and tot e ene it o a i eon Earth.”

The planning re-quired to identify andprotect ecological re-gions has to be basedon objective classi�ication of the regions them-selves, through well-established procedures us-ing both abiotic and biotic factors that delineateecologically distinct regions. Protecting ecologi-cal regions also requires working with multiplejurisdictions and levels of government as well asthe appropriate management across ecologicalscales, as eco-region boundaries do not necessar-ily follow administrative or political boundaries.

E ective protection o 10% o eco ogica regionsould be of direct assistance in protectingigratory and dispersal routes of threatened

taxa by extending protection to habitats andecosystems within regions. A regional approachensures t at a itats wit important eco ogicafunctions such as grasslands, wetlands and othersare protected. It can also assist in the identi�icationo over oo e ecosystems t roug gap ana yses.

Progress

Accor ing to t e Wor Data ase on ProtecteAreas 25 , maintaine y UNEP-WCMC, t e currentestimate or coverage o t e g o a networ oprotecte areas is t at at present it inc u es11.6% o t e Eart s an sur ace, tota ing 19mi ion square i ometres, wit in 106,926 areas.T e egree to w ic protection is e ective, anactua y represents eac eco ogica region, isuncerta n.

Regiona processes suc as Natura 2000, t eHabitats Directive of the European Unionand the Emerald Network, provide goodramewor s or imp ementing t is target

at national level in Europe. Some countrieshave set national targets, e.g. Canada, Chinaan T ai an , w i e Ire an an Net er an sindicate having already achieved this target

at the national level. The achievement of thistarget is epen ent upon countries eing a eto identify and find resources with which to

25 ttp: www.w pa.org

TARGET 4:

AT LEAST 10% OF EACH OF THE WORLD’S ECOLOGICALREGIONS EFFECTIVELY CONSERVED

Source: UNEP-WCMC, 2008.


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protect - or even acquire - land. As such, conflictscan arise etween conservation an ot er an

se needs, and between conservation andeconomic development. Operationally, there iso ten a ac o a nationa y agree rameworincluding a lack of indicators for monitoringthe effectiveness of protection. Conflicts can

e ma e worse y a ac o compensationechanisms. Many areas set aside for plant

conservation are small in size (1,000-10,000a , o ten representing remaining ragments

that, although valuable, may be inadequatefor maintaining large-scale processes. Thereare a so evi ent gaps in coverage o existingprotected area networks.

Future

The risks posed by climate change increasethe importance of effective conservation ofeco ogica regions. Current y t ere is uncertainty

as to ow t e 10% eve o t is target re ates tothe conservation of either species-rich hotspotsor areas of high threat or endemism, as theseare not a ways corre ate . Ensuring t at aecological regions are represented withinprotected areas will require further researchan mo e ing in t e ace o c imate c ange, in

addition to overcoming resource limitationsand potential or actual conflicts. Modelling,especia y o c imate c ange scenarios, maygenerate valuable understanding of the valueof this target in the future. An assessment oft e eco ogica regions t at are most at risdue to current and projected climate changetrends might suggest that the conservation of10% o eco ogica regions cou e too sma athreshold to prevent further extinctions.

Biodiversity in an urban environment

Singapore’s rst green roof, the ‘Green Pavilion’in the Botany Centre of Singapore BotanicGardens.

Singapore was once an island covered withdense natural vegeta on, however rapidindustrializa on and urbaniza on have almostcompletely eradicated the natural ecosystems.The Singapore Botanic Gardens has a smalltropical rainforest, of around six hectares insize, which is older than the gardens itself. TheBotanic Gardens’ rainforest and its bigger cousinat Bukit Timah Nature Reserve are located wellwithin the Singapore’s city limits. Singapore isone of the only two major ci es with a tropicalrainforest within its city limits - the other is Riode Janeiro’s Tijuca Forest. Threatened species inSingapore cannot be managed just in protectedareas. They must be conserved in regional andneighbourhood parks in which both recrea onand conserva on are priority uses. Species thatare rare are propagated in the nurseries andplanted out in the appropriate natural sites aswell as in the parks and on roadsides.

Protected areas network in Canada

In Canada, protec on of representa vepor ons of ecological regions is an establishedpriority, and includes incorpora on of na onaland global targets. The protected areas systemin Canada includes both terrestrial and marine

protected areas. The Federal Governmentadministers the formal system includingabout 3,500 areas, 800 of which are largerthan 1,000 ha. The na onal parks system inCanada is dedicated to the restora on andrecovery of natural habitats. Individual parksrange in size from 900 ha to almost 4,500,000ha. Together, federal, provincial and territorialgovernments have designated about 9% of thearea of Canada as “protected”. By ecoregion,the average varies from over 90% of someecoregions to none in others. Protected

areas include wilderness and conserva onareas, forest and wildlife reserves, and parksdesignated through legisla on at the federal,provincial and territorial levels. In addi on toprotec on through legisla on, lands are beingconserved through measures that provide taxincen ves for dona ng lands for conserva onpurposes to authorized management agencies.The network of protected areas administeredby Environment Canada now totals over 11million hectares of terrestrial habitat, or anarea twice the size of the province of NovaSco a. The system is made up of three maincomponents: Na onal Wildlife Areas (51sites), Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (92 sites) andMarine Wildlife Areas (1 proposed). MarineWildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuariesprotect approximately 1.5 million ha of aqua chabitats.


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Introductionis target aims to improve site- ase

protection of the most important plants andplant habitats around the world. ‘Protection’

encompasses ot ega protection mec anismsand other on-the-ground conservation activitiesas they are both required to effectively safeguardimportant sites or p ant iversity.

The importance of maintaining prime biodiversitysites has long been recognized. Intact natural areasprovide a range of valuable ecosystem services,and reducing habitat fragmentation allows plantpopulations to build resilience by facilitatingexchange of pollen/seed, thus maintaining diversegene pools and diverse plant resources for the

future. These �lagship sites also have intrinsicvalue, often with deep cultural resonance forcitizens at national and local scales. Despite allthe uncertainties for biodiversity inherent withinclimate change scenarios, it is certain that existingareas of high plant diversity are, and will remain,important as both refuges and resources, andthese areas will be the building blocks for future

itigation measures against io iversity oss.

Progress

Signi icant progress as een ma e wit Target .Over 10% of the Earth’s surface is now of�iciallyclassed as protected areas. This, however, is not a

measure of either the effectiveness of the protectionor the quality of conservation. The ImportantP ant Areas IPAs programme met o o ogy,an approach widely used to address this target,aims to conserve the best areas for plants aroundt e wor . Sites are i enti ie using stan arcriteria and their conservation is promotedthrough various mechanisms, not just formalprotection. Community- ase conservation, witan emphasis on delivering sustainable livelihoodsfrom plant resources, is recognized as one of themost e ective approac es to p ant conservationin IPAs.

To ate sixty-nine countries rom a continents,have participated in Important Plant Area (IPA)initiatives that contribute to Target 5. Moret an 0% o t ese countries ave ta en stepsto identify important plant sites and at least24% (17 countries) have ongoing programmest at are a ressing conservation issues as weas documenting sites. For example China hasdesignated 14 IPAs, and established 418 naturereserves accounting or 24.19% o t e area oIPAs Many national projects have been initiated

as a result of regional workshops: in Central andEast Europe, t e Me iterranean, t e Hima ayas,the Caribbean, the Arab region, south-east Asia,southern Africa and the UK overseas territories.Some IPAs are wit in o icia y protecte areas(in Europe this is approximately 66%) though thepercentage of IPAs protected does not necessarilymean t e site is maintaine in goo con ition.What is urgently needed in many countries, are theresources to develop conservation methodologieson t e groun , w ic wi provi e success u p antconservation tools and protocols

It is essential that these actions to conservep ants on t e groun a 3- year time rameare undertaken alongside the actions aimed atintegrating the conservation of plants into policy,egis ative an institutiona ramewor s a 10-20

year timeframe), to ensure sustained results forthis target.

Future

T e conservation o important areas or p antiversity remains a core e ement o p ant

conservation activities in a countries as aasis or t e provision o ecosystem services

26 http://www.plantlife-ipa.org/reports.asp

TARGET 5:

PROTECTION OF 50 % OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AREASFOR PLANT DIVERSITY ASSURED


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The conserva on of the IPAs for medicinalplants in the Himalayas

In 2006, y-three IPAs for medicinalplants (sites of interna onal signicance forconserva on recognized at na onal level) were

iden ed across the Himalayas by organiza onsin Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan ina regional project with Plantlife Interna onal.Larger IPAs were iden ed according to criteriawith a signicant number of smaller sites atlocal level, o en nested within them. IPAswere found to be useful for landscape planningand conserva on monitoring, based on thegross geography of the Himalayan IPA network.Protected area networks in the region shouldbe reviewed to ensure they have good coverageon the east-west and al tudinal axes. Involving

local communi es was found to be fundamentalto conserving medicinal plants at the local leveland projects con nue to be developed on thesesites involving all stakeholders (tradi onaldoctors, cultural leaders and industry) tofacilitate IPA conserva on.

an maintaining t e iversity t at supportssustaina e ive i oo s. Forma protection ot ese sites a one, t oug critica y important,

i not resu t in sa eguar ing t e iversity onimportant areas or p ants. A ecting c ange inpo icy, egis ation an institutiona ramewor srequire y t is target is a ong-term process,ut to e success u in conserving p ant iversity,

t is target must e riven y on-t e-grounconservation. Community- ase conservationt at wor s to improve ive i oo s, ea t care anqua ity o i e, is proving t e most e ective wayo imp ementing t is target in many areas o t e

or .

Climate change considerations imply that thereare many uncertainties in uture patterns oplant diversity. Whether mitigation measures to

aintain biodiversity focus on building resilienceit in p ant popu ations y i ing gaps nearithin existing areas) or increasing landscape

permeability (creation of wildlife corridors),existing important areas or p ant iversity

ill remain a cornerstone of conservation inany climate change scenario. The Gran CanariaDec aration II on C imate C ange an P antConservation (April 2006) recognized that thedevelopment of national networks of areas thatare important or p ants provi e t e asis orin situ conservation matrices. These matrices,that incorporate sites and corridors in the wideran scape, wi provi e a mec anism to e p

protect plant diversity from the effects of climatechange .

or ng w oca commun es o pr or zeImportant Plant Areas (IPAs) for medicinal plantsin the Himalayas (Photo: Plant Life International). Medicinal plant cul va on in the Himalayas

(Photo: Plant Life Interna onal).


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In the context of this target, ‘production lands’re er to an s w ere t e primary purposeis agriculture (including horticulture),grazing and wood production. Diversity in apro uction system can e use as a resource to

ediate potential stresses of the surroundingenvironment. For example, a crop population

it a iverse genetic ma eup may ave a owerrisk of being entirely lost to any particular stress,such as temperature extremes, droughts, �loods,pests, an ot er environmenta varia es.

Furthermore, conserving and harnessingio iversity can provi e a itiona ene its to

farmers, such as the presence of a diversity ofpollinators, including bees, butter�lies, humming

ir s an ats.

un er sustaina e management . T is in icatorcould eventually be used as a proxy for assessingprogress towards implementing Target 6 at theg o a eve . In a ition, at t e 6t meeting o t eUnited Nations Forum on Forests, four global goalson forests were agreed. Among these, goal 3 is

irect y re evant to t is target an to sustaina eforest management) “Increase signi�icantly thearea of protected forests worldwide and the areao sustaina y manage orests an increase t eproportion of forest products from sustainablymanaged forests.”

It should be noted that implementation of thistarget is closely linked to the programme ofwor on agricu tura io iversity. Noting too t atsustainable management of production lands hasconsequences on reduction of poverty, improvedive i oo s, t e eve opment o nationa targets

linked to Target 6 will likewise enhance theachievement of Millennium Development Goalsan o targets set un er ot er mu ti ateraagreements.

Increasingly, integrated production methods areeing app ie in agricu ture, inc u ing integratepest management, conservation agriculture andon-farm management of plant genetic resources.Simi ar y, sustaina e orest management practicesare being more broadly applied. The 2005 GlobalForest Resources Assessment 27 showed that11% o tota orest area is esignate primari yfor the conservation of biological diversity while65% of the total forest area has conservation of

io iversity as one o t e esignate unctions.

The Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC)Princip es an Criteria or responsi e orestmanagement, address environmental impact oflogging activities and require the maintenance ofHig Conservation Va ue Forests. FSC as certi iemore than 100 million hectares of forest in 70countries, and other national forest certi�icationsc emes ave een eve ope in over 3 countries.Although a comprehensive analysis of the overallimpact of certi�ication is lacking, positive effectson io iversity an t e increase use o re uceimpact practices can be seen within individualcerti�ied forest management units. However,t e main ene its o certi ication continue tobe seen in the management of northern forests27 http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/fra/en/28 t tp: www. sc.org en

TARGET 6 :

AT LEAST 30 % OF PRODUCTION LANDS MANAGEDCONSISTENT WITH THE CONSERVATION OF PLANT DIVERSITY

Coastal forest and the challenge of urbanization in Latinmerica (Photo: Peter Wyse Jackson).

T is target incorporates a num er o o jectives,including the on-farm conservation of cropdiversity (landraces, traditional varieties), theconservation o t reatene wi p ants growingon production lands and the prevention of impactson plant diversity in surrounding ecosystems.Measures ta en at t e nationa eve to imp ementthis target include: use of good agriculturepractices, good forestry practices and nationalcerti ication sc emes.

Progress

Indicators to assess progress towards the 2010iodiversity target include the indicator on “Area

of forest, agricultural and aquaculture ecosystems


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an certi ication as een a ess e ective tooin tackling the crisis of forest destruction anddegradation in tropical forests.

Increasing concern over the environmentalimpact of agriculture in Europe has led to theintro uction o agri-environment sc emes. T ese

schemes compensate farmers �inancially for anyloss of income associated with measures thataim to ene it t e environment an io iversity.There are currently agri-environment schemesin 26 out of 44 European countries. In addition, arecent stu y s ows t at over 30 mi ion ectaresare currently certi�ied according to organicstandards .

Over t e ast ten years Bioversity Internationahas worked with institutions and farmers ineight countries on over 20 different crops toexp ore t e maintenance o tra itiona varietiesin crop production systems. This has resulted inthe identi�ication of many practices and policiest at can support t e maintenance o iversityin production lands and will provide one of the�irst global overviews of the maintenance of crop

iversity in i erent countries an ecosystems.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnite Nations e ps mem er countries toachieve sustainable increases in production ofcrops and grasslands through, amongst others, the

eve opment o integrate pro uction systems,

an rationa grass an management.

Future

One of the challenges of this target is inestablishing a de�inition for management systems

t at are consistent wit t e conservation o p antdiversity’. While many countries are implementing

29 The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics andEmerging Tren s 2008 - orgprints.org 13123

agri-environment sc emes an t e organicproduction sector is expanding rapidly, thereare questions concerning the extent to whichp ant iversity speci ications are incorporatewithin such schemes. It is believed that a betterunderstanding of plant conservation needs by theagricu ture an orestry sectors wou e p t e

achievement of this target.

Bioversity Interna onal and the Community

Working with the interna onal networks oncoconut and banana, Bioversity has collaboratedwith community-based organiza ons toimplement poverty reduc on research in away which is consistent with this target: socio-economic factors and needs of the farmer aretaken in to account in the management oftheir produc on system which maintains highlevels of biological diversity. The Interna onalCoconut Network (COGENT) collaborates withcommunity-based organiza ons to implementpoverty reduc on research in which coconutseedling nurseries are established andmaintained. Seedlings of farmers’ varie esselected from the local communi es arepropagated and planted in the communi es. In2006, over 25,000 seedlings were planted in 34communi es in 12 countries with support fromCOGENT project funds and in collabora on withlocal/na onal coconut plan ng ini a ves.

The South African Biodiversity and WineIni a ve

The loca on of the best agricultural soils forthe cul va on of table wine grapes coincideswith South Africa’s most threatened lowlandecosystems. These lowland ecosystems harbourlarge numbers of threatened and endemicplant species. The challenge is to guide theexpansion of vineyards in a way that avoidsfurther transforma on of priority biodiversityareas. The Biodiversity and Wine Ini a veseeks to inuence environmental managementwithin vineyards and in adjacent areas. Thereare two main mechanisms, one involving thestewardship by estate managers of prioritybiodiversity resources on these lands, and theother involving the promulga on and adop onof industry-wide guidelines and standards forland management and wine produc on, avoidingsuch nega ve impacts as water abstrac on andpollu on through runoff of agri- chemicals. Theindustry has now incorporated the biodiversityguidelines into their Integrated Produc on of

Wine Guidelines and is exploring the poten almarke ng benets of using the biodiversity ofthe Cape Floris c Region as a unique sellingpoint for South African wine.

East African sandalwood (Osyris lanceolota)Bushes being cultivated in mixed woodlands inCentral Kenya (Photo: Peris Kamau).


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is target is concerne wit conservingthreatened plant species in their naturalhabitats. These species are those

consi ere t e most i e y to ecome extinct,and hence achieving this target would be a majorstep forward in halting the loss of plant diversity.T reatene species inc u e many me icinaplants, timber species and crop wild relatives,

hich are important for livelihoods.

The exact number of threatened species in

the world remains to be determined throught e ac ievement o Target 2. Among t e p antgroups, only the gymnosperms have a completeassessment, and one third of all gymnospermspecies are consi ere t reatene . It is notknown what proportion of other plant groups isthreatened. Some estimates suggest that moret an one t ir o a p ant species are current ythreatened with extinction.

Conserving threatened species often requires moret an t e esignation o protecte areas a t ougthese are important. Some countries have putin place a legislative framework for conservingt reatene species, in a ition to esignatingprotected areas. Threatened species need to

e conserved wherever they grow, and this caninc u e ur an an scapes an pro uction an sas well as natural and semi-natural habitats.

Conserving t reatene species can posechallenges, particularly where these are found inhabitats under private land ownership. Howevert ere are a so important opportunities orpartnerships with business.

Target 7 can be considered as the plant componento t e 2010 Target 2.2: Status o t reatenespecies improved’. It is also explicitly linked tothe achievement of the Millennium DevelopmentGoa s to ensure environmenta sustaina i itythrough the use of the Red List Index as anindicator of achieving a reduction in the rate of

io iversity oss.

Progress

The indicator for this target is the plant part oft e 2010 In icator on t e c ange in status othreatened species. This is measured using aRed List Index for birds, mammals, amphibians,cyca s an coni ers, an a Samp e Re List In ex

for all other species groups. Eventually the indiceswill show trends in the proportion of speciesor w ic t e ris o going extinct increases

without additional conservation interventions.The Red List Index for birds shows a continuing

eterioration. Tren s in ot er groups are esscertain, but are believed to also show a continuing

eterioration.

A number of countries report that protectedareas have been speci�ically designated to protectt reatene species, a t oug it is sti e ievethat too few protected areas include conservingplant species within their management objectives.A num er o p ant groups ave comp ete statusassessments published alongside action plansfor their conservation, these include conifers andcyca s, an t ese action p ans wi ma e a positivedifference to the conservation of these groups.

TARGET 7:

SIXTY PERCENT OF THE WORLD’S THREATENED SPECIESCONSERVED IN SITU

Monocots threstatus based onpreliminary resultsfor 588 species

Critically Endangered (CR)%

Endan ered (EN) Data Deficient (DD)

Vulnerable (V%

Possible NearThreatened (NT)

12%

Least Concern (LC)Least Conc rn LC)8%8%

An indicator on the change of ‘Status of ThreatenedSpecies’. For plants there is currently only a baselineassessment available, shown for monocots. Source: KewScientist April 2008


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T e Future

It will remain vital for the most threatened speciesto ave conservation interventions p anneexplicitly to achieve their conservation. If weare to achieve the overall objective of halting theoss o p ant iversity or t at o io iversity , it

will be necessary to move from conserving 60%in situ to the conservation of 100%. Thereforet e actions un erpinning t is target wi remainessential beyond 2010, as the current targetis only a milestone towards the �inal objective.C imate c ange poses new t reats to species, annew approaches to modelling plant responseswill need to be developed to detect potentiallyt reatene species. A rea y it is nown t at t eprojected climate space for species will change,and hence the threat to species will also change.En ance target imp ementation wi e necessaryboth to achieve the long-term objective and tocounter the new threats from climate change.It is e ieve t at en ance imp ementationwill require new partnerships to be made, forinstance between botanists and landowners or

etween protecte area management aut oritiesand botanic gardens. It is desirable that countriesshould develop their own measures of progress inconserving nationa y t reatene species.

Sparaxis maculosa , a Cri cally Endangered speciesoccurring in the Overberg region of the SouthWesternCape, South Africa (Photo: SANBI).

CREW, the Custodians of Rare and EndangeredWildowers, is a programme that involvesvolunteers from the public in the monitoring andconserva on of South Africa’s threatened plants.In so doing CREW aims to capacitate a networkof volunteers from a range of socioeconomicbackgrounds. The programme linksvolunteerswith their local conserva on agencies andpar cularly with local land stewardshipini a ves to ensure the conserva on of key sitesfor threatened plant species.

South Africa has a signicant 2577 threatenedplant species. Over 350 CREW volunteers makesignicant contribu ons to ongoing monitoringand conserva on of these plant species by:

• Surveying remaining patches of naturalvegeta on for threatened plant popula ons;

• Ac vely adop ng key sites for conserva on of

threatened plants;• Working with landowners on whose landthreatened plants occur;

• Conduc ng demographic monitoring of certainpopula ons on an annual basis; and

• Conduc ng threatened plant/habitatawareness raising ac vi es.

CREW is managed by the South African Na onalBiodiversity Ins tute.

Warburgia ugandensis bushes in production landscapesin East Africa (Photo: National Museums of Kenya).


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E x situ conservation of plants is de�ined asthe conservation of plant diversity outsideits natural habitat to safeguard identi�iedfamilies or individual plant species from dangeror loss. It has been developed as a vital tool forplant conservation and is today integrated closelyand effectively with protection of plants in theirwild habitats. The increasing awareness of theeffects of climate change on plant distributionsin situ has made the appropriate application ofex situ techniques potentially more crucial toassist in the adaptation of species and ecosystemsto changed conditions in the wild. Ex situconservation involves the collection, maintenanceand conservation of samples of organisms usuallyin the form of live whole plants, seeds, pollen,spores, vegetative propagules, tissue or cellcultures or other genetic material of growing or

preserved individuals. The focus of Target 8 hasbeen on higher plants (and other well-describedgroups such as Pteridophytes) for which thereare already well established ex situ facilities andprogrammes operating worldwide.

T ose invo ve in ex situ conservation inc u eotanic gardens, gene and DNA banks,

agriculture and forestry bodies and a diversityo ot er Governmenta an non-governmentaorganizations. Ex situ conservation networksoperate globally and in many regions and countries

(see also Target 16). The focus and emphasis ofdifferent sectors involved are varied, in botanicgar ens wi p ant species an in gene an s(crop varieties and crop wild relatives). Thescale of ex situ conservation efforts also variesgreat y wit some institutions an organizationsconserving tens of thousands of accessions, whileothers focus on just a few priority species, oftenrom t eir own region.

Target 8 does not specify to what extent ex situcollections of a particular species should berepresentative o t e genetic iversity o t atspecies to be regarded as conserved ex situ.In practice however there is little informationavai a e on w et er most existing ex situcollections are genetically representative or not.The target also includes recovery programmes,w ic may e imp emente at t e eve o

single species or include the recovery of wholeecosystems involving some or all of the speciest ey contain.

Progress

Major progress in t e ac ievement o t istarget has been made, advances that were

nlikely without the adoption of the GSPC.Target 8 as e pe to stimu ate a muc morefocused approach to the ex situ conservation ofplant species,

plant conservation report en

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