Plant Heritage « Threatened Plants Project »

Sophie Leguil

Plant Conservation Officer

What is Plant Heritage?

Founded in 1978

« The practical role of gardens in the conservation of rare and threatened plants »

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1986

Plant Heritage today

• 4,000 members in 35 local groups

• ca. 620 National Plant Collections©

Collections focusing on a group of plants (often a genus, but also families, sections or non-taxonomic groups)

= “living plant libraries”

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Early days: the Pink Sheet

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« A list of rare and endangered garden plants », 1981

species & cvs. with less than 3 suppliers

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An action plan

2006 : « Growing Heritage » Conference 2008 : RHS Survey on plant conservation 122 respondents (from amateur breeders to retailers) 83% rated endangered cultivars conservation as high priority

The International Context

In 2010 : CBD « Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 »,

made of 20 « Aichi targets »

Target 13 :

« By 2020, the loss of genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species is maintained and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity. »

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The Threatened Plants Project

Started in 2009

• Red listing UK & Ireland cvs.

• Prioritise conservation efforts

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The process

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1. Which are the cultivars ? 2. Are they rare? 3. Can they be found? 4. Are they worthy of conserving?

1. Which cultivars ?

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Listing - RHS data for cultivars commercially available in Britain & Ireland - Old cultivars which have been documented

2. Are they rare?

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IUCN Red List© Criteria for wild species :

- Number of individuals left in the wild - Distribution range - Date last recorded

Similar scheme developed for cultivated plants

2. Are they rare?

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Number of nurseries over past 5 years:

● > 30 each year : widely available

LCic (Least Concern in cultivation)

● > 1 each year : available

NTic (Near Threatened in cultivation)

review in 5 years ● < 1 each year : last listed

THRic (Threatened in cultivation)

action

3. Can they be found?

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For all the plants listed as THR and not new…

Number of gardens, private or public collections holding the plant alive

● ≥ 3 sites : VUic (Vulnerable in cultivation) ● 1 or 2 sites : ENic (Endangered in cultivation) ● 0 sites : CRic (Critical in cultivation)

3. Can they be found?

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Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

4. Are they worthy of conserving?

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For each genus : we request experts to comment on - historical or heritage importance - horticultural merit - present or future usefulness to people

4. Are they worthy of conserving?

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COMMENTS

ALL threatened cultivars listed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 Actinidia arguta 'Ananasnaya' (f/F)

new 2008, poss. syn Actinidia

ananasnaja - not a cv?, 1 supplier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 Actinidia arguta 'Bayern' (F)

new 2002, LL 2003, Unchecked

name 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3 Actinidia arguta 'Geneva 2' (f/F) new 2008, 1 supplier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

- Each cultivar is given a mark out of 10

- Experts can add other information : wrong names, lookalikes, superseded cultivars…

Some outcomes of the project

Draft list of threatened cultivars online:

http://www.nccpg.com/tpp/Technical-data.aspx

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Within Plant Heritage Reports for new Collections/withdrawals Prioritise conservation efforts

Help Collection Holders acquire rare plants

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With partners

Reports to gardens Collaboration with National Trust, RHS, specialist societies

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The challenges

• Size of the task: should we focus on specific groups of plants?

• Evaluation of worthiness is subjective: use of several experts?

• Lack of interest for cultivars from conservation communities: not all are man-made plants

• When does a plant become « not threatened »?

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In other countries?

Networks of National Collections in France, the Netherlands, Germany, the USA, New Zealand.

Thank you!

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www.plantheritage.com

/OurPlantHeritage

@Plantheritage