political, legislative and practical aspects of in situ conservation in germany

Federal Centre for Breeding Research on Cultivated Plants (BAZ) – a research institution of the

Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture

Political, legislative and practical aspects of

in situ conservation in Germany

in the context of genetic erosion

L. Frese



The main difficulties of in situ conservation of plant genetic resources are non-biological. In situ conservation is a complex process, involving political, legal, economic, and social factors, superimposed on ecological and genetic processes (Jana, 1999).

Introduction



•International agreements (CBD, Treaty)

•National framework program for genetic resources

•National Expert Programs for Genetic Resources

•Refer to international agreements, EU regulations and national laws but are in itself not legally binding

•Expert programs express the political will

Political and legislative aspects




Framework program for genetic resources

Forestry Crops Animals FishesMicro-

organisms

Standing committees

Consul-tation and Co-ordination committee

Expert programs

State working and co-ordination group

Working group

Working group

Working group

•Expert group ISM/OFM

•Expert group ECP/GR




•A specific German law for PGR does not exist

•EU Agenda 2000

Concil regulation 2078/92 (later 1257/99)

Plants adapted to local condition / threatened by genetic erosion

High transaction costs at the states level, small biological effects

Positive assessment of council regulation 2078/92 by DG VI

Sceptical assessment of council regulation 2078/92 by landscape planners/ nature conservationists

National regulation based on 1257/99 was rejected by the states



•German Federal Nature Protection Law (BNatSchG)

•Forces states to implement:

Natura 2000

Flora-Fauna-Habitat regulation 92/43/EWG (FFH)

Biosphere reserves (legally binding since 1998)

•Concurrent legislation (soil, water, waste, noise)

•Framework legislation (nature, landscape, water)





•National Expert Programs for Plant Genetic Resources

Recording and inventory of PGR

Promotion of in situ maintenance of CWR and wild plants relevant for nutrition

•“Input in kind” from the core funding of a broad range of institutions is the basic idea

•Support is hopefully provided by a national regulation for genetic resources. Likely budget: 5 and 7 million € in 2005 / 2006



Practical aspects

•Inventory of PGR has highest priority. Backbone of all planned actions. Wide definition for PGR was chosen.

Data sources: Literature but in particular www.flora web.de (biological and distribution data, threat status)

Received 14,000,000 data recorded by approx. 3000 volunteers

since 1990

•Relevant for in situ management aspects is the forthcoming BIOPOP database (ecological and life history traits). Currently 4722 plant species, 60 traits



Practical aspects

•Areas suited for in situ conservation

Biosphere reserves (BNatSchG §25)

Nature parks (BNatSchG §27)

Legally protected habitats (BNatSchG §30)

Natura 2000 (BNatSchG §32)

FFH (BNatSchG §33)

Habitat network (BNatSchG §3) – 10% of the state’s area



Practical aspects

Biosphere reserves

0

50000100000

150000

200000

250000300000

350000

400000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Reserve code

To

tal

area

in

ha

Development zone

Managed zone

Core zone

1 Südost-Rügen 8 Spreewald2 Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer 9 Oberlausitzer Heide- und Teichlandschaft3 Hamburgisches Watternmeer 10 Vessertal-Thüringer Wald4 Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer 11 Rhön5 Schaalsee 12 Pfälzerwald-Nordvogesen6 Schorfheide-Chorin 13 Bayerischer Wald7 Flusslandschaft Elbe 14 Berchtesgarden



Practical aspects

•Protected habitat network



Practical aspects

•Development of national in situ management concepts

Numerous species on the PGR list

General approach – phytobiodiversity hot spots

Specific action – species based approach

•Framework plan for in situ management (see Tan & Tan, 2002)



Practical aspects

•Nature regions in former East Germany

J. Hoffmann, FAL Braunschweig, J. Kiesel, ZALF Müncheberg, 2003

892 nature regions exist in Germany

Approximately 1000 PGR species

Species distribution pattern is formed by nature regions

Habitat protection protects species



Practical aspects

Left: Distribution of Nigella arvensis before 1950, black dots = new records, red dots=lost populations, red areas=withdraw areas

Right: Dark green areas=high species density. Blue circles=areas potentially suited for in situ management of N. arvensis

Distribution of Nigella arvensis J. Hoffmann, FAL Braunschweig, J. Kiesel, ZALF Müncheberg, 2003

Genetic erosion Species density



Practical aspects

•Model species

1. C

urre

nt c

onse

rvat

ion

stat

us

2. R

espo

nsib

ility

Gem

any

3. P

oten

tial e

cono

mic

use

4. E

xten

t of

gen

etic

ero

sion

5. G

enet

ic s

pace

str

uctu

re

6. I

nstit

utio

nal p

riorit

ies

7. S

igni

fican

ce o

f sp

ecie

s fo

r a

habi

tat

8. C

ultu

ral s

igni

fican

ce

9. R

elat

ive

cons

erva

tion

cost

s

10.

Con

serv

atio

n su

stai

nabi

lity

11.

Eth

ical

am

d es

thet

ic c

onsi

dera

tions

Species scoreBeta vulgaris subsp. maritima -3 1 3 3 1 3 1 1 -1 3 1Lolium perenne -3 2 3 1 3 3 1 1 -3 2 1Malus sylvestris -3 2 3 2 3 3 1 3 -1 3 3Vitis sylvestris -1 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 -2 3 3Vicia villosa -2 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 -2 2 2Avena fatua -2 1 3 2 3 3 0 1 -2 2 1

sum rankWeight 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 1 3 4 1Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima -9 3 9 9 3 6 3 1 -3 12 1 35 3Lolium perenne -9 6 9 3 9 6 3 1 -9 8 1 28 4Malus sylvestris -9 6 9 6 9 6 3 3 -3 12 3 45 2Vitis sylvestris -3 9 9 9 9 6 3 3 -6 12 3 54 1Vicia villosa -6 3 3 3 9 2 3 1 -9 8 2 19 5Avena fatua -6 3 9 6 9 6 0 1 -9 8 1 28 4



Practical aspects

•Model species

Suggestions discussed following criteria for target taxon selection of Maxted and Hawkes (1997)

Highest priority: Vitis sylvestris – Malus sylvestris

Controverse debate on Lolium perenne. Abundant and widely distributed but: genetic pollution ?

A case for an important peripheral distribution area: Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima ?



Practical aspects

•Model species Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima

Natura 2000

Driessen (2003)



Practical aspects

Model species Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima

Extention of the Natura 2000 area is a political decision taken by the Cabinet of the government of Schleswig-Holstein based on the BNatSchG and the states own legislation and after involvement of the local communities



Conclusions

•Positive political development promoted by

•EU laws

•BNatSchG is probably more effective than agricultural environmental measures

•A specific law for PGR does not exist



Conclusions

•Data, knowledge, tools, facilities and capacities must be combined and integrated

•Lack of implementation due to divided responsibilities at all levels

•National master plan for in situ management needs to be developed



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Federal Office of Nature Protection (BfN)

Dr. R.May, Dr. K. Reiter

State Office of Ecology, Lower Saxony

State Office for Nature and Environment, Schleswig-Holstein

Federal Agricultural Research Centre (FAL)

Dr. J. Hoffmann

Leipzig-Centre for Agricultural Landscape and Land Use Research (ZALF)

Dr. J. Kiesel

Members of the BAZ working group on PGR

Dr. E. Maul, Dr. M. Höfer, Dr. S.Roux, Dr. H.Lellbach

political, legislative and practical aspects of in situ conservation in germany

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