IABG/BGCI European Botanic Gardens Consortium

1. IABG/BGCI European Botanic Gardens Consortium Suzanne Sharrock Botanic Gardens Conservation International

2. Relevant targets • In the overall context of EU biodiversity policies and strategies • European Action Plan for Botanic Gardens • European Plant Conservation Strategy • Global Strategy for Plant Conservation • International Agenda targets for botanic gardens

3. Action Plan for Botanic Gardens in the EU • Published in 2000 • More than 30 objectives on • Science and horticulture • Conservation of biodiversity • Education, training and awareness • Networking and capacity building • Funding

4. European Plant Conservation Strategy • Published in 2002 and reviewed in 2004 • 42 targets to be achieved by 2007 • Contribution to the GSPC • BGs – lead organisations for ex situ conservation and education

5. Global Strategy for Plant Conservation • Adopted in 2002 • 16 targets • Botanic gardens especially implicated in ex situ and education targets

6. International Agenda targets for botanic gardens • Developed at the 2nd World Botanic Gardens Congress, Barcelona, 2004 • Adopted at end of 2004 • 20 targets • Harmonise the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation with the GSPC

7. European botanic garden targets? • European botanic gardens consortium • No new targets • Review of actions contributing to existing targets • Special focus on GSPC Target 8 via the BGCI PlantSearch database

9. Target 1 – Working list of known plant species • The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland provides taxonomic support for Irish botany, including publication of floristic lists and county (regional) Floras. Irish botany news and updates are provide on its website. The National Botanic Gardens maintains the national Census Catalogue (checklist) of the Irish flora and a new edition is planned for publication. The National Botanic Gardens maintains the most comprehensive herbarium on the Irish national flora.

10. Target 2 – conservation status • Since 1994 Tallinn BG is participating in the national monitoring program of rare and endangered plant species of Estonia. • The botanic garden of the University of Vienna has compiled a list of plant taxa deserving conservation action as a basis for the development of seed collection priorities

11. Target 3 – models and protocols • Portugal: Models, protocols and case studies for priority plants, their ecosystems and cultural landscapes: Convolvulus fernandesii, Culcita macrocarpa, Drosophyllum lusitanicum, Jonopsidium acaule, Linaria ricardoi, Lycopodium cernuum, Marsilea bartadae, Narcissus cavanillesii, Narcissus scaberulus,

12. Targets 4, 5 and 7 – in situ • Austrian BGs are involved in research activities related to different ecological zones in Austria (e.g., the pannonian drylands) • The Balkan BG in Greece manages an in situ conservation area of natural oak forest • In Slovenia, the BG manages some additional special areas in the vicinity of the capital.

13. Targets 6, 9 – agro-biodiversity • Development of manuals for good agricultural practice in Portugal • NBG, Belgium holds a seed bank of wild Phaseolineae recognized as base collection by IPGRI. • In Norway, the BG is involved in a project aiming to conserve clones of old and rare ornamental plants. The project is coordinated by the Committee on Plant Genetic Resources under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

14. Target 10 – invasive aliens • In Span, eradication in some collections of those species that are potentially invading. − Alerts about potentially invading species to the competent authority. • A list of invasive species in the Czech Republic has been prepared by the BGs

15. Target 11 – International trade • BG of Warsaw Uni. organized in 2004 a special International Conference on CITES use by botanical gardens and has edited 3 guide books about CITES • Several Austrian Botanic gardens serve as rescue centers for confiscated plants. • Tallinn BG is a research unit for the national committee of CITES

16. Target 12 – sustainable use • The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland has an active and on-going policy to reduce the use of peat in horticulture. In our restaurant only ‘Fair Trade’ coffee is served. • Norway - all plant based products used in the garden come from sustainable sources

17. Other targets • T14 – education – all BGs • T15 – Capacity building – many BGs • T16 – Networking – e.g. EuroGard.

18. Target 8 – ex situ • Estonia - ex situ collection of 70 nationally endangered or threatened plant species in Tallinn Botanic Garden and 28 species protected by Bern Convention. • The two botanic gardens of Latvia have about 22 per cent of flowering plant and fern species protected by law in Latvia. • 20 threatened medicinal and 10 arboreal plant species belonging to national red list are cultivated at Kaunas Botanic Garden of Vytautas Magni University, Lithuania • All Norwegian gardens keep some red list taxa. Oslo has ca. 500 taxa included in international red lists and ca. 30 taxa included in the Norwegian red list. • In the UK, 137 UK Red Listed species (67%) in collections (73 of wild British origin and 38 represented by one accession in one garden) .

19. Target 8 – BGCI PlantSearch database

20. PlantSearch database • Target 8 – GSPC • 60% threatened plants inex situ collections • 11,000 threatened plants recorded in PlantSearch

22. PlantSearch and EU collections • EU Consortium – focus of activities in 2006 • Letter sent from BGCI to all EU gardens (+800) • National representatives encouraging input • Significant input of data • Still many gaps

23. PlantSearch and EU gardens • 698 gardens registered in BGCI database • 220 have provided plantlists • 245,218 plant records (same plant will be recorded in many gardens) • Analysis of internationally red listed species done country by country • Regional analysis still required

24. Conclusions • EU botanic gardens are contributing to many EU and global plant conservation targets • Is this being recognised by GSPC/CBD focal points? • Main EU botanic garden policy document is the EU Action Plan – does this need updating?

25. Conclusions • Many EU botanic gardens have contributed data to BGCI’s PlantSearch database – but even more have not – how can we improve? • In the absence of an EU Red List, how can we measure the achievement of Target 8 at the regional level? • What about the future – what are the implications of climate change? Are we prepared?

26. Thank you !