The Global Strategy
for Plant Conservation
A Horticultural Perspective in Queensland
Sarah Ashmore
Centre for Forestry & Horticultural Research,
Griffith University,
Nathan Campus, Brisbane
Sarah Ashmore is a senior lecturer in the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science at Griffith University and a program leader in the Centre for Forestry and Horticultural Research. She is particularly interested in global plant conservation and the development of conservation techniques, including cryopreservation, for tropical species under threat. She has worked at the International level with IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) and has been instrumental in developing a conservation program for Queensland flora in partnership with Kew Gardens, U.K.
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The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) was adopted unanimously at the
sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological
Diversity at a Convention held in The Hague in April, 2002 (Global Strategy for
Plant Conservation, 20021). Countries who are signatories to the
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation have agreed to the objectives and targets
for 2010 identified in this Strategy. These range from identification and
documentation of plant diversity, conservation and sustainable use of plant
diversity, promoting awareness and increasing in-country capacity for plant
conservation.
The GSPC recommends that ex situ
conservation methods (conservation of plant material in genebanks), be used to
complement in situ measures (conservation in the wild), preferably in the
country of origin. It is also particularly concerned with the conservation of
threatened plant species and species of socio-economic significance. Targets
include ‘the conservation of 60% of threatened plant species in accessible ex
situ collections’ and ‘the conservation of 70% of the genetic diversity of
crops and other major socio-economically valuable plant species’ by 2010.
Thus as part of its commitment to this agreement, Australia requires genebanking
facilities with trained personnel and appropriate technologies as well as a
sustainable approach to conservation of botanical diversity in the wild.
Australia has approximately 10% of
the world’s unique fl ora and a total of approximately 5031 plants (23% of
Australia’s fl ora) have been listed as rare or threatened. Only 5% of these
Australian species are known to occur outside of Australia and the proportion of
fl ora threatened in Australia is amongst the highest in the world. Australia’s
commitment under the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation target to conserve
60% of their threatened species in accessible ex-situ collections is clearly
very significant and requires a massive effort at both Commonwealth and State
levels if these targets are to be achieved by 2010. At this stage little support
is available, particularly for genebanking programs, and a National Plant
Conservation Strategy, developed in response to the GSPC by many countries (e.g.
U.K. and U.S.A) is also lacking.
Queensland has 7811 native flowering plants, with 1368 species (27.2%) currently listed as threatened. This represents the second highest number after Western Australia, which has 2310 (45.9%) and is almost double the number listed for NSW, which is 770 (15.3%)
Queensland also has the greatest
proportion of highest priority bioregions with nine out of 13 bioregions having
35% or greater of ecosystems endangered or of concern (Sattler & Williams, ,
19992). Bioregions within Queensland which have the greatest numbers
of threatened species are the wet tropics region in North Queensland (363
species) and S.E. Queensland (230 species). Obviously the situation at both
State and Australia-wide requires action if we are to ensure future access to
our unique, vast and mainly untapped botanical diversity.
At Griffith University we have
expertise in the development of technologies for ex situ conservation of plants,
with emphasis on horticulturally valuable species which are under threat. Such
ex situ conservation would normally involve seed storage and the process of
collection, germination testing and storage of Queensland seeds is being
undertaken in partnership with the Millennium Seed Bank Project, Kew Gardens,
U.K. through the ‘Seeds for Life’ project (www.greeningaustralia.org.au) in
Queensland. Each species must first be studied to determine optimal methods for
germination and overcoming any dormancy in seeds.
However, as indicated above, around 25% of the threatened Queensland plants are located in wet tropical regions, and it is estimated that 50% of these will have seed which is said to be recalcitrant and
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cannot be stored by standard
seed genebanking methods. We are currently developing alternative conservation
technologies for genebanking of tropical species, using both tissue culture and
cryopreservation (freezing in liquid nitrogen) of plant material. A review of
rainforest species of socio-economic value reveals that many Queensland edible
plants are listed as rare or threatened Examples include native citrus species (Citrus
spp.), native mangosteens (Garcinia spp.), native tamarinds (Diploglottis
spp.), lilly pillys (Syzygium spp.) Davidson’s plums (Davisonia
sp.) and macadamias (Macadamia spp.). These examples all have importance
either as commercially significant fruit crops (macadamia, Davidson’s plum –
Figure 1) or wild relatives of major fruit crops (mangosteens, citrus). For
example Macadamia integrifolia (our only major cultivated food plant) is
listed as vulnerable in the wild and of the six related species in Queensland,
four are also listed as vulnerable and one is endangered. This is a very sad
situation and indicates a poor understanding of the need to not only maintain
popular cultivated varieties but also the wild genetic resource so important for
crop improvement or disease resistance to protect the future of the industry. Of
the six Australian members of the Citrus genus, the two northern
Queensland rainforest species, Citrus inodora (Russel river lime) and
Citrus garrawayi (Mount White lime) are listed as vulnerable and rare
respectively (Henderson 2002). These also represent an important resource for
the future of the citrus industry.
Research on improving seed storage options and alternative conservation technologies in tropical species of horticultural interest will provide protocols for use in genebanks both in Australia and throughout the region as well as expertise and methods which may be applicable to other similar tropical species. We are being supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) to work with other countries in S.E. Asia to develop similar conservation alternatives for several important tropical fruits, including mango, papaya and commercial citrus. In the meantime, ensuring that appropriate in situ conservation strategies or orchard collections remain in place for these species is paramount to future access to germplasm of value to horticulture. Also, it is vital that Australia begin to set an example in the region through provision of far greater support to secure our unique and valuable botanical diversity.
References
1. Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. 2002. The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada, 2002.
2. Sattler, P and Williams, R. (eds.) 1999. The Conservation Status of Queensland’s Bioregional Ecosystems. Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Qld. Australia.
See also: Henderson, R.J.F. (ed.) 2002. Names and Distribution of Queensland Plants, Algae and Lichens. Queensland Herbarium. Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency, Qld. Australia.
