Abstract
The author has spent 30 years co-ordinating the International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP), based at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and uses this significant milestone to reflect on some important aspects of managing genetic resources in plants of conservation concern. The main driver of the ex-situ component of the ICCP has been to develop robust protocols for broadening the genetic base of threatened conifers and a range of conservation dependent Chilean woody plants in cultivation. This is achieved using well-documented known wild origin material distributed through a dedicated network of ‘safe sites’. Examples of threatened species for which collection and cultivation of a breadth of genetic material has enabled meaningful conservation are given here. The strategy to increase genetic material in cultivation sometimes involves using novel methods including conservation hedges. The great challenge facing all managers of botanical collections is how to develop effective programmes that integrate ex-situ with in-situ conservation. The biggest contribution collection managers and growers can make is to maximise the value of collections in their care and actions which achieve this are listed.
Highlights
Over a period of 30 years, the International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP) has been developing and refining protocols to manage conservation collections of high scientific value
One of the main drivers of the Programme is the high number of threatened conifer species, today standing at 211 – 34 per cent of known conifer species worldwide (RBGE, 2016)
Before the launch of the ICCP, aspects had already been implemented by developing the idea of an outreach programme for the cultivation of threatened conifers (Page, 1994)
Summary
Over a period of 30 years, the International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP) has been developing and refining protocols to manage conservation collections of high scientific value. Adopting sites with relatively large areas of land has been a priority To this end, a successful partnership has been developed with Forestry and Land Scotland (formerly the Forestry Commission) and the Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) with whom the ICCP has collaborated to develop two important initiatives: the Perthshire Conifer Conservation Programme (PCCP) and the National Tree Collections of Scotland (NTCS) (Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust, 2020a & b). Parks and gardens that are accessible and free to enter, with regular footfall of members of the public, offer an ideal opportunity to establish threatened species and install innovative interpretation to increase public awareness of conifer conservation Such installations have been realised in several places, including Benmore Botanic Garden in Argyll and the Lodge Park in North Berwick, East Lothian – both in Scotland. This has not always been possible because of the logistical challenges of servicing an ever-expanding network
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