Why and How to Make Plant Conservation Ecosystem-Based

Alan Hamilton,Seona Anderson,Huyin Huai,Shengji Pei

doi:10.5539/sar.v1n1p48

Abstract

Compared to other groups of organisms, plants require distinctive approaches in their conservation because of their keystone roles in ecosystems and economies. The state of the whole plant cover of the Earth should be of concern to conservationists – for its capacity to ensure the survival of plant species, deliver ecosystem services (locally to globally) and provide produce from plants in ecologically sustainable ways. The primary targets of attention in ecosystem-based plant conservation are the relationships between people and plants, as relevant to every locality, rather than the species-centric approach of conventional plant conservation. Moving plant conservation to an ecosystem-based approach will require the development of training programmes for field practitioners and of information systems for their use.

Highlights

E ISSN 1927-050X E-ISSN 1927-0518 www.ccsenet.org/sar ecologically degrading and there are severe declines in those many ecological services whose quality is closely linked to the plant cover on the land
We believe that the ecosystem-based approach is appropriate for plants and that plant conservation should be a consideration in all places where the land has, or potentially could have, a covering of plants
It is an approach requiring urgent development, given that many species of plants are under threat, large areas of vegetation are ISSN 1927-050X E-ISSN 1927-0518 www.ccsenet.org/sar ecologically degrading and there are severe declines in those many ecological services whose quality is closely linked to the plant cover on the land

Summary

What is Ecosystem-based Plant Conservation?

We believe that the ecosystem-based approach is appropriate for plants and that plant conservation should be a consideration in all places where the land has, or potentially could have, a covering of plants It is an approach requiring urgent development, given that many species of plants are under threat, large areas of vegetation are ISSN 1927-050X E-ISSN 1927-0518 www.ccsenet.org/sar. The plant cover can have a major influence on the local climate, the provision of water supplies, control over soil erosion and flooding, and the availability of habitats for animals, including insects that pollinate crops These are provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. All types of production systems involving plants should be targets in ecosystem-based plant conservation They include agriculture, livestock grazing in more natural habitats and resource harvesting from wild plants (timber, fodder, medicines, etc). Supposedly under strict protection, suffer from unregulated harvesting of their plants (Nagendra, 2008)

The Frontline: the Locality

Developing Plant Conservation as a Service

Ecosystem Thinking Can Boost Species Conservation

Findings

11. Godalming