I wrote extensively about my recent Residency at the Kew Millennium Seed bank in October, 2011 here in the Mid-December E-newsletter . NB: translation to other languages is available!
You will find these stories here at the KEW Website . I thought I would take a look at their latest postings and these were some of the articles I found there, full of excellent links that take you to all the various projects and explain in the most accessible terms what each involves.
Making a difference around the world
What to target?
Prioritising plant species for conservation
You will find these stories here at the KEW Website . I thought I would take a look at their latest postings and these were some of the articles I found there, full of excellent links that take you to all the various projects and explain in the most accessible terms what each involves.
Making a difference around the world
Explore Kew's interactive map and find out how our science and conservation work is making a huge difference in the UK and around the world.
Find out about the new discoveries Kew's science teams have made across plant science and mycology, how the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is driving vital global conservation workand how our innovative research into the use of plants is helping communities worldwide.
All life depends on plants - and not just those we value most. The health of the planet - and our future - depends on the immense wealth of different species of plants and fungi that grow in the Earth's many and varied habitats.
Why you need Kew
More than one in five of the world's plants are threatened with extinction. We all rely on plants for food, clean air and water, but they are more threatened than birds, and as threatened as mammals. We need to understand more about how plants adapt to environmental change, and how to use them in ways that are sustainable. Much of Kew’s work is focused on these challenges.
Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership - Australia
Twenty-three per cent of Australian floral species are listed as under threat of extinction
Seed collecting in Tasmania, Australia (Image: Andrew McRobb)
Plant life in Australia is under threat
Australia is one of only eighteen 'mega diverse’ countries as identified by the United Nations and therefore by definition contains a significant number of the earth’s species.
Australia's native biodiversity is of global significance. The total number of Australian species comprises 15% of the world's total with a high proportion of these being endemic to the continent.
However, threatened by massive land clearance since European settlement , significant problems from invasive species and with serious implications from a changing climate, 23% of Australian floral species are listed as under threat of extinction.
Save a plant species outright or adopt a seed for just £25
Environment and climate
The Australian outback conjours up images of a complete dryland continent, but Australia is truly a land of contrast.
The extreme dryland of the "Red Centre" is a world away form the wet tropical forests of Northern Queensland and the alpine zones of the Snowy Mountains. This ancient landscape, having escaped the recent glacial ages displays a mosaic of vegetation and habitats all very different form each other and has given rise to high levels of endemism across the continent .
This is especially so in the South Western part of Western Australia, well known as a plant biodiversity hotspot of global significance.
Saving seeds for the future in Australia
Australia is making a major contribution to Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank partnership. Each of the six States and the Northern Territory all have separate partnerships with Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank. In total, we work with 14 institutions and government departments across the country.
Scientists from Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank partnership are sharing their expertise with partners in the six States and the Northern Territory on seed collection processes, conservation and research.
The overall priority is to bank plant species considered rare or threatened in order to dramatically enhance the conservation of the Australian flora.
Discover more about our work in Australia...
Interactive map - Explore Kew's MSBP around the world
Our team in Australia
- Tim Pearce, International Coordinator, MSBP
- Michiel Van Slageren, International Coordinator, MSBP
Our partners in Australia
Our partners in Australia have mobilised a national network called Australian Seed Conservation and Research (AuSCaR) which ensures harmonisation of activities across the project partners. The AuSCaR network ensures that the teams in each region aren’t duplicating collections if, for example, plant species are found in more than one State. It also ensures a programme of collaboration between research groups from each State.
AuSCaR has now received support from Federal agencies and we hope very soon that the network evolves into a major contributor to plant conservation on the continent.
Read about what the Partnerships are doing in other countries below:
Saving seeds
The Millennium Seed Bank - more seed projects
The projects below are related to seed germination and seed banking, and are managed by Millennium Seed Bank staff.
Community Tree Seeds project
This project is aimed at enhancing the role and capacity of institutes in sub-Saharan Africa to assist with the conservation and sustainable use of native tree seeds of community value.
Cryopreservation Network
The aim of this project is to create a network that brings together European scientists with an expertise and / or interest in plant cryopreservation for the development of efficient cryopreservation procedures.
'Difficult' Seeds project
Kew and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) are working with seed banks in Africa to conserve plants used for food and agriculture, but which are difficult to conserve and/or use.
European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET)
This project aims to optimise seed conservation practices and avoid the extinction of native species from Europe.The network aims to make best use of time and resources by reducing the duplication of effort.
Extinct Plants project
This project takes seeds from old Herbarium sheets and attempts to resurrect species which are now extinct in the wild
Orchid Seed Stores project
Orchids are being over-collected and many are threatened with extinction. This project aims to establish orchid seed banking around the globe using conventional seed banking techniques.
Palm Seed Network
A network bringing together scientists from around the world working on palm seed biology research.
Useful Plants project
This project aims to increase the capacity of local communities to store and propagate plant species that are most useful to their wellbeing.
What to target?
Prioritising plant species for conservation
The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is the world’s most ambitious plant conservation initiative. By 2020, it aims to have seeds from 25% of Earth’s seed-bearing flora saved for posterity. Doing so acts as an insurance policy.
Analysing seeds at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, West Sussex.
If a plant species becomes extinct in the wild, the opportunity remains to reintroduce stock back to the plant’s native habitat by propagating the stored seeds. But how do Kew’s scientists choose which plants to prioritise?
Targeting vulnerable areas and habitats
The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is focusing its global seed-collecting activities towards plant species growing in areas that are vulnerable to threats such as habitat loss and climate change.
These include the world's drylands (home to a billion of the world’s poorest people), islands, coastal areas and mountains.
Identifying plant species at risk
Scientists at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank concentrate their efforts towards saving species that are endangered, economically important or endemic - often refered to as the 3 E's.
"Endemic" species are limited to a discrete geographical area, often within one country and are therefore more vulnerable to threats. For example in Madagascar, where there is approximately 80% endemism among plant species, extinctions are especially likely given the few localities in which many species occur, the relatively small areas of protected land and the slash-and-burn agricultural practices prevalent in rural areas.
At present, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank partnership works with 123 organisations in 54 countries around the world. Decisions about which plant species to prioritise are usually taken by the partner countries themselves. However, if the country concerned has insufficient data to do this itself, Kew's science teams will help.
The team consults specimens from Kew and other herbaria, and literature resources to prioritise species for conservation. Information collated is then analysed using technologies such as GIS (geographical information systems). Staff map locations of herbarium specimens, estimate distribution patterns and pinpoint likely flowering and fruiting periods (when seeds can be gathered). They also use this data to get a preliminary idea of how threatened each plant species is. Species found to be at high risk of extinction are assessed more fully using the Red List criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Species Targeting Programme has worked with partners to target species for conservation inBotswana, Burkina Faso, Chile, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mexico,Republic of South Africa, and Tanzania.
Information on each nation’s most threatened species is presented in a collection guide. These are made available to Millennium Seed Bank partners so they can efficiently plan itineraries for seed-collecting expeditions. Guides recently completed include Trees of Botswana, Threatened Taxa of Albany (South Africa) and the Malawi Red Data List.
2 comments:
in our "estate planning" we have always provided for kew, but after the fair amount of "disney-ization" that went on their in recent years, i was having second thoughts. your posts are definitely making me think AGAIN! i.e., we will probably continue to plan for Kew.
Mlle P,
I am most interested to know more or what you refer to ...I'll drop you a line ... I know its been a place you've long been involved with.
I'm glad if these posts bring to the surface many of the projects that I had a chance to get a look in on or hear of whilst over there.
The thing that still amazes me about the Kew site in West Sussex where the MSB is located is the fact that so much critical work goes on from that base, extends right around the globe and there are about 60 permanent staff.The seems like such a small number working on such vast projects.
The Kew Gardens site has I think parallel work going on that is not obvious to the public as well... and for me who was based at the Bot Gardens here for a year it is definitely a vastly more complex, lateral enterprise and of huge contemporary relevance.
However ...one thing I am sure of ... if you are going to support something you want to feel you are in alignment with the values and direction.... and I imagine that when changes take place that don't feel right doubt creeps in.
Very glad for your comments,
S
Post a Comment