Plant conservation in the Anthropocene-Challenges and future prospects

Despite the massive efforts that have been made to conserve plant diversity across the world during the past few decades, it is becoming increasingly evident that our current strategies are not sufficiently effective to prevent the continuing decline in biodiversity. As a recent report by the CBD indicates,current progress and commitments are insufficient to achieve the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020.Threatened species lists continue to grow while the world's governments fail to meet biodiversity conservation goals. Clearly, we are failing in our attempts to conserve biodiversity on a sufficient scale.The reasons for this situation are complex, including scientific, technical, sociological, economic and political factors. The conservation community is divided about how to respond. Some believe that saving all existing biodiversity is still an achievable goal. On the other hand, there are those who believe that we need to accept that biodiversity will inevitably continue to be lost, despite all our conservation actions and that we must focus on what to save, why and where. It has also been suggested that we need a new approach to conservation in the face of the challenges posed by the Anthropocene biosphere which we now inhabit. Whatever view one holds on the above issues, it is dear that we need to review the effectiveness of our current conservation strategies, identify the limiting factors that are preventing the Aichi goals being met and at the same time take whatever steps are necessary to make our conservation protocols more explicit, operational and efficient so as to achieve the maximum conservation effect. This paper addresses the key issues that underlie our failure to meet agreed targets and discusses the necessary changes to our conservation approaches. While we can justifiably be proud of our many achievements and successes in plant conservation in the past 30 years, which have helped slow the rate of loss, unless we devise a more coherent, consistent and integrated global strategy in which both the effectiveness and limitations of our current policies, action plans and procedures are recognized, and reflect this in national strategies, and then embark on a much bolder and ambitious set of actions,progress will be limited and plant diversity will continue to decline.

The future of plant conservation and the role of botanic gardens

The papers included in this special issue are mostly based on presentations made at the IABG international conference held at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, China, November 2016, which addressed the roles that botanic gardens, both in China and elsewhere, can play in national biodiversity conservation stra- tegies, such as maintaining and conserving plant material ex situ and in contributing to the recovery of threatened plant species, reintroductions and other translocations. It also looked beyond bot- anic gardens and addressed how to work and plan much more closely with other practitioners.

Plant Conservation in National Botanical Gardens of South Africa

The destruction of forests has led to plant diversity and species being lost at an unprecedented rate and a decrease in ecosystem services. Plant conservation strategies are important to support the development of livelihoods based on the sustainable uses of plants and promote the understanding and sharing of the benefits and functions of plants. Botanical gardens allocate most of their resources to plant conservation and the development of educational activities such as making plant species diversity known to the public. These gardens can also play an essential role in human well-being and provide in human needs. In this article, we review the history of the development of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and the development of other national botanical gardens in South Africa. We will discuss conservation through cultivation, discovering and documenting diversity of plants, indigenous plants, threatened plants, medicinal plants, extinctions and rediscoveries, environmental education, conservation science, citizen science, horticulture, research and creating a haven for biodiversity. Future challenges and responsibilities of botanical gardens will be discussed including in situ and ex situ cultivation, promoting awareness, creating partnerships, increasing capacity building and training activities, sharing information and making gardens sustainable.

Plant Conservation in the Future:New Challenges,New Opportunities

Throughout the world,plant diversity is being reduced rapidly by the extinction of species and of local differentiated populations.In presenting possible solutions to this very serious problem I will first briefly describe the factors that have led to the development of China's wealth of biodiversity;then examine the causes of extinction,with an emphasis on the situation in China;and conclude with recommendations on how to most effectively conserve plants in this huge and botanically diverse country.

Securing a future for China's plant biodiversity through an integrated conservation approach

The severely threatened Chinese flora urgently needs a new, well adapted to China and properly formulated conservation strategy. The present review provides a detailed conservation methodology that complements previously described guidelines for preservation of plant species with extremely small populations(PSESP) in China. This review adds to the above concept in several aspects, making it relevant to all threatened Chinese plant species. The proposed integral conservation strategy has the following crucial components:-ecoregional basis for conservation planning and implementation;-a unified scoring system that is used in regional systematic planning for reserve design,monitoring and assessment of efficiency of a reserve network, and creation of seed banks and living collections;-a focus on population demography and the presence of naturally occurring regeneration as the key criteria for defining the conservation status of a species and the appropriate major focus of the species recovery plan;-creation of multi-species living collections that preserve species genetic variation and provide material for in situ actions;-experimental translocation of threatened species into multiple locations within and outside their known range.Adopting and implementing these strategies successfully and more fully in China requires that the country changes PA legislation and improves PA management, the National Science Foundation of China(NSFC) re-prioritizes the type of research that receives research funds, and local scientists improve their approach toward information sharing.

Saving Our Planet's Flora,the Contribution of the French National Natural History Museum to the Implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

The National Natural History Museum plays a key role in the implementation of the GSPC through its botanical gardens,the Conservatoire Botanique National du Bassin Parisien,the Herbarium,and also by providing expertise on all areas of the Strategy(botany,conservation,ethonobotany,article 8j,substainable use),etc.For 2 of the goals of GSPC(conserving plant diversity,Understanding and Documenting Plant Diversity),the Muséum has developed activities all over the world,including compilation of various flora and description of new species,as well as establishment of plant conservation schemes and habitat protection policies.It also conserves endangered species in the botanical garden.

Teaching Practice of Integrating Labor Education into Specialized Courses:A Case Study of Plant Cultivation and Maintenance

Vocational colleges attach great importance to labor education.Specialized courses are an effective way to cultivate students labor quality,and the integration of labor education in specialized courses plays an important role in the overall cultivation of students moral quality and practical ability.Combined with the teaching practice of landscape technology specialty,labor education is integrated into the teaching of Plant Cultivation and Maintenance,and certain results have been achieved.In this paper,the course content"grafting propagation"was analyzed from the aspects of overall teaching design,teaching implementation process,teaching effect and reflection improvement,so as to provide reference for other contents of this major or other majors to carry out integrated teaching.

Ethnobotany of food,medicinal,construction and household utilities producing plants in Cikaniki,Gunung Halimun Salak National Park,Indonesia

The community living around the Cikaniki Area of Gunung Halimun Salak National Park(CAGHSNP)uses various plants to fulfill their needs.Their habits are related to indigenous knowledge of using plants as food,medicine,construction,and household utilities,which dynamic societal changes have not displaced.This study aimed to inventory and update potential plants used as food,medicine,construction,and household utilities by local communities in the Cikaniki area,and measure and analyze their cultural and ethnobotanical value.This study objected to five hamlets in the Cikaniki at Malasari Village,Nanggung District,Bogor Regency,West Java,Indonesia.The quantitative analysis was calculated based on the Informant Consensus Factor,Fidelity Level,and Use Value.We analyzed the qualitative data based on the data collection through observation,interviews,and documentation from informants and respondents in five hamlets.The study recorded 199 plant species from 75 families used by the community of CA-GHSNP.The most utilized species in Cikaniki were Staurogyne elongata,Caryota mitis,Blumea balsamifera,Castanopsis argentea,Pilea melastomoides,and Piper betle.There are 72 species of plants used as food,122species for medicinal purposes,and 50 species of plants used for construction and household utilities.The potential plant species in the CA-GHSNP,their utilization categories,and recommendation for conservation strategy are discussed.

Autecology and conservation status of Magnolia sargentiana Rehder & Wilson(Magnoliaceae) in the Dafengding region,southern Sichuan Province,China

This paper reports the first population ecology study of the endangered Magnolia sargentiana Rehder ＆ Wilson （Magnoliaceae）. Magnolia sargentiana is a protected species in China, but little is known about its present status in the field. In 2007 and 2008, we surveyed the population and conservation status ofM. sargentiana in the Provincial Mamize Nature Reserve and the National Meigu Dafengding Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, southwestern China. Natural regeneration is poor because of unfavorable environmental conditions and anthropogenic disturbances. Flower buds and bark ofM. sargentiana are used in traditional Chinese medicine and their collection by local people over the period 1983-1994 has led to marked population declines. The collection of flower buds and bark is now banned, but hewing branches for firewood and grazing continues to have a negative impact on the recovery of M. sargentiana populations. To protect the species, we require a ban on hewing branches, closure of primary forests to reduce the impact of humans and ungulates, better education of local people, and increased awareness of wildlife conservation.

Investigation on the Rare and Endangered Plants in the Fenhe Source

Fouty-eight species of rare and endanged plants in the Fenhe Source,belong to 21 families 37 genera.There were 1specie of national second-class protected plant and 3 species of national third-class plants;4 species of first-class protected plants,6 species of second-class protected plants and 14 species of third-class protected plants in Shanxi Province.On the basis of analyzing the endanged reasons,related protection countemeasures were put forward in this article.

Micropropagation and Callus Culture of Saussurea laniceps, an Alpine Medicinal Plant

Cottonhead windhairdaisy (Saussurea laniceps Hand.-Mazz.) is one of the most famous and important medicinal herbs in China. Illegal collection from wild populations is increasingly threatening the present environment of S. laniceps. Estab- lishment of an efficient method for micropropagation is the best way to change its endangered situation. When mature seeds of S. laniceps were cultured on hormone-free MS medium, plantlets were formed from germinated seeds in 7–10 d. Then 0.5 cm × 0.5 cm leaf explants were transplanted to MS medium supplemented with 1-naphthalene-acetic acid (NAA)/2,4-D and benzyladenine (BA)/KT and callus was achieved 10 d after transfer. Shoot bud regeneration occurred from callus cultured on MS medium supple- mented with different growth regulators 20 d after culturing. The regeneration percentages varied with the different components of plant growth regulators. The percent regeneration from callus pretreated at low temperature of 5°C increased significantly compared with those incubated at 23/20°C directly. Optimal regeneration was observed with explants on media supplemented with 1.5 mg·L–1 BA plus 0.2 mg·L–1 NAA. In the presence of 0.2 mg·L–1 NAA in half-strength MS, 78% of the shoots formed roots. Plantlets from explants showed 63% survival after acclimatization.

Fifty Years of Botanical Gardens in China

The development, distribution and features of one hundred and forty botanical gardens (BGs) in China are reported and their functions on research, conservation, display and utilization of biodiversity are summarized in this paper. The contributions to the social and economic development in the early stage of Chinese BGs with the researches of economic plant (tobacco), medicinal plant (yam) and wild fruit tree resources are evaluated. The theoretical and applied achievements in recent years in seed science, plant conservation, economic plant introduction, acclimatization and breeding are also described. A general scope of living plant collections in Chinese BGs is presented and the outstanding ones, including Magnoliaceae, Zingiberaceae, Cycadaceae, medicinal plants, Actinidia and Rhododendron are particularly mentioned. With special reference to Chinese penjing art garden and silicified wood garden, the development of scientific popularization and tourism in BGs is reviewed.

Botanical aspects of eco-civilisation construction

The concept of eco-civilisation refers to the need for human affairs to be contained within the limits set by nature.Plants play such fundamental roles in the functioning of ecosystems and economies that due attention must be given to them for eco-civilisation to be achieved.Species are the basic functional units of the plant world and,taking a long term perspective,their conservation with their genetic diversity should be a primary objective in eco-civilisation construction.However,standard procedures used for plant conservation have met with only limited success.Therefore,plant conservationists need social allies to boost their efforts-referring to elements of society whose primary interests in eco-civilisation construction are different,but whose efforts,if successful,will bring benefits to plant conservation too.Potential allies can be identified using an ecosystem system services framework showing how benefits received from the delivery of ecosystem services overlap with those that favour conservation of plant diversity.The concept of eco-civilisation was adopted officially in China in 2014 as a principle guiding its future development.A project at Ludian,Yunnan Province,is used to show the relationships between an ecosystem services framework and a conservation initiative.

Protection and Utilization of Special Biological Resources and Biodiversity in Pu＇er City

In the paper, the animal and plant diversity and its main characteristics in Pu'er City were summarized, and reviewedthe development and utilization of main special biological industry. The policies and research institutions on protection and utilization of biodiversity in Pu'er City were introduced. At the last, we analyzed the deficiencies in the conservation and utilization of biodiversity in Pu'er City and proposed the relevant measures to strengthen protection and utilization of biological diversity in the future.

Native Plants Can Help Conserve Water

这篇文章本来是针对美国读者的,但我们把它引介过来的目的是想让读者对美国的绿化状况有所了解。 Xeriscaping(无水绿化)对我们来说是个陌生的名词(欲探究其构词法的读者可在文中找到答案),可它对于维持生态平衡和节约水资源意义重大。因为about half the water we use in our homes is diverted to the lawn and gardenpatch,反过来,Done right,xeriscaping can cut landscape watering demandanywhere from 20 percent to 80 percent。由于国情不同,以上两句对我们来说不免生隔靴搔痒之感。但文中涉及的花卉栽培技术、选种(原产还是非原产)以及对喜干喜湿植物的判断等都提供了具体的指导,对于喜好侍花弄草的朋友是很有启发的。 生态环境恶化和资源危机业已得到全球人士的共识,美国人从身边绿化着眼,提出“无水绿化”的观点,方法简便易行,又着眼于生态大计,且惠泽子孙,他们这种务实的态度是值得我们学习的。