Prioritising species for seed collection

Dr Paul P. Smith,MSBP Co-ordinator southern Africa & Madagascar

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom

Millennium Seed Bank Project

Lists of target species for seed collection are compiled according to national or institutional priorities.

They are not determined by Kew or the Millennium Seed Bank Project.

Millennium Seed Bank Project

The three E’s• Endangered species, i.e.

Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable species or habitats at the local, regional or international scale

• Endemic species, i.e. species native to an area, and neither introduced nor a pan-tropical weed

• Economic species, i.e. species valued/used by people

Millennium Seed Bank Project

• Orthodox seeds, i.e. seeds which retain their viability after drying, and which are therefore likely to be bankable

• Species suitable for research, i.e. species targeted for research projects

• Species for which seed not widely available, i.e. Seed not already in the bank or available from commercial sources

• Rare seeds, i.e. difficult to find high quality or quantity of seed of this species in this region

Millennium Seed Bank Project

The three E’s• Endangered species,

i.e. Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable species at the local, regional or international scale

Millennium Seed Bank Project

GSPC Target 2: A preliminary assessment of the

conservation status of all known plant species at national, regional and international levels

10,000 taxa from 10 countries being assessed by the MSBP over the next 3 years

SABONET - Southern African Botanical Diversity Network

3,900 taxa threatened or potentially threatened with extinction

Lists of priority taxa: Botswana RDL

• 43 taxa on RDL

• Critically Endangered 0• Endangered 3• Vulnerable 10• Near Threatened 4• Least Concern 4• Data Deficient 22

Correct Taxonomy

Phenological information

Location and Distribution Data

Habitat Information

Plant Description

Preliminary conservation assessment from herbarium specimens

Sporobolus bechuanicus - Distribution

Preliminary conservation assessments: elements suitable for GIS and remote

sensing analysis

• Extent of Occurrence• Area of Occupancy• Number of

Subpopulations• Number of Locations

• Extent & Quality of Habitat

- GIS

- Remote Sensing

Sporobolus bechuanicus -Report

Habitat Quality

Are populations protected in situ? Protected Areas

Millennium Seed Bank Project

The three E’s• Endemic species, i.e.

species native to an area, and neither introduced nor a pan-tropical weed

Millennium Seed Bank Project

Data sources:Floras: printed

and digital.Grey literatureField guides and

popular publications

Herbarium specimens

Millennium Seed Bank Project

The three E’s• Economic species,

i.e. species valued/used by people

Millennium Seed Bank Project

Data sources:

Grey literature

Field guides and popular publications

Databases: e.g. SEPASAL

Millennium Seed Bank Project

SEPASALSurvey of Economic Plants from Arid and

Semi-Arid Lands

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet/

Millennium Seed Bank Project

GSPC Target 8:60% of threatened plant species

in accessible ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and 10% of them included in recovery and restoration programmes.

24,000 species to be banked in the MSB and partner countries in 10 years

Targeting threatened species for seed collection

• Produce a list of priority species • Produce Information for finding and

collecting these species

– Phenology– Location– Logistical – Images

When, Where, How to Collect

Targeting Threatened Species for Seed Collection

Target species collection guides

Phenology

Location Details

ImagesAdenium oleifolium

Field survey

To assess and monitor a species you need good baseline data.

Is anybody systematically collecting this information for your priority species?

Field Survey - Botswana

The team

Data collection: population data

Data includes:

• Date sampled

• Locality information

• No. of plants

• No. of mature individuals

• Area occupied

• Threats

• Level of threats

Data collection: population data

Revisit population a number of times over the life of the project, then assess population trends. Produce field based conservation assessment.

Avonia rhodesica (N.E.Br.) Rowley

The data

SABONET assessment: VU A1ad

Kew assessment (Balding): VU A1ad

Informant: Bruce Hargreaves

Locality: 3.2 km from Tsamaya on Thamashanga road

Avonia rhodesica (N.E.Br.) RowleyMany populations found. Seed collected from 2

populations so far. Downgrade?

Avonia rhodesica (N.E.Br.) Rowley

Survey leads to additional priority species

Adenium oleifolium Stapf

The data

SABONET assessment: VU B1+2ce

Kew assessment (Balding): VU B1+2ce

Collector:

Collection date: January 1960

Locality: South Eastern District. 14 miles south of Artesia.

Adenium oleifolium Stapf

3 populations found:

2 individuals

4 individuals

50 individuals

Seed collected.

Maintain status

Aristida wildii Melderis

The data

SABONET assessment: Data Deficient

Kew assessment (Balding): VU D2

Collector: P.A. Smith

Collection date: May 1980

Locality: N. Division 10 km N of Aha Hills

Aristida wildii Melderis1 population found. Seed collected. Recent taxonomy suggests this is a synonym of widespread Aristida effusa.

Remove from list?

Erlangea remifolia Wild & G.V. Pope

The data

SABONET assessment: Data Deficient

Kew assessment (Balding): VU D2

Collector: C.H. Banks

Collection date: 13 July 1963

Locality: NGAMILAND; MOUNT FEMALE; TSODILO HILLS SLOPES.

Erlangea remifolia: Tsodilo Hills

Erlangea remifolia Wild & G.V. Pope1 population (6 individuals) found. Seed collected.

Upgrade?

Botswana 2003/4.

4 expeditions (total 50 days)

Of the 43 RDL taxa:

18 taxa found

10 taxa collected as seed

37 populations assessed

3 taxa actually threatened?

Information fed back to IUCN

Summary1) Target species for collection according to

national or institutional priorities2) Start with published sources – literature and

digital3) Carry out your own analysis in order to

prioritise species for collection4) Modify raw data to enable you to find the

species and collect seed5) Carry out collecting and field survey6) Modify lists of target species accordingly7) Publish new information and/or feed back

to authorities