target 5 cbd global strategy - plantlife.org.uk

Target 5 CBD

Global Strategy Plant Conservation

of the

for

IMPORTANT PLANT AREASAROUND THE WORLD

Successes & case studies in implementing the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC)

International IPA brochure 2010_Layout 1 20/04/2010 11:58

AcknowledgementsPlantlife International would like tothank the following organisations fortheir assistance in preparing thisreport, and for information on theprojects on which it is based – AlgeriaUniversity of Sciences and Technology;Bhutan Ministry of Agriculture, RoyalGovernment of Bhutan; ChinaKunming Institute of Botany (CAS),Yangzhou University; Egypt TantaUniversity; Ethiopia & EritreaNational Herbarium (ETH), AddisAbaba University & IUCN/SSC GlobalTrees Specialist Group; FalklandsIslands Falklands Conservation; IsraelHebrew University of Jerusalem; IndiaApplied Environmental ResearchInstitute (AERF) & Pragya; JapanMinistry of Environment, NatureConservation Bureau; JordanUniversity of Jordan; LebanonAmerican University of Beirut &Lebanese University; Libya AlfatehUniversity; Mexico The NationalCommission for the Knowledge andUse of Biodiversity (CONABIO) & theNational Commission of ProtectedAreas (CONANP); MadagascarMissouri Botanical Garden; MoroccoForest Research Centre & TheScientific Institute of Rabat;Mozambique Universidade EduardoMondlane; Namibia NationalBotanical Research Institute (NRBI);Oman Oman Botanic Garden, Muscat;Pakistan WWF Pakistan &Government Postgraduate JahanzebCollege; Palestine Al Quds University;Philippines National Museum of thePhilippines; Saudi Arabia SaudiWildlife Commission; SeychellesNature Protection Trust of Seychelles;Syria The Syrian Society for theConservation of Wildlife; Turks &Caicos Islands Imperial CollegeLondon and Royal Botanic GardensKew; Tunisia Institut NationalAgronomique de Tunisie; YemenAgricultural Research and ExtensionAuthority(Taiz); International andregional organisations – BotanicGardens Conservation International;Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (partof the Royal Botanic GardensEdinburgh); IUCN; IUCN Office forMediterranean Cooperation; IUCNMediterranean Islands SpecialistGroup; Missouri Botanical Garden;WWF Medpo

Mr. AhmedDjoghlaf(ExecutiveSecretary of theConvention onBiological

Diversity) Important Plant Areas(IPAs), championed by PlantlifeInternational, provide a backbone forimplementing Target 5 of the GlobalStrategy for Plant Conservation agreedunder the Convention on BiologicalDiversity. A growing number ofcountries apply the IPA guidelines andcriteria to identify sites of exceptionalbotanical importance. The programmehas brought together government andnon-government stakeholders -botanical experts, conservationpractitioners and local communities -to focus on the conservation of plantsand their habitats. I congratulate allthe national IPA teams as well asPlantlife for the significant progressthey have made over the last tenyears. I also congratulate them forproducing this publication as acontribution to the International Yearof Biodiversity and COP10, which willbe held in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture,Japan in October 2010 and will bepreceded by a high-level segment ofthe UN General Assembly attended byheads of state and devoted tobiodiversity.

Prof. JohnDonaldson(Chairman of theIUCN PlantConservation Sub-Committee) I amdelighted that so

many botanical and mycologicalspecialists from IUCN’s SpeciesSurvival Commission have helped toidentify Important Plant Areas acrossthe world and are engaged inpromoting their conservation. Datafrom the IUCN Red List programme is asignificant aid to IPA identificationand in turn IPA projects havestimulated new national levelinitiatives that assess the conservationstatus of plant species. Both the RedLists and IPAs provide importantinformation to support and improveconservation efforts. The Important

Plant Areas methodology canaccommodate data from a variety ofsources and this means that it can beused to identify priority sites forplants in any country, despitedifferences in the resources available.This is evident in the numerouscountries where the IPA methodologyhas been successfully applied, fromthe UK to Mozambique.

Dr. MarcoLambertini (ChiefExecutive, BirdLifeInternational)BirdLifeInternational ispleased to have

supported the Important Plant Areaprogramme from its inception. IPAs,along with Important Bird Areas, arecrucial components of the KeyBiodiversity Area network - sites ofglobal significance for biodiversityconservation. From our experience,directories of such sites are aformidable tool to guide governments,private sector, investment banks anddonor institutions in order to avoidadverse impact of developmentprojects on priority sites and species,and to direct conservation fundingtowards clearly defined priorities.BirdLife hopes that all Key BiodiversityAreas will become a recognised focusfor increased conservation activity inthe coming years. Congratulations toPlantlife International for thisremarkable work.

Text by Seona Anderson & Elizabeth RadfordEditorial comments by Joanna Bromley &Luke MortonMaps prepared by Beth Newman & Anna McBrideDesign by timjulierdesign

Front cover image: Wildflowers on Tablemountain in Cape Town, South Africa ©Louis Hiemstra/iStockphoto

Citation: Plantlife 2010, Important PlantAreas Around the World: Target 5 of theCBD Global Strategy for PlantConservation. Plantlife International.Salisbury, UK.

Copies of this report can be downloaded fromthe Plantlife International website(www.plantlife.org.uk)

2 Important Plant Areas around the World


3

Executive summary: IPAs around theworld

• IPA teams in 66 countries from across the globeare engaged in IPA projects: countries withdiverse ecological conditions and dataavailability. Their work can provide a templatefor other countries to identify and conserve IPAs.

• Governments across the world have committedto identifying and protecting their mostimportant plant areas under the Convention onBiological Diversity. Criteria and manyadditional tools for identifying and conservingsites already exist - now is the time to act toconserve these priority sites!

Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are internationallysignificant sites for wild plants and threatenedhabitats. Identified at a national level, they provide aframework for implementing target 5 of the CBD GlobalStrategy for Plant Conservation (ensuring theprotection of at least 50% of important areas for plants)and are a vital tool in conserving wild plants and theirhabitats in situ.

Global criteria for identifying IPAs were published in2004 and are based on 3 criteria: threatened species (A),species richness (B), threatened habitats (C). In severalcountries Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are also being

identified which include priority plant sites(Langhammer et al, 2007). The IPA projects in thisreport highlight the range of methodological toolsavailable and also some key factors in IPAidentification and conservation – the fundamental roleof local experts, a participatory approach, and raisingawareness and engagement among local communities.

Governments committed to this target in 2002 and,although there has been progress much more needs tobe done. Experts in many countries have prepared thegroundwork but need the support of government andinternational donors. A relatively small investment ofmoney will provide invaluable data for prioritisingconservation action. Important Plant Areas are not anoptional extra. In many countries they support thelivelihoods of many of the world’s poorest people and inall countries they provide undervalued services suchwater and flood control, carbon capture, the preventionof desertification and a reservoir of genetic and speciesdiversity.

The projects highlighted in this report illustrate therange of organisations and individuals who are takingthe lead in identifying and conserving the world’s mostimportant sites for plants . We hope that these casestudies will inspire others to identify their IPAs andencourage governments and donors to play their part inconserving the diversity of plant life of earth and all theother forms of life which reply on wild plants and theirhabitats.

1 We have tried to include information on all projectsthat we are aware of, however, if there are omissions wewill be happy to update the information on our website.If you have information on IPA/target 5 projects notcovered by this report please send the details to SeonaAnderson ([email protected])

Important Plant Areas around the World

Important PlantAreas

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IPAs in Africa and the

Middle East

IPAs in Ethiopia & Eritrea

Researchers are actively looking for funds to prepare aConservation Atlas for the Threatened Flora of Ethiopia andEritrea. This is project will help to conserve one of Africa’smost floristically diverse regions, with its c.6000 plant taxa,several hundred endemic species, and native populations ofeconomically important plants and their relatives.

The expected outputs of this project include an atlas ofthreatened flora, with IUCN Red List status and recoveryplans; the identification of a network of Important PlantAreas; capacity building for researchers; and awareness-raising and community projects in and around the IPAs.Work has already been completed on a preliminaryassessment of 596 endemic plants of Ethiopia (Vivero et al.,2006), IUCN species assessments are being prepared forc.629 taxa, and the Red List of Endemic Trees and Shrubs(135 taxa) of Ethiopia & Eritrea has been published (Viveroet al, 2005)

Coordinating organisations: National Herbarium (ETH),Addis Ababa University (www.aau.edu.et) and the IUCN/SSCGlobal Trees Specialist Group (www.globaltrees.org)

IPAs in Madagascar

This plant-rich island contains about 8.8 million hectares ofprimary forest and through the Durban Vision Process thereare plans to triple the current protected area system up to 6million hectares of land managed for conservationpurposes. From 2001-4 Missouri Botanical Garden analyseddata on 1,200 endemic plant species to identify 80 prioritysites for plant conservation (PAPC). In the course of acurrent project on wild plants for food and medicine, 166IPAs have been identified using the PAPC sites, KBA dataand a review of the protected area system, and data arebeing analysed on 1,000 threatened species to update thelist. 48 of the IPAs are currently protected with 30 moreunder review, which will bring the total of IPAs under legalprotection to 78 (46%). There is less information onmanagement at sites and future mechanisms to conservethese sites must include community involvement and onthe ground conservation.

Coordinating organisations: Missouri Botanical Garden(Priority Areas for Plant Conservation 2001-2004) andanalysis of endemic and threatened plants(www.mobot.org); in collaboration with BGCI (www.bgci.org),Conservation International (www.conservation.org) andMadagascar Plant Specialist Group (www.iucn.org) for IPAswithin the Wild Plants for Food and Medicine Project.


5Important Plant Areas around the World

IPAs in the Arabian Peninsula

This project was initiated by the IUCN Arabian Plant SpecialistGroup to establish a coordinated IPA programme in Bahrain, SaudiArabia, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Jordan,Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq & Qatar. Currently the project isfocusing on Saudi Arabia, Oman & Yemen. Criteria for the Arabianregion have been published which specifically include relict speciesand refugia for connectivity and climate change mitigation (Al-Abbasi et al., 2010).

As well as identifying IPAs in the region, it is hoped that the projectwill stimulate the production of Red Lists (national and Arabian)and the development of a standardised list of threatened habitatsfor the region. The project has identified potential IPAs throughexisting data and has been focussing on field surveys in theseareas. The first detailed IPA site report in Arabia has now beenpublished for Jabal Qaraqir in Saudi Arabia (Llewellyn et al, 2010).There is a strong focus on practical conservation planning for IPAs,which includes targeting traditional protected areas (himas inSaudi Arabia, hamiyah in Oman) for inclusion in the network.

Coordinating organisations: Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (partof the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh)(www.rbge.org.uk); SaudiWildlife Commission (Saudi Arabia)(www.ncwcd.gov.sa); OmanBotanic Garden (Muscat, Oman); Agricultural Research andExtension Authority (Taiz, Yemen); IUCN Arabian Plants SpecialistGroup (www.iucnarabianpsg.org/)

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IPAs in North Africa & theMiddle East

IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, PlantlifeInternational and WWF have begun a project to identifyImportant Plant Areas in the south and east Mediterraneanregion with country experts from Algeria, Egypt, Israel,Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria andTunisia 128 preliminary IPAs were identified and mappedin 2009. This preliminary list will be expanded in 2010 andfurther information on the species and habitats present onthese sites, the threats to the plant diversity andopportunities for its conservation will be collated andpublished.

Coordinating organisations: Algeria (University ofSciences and Technology www.usthb.dz), Egypt (TantaUniversity www.tanta.edu.eg), Israel (Hebrew University ofJerusalem www.huji.ac.il), Jordan (University of Jordanwww.ju.edu.jo), Lebanon (American University of Beirutwww.aub.edu.lb, Lebanese University www.ul.edu.lb), Libya(Alfateh University), Morocco (Forest Research Centre ;Scientific Institute of Rabat www.israbat.ac.ma), Palestine(Al Quds University www.alquds.edu), Syria (The SyrianSociety for the Conservation of Wildlife), Tunisia (InstitutNational Agronomique de Tunisie www.iresa.agrinet.tn),IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (www.iucn.org),WWF MedPo (www.panda.org), IUCN Mediterranean IslandsPlant Specialist Group (www.iucn.org/ssc/medislandplant),Plantlife International (www.plantlife.org.uk)

IPAs in Southern Africa

IPA criteria and methodology for the Southern AfricanRegion were debated by regional experts at a workshoporganised by SABONET (South African Botanical Network)and the results reported (Important Plant Areas in SouthernAfrica. Combined proceedings of workshops held inMozambique, Namibia and South Africa, 2005).

Mozambique: a preliminary list of 28 IPAs was identified ata workshop in 2004 by national and regional experts froma range of organisations. An assessment of the datareliability and the conservation priority of the sites wasincluded in the list. The sources for identifying IPAsincluded the Southern African Plant Red Data Lists (2002),preliminary checklists of Mozambique, the PRECISdatabase, soil maps and expert opinion. High priority sitesinclude Chiperomi, Namuli, Mabu, Moribane, the northerncoastal forests, Quiterajo, Palma, Quirimbas, Serra Choa,and Bobole. Coordinating organisation: Universidade EduardoMondland (www.uem.mz)

Namibia: national and regional experts debated the datasources, selection criteria, future protection andmanagement of IPAs at a workshop in 2004 (Hofmeyer,2004) producing a provisional list of 39 IPAs. The listincluded preliminary site maps in ArcView, based onsources including threatened species data, vegetationmaps, the Namibian Tree Atlas project, centres ofendemism and diversity, and expert opinion. This workshopalso debated the possibilities for future protection andfunding and the involvement of local communities inmanagement planning and monitoring. More resources areneeded to continue and develop this project.Coordinating organisation: The National BotanicalResearch Institute (www.nrbi.org.na)


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IPAs in the Americas,

Caribbean and Atlantic

IPAs in the Turks & Caicos Islands

A recent research project into identifying and conserving IPAs inthe Caribbean employed an innovative range of scientifictechniques and community involvement initiatives. The aim ofthe project was to develop a methodology which could be used inthese islands and replicated in similar regions.

There were three main scientific methods used: habitatsuitability modelling which assesses species potentialdistribution; IUCN Red List assessment for targeted species; theresponse of a species to disturbance which can facilitaterecommendation for IPA conservation and mitigation of threats atIPAs. Fundamental to the project was the inclusion of a range ofstakeholders and local communities in identifying IPAs andraising awareness of the importance of the wild plants and theirsites.

Six IPAs were identified based on three endemic speciesassessments. Conservation threats and recommendations werealso recorded for the sites. This study has great potential forstimulating further IPA identification in many environments withsimilar data availability issues.

Coordinating organisation: Imperial College London(www3.imperial.ac.uk) and Royal Botanic Garden Kew(www.kew.org) (MSc Thesis by Sophie Williams)

Priority plant sitesin Mexico

An assessment of the gaps and omissions in conservation withinthe protected area system was carried out in 2007, using 214threatened species from the Mexican Red List (2001), 12 plantfamilies and 68 vegetation types considered critical because oflow coverage.

The area of these priority plant sites covers 39% of the countrywith c.17% considered high priority. The priority sites identifieddiffered from previous assessments and more data is needed,particularly on species distribution, to refine these results. Thisproject was carried out in parallel with an assessment of theprotected area network (Mexican gap analysis) using numerousbiodiversity elements and is part of a wider programme to developconservation projects as part of the Mexican Strategy for PlantConservation.

Coordinating organisations: The National Commission for theKnowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO)(www.conabio.gob.mx) in collaboration with the NationalCommission of Protected Areas (CONANP) (www.conanp.gob.mx)



IPAs in the Falkland Islands

This remote archipelago in the South Atlantic has 173native plant species, including 13 endemic species such asvanilla daisy (Leucheria suaveolens) snake plant (Nassauviaserpens) and Falkland rock-cress (Phlebolobiummaclovianum). Five of the species are globally threatened.The dominant habitats are acid grasslands, dwarf shrubheath and coastal habitats. Major threats to the native floracome from soil erosion, agriculture (overgrazing and other),invasive plants, human disturbance (including recreationaloff-roading), chance natural events and genetic erosion.

Funded by the UK Overseas Territories EnvironmentalProgramme and working in collaboration with the RoyalBotanic Gardens, Kew, Falklands Conservation’s IPA projecthas identified 19 candidate international IPAs across theislands. Targeted, standardised, geo-referenced populationand habitat data, gathered over two years were analysed inconjunction with historical inventories in order to assesssites against IPA criteria. In the process threatened speciesand habitat Action Plans have been written and updated.The Falkland IPA site data are now being used for thedevelopment of a wider plant conservation strategy for thelong term protection of threatened native and endemicflora through sustainable management and/ or protectionand long term monitoring alongside public awareness andtraining projects.

Coordinating organisation: Falklands Conservation(www.falklandsconservation.com)

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IPAs in the Asia and

the Pacific

IPAs in the Himalaya

A provisional list of 53 IPAs for medicinal plants has beenidentified in the Himalaya (Bhutan, China, India, Nepal,Pakistan). In addition, a list of 51 medicinal plants in needof conservation action has also been identified. The projectfocused particularly on medicinal plants as this was theconservation issue most central to communities andlivelihoods. The methodology for site selection used thepresence of threatened species, species richness andthreatened habitats

Future actions will concentrate on involving localcommunities (collectors, traditional healers, culturalleaders) in taking forward conservation of these medicinalplants and their habitats, improving protection for the IPAsacross the region and continuing to identify new IPAsbased on medicinal and other plants.

Coordinating organisations: Bhutan (Ministry ofAgriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan www.moa.gov.bt),China (Kunming Institute of Botany, CASwww.english.kib.cas.cn; Yangzhou Universitywww.yzu.edu.cn), India (Pragya www.pragya.org), Nepal(Ethnobotanical Society of Nepal www.eson.org.np),Pakistan (WWF Pakistan www.wwfpak.org; GovernmentPostgraduate Jahanzeb College), UK (Plantlife Internationalwww.plantlife.org.uk)

IPAs in the Western Ghats, India

A pilot study was designed to test the applicability ofglobal prioritisation criteria (IPAs and High ConservationValue Forest (HNVF)) in identifying and conserving localhotspots for biodiversity. The study area was the WesternGhats (Konkan Region), a global hotspot for biodiversity,which is home to over 2,000 endemic plant species in itsmountains and forests.

The study employed randomised surveying, purposiveselection of survey sites based on expert and localknowledge, and a forest intactness ratio. All methodsproduced useful information, but the use of local andexpert knowledge proved most time effective in identifyingpotential sites and also highlighted the enormous value ofsacred groves in the conservation of intact forest areas. Thispilot project also illustrated the way forward for threatenedspecies and habitat assessments in this plant rich region.

Coordinating organisation: AERF (Applied EnvironmentalResearch Foundation) (www.aerfindia.org)



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IPAs in Indochina floristic region(Cambodia, southern China,

Laos, Thailand and Vietnam)

The analysis of IPAs in the Indochina floristic region will beconducted as part of a project supported by the CriticalEcosystem Partnership Fund (www.cepf.net) from 2009-2012. In addition to the main objective to assess thedistribution and status of globally threatened plant speciesusing IUCN criteria, the project will identify the mostvaluable sites of plant diversity in the Indochina region asthe basis for prioritising conservation actions.

Information on plant diversity is fragmentary, hence poorlyrepresented in conservation planning, management,monitoring, and decision-making. The challenge of usingplants as indicator groups in biodiversity assessment is thelack of knowledge on the biology, ecology, and distributionof plant species, many of which remain un-described. Thebotanical data that do exist remain inaccessible todecision-makers because these data reside only in theherbarium specimens and the scientific and grey literaturewritten in different languages. The project will thereforetrain local scientists to assemble the botanical informationinto a database and to combine the plant distributionaldata with the ecological data and other parameters in a GISmap to identify the important plant areas (IPAs) forconservation. Until now, conservation planning in theregion has relied largely on the opinions of experts and onthe use of data on few indicator groups such as birds andlarge mammals.

Coordinating organisation: Missouri Botanical Garden(www.mobot.org)

Collaborating organizations: International Union forConservation of Nature (IUCN) www.iucn.org, BotanicalGardens Conservation International (BGCI) www.bgci.org,Society for Environmental Exploration (Frontier)www.frontier.ac.uk; Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP)www.rupp.edu.kh, Kunming Botanic Garden (KUN)www.english.kib.cas.cn, National University of Laos (NUOL)www.nuol.edu.la, Bangkok Forest Herbarium (BKF)www.dnp.go.th/index_eng.asp, Institute of Ecology andBiological Resources (IEBR)www.iebr.ac.vn/english/homeE.asp, Institute of TropicalBiology (ITB) www.itb.ac.vn.

IPAs in the Philippines

Palawan Island IPA (also one of the Centres of PlantDiversity and a Man and Biosphere Reserve) is currently thefocus of much scientific and conservation action. Achecklist of plants will be published soon includng a newgiant pitcher plant (Nepanthes attenboroughii) recentlydiscovered in the forests of Mount Victoria.Coordinating organisation: National Museum of thePhilippines (www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph)

IPAs in the Seychelles

The analysis of IPAs in the Seychelles was undertaken aspart of a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) Project (Gerlach,2008). In total 48 KBAs were identified, of which 29 wereIPAs. The IPAs were identified using three criteria:threatened species (species from the IUCN 2007 Red List);species richness assessments of five main habitat groups(montane forest, sub-montane forest, lowland forest,marsh, glacis rock); and threatened habitats (montaneforest and marsh habitats).

The most significant threat, which affects all 48 KBAs, ishabitat destruction caused by invasive species. Otherthreats include development (6 sites), sea level rise (13sites), and unpredictable climate change (16 sites). Thefuture of KBAs in the Seychelles depends on effective legalprotection and large-scale habitat restoration.

Coordinating organisation: Nature Protection Trust ofSeychelles(www.islandbiodiversity.com/nptsindex.htm#NPTS)


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IPAs inEurope

1771 IPAs have been identified in 16 countries in Europe(Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Italy,Macedonia FYR, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia,Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and UK) There are alsoprovisional sites or preliminary projects in Albania,Armenia, Ireland, parts of Russia (Altai Sayan), and Spain.Further information on these projects can be found in aseparate summary document which can be obtained fromPlantlife International (Plantlife 2010).

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Tools available to identify IPAs

• IPA Criteria: Europe (Plantlife, 2002); Global (Plantlife,2004)

• IPA Boundaries: Dines & Hutchinson 2008• IPA Case study methodologies (see also references

below)• Setting regional criteria (Southern Africa)• Habitat potential mapping models (Turks & Caicos)• Response of species to disturbance (Turks & Caicos)• Forest Intactness Ratio (Western Ghats)• Randomised & Purposive survey sampling (Western

Ghats)

References

Global criteriaANDERSON S. 2002. Identifying Important Plant Areas in Europe:A site selection manual and a guide to developing criteria in otherparts of the world. Plantlife International, LondonLANGHAMMER, P.F et al 2007, Identification and Gap Analysis ofKey Biodiversity Areas: Targets for Comprehensive Protected AreaSystems. Gland, Switzerland IUCNPLANTLIFE 2004, Identifying and Protecting the World’s MostImportant Plant Areas: A Guide to Implementing Target 5 of theGlobal Strategy for Plant Conservation. Plantlife InternationalDINES T. & HUTCHINSON N., 2008, Developing IPA boundaries inthe UK. Plantlife International, UK (www.plantlife.org.uk)Arabian PeninsularAL-ABBASI T.M., AL-FARHAN A., AL-KHULAIDI A.W., HALL M.,LLEWELLYN O.A., MILLER A.G. & PATZELT A., 2010, Important PlantAreas in the Arabian Peninsular. Edinburgh Journal of Botany (67)(1), pp.25-35LLEWELLYN O.A., HALL M., MILLER A.G., AL-ABBASI T.M., AL-WETAID A.H.,AL-HARBI R.J., AL-SHAMMARI K.F. & AL-FARHAN A.,2010, Important Plant Areas in the Arabian Peninsular: 1. JabalQaraqir. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 67 (1), pp.37-56 Ethiopia & EritreaVIVERO J.L., KELBESSA E., DEMISSEW S., 2006, Progress on the RedList of Plants of Ethiopia and Eritrea: Conservation andBiogeography of Endemic Flowering Taxa. In Ghazanfar S.A. &Beentje H.J. (Eds) Taxonomy and Ecology of Africa Plants, theirConservation and Sustainable Use. pp.761-778. Royal BotanicGarden Kew. VIVERO J.L., KELBESSA E. & DEMISSEW S., 2005 The Red List ofEndemic Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Fauna & FloraInternational, Cambridge, UK. Europe ANDERSON S., KUSIK T., RADFORD E. 2005 Important Plant Areasin Central and Eastern Europe: priority sites for plantconservation. Plantlife International, Salisbury, U.K.RADFORD, E.A. and ODÉ, B. eds. 2009) Conserving Important PlantAreas; investing in the Green Gold of South East Europe. PlantlifeInternational, Salisbury.Falkland IslandsUPSON R., (in prep) Internationally Important Plant Areas of theFalkland Islands. Falklands ConservationUPSON R., (in prep) Updating the Red Data list for the FalklandsIslands vascular flora. Falklands Conservation.

14 Priority Sites for Plants and People

The HimalayaHAMILTON A.C. & RADFORD E.A., 2007, Identification andconservation of Important Plant Areas for Medicinal Plants in theHimalaya. Plantlife International (Salisbury, UK) andEthnobotanical Society of Nepal (Kathmandu, Nepal)IndiaPUNDE S., 2007. Prioritising Areas for Forest Conservation in theKonkan Region of the Western Ghats Hotspot (India) – a pilotstudy. Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF). Pune,IndiaMadagascarMISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN, 2005, Assessment of PriorityAreas for Plant Conservation (CEPF Final Project CompletionReport) www.cepf.netMexicoKOLEFF P., TAMBUTTI M., MARCH I.J., ESQUIVEL R., CANTÚ C., LIRA-NORIEGA A., et al. 2009. Identificación de prioridades y análisisde vacíos y omisiones en la conservación de la biodiversidad deMéxico, en Capital natural de México, vol. II: Estado deconservación y tendencias de cambio. Conabio, México, pp. 651-718.URQUIZA-HAAST., KOLB M., KOLEFF P., LIRA-NORIEGA A. yALARCÓN J. 2008. Methodological approach to identify Mexico’sterrestrial priority sites for conservation. Gap Bulletin 16.Disponible en <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gap/gap16/pdf/gap16.pdf>.SeychellesGERLACH, J. 2008, Setting Conservation Priorities – A KeyBiodiversity Areas Analysis for the Seychelles Islands. The OpenConservation Biology Journal, 2, pp.44-53Southern AfricaHOFMEYER W. (Ed) 2004, Proceedings of the Important Plant AreasWorkshop. National Botanical Research Institute, Windhoek,NamibiaIZIDINE S.A. & CÁNDIDO A., 2004, Botanical Diversity & EndemismAreas in Mozambique. Proceedings of the Mozambique IPAWorkshop. Maputo, MozambiqueSABONET, 2005, Important Plant Areas in Southern Africa.Combined proceedings of workshops held in Mozambique,Namibia and South AfricaTurks & Caicos IslandWILLIAMS S., 2009, The Identification and Conservation ofImportant Plant Areas: A Case Study from the Turks and CaicosIslands. Msc Thesis Imperial College London & Royal BotanicGardens

• Refugia & ecological connectivity (Arabian Peninsular) • Engaging local communities in plant conservation

(Europe - Radford & Odé, 2009) • Red Listing & GSPC Target 2 Methodologies• IUCN Red List Criteria (2001) (www.iucnredlist.org) • IUCN RapidList (http://rapidlist.iucnsis.org) • Sampled Red List Index (www.kew.org/gis/projects/srli/) • IPA online database (www.plantlife-ipa.org/reports.asp)


Country information on IPA and GSPC Target 5 projects

Country Status of project Coordinating organisation(s) Contact details

Algeria Active identification projectongoing

Nassima Yahi University of Sciences &Technology

Salima Benhouhou and Nassima Yahi([email protected])

Bahrain Involved in developing IPAcriteria for Arabian Region

IUCN Arabian Plants Specialist Group www.iucnarabianpsg.org/bahrain.htm

Bhutan 10 IPAs for medicinal plantsidentified

Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Government ofBhutan with Plantlife International

Yeshey Dorji ([email protected])A Karma Rinzin([email protected])

Brunei Attended 2004 IPA regionalworkshop South East Asia

University Brunei Darussalam Ministry ofIndustry & Primary Resources

David Edwards([email protected]) Muhd Ariffin Abdullah Kalat

Cambodia Active identification projectongoing

Royal University of Phnom Penh with MissouriBotanical Garden

Jack Regalado([email protected])

Cameroon National workshop for Target 2& 5 (GSPC)

Workshop coordinated by Botanic GardensConservation International

Bihini Won wa Musiti

China 11 Critical Regions forBiodiversity (6 are within theHimalaya and smaller medicinalplant IPAs were identified withinthem)

SEPA State Environmental ProtectionAdministration (Critical Regions for Biodiversity)Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academyof Sciences; College of Biological Sciences &Biotechnology, Yang Zhou University (IPAs forMedicinal Plants in the Himalaya)

Kunming Institute - Pei Shengji([email protected])Yang Zhou Uni. - Huai Huyin([email protected])

Costa Rica Participated in target 2 & 5planning project

Herbarium of the National Institute ofBiodiversity Costa Rica

Nelson Zamora

Egypt Active identification projectongoing

Tanta University Kamal Shaltout([email protected])

Ethiopia &Eritrea

IPA project in planning stage,funds required

IUCN/SSC Global Trees Specialist Group &National Herbarium of Addis Ababa

Jose Luis Vivero([email protected]) EnsermuKelbessa ([email protected])

FalklandsIslands

Preliminary sites identified &ongoing project

Falklands Conservation Rebecca Upson([email protected])

India 1. 15 provisional IPAs formedicinal plants identified inIndian Himalaya 2. IPAMethodological study WesternGhats

Praya (IPAs for medicinal plants in the IndianHimalaya) AERF Applied Environmental ResearchFoundation (methodology study into the applicationof IPA criteria in forest areas of the Western Ghats)

Pragya - Gargi Banerji([email protected])AERF - Sameer Punde([email protected])

Indonesia Attended 2004 IPA regionalworkshop South East Asia

Herbarium Bogoriense Eko Baroto Waluyo([email protected])

Iraq Involved in developing IPAcriteria for Arabian Region

IUCN Arabian Plants Specialist Group www.iucnarabianpsg.org

Israel Active identification projectongoing

Hebrew University of Jerusalem Avi Shmida([email protected])

Japan Identification of priority plantsites projects predates GSPC andhotspot selection is ongoing

Ministry of Environment, Nature ConservationBureau

Naoki Nakayama([email protected])

Jordan Active identification projectongoing

University of Jordan Dawud Al-Eisawi([email protected])

Kuwait Involved in developing IPAcriteria for Arabian Region

IUCN Arabian Plants Specialist Group www.iucnarabianpsg.org

Laos Active identification projectongoing

National University of Laos with MissouriBotanical Garden


Lebanon Active identification projectongoing

American University of Beirut & LebaneseUniversity

Salma Talhouk ([email protected])Samir Safi ([email protected])

Libya Active identification projectongoing

Alfateh University Fathi El-Rtaib([email protected])

Madagascar 166 IPAs identified to date aspart of wild plants for food andmedicine project. 80 PriorityAreas for Plant Conservation(PAPC) identified (2001-4)

Missouri Botanical Garden (threatened andendemic species analysis and identification ofPAPCs) Wild plants for food and medicine Project(BGCI & Madagascar Plants Specialist Group withMBG and Conservation International)

Sylvie Andriambololonera([email protected]) Jeannie Raharamampionona([email protected])



Malaysia Attended 2004 IPA regionalworkshop South East Asia

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FIRM) SabahParks Board Malaysia

(FIRM) Saw Leng Guan([email protected]) Sabah Parks Jamili B. Nais ([email protected])

Mexico Ongoing identification project &assessment of protected areanetwork

CONABIO (National Commission for the Knowledgeand Use of Biodiversity) CONANP (NationalCommission on Protected Areas) SEMARNAT(Secretariat for the Environment and NaturalResources)

Hesiquio Benitez([email protected])

Morocco Active identification projectongoing

Forest Research Centre (Rabat) & ScientificInstitute of Rabat

Mohammed Taleb([email protected]) Mohammed Fennane

Mozambique Provisional list of 28 IPAsidentified

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane Celia Macamo ([email protected])

Namibia Provisional list of 39 IPAidentified

National Botanical Research Institute Sonja Loots ([email protected])

Nepal 16 Medicinal Plant IPAComplexes were identified with230 IPAs within them

The Ethnobotanical Society of Nepal With PlantlifeInternational

Krishna Shrestha ([email protected])

New Zealand Active identification projectongoing

The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network www.nzpcn.org.nz

Oman Active identification projectongoing

Oman Botanical Garden with the Centre for MiddleEastern Plants (RBGE)

Matthew Hall ([email protected])

Pakistan 7 IPAs for medicinal plantsidentified within the Himalayaand Hindu Kush Regions

WWF Pakistan Government Postgraduate JahanzebCollege with Plantlife International

WWF Ashiq Ahmad Khan([email protected]) JahanzebCollege – Hassan Sher([email protected])

Palestine Active identification projectongoing

Al Quds University Banan Al-Sheikh([email protected])

Paraguay Project planning completed –actively seeking funds

Guyra Paraguay Alberto [email protected]

Philippines Active identification projectongoing

Philippines National Museum Domingo Madulid([email protected])

Qatar Involved in developing IPAcriteria for Arabian Region

IUCN Arabian Plants Specialist Group www.iucnarabianpsg.org/qatar.htm

Saudi Arabia Active identification projectongoing

Saudi Wildlife Commission with the Centre forMiddle Eastern Plants (RBGE)


Seychelles 29 IPAs identified as part of KBAproject

Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles Justin Gerlach ([email protected])

Singapore Attended 2004 IPA regionalworkshop South East Asia

Singapore Botanic Garden Ruth Kiew ([email protected])

South Africa Acted as coordinator for IPAcriteria for Southern Africa

SABONET – Southern African Botanical Network

Syria Active identification projectongoing

The Syrian Society for the Conservation of Wildlife Hayan Hmidan ([email protected])

Thailand Active identification projectongoing

Bangkok Forest Herbarium with Missouri BotanicalGarden


Tunisia Active identification projectongoing

Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie Zeineb Ghrabi ([email protected])

Turks & CaicosIslands

Methodology study &preliminary sites identified

MSc Thesis from Imperial College London & RoyalBotanic Gardens Kew

Sophie Williams ([email protected])

Uganda Active identification project,provisional list of sites in progress

Nature Uganda (Plants Working Group) James Kalema([email protected])

United ArabEmirates

Involved in developing IPAcriteria for Arabian Region

IUCN Arabian Plants Specialist Group www.iucnarabianpsg.org/uae.htm

Vietnam Active identification projectongoing

Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources &Institute of Tropical Biology with MBG


Yemen Active identification projectongoing

Agricultural Research and Extension Authority(Taiz) with the Centre for Middle Eastern Plants(RBGE)




EUROPE 1771 IPAs have been identified in 16 countries in Europe (Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, CzechRepublic, Estonia, Italy, Macedonia FYR, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia,Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK – details in Plantlife 2010) There are also provisional sites orpreliminary projects in Albania, Armenia, Ireland, parts of Russia (Altai Sayan), Spain.

International organisations involved in IPA/Target 5 projects

Botanic Gardens Conservation InternationalBGCI

Coordinated Target 2 & 5 projects with IUCN inCameroon, Costa Rica, Morocco, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Madagascar

Joachim Gratzfeld ([email protected])

Conservation International Coordinate KBA projects with national partners inmany countries, particularly in South & CentralAmerica

Matt Foster ([email protected])

Centre for Middle Eastern Plants CMEP (part ofthe Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh)

Developing IPA projects in Saudi Arabia, Oman &Yemen, and other countries in the region withnational partners

Tony Miller ([email protected]) Matthew Hall ([email protected])

IUCN & IUCN Species Survival Committee Lead partner with Plantlife International infacilitating Target 5 projects for the GSPC

Julie Griffin ([email protected])

Kew (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) Training in conservation methods and support forIPA projects in several countries includingArmenia, the Caribbean and British OverseasTerritories

Colin Clubbe [email protected])

Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG) Coordinating Target 2 & 5 projects in severalregions including Africa, Madagascar, CentralAsia, and South East Asia

Plantlife International Lead partner with IUCN in facilitating Target 5 ofthe GSPC, Coordinating IPA projects with nationalpartners in Europe, North Africa & the Middle East,published IPA criteria for Europe and otherregions, manage the IPA online database.

Elizabeth Radford ([email protected])Seona Anderson ([email protected])


Imperial CollegeLondon


We work hard to protect wild plants on theground and to build understanding of thevital role they play in everyone’s lives.Wild plants are essential to life - theyclean our air and water, provide food andshelter for our insects, birds and animalsand are critical in the fight againstclimate change. Plantlife carries outpractical conservation work, managesnature reserves, influences policy andlegislation, runs events and activities thatconnect people with their local wild plantsand works internationally with partners topromote the conservation of wild plantsfor the benefit of all.

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