The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation


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Date Posted: 2005-12-28

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

The main elements of such a Strategy would be:

Integrated Ex-situ and in-situ Conservation

? Set agreed levels and standard in plant diversity conservation and services worldwide to be achieved within a defined time frame

? Give special attention to the conservation o the world?s most important centers of plant diversity, including the ecosystems and the species they contain

? Support the maintenance of genetically diverse and accessible samples of the world?s plant specie sin botanical collections throughout the world

? Pay special attention to the conservation of plant species of direct economic importance to human societies, especially crops and their wild relatives, forage plant species, agroforestry and forest species, medicinal plants and species used in other ways

? Control invasive alien plants and animals, which pose one of the greatest threats to plant diversity in natural habitats

? Develop and implement best practices in plant conservation which will ensure the fullest community and institutional participation at all levels

Research, Monitoring and Information Management

? Undertake an ongoing international program of research on plant biology and interactions with social, cultural, and economic facts that impact biodiversity, so that the genetics and ecology of plants, both in the wild and in the context of human activities, can be well understood and utilized to support conservation action.

? Document the plant diversity of the world, including up-to-date information on its distribution in the wild, its conservation and trends, and its use and preservation in protected areas and ex-situ collections

? Develop an integrated, distributed, interaction information system to manage and make accessible information on plant diversity

? Monitor the status and trends in global plant diversity and its conservation and produce regular reports

Social and Economic Benefits of Plant Diversity: Products and Services

? Identify and assess the socio-economic value and the cultural value both of particular species of plants and of plant diversity itself

? Identify and assess the existing and potential products and services provided by plant diversity

? Ensure that benefits derived from the use of plants are fairly and equitably shared

? Identify the underlying causes of plant diversity loss and assess the potential risks and constraints on its conservation, particularly in countries that are rich in plant diversity

Education and Public Awareness

? Articulate and consistently emphasize the benefits of conserving plant diversity, to raise awareness of the importance of plants and the threats they face, thereby encouraging active participation in conservation

? Inform citizens and policy makes in every country about conservation priorities and policy options for plant species and their ecosystems

? Use relevant botanical institutions, such as botanic gardens, museums, colleges, universities and research centres in every country, as shop windows for plant conservation by demonstrating the interdependence of human beings and plants within all ecosystems

? Incorporate the importance of plants and plant conservation into formal and informal education

Implementing the Strategy

? Within the context of the United Nations develop a comprehensive world-wide multi-institutional programme for conservation action

? Create a coordinating mechanism operating at various levels to oversee and monitor the achievement of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the implementation of the programme of plant conservation action

? Build the capacity of institutions and organizations worldwide to enhance their effective contributions and role in plant conservation

? Link, integrate, and support efforts undertaken by a diversity of organizations, institutions, communities at all levels for plant conservation

? Identify and apply existing and new resources for plant conservation