Why and How to Make Plant Conservation Ecosystem-Based

Abstract

Compared to other groups of organisms, plants require distinctive approaches in their conservation because of their keystone roles in ecosystems and economies. The state of the whole plant cover of the Earth should be of concern to conservationists -for its capacity to ensure the survival of plant species, deliver ecosystem services (locally to globally) and provide produce from plants in ecologically sustainable ways. The primary targets of attention in ecosystem-based plant conservation are the relationships between people and plants, as relevant to every locality, rather than the species-centric approach of conventional plant conservation. Moving plant conservation to an ecosystem-based approach will require the development of training programmes for field practitioners and of information systems for their use.Keywords: Plant conservation, Ecosystem-based, Evidence-based conservation What is Ecosystem-based Plant Conservation?We believe that the ecosystem-based approach is appropriate for plants and that plant conservation should be a consideration in all places where the land has, or potentially could have, a covering of plants. It is an approach requiring urgent development, given that many species of plants are under threat, large areas of vegetation are

Genetic diversity and conservation of Mammillaria huitzilopochtli and M. supertexta, two threatened species endemic of the semiarid region of central Mexico

“…This approach proposes that plants species must be conserved since they are key elements in the ecosystem, provide ecosystem services, and maintain complex biotic interactions in the natural communities. Under this approach all types of production have to be integrated, agriculture, livestock grazing, and all sustainable uses of the plants (Hamilton et al, 2012). In addition, the conservation of the plant species requires the prevention of land-degradation (Given, 1994, Hamilton et al, 2012, as well as it is necessary to control all those activities that cause reduction of the plant population size (e.g.…”

“…Under this approach all types of production have to be integrated, agriculture, livestock grazing, and all sustainable uses of the plants (Hamilton et al, 2012). In addition, the conservation of the plant species requires the prevention of land-degradation (Given, 1994, Hamilton et al, 2012, as well as it is necessary to control all those activities that cause reduction of the plant population size (e.g. illegal harvesting, invasive plant species) and the genetic isolation (e.g.…”

Evolutionary history of endangered and relict tree species Dipteronia sinensis in response to geological and climatic events in the Qinling Mountains and adjacent areas

“…In addition, our analysis of the demographic history of D. sinensis indicated low nucleotide diversity and restricted gene flow between the WQM and EQM clades of the widely distributed populations of D. sinensis , thereby supporting our conclusion that the WQM and EQM populations are not interbreeding (Figure 4a). However, during field investigations, we found that illegal human activities (e.g., continuous harvesting, development of agriculture, the rise of tourism activities, low reproductive capacity, hydroelectric development, and other industrial actions) and genetic fragmentation have significantly depleted several natural populations of D. sinensis (Hamilton et al., 2012; Zhou et al., 2010). Due to the continuous decreases in the sizes of wild populations, it is necessary to protect the populations affected by human activities in order to save the natural ecosystem.…”

Botanical aspects of eco-civilisation construction

“…We conclude that 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. Elsewhere, this expanded approach has been termed ecosystem-based plant conservation (EBPC) ( Hamilton, 2007 , Hamilton et al., 2012 ). Standard procedures still apply, but with more consideration given to who should be involved (not just to what needs to be done), taking into account the long-term sustainability of all ecological systems in which plants are significant components, and promoting conservation across the landscape.…”

“…The complexity of ecosystems can make it difficult to know how to influence them effectively to meet particular goals. We suggest that an evidence-based approach is useful in plant conservation ( Hamilton, 2011 , Hamilton et al., 2012 ), just as it has proved in healthcare – similarly a science-influenced art dealing with complex systems with practical results required ( Sackett et al., 1996 ). An evidence-based approach involves periodic reviews of the evidence relating to success or failure in dealing with practical issues, followed by the formulation of recommendations on best practice.…”