Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation …...Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International...

Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Volume 14 • Number 2 • July 2017

Conservation horticulture:Making a garden a botanic gardenFeatures in this issue:

• Talking plants: an interview with a plant conservation champion

• Plant hunting tales from Fiji• Featured garden: focus on Geneva

30YEARS

1987-2017

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (2) 01

BGjournal is published by Botanic Gardens ConservationInternational (BGCI). It is published twice a year.Membership is open to all interested individuals, institutionsand organisations that support the aims of BGCI.

Further details available from:

• Botanic Gardens Conservation International, DescansoHouse, 199 Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BW UK.Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5953, Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5956, E-mail: [email protected], www.bgci.org

• BGCI(US) Inc, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108, USA. Tel: +1 626-405-2100, E-mail: [email protected]: www.bgci.org/usa

• BGCI-China, South China Botanical Garden,1190 Tian Yuan Road, Guangzhou, 510520, China. Tel: +86 20 85231992, Email: [email protected], Internet: www.bgci.org/china

• BGCI-Southeast Asia, Jean Linsky, BGCI Southeast AsiaBotanic Gardens Network Coordinator, Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center, No. 31, Tongsing Rd., Gaoshu Township, Pingtung County90646, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel: +886 8 796 0913, Mobile: +886 966484475, Email: [email protected], Internet: www.bgci.org; www.kbcc.org.tw/en

• BGCI-Africa, Kirsty Shaw, BGCI Africa Office, IUCN Easternand Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), P.O. Box68200 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya, Tel. +254 (0)725295632Skype: bgci_kirsty, Email: [email protected], Internet:www.bgci.org

• BGCI-Russia, c/o Main Botanical Gardens, Botanicheskaya st., 4, Moscow 127276, Russia. Tel: +7 (095) 219 6160 / 5377, Fax: +7 (095) 218 0525, E-mail: [email protected], www.bgci.ru

BGCI is a worldwide membership organisation establishedin 1987. Its mission is to mobilise botanic gardens andengage partners in securing plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet. BGCI is an independentorganisation registered in the United Kingdom as a charity(Charity Reg No 1098834) and a company limited byguarantee, No 4673175. BGCI is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3)non-profit organisation in the USA and is a registered non-profit organisation in Russia.

Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarilyreflect the views of the Boards or staff of BGCI or of itsmembers.

Suzanne SharrockDirector of GlobalProgrammes

Joachim GratzfeldDirector of RegionalProgrammes

EDITORS

Volume 14 • Number 2

Cover Photo: Nursery with seedlings for reforestation of the Atlantic Forest, in Rosario do Limeira, Brazil(Alf Ribeiro / Shutterstock.com)

Design: Seascape www.seascapedesign.co.uk

EDITORIAL: CONSERVATION HORTICULTURE: MAKING A GARDEN A BOTANIC GARDEN

FEATURES

NEWS FROM BGCI

INTERVIEW: TALKING PLANTS

PLANT HUNTING TALES: RARE RUBY REVEALED – A NEW SPECIES OFENDEMIC HIBISCUS IN FIJI

FEATURED GARDEN: THE CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDEN OF THE CITY OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

ARTICLES

WHAT IS CONSERVATION HORTICULTURE? Joachim Gratzfeld

CHANGING ATTITUDES TO HORTICULTURE AT THE ROYAL BOTANICGARDEN EDINBURGH David Rae

PLAYING TO OUR STRENGTHS: APPLYING HORTICULTURE AND ADVOCACY TO THREATENED PLANT CONSERVATIONJack Hobbs and Emma Bodley

BRYOPHYTE HORTICULTURE: MYTH OR REALITY?Ulyana Spirina and Yuri Naumtsev

HORTICULTURE AND THE CONSERVATION OF THREATENED SPECIES• CASE STUDY 1: SUCCULENT PLANT COLLECTIONS IN BOTANICGARDENS SUPPORTING EX SITU CONSERVATION AND RESEARCHOlwen M. Grace and Lucas C. Majure

• CASE STUDY 2: PROJECT CHAGUAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CHALLENGESAND RESULTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVECOLLECTIONS OF THE CHILEAN MEDITERRANEAN ECOREGION M. Victoria Legassa, Daniela Escobar and Ángel Cabello

• CASE STUDY 3: RESTORING CRITICALLY ENDANGERED FERN SPECIESRuth Aguraiuja

CAREER LADDER FOR HORTICULTURISTS IN THE SOUTH AFRICANNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE (SANBI) “HORT LADDER”Christopher Willis, Andrew Hankey, Thompson Mutshinyalo,Werner Voigt, Berenice Carolus, Phakamani Xaba, MoniqueMcQuillan, Elias Moeng, Rene du Toit and Kaashiefa Bassier

.... 02

.... 07

.... 04

.... 08

.... 10

.... 24

.... 18

.... 14

.... 28

.... 34

.... 40

IN THIS ISSUE...

In a recent analysiscarried out by theCambridgeUniversity BotanicGarden and BGCIwe show that theworld’s botanicgardens conserveand manage 93% of

vascular plant families, 56% of generaand 30% of species in their livingcollections and seed banks. These areminimum figures as they are based onBGCI’s PlantSearch database which onlyincludes accession names from around athird of the world’s botanic gardens.These statistics show unequivocally thatour professional community grows awider range of plant diversity than anyother sector. It is also testament to theskills and knowledge of our horticulturists,many of whom are specialists in growingspecific taxa. Such skills will becomeincreasingly important as humanitystruggles to meet the needs of anincreasing human population and as wedestroy more and more of the terrestriallandscape. It is surely inevitable thatrestoration of degraded landscapes,creation of novel species assemblages,and bringing new species into cultivationwill become ever more important inmeeting human needs in the future. Putsimply, our ability to grow a wide range ofplant diversity enables human innovation,adaptation and resilience.

However, despite the fact that theseunique skills are found in botanic gardens,BGCI’s recent Technical Review on‘Defining the botanic garden, and how tomeasure performance and success’(http://bgci.org/news-and-events/news/1418/) suggests that few institutionsdefine themselves by their horticulturalknowledge or collections. Nor do gardensmeasure these specialisms at theinstitutional level. In the Review BGCIstrongly recommends that botanicgardens make much more of their uniqueskills and ability to grow plants thatnobody else can. The Review also findsthat horticulturists are poorly paid

compared to managers, scientists andeducators in botanic gardens, all of whichsuggests that the recognition due tohorticulturists is still lacking. If we don’trecognise and reward these business-critical skills ourselves, how can we thenexpect policymakers and funders to do so,and how can we persuade our supportersthat botanic gardens are especiallyimportant to the future of humanity?

Of course, not all gardens carry outexemplary, innovative horticulture. Manygardens buy in ornamentals and don’tfocus at all on the broader taxonomicarray of plants. BGCI argues strongly thatif botanic gardens want to differentiatethemselves from public parks, thenspecialist horticultural skills, diverse andinteresting collections and rigorousprofessional standards related todocumentation and collectionsmanagement are prerequisites.

Conservation horticulture, which thisedition of BGjournal celebrates, is perhapsone way in which specialist horticulturistscan raise their own professionalstandards, be appropriately paid andachieve a higher profile. On pages 14-17,we learn about the differences andspecific challenges of conservationhorticulture as compared to amenityhorticulture and understand how thesedifferences have impacted on thedevelopment of horticulture over morethan two centuries at the Royal BotanicGardens, Edinburgh (pages 18-23).Edinburgh was one of the first botanicgardens to computerise its livingcollections records and to make the linkbetween its horticultural collections andscientific research. From the 1980sonwards, the importance of livingcollections to plant conservation wasincreasingly recognised, and thedevelopment of the International Agendaand the Global Strategy for PlantConservation have since helped to shapeCollections Policy at the garden.

This trajectory will be familiar to manygardens, and it has helped to drive the

professionalization of acquisition,documentation, management and use ofliving collections. Today, specialisthorticulturists are saving an everincreasing roster of threatened species allover the world (pages 34-39) as in situconservation approaches struggle to saveplants in fragmented and transformedlandscapes. As botanic gardens step intothis void, we are increasingly seeingbotanic gardens go outside their walls,engaging with in situ conservationists andother land managers to carry outintegrated conservation work. Forexample, Auckland Botanic Gardendescribes its integrated approach toconservation horticulture which comprisesa native species garden with 17 replicahabitats for public outreach, a seedconservation programme with theMillennium Seed Bank and seed orchardsused to bulk up seed collections for longterm storage and for species recovery(pages 24-27).

Understanding the importance of nurturingthe specialist skills required to grow awider range of plant species, the SouthAfrican National Biodiversity Institute hasinstigated a specialist horticulture careerladder that values and recognises specificknowledge and skill sets thathorticulturists can aspire to (pages 40-44).Finally, even our plant hunting tale isfocused on the progenitors ofhorticulturally important cultivars, takingus to Fiji in pursuit of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (pages 8-9).

If you enjoy reading BGjournal, or youhave comments you would like to make, Iwould like to encourage you to email us [email protected]. We would like to introducea ‘Letters’ page to BGjournal, so yourcontributions would be welcome. Wewould also like to hear from you withsuggestions about future editions ofBGjournal, features you would like to see,and how we can make this publicationmore relevant to you.

Dr Paul SmithBGCI Secretary General

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (2) • 0202

EDITORIAL:CONSERVATION HORTICULTURE:MAKING A GARDEN A BOTANIC GARDEN


FEATURES

NEWS FROM BGCI

INTERVIEW: TALKING PLANTS

PLANT HUNTING TALES:RARE RUBY REVEALED – A NEWSPECIES OF ENDEMIC HIBISCUSIN FIJI

FEATURED GARDEN:THE CONSERVATORY ANDBOTANICAL GARDEN OF THECITY OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Pierre-André Loizeau

BGCI CELEBRATES 30THANNIVERSARY

BGCI was first established in 1987 andour influence has grown considerablyover the past 30 years. To mark ouranniversary, we have produced a videohighlighting the progress we have made,working to save threatened plants andlinking botanic gardens worldwide. Watchthe video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqxAi8zb8ls&feature=youtu.be.

6TH GLOBAL BOTANICGARDENS CONGRESS

6GBGC was hosted by the Conservatoryand Botanical Garden of the City ofGeneva (CJBG), Switzerland, from the26th-30th June. The Congress, whichhad the theme ‘Botanic gardens insociety: visions for the future’, attractedover 550 participants from 65 countries.As well as a varied and stimulatingscientific programme, participantsenjoyed a range of social activities,including a gala dinner that celebratedthe 200th anniversary of CJBG and the30th anniversary of BGCI.

All aspects of the work of botanicgardens were discussed during theweek, through a mix of plenaryspeeches, oral presentations (over 200were delivered), round table and paneldiscussions, workshops and posters.

One of the key themes that emergedfrom the Congress was the importanceof partnerships. Time and again,presentations highlighted howpartnerships are key to ensuring success- be it in conserving threatened species,restoring damaged ecosystems orengaging with the public. Botanicgardens are involved in partnerships atall levels, from local community-levelnetworks to large international initiatives,working through such partnerships withorganisations across sectors and acrosscontinents.

Plenary speakers discussed theimportance of botanic gardens inengaging with and addressing majorsocietal issues – such as food security,climate change, sustainability andbiodiversity conservation – and by doingthis contributing to the achievement ofthe Sustainable Development Goals.

Case studies presented by participantsdemonstrated the impressiveachievements of botanic gardensaround the world. They showed howbotanic gardens can be leaders in theircommunities in social andenvironmental issues; how they canshowcase sustainability solutions; howthey can bridge the gap betweenscience and society; how they canengage people with nature; how theycan influence policy and how they canreally make a difference in conservingand restoring species and ecosystems. Abstracts of presentations and keyconclusions of the Congress areavailable on the BGCI website, togetherwith videos of all plenary sessions:http://bgci.org/news-and-events/6gbgc.

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (1) • 04-0604

FEATURE

NEWS FROM BGCI

Coline Amos

Mélanie Zogheb

Coline Amos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqxAi8zb8ls&feature=youtu.be

TREE TUESDAY

Tuesday 27 June was designated ‘TreeTuesday’ at the Congress. Sponsored byThe Morton Arboretum and organised bythe Global Trees Campaign, the day wasdedicated to highlighting the latestdevelopments towards ensuring zerotree extinctions. Sessions focused onthe importance of trees to humankind,tools that are available to support treeconservation, the opportunities andchallenges for botanic gardens inconserving tree species and progresstowards the Global Tree Assessment.

Read more about Tree Tuesday here:http://globaltrees.org/news-blog/getting-threatened-trees-trending/.

NEW STAFF AT BGCI

BGCI is delighted to welcome PaolaAndreoni as our new Head ofMembership. After 15 years helpingorganisations with structuring contentand sharing knowledge, Paola decidedto take her passion for plants forwardand train in horticulture. Following aninternship at RBG Kew and a traineeposition at the RHS School ofHorticulture, Paola became Deputy HeadGardener for a private organic estate.Paola has joined BGCI to lead thestrategic development of themembership programme and coordinatecommunications with members.

RECOGNISING SUCCESS

Marsh Awards

The Marsh Awards are awarded annuallyby the Marsh Christian Trust, inpartnership with BGCI, in recognition ofexcellence in International PlantConservation and Botanic GardenEducation. The awards for 2017 wereannounced at 6GBGC.

Kunle Olasupo, Field Supervisor in theForest Unit at the International Institutefor Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria won the award for International PlantConservation. His skills and commitmenthave been crucial in the development ofNigeria’s first arboretum for ex situconservation of threatened trees, and heplays a key role in guidance and capacitybuilding for staff, conservation partners,teachers, students and postgraduates.

The award for Botanic Garden Educationwas won by Amy Padolf, Director ofEducation at the Fairchild TropicalBotanical Garden, USA. Amy overseesnational and international multidisciplinaryenvironmental science education

programmes for pre-kindergarten throughto post graduate studies as well asteacher professional development, adulteducation and community gardening. Anotable success for Amy is the project‘Growing Beyond Earth’, which will helpexpand ongoing NASA research into acitizen science program for students thatincludes experimental design and datacollection and analysis, with a specialemphasis on scientific communication.

For further information see:http://www.bgci.org/news-and-events/news/1420/

Seed conservation awards

The first set of awards under the GlobalSeed Conservation Challenge (GSCC)were presented at 6GBGC. These awardsrecognise excellence in seed banking withwinners identified in 5 different categories:

• Greatest progress in seed bankingwas awarded to the AustralianPlantBank at the Royal BotanicGardens, Mount Annan. The seed bankhas been open for 4 years and currentlystores more than 50 per cent of NewSouth Wales' threatened flora as seed.



Top: Amy Padolf receiving the Marsh AwardAbove: The Million Orchid Project STEMLab(Amy Padolf)

Kunle Olasupo (D. Bown)


• The award for conserving thegreatest proportion of threatenedspecies in their collection went toBok Tower Gardens, which maintainsa National Collection of endangeredplants and seeds from central andnorthern Florida.

• The Oman Botanic Garden wasawarded the prize for conserving themost useful species, based on itswork with the species Aloedhufarensis, one of the most importantand versatile medicinal plants inDhofar, southern Oman.

• The Conservatory and BotanicalGarden of the City of Geneva wonthe award for conserving the mostdifficult species to collect. TheGarden has developed a system tocollect and conserve Typha minima, aspecies with very short-lived seedsusing a drying cabinet in the field todry seeds immediately after harvest.

• The award for conserving the mostthreatened species went to theHarold L. Lyon Arboretum in Hawaiifor the conservation and reintroductionof Silene perlmanii, a species that isthought to be extinct in the wild.

Further information about the GSCCawards is available at: www.bgci.org/plant-conservation/seedawards

HOW MANY TREE SPECIES ARETHERE IN THE WORLD?

BGCI has beenworking for overtwo years,consulting over500 publishedsources andliaising withexperts all overthe world to find the answer– 60,065 treespecies.

‘GlobalTreeSearch’ is the first list of its kind, documenting all of the world’sknown tree species and their countrylevel distributions. With over 375,500records, the database also reveals that that more than half of all tree species occur in a single country, andmany of these species are threatenedwith extinction.

Of all the countries in the world, Brazilhas the most tree species, with 8,715species, followed by Colombia (5,776)and then Indonesia (5,142). Apart fromthe Arctic and the Antarctic (which haveno trees whatsoever), the region with thefewest tree species is the Nearcticregion of North America, with less than1,400 species.

GlobalTreeSearch will form thebackbone of the Global TreeAssessment, an initiative to assess theconservation status of all the world’s treespecies by 2020.

Find out more at: www.bgci.org/news-and-events/news/1400/.

TECHNICAL REVIEW

In response to a request from itsInternational Advisory Council, BGCI hasrecently published a Technical Reviewthat looks at the criteria by whichbotanic gardens define themselves andreviews how botanic gardens measuresuccess. Based on an on-line surveycarried out early in 2017 and a literaturereview, the report incorporates data fromover 200 botanic gardens in more than50 countries. The Review includes anupdated list of criteria that define abotanic garden and a number ofrecommendations to aid botanic gardenstrategic planning. For more informationand to download a copy of the report,please visit www.bgci.org/news-and-events/news/1418/

BGCI/ARBNET BOTANIC GARDENPARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME

This international partnership buildinginitiative aims to facilitate the exchangeof knowledge, skills and resources withinthe botanic garden and arboretumcommunity. A first phase of thePartnership Programme is now coming to an end, and a number of pilotpartnerships have been established.These include partnerships between:

• Vilnius University Botanic Garden,Lithuania and the TasmanianArboretum, Australia

• Botanic Garden of Rome, SapienzaUniversity, Italy and the South LondonBotanical Institute, UK

• Stellenbosch University BotanicalGarden, South Africa and ShanghaiChenshan Botanical Garden, China.

BGCI and ArbNet are now working on theframework for the second phase of thePartnership Programme. Furtherinformation about Phase 2 will beavailable from BGCI shortly. To find out more, visit: www.bgci.org/joinin/partnership-programme/

BGCI EDUCATION CONGRESS

BGCI’s 10th International Congress onEducation in Botanic Gardens will behosted by the University of WarsawBotanic Garden from 10-14 September,2018. Themed on ‘Bringing nature to thecity’ the Congress will celebrate 200years of the University of Warsaw BotanicGarden. For further information, visit:www.ogrod.uw.edu.pl/en/congress2018

EIGHTH EUROPEAN BOTANICGARDENS CONGRESS -EUROGARD VIII

EuroGard VIII – ‘Botanic Gardens, Peopleand Plants for a Sustainable World’ will beheld in Lisbon, Portugal from May 7-11,2018. Organised by the European BotanicGardens Consortium, the University ofLisbon and the Botanic Garden of Ajuda,the Congress will be held in associationwith the 15th Symposium of the Ibero-Macaronesian Association of BotanicGardens and celebrates the 250thanniversary of the Jardim Botânico daAjuda (Botanic Garden of Ajuda). www.eurogard2018.org/

BGCI Technical ReviewDefining the botanic garden, and howto measure performance and success

http://www.bgci.org/joinin/partnership-programme/

http://www.bgci.org/plant-conservation/seedawards

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (2) • 07 07

We know you are passionate aboutplants, but who or what first inspired yourlove of plants?

As a child, we lived in the countryside,nature was my playground. My father,passionate about nature, helped me todiscover ornithology and the pleasure ofobservation. As a teenager, I spent myholidays in the mountains with my family,drawing up lists of flowers growing oneither the south face or the north face ofsmall valleys.

As a taxomomist, you have specialised inthe Aquifoliaceae. What is it about thisgroup of plants that attracted you?

I had an opportunity when choosing asubject for my doctoral thesis to studythis family as part of the FloraNeotropica. There was also a PhDProfessor who was passionate aboutSouth America, heading the Flora ofParaguay. And, as everyone knows, Mate, Paraguay's national drink, is made froma species in the Aquifoliaceae - Ilexparaguariensis.

You have been Director of theConservatoire et Jardin botaniques de laVille de Genève for the last ten years.This must be a very varied job, but whataspects of your work do you enjoy mostand why?

I particularly enjoy the great diversity ofresponsibilities, especially in the context ofa medium-sized institution such as ours. I need to be involved in everything, from

human resources to accounting, vehiclemanagement, watering systems, scientificstrategy and the organization of theherbarium or library. But what is mostappealing to me today is the opportunityto make Geneva’s voice heard on thegreat issues of our society concerning theenvironment, and thus to contributemodestly to building a future for us all.

You have just hosted the very successful6th Global Botanic Gardens Congress.What do you think made the Congresssuch a success and what advice wouldyou give to a botanic garden director whois thinking about hosting such an event?

We have received much positivefeedback, and we are very pleased. I believe that success is linked to thecommitment and professionalism withwhich we have tackled this challenge, notonly at the level of the organizingcommittee, but also of all the employeesof the institution and our partners. I thinkthat such an event should be celebratedby the whole institution. My advice is toencourage directors to invite all thecollaborators of the host institution toparticipate proactively, soliciting ideasfrom all and allowing staff at all levels -gardeners, scientists, librarians,administrators etc. to actively participatein all events.

As well as a passionate botanist, you arealso an accomplished musician. Do youthink music can be used to inspire aninterest in plants amongst the young?

I see a parallel between music andbotany in the rigor with which one mustwork, either with an instrument, or ininventorying a site; in the creativitynecessary for the reproduction of amusical score or the understanding ofthe plant world; in the capacity to marvelat a musical piece as at a flower. On theother hand, I do not see any link thatwould allow a young person to associatemusic and botany, if not by indirectcontact. This is what we are pursuing inGeneva with our playground, thecarousel of fables, the animal park or theorganization of concerts: to attract apublic a priori not interested in botany,possibly young, who in contact with ourpresentations, discovers a world of wildplants, creating a link with nature.

The Conservatoire et Jardin botaniquesde la Ville de Genève is already one ofthe most important gardens in the world,but what plans do you have to furtherdevelop the garden in the future?

In 2016 we reached the end of six yearsof renovations of some of the thematicgardens and buildings, and theexpansion of the herbarium, thusproviding a remarkable framework forhorticulturists and botanists. At the levelof the Garden and in the spirit of creatingan environment conducive toobservation, we would now like toreconstruct an aviary 16m high and over3000m2, in which the public couldcirculate, devoted to breeding andmultiplication of threatened animal andplant species of wetlands.

INTERVIEWTALKING PLANTS

In this issue of BGjournal we talk to Pierre-André Loizeau,

who has been Director of the Conservatory and Botanic Garden

of the City of Geneva, Switzerland for the past ten years and has

recently hosted the 6th Global Botanic Gardens Congress.

FEATURE

Andrea Loizeau

my beloved Fiji on the Garden Island ofTaveuni. My plan had been to undertake apreliminary search for H. storckii but withmountain vegetation defoliated by TCWinston there seemed no hope oflocating Storck’s Hibiscus.

First glimpses

On the Saturday morning of 12th March Iplanned to visit Lavena on the east coastof Taveuni. Having just missed the bus atWairiki, and not wanting to wait severalhours for the next one, I ran flat outeventually catching up with the bus aftera kilometre of stops, starts and gasps–thus providing amusement to localswatching on. It was a hot, steamy, sweatyand dusty slow ride on a packed market-day bus. Arriving in Lavena it wasshocking to see the structural damage tothis seaside village. Lavena had taken thefull force of the Category 5 TC Winston,with many buildings damaged or totallydestroyed. Their remnants were draped in

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (2) • 08-09 08

FEATURE

In May 2015 I had the immense goodfortune to be in Kenya with Dr PaulSmith, BGCI Secretary-General, where

we were working on a review of theWorld Agroforestry Centre’s Genebank.One of our discussions touched on theorigins of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis andwhether it had come from southernChina (Rose of China), South Asia (typespecimen from Sri Lanka), East Africa(given its relationships with the Kenyan &Tanzanian H. schizopetalus), Madagascarand Indian Ocean Islands (likely origin ofLilibiscus species) or perhaps Melanesia.We also talked about Fiji’s Hibiscusstorckii, long lost since its discovery onTaveuni in 1860 by German BotanistBerthold Seemann, and synonymisedunder H. rosa-sinensis.

In November of the same year, I wasworking in Fiji collecting sandalwood leafsamples for DNA analysis with Mr SonuDutt of the Fiji Department of Forestryand Dr David Bush from theCommonwealth Scientific and IndustrialResearch Organization. At the end of afull day of collecting sandalwood leaveswe took the precarious four-wheel driveclimb to Mount Delaikoro in Vanua Levu.On a steep rocky slope I was stunned tosee a pink Hibiscus flower glowing in thelast rays of sunshine. Further down theslope was another similar Hibiscus bush.Could this be the elusive Hibiscus

storckii? I was excited by this prospectbut also concerned at how to utilise thisopportunistic botanical find.

Developing a project

In February 2016, I was contacted byPaul Smith of BGCI and together aproject on “Survey, inventory andconservation of Hibiscus storckii, a highlythreatened Fijian species” was developedand supported by the Mohamed binZayed Species Conservation Fund. A keyaim was to locate wild populations of H.storckii and also establish the relationshipof H. storckii with the Mt DelaikoroHibiscus. The local partners wereNatureFiji-MareqetiViti, University ofSouth Pacific Regional Herbarium and theSavurua Botanical Gardens.

Three weeks after Tropical CycloneWinston in early 2016 – the strongeststorm ever recorded to make landfall inthe Southern Hemisphere – I was back in

PLANT HUNTING TALESRARE RUBY REVEALED – A NEWSPECIES OF ENDEMIC HIBISCUS IN FIJI

Researching endemic

Hibiscus in Fiji is as much

serendipity as science, and

more akin to a detective

story than typical botanising

Author: Lex Thomson

Hibiscus sp. aff. storckii (Mt Delaikoro), Rukuruku Village, Ovalau (Cultivated) (Nicholas Perrault)


tarpaulins. On a bright note, it washeartening to hear and witness theresilient attitude of the locals torebuilding, some in the wake of havingjust lost everything, before the busquickly turned around and, with no shopsopen, I really appreciated the localgenerosity in sharing a bottle of Fiji Water.On the return bus journey I caught afleeting glimpse of a dark-eyed, pink-flowered Hibiscus which I thought mayhave been Hibiscus storckii.

It was late in the afternoon when Tutu’sFather Michael McVerry drove me back tohave a closer look at the pink Hibiscus.There were two plants growing in the VillaMaria Settlement, which on closerinspection I determined to be theHibiscus known internationally as ‘RubyRose’. We met with Mr Suliano Manabua,who was well-known to Father Michael asboth Suliano and his parents hadpreviously attended Tutu’s marriedcouples programs. It was then thatSuliano dropped a bombshell. He saidthat his father, Sepo, had collected thecuttings of ‘Ruby Rose’ from a remotelocation in the Waibula River catchment in2004 and that it was growing wild. Thewild origins of ‘Ruby Rose’ – one of themost spectacularly beautiful miniature

flowered Hibiscus – were beginning toemerge. Following our discussions withSuli, Father Michael promised to arrangefor Tutu’s young farmers from Villa Mariato find the location of the wild Hibiscusand I determined to visit the isolated siteto confirm its wild origin.

A long hike

It was the second week of June before Icould get back to Taveuni. On the 8thJune Father Michael arranged for Suliand his son Sepo to be my guides on thequest to locate ‘Ruby Rose’ in the wild. Ihad been told that the Reality TVprogram ‘Survivor’ had cut a new roadthat led to near where the ‘Ruby Rose’grew, and that only a 30 minute hike wasneeded, but alas this turned out not tobe the case. Due to land dispute anddamage to the walking track by TCWinston, the walk turned out to a difficulthike up and down several precipitousvalleys. During the walk I was sustainedand revitalised by bush foods andmedicines, including young tubers of awild ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) and thefresh leaves of an excellent blood tonic,wild sarsaparilla (Smilax vitiensis), anaromatic Fijian cinnamon and a primitivegymnosperm tree with edible leaves andfruit (Gnetum gnemon).

The wonderfully diverse tropical forestincluded timber trees Podocarpusneriifolius and Syzygium spp., the edibleTahitian chestnut (Inocarpus fagifer),epiphytic orchids and the perfumedwoody Fagraea beteroana, with a richunderstorey of endemic palms and ferns.The walk through the forest waspunctuated by the calls of songbirds

including the orange dove and Fiji bushwarbler and occasional screeches of thered shining parrots and collared lories. We traversed an elevated pathway or tuawhich fell away steeply on both sides. Thiswas used to trap hapless strangers duringthe cannibal era, and I was glad to be alivetoday. After several hours we reached theimpressive broad valley of the WaibulaRiver. This river is the largest on Taveuni.After a rest we made the final half-hourscamper over the boulder-strewn WaibulaRiver to the site where the jungle Hibiscuswas known to occur. Two of the Hibiscusplants had died or been destroyed by TCWinston but to my delight one plant with asingle unmistakably beautiful ‘Ruby Rose’Hibiscus flower had survived. ‘Ruby Rose’Hibiscus was reported to be more plentifulin the upper reaches, but that entailed anarduous and treacherous five or six hourwalk. We collected cuttings and botanicalspecimens of the new Hibiscus beforereturning in the late afternoon to VillaMaria – fatigue and aches kept at bay by athoroughly exhilarating day of discovery.The undescribed species is being namedin honour of Father Michael McVerry andin recognition of his assistance in finding‘Ruby Rose’ and for his contributions toTaveuni, including the local Garden Club and the work of Marist Tutu RuralTraining College.

Where are we now?

My research has determined that Fiji nowhas at least two endemic and criticallyendangered species of Hibiscus – withboth arguably having the most attractiveflowers of any tropical Hibiscus species.The Mt Delaikoro Hibiscus ismorphologically readily distinctive butgenetically close to H. storckii and moreresearch is needed to clarify whether itshould be recognised at species or sub-specific level. There are almost certainly atleast one more undescribed Fiji Hibiscusspecies, and more field and geneticresearch is urgently needed before theydisappear entirely from the wild due toextreme climatic events and competitionfrom invasive species.

So where does Hibiscus rosa-sinensisoriginate?…Well that is another story, butcertainly its origins are closer to Melanesiathan Asia or Africa.

The support of the Mohamed bin ZayedSpecies Conservation Fund is gratefullyacknowledged.

Hibiscus storckii (Lex Thomson)

Ms Nancy Penibera with Hibiscus storckii. WaiVillage, Taveuni, (Cultivated) (Lex Thomson)

Living collections

The botanical garden includes aliving collection of nearly 10,000,mainly wild species coming from

countries worldwide. The plants aredisplayed in forty geographical,taxonomic, morphological / ecological or thematic collections, with a specialrockery being dedicated to thethreatened plants of Switzerland. The most recently completed thematicgarden is the ethnobotanic garden,which was officially opened on June 26,with an inauguration event held during

the 6th Global Botanic GardensCongress. The ethnobotanic garden isarranged under four main themes:

• The food garden: herbs, spice plants,functional food, forgotten vegetablesand foraged plants

• The medicinal garden: medicinalplants, plant-based medicines,herbalism

• The economy botany garden:perfumes, dyes, fibers, sugar, oils and resins


FEATURE

FEATURED GARDENTHE CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENOF THE CITY OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Host of the recent 6th Global Botanic Gardens Congress, the Conservatory and Botanical

Garden of the City of Geneva (CJBG) is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.

Originally created in 1817 by the renowned botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, the

botanic garden expanded so much during the 19th Century that in 1904, it was forced to

leave the city centre and was re-established at its present, 28 hectare site on the banks of

Lake Geneva, in the heart of the international organisations district of the city.

• The garden of useful plants:fermented beverages, wood,domestic uses, organic pest control,sacred and poisonous plants.

The institution has a special interest in themedicinal plants of Paraguay. Here theGuaraní people recognise around 5,000medicinal plants and information aboutthese has been preserved by the Jesuitmissions and the collections of EmilHassler. The Paraguayan EthnobotanyProject was established in the mid-1990sin collaboration with the Botanical Gardenand Zoo of Asunción. This collaborative

Authors: ?

Rémy Gindroz

framework has facilitated the creation of alarge herbarium of Paraguayan medicinalplants and the creation of the Centro deConservación y Educación Ambiental(Center for Conservation andEnvironmental Education: CCEAM),located within the Botanical Garden ofAsunción.

Seedbank

The seedbank at CJBG recently won theGlobal Seed Conservation Challengeaward for conserving the most difficultspecies to collect. The award wasbased on the work of the garden inconserving Typha minima, a species withvery short-lived seeds. Most seeds ofthis species germinate before winter ordie during winter if not germinated. As aresult, the seeds have the reputation ofbeing unable to be stored. By performingharvest techniques and post storagegermination tests, CJBG proved that it ispossible to collect and store Typhaminima seeds in a conventional seed

bank and use them for cultivation orreintroduction. The method involvedusing a drying cabinet in the field to dryseeds immediately after harvest.

Sustainability

Sustainability is taken very seriously atCJBG with the gardens being managedorganically since 2015 (it was the firstpublic establishment in Switzerland toadopt organic garden management) andits energy supply is 100% fromrenewable sources. The water used forwatering the greenhouses is principallyrainwater that is obtained from the roofsof the greenhouses and the “maison desjardiniers.” It is collected in two cisternssituated underneath the greenhousesthat hold about 1,000 cubic metres. Aninstallation for demineralisation byinverse osmosis is used when there islittle or no rainfall. The water is warmedto 77° F (25°C).

Herbarium

The Garden includes one of the world’smost important historical herbaria. Withnearly 6 million specimens, the collectionis derived from a long tradition of botanyin Geneva that dates back to the 1800’s.It contains plants and fungi from acrossthe whole world, but in particular, thoseof the Mediterranean, the Near and FarEast, South America and Europe.

Library

The library at CJBG was established in1824 and now contains over 120,000volumes. Initially the collections

developed slowly through acquisitions,gifts, and bequests. Its expansion beganat the beginning of the 20th century, andmore precisely when Emile Burnat, abotanist from Vaud, donated his valuablebotanical collection of 3,000 volumes tothe City of Geneva. It containedelements of the collections of LouisLeresche, Samuel Bridel and JudgeAbraham Thomas.

In 1920, the famous library of DeCandolle was donated by the family ofthe last living botanist of this name. Thismarvellous family collection can becompared to those of the largest nationalmuseums. Another valuable element tobe added to the Conservatory was theBoissier library: it was given as apermanent gift in 1943 by the Universityof Geneva who had received it throughthe generosity of the Boissier family.Afterwards, the Library was able toacquire useful complements to itscollection, such as the library of the“Société botanique de Genève” and the“Société genevoise d’horticulture” as wellas those of the “Institut de botaniquegénérale” and of the “Laboratoires depharmacognosie et de pharmaciegalénique” of the University. Since thenthe City of Geneva, the guardian of theseriches, has kept the Library up to datethrough regular acquisitions.


Rémy Gindroz




ARTICLESWHAT IS CONSERVATION HORTICULTURE?

CHANGING ATTITUDES TO HORTICULTURE AT THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN EDINBURGH

PLAYING TO OUR STRENGTHS: APPLYING HORTICULTURE ANDADVOCACY TO THREATENED PLANT CONSERVATION

BRYOPHYTE HORTICULTURE: MYTH OR REALITY?

HORTICULTURE AND THE CONSERVATION OF THREATENED SPECIES

CAREER LADDER FOR HORTICULTURISTS IN THE SOUTH AFRICANNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE (SANBI) “HORT LADDER”

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (2)



Rémy Gindroz

Natacha Frachon

Introduction

Conservation and horticulture, twoterms that have been broughttogether in fairly recent history to

articulate a vital, yet understated functionspearheaded by botanic gardens. Whilstthe unabated decline of biodiversity overthe last two centuries is imparting a newsense of urgency to the concept of

conservation, the science andtechniques of horticulture weredeveloped millennia ago with the onsetof human innovation to domesticate andcultivate wild plant species for sustainedprovision of food and medicine. This mayhave paved the way for the notions ofgarden (Latin: hortus) and gardening(Latin: colere and cultura), and the manyforms and uses known today associated

with these terms. While gardens,throughout history, were established toserve various functions, whether forcontemplation and aesthetics, study and supply of herbal medicine, orpropagation trials and cultivation of foodcrops and other socio-economicallyimportant species, botanic gardens in the21st century have become the vanguardfor the conservation of plant diversity.

Defining conservationhorticulture

With documented, living plant collectionsat their heart – A botanic garden is aninstitution holding documented collectionof living plants for the purposes ofscientific research, conservation, displayand education (Wyse Jackson, 1999) –horticulture concerned with integratedconservation and environmentalawareness is taking centre stage intoday’s botanic gardens (Figure 1).


ARTICLE

WHAT IS CONSERVATION HORTICULTURE?

Growing one plant in one pot is a certain, rather limitedchallenge. To grow 200 plants for an indefinite periodand maintain the genetic diversity among them is not the same challenge 200 times over. It is aquantitatively and qualitatively different challenge, and a far more difficult one. Susan Wallace (1992)

Training in conservation horticulture, Yachay Botanic Garden, Ecuador, October 2016.

Author: Joachim Gratzfeld

Based on this characterisation,conservation horticulture in botanicgardens aims at ex situ plant holdings that:

• are representative of the geneticdiversity of target populations in thewild as an insurance policy for thefuture, i.e. to source germplasm for insitu conservation measures, includingpopulation reinforcement programmesand reintroductions, as well asintroductions; and

• support conservation education andenvironmental awareness-raising.

This purpose and vocation unmistakablydifferentiate conservation horticulturefrom horticultural practices employedelsewhere, such as in production areas,urban parks, amenity gardens, recreationgrounds or other managed, greenspaces (Table 1).

Technical challenges andopportunities in conservationhorticulture

The fundamental endeavour forconservation horticulture to maintain live-plant collections that are geneticallyrepresentative of natural populations isplausible (Kay et al., 2011), yet thereremain technological and/ormethodological challenges. To name afew, these may range from species-specific propagation and cultivationproblems, such as breaking deep seeddormancy in exceptional species (Pence,2011) or overcoming pathogens andinvasive species, to spatial limitations inallowing the full genetic diversity inpopulations to be represented, or avoidinginbreeding. Establishing different, distantpopulations in one location, or preventinghybridisation of closely related speciespresent further challenges conservationhorticulturalists have to consider. Thus,there is a vital need to understand thegenetic diversity present in naturalpopulations and how botanic gardens canmirror this diversity (Griffiths et al., 2015;Mirantho et al., 2012; Namoff et al., 2010;Maunder et al., 2001). This will inform theeffective management of germplasm as an insurance policy for the future (Rao and Hodgkin, 2002).

Despite these challenges, there are alsomany instances of the direct value of exsitu collections in botanic gardens for


global conservation, and the vitalcontribution and difference thatconservation horticulture has made(BGCI, 2010). The long list of examplesof horticultural innovations in growingplants, as well as species saved fromextinction in the wild thanks to theknowledge, practical skills andenthusiasm for empirical work of

Figure 1: Conservation horticulture in botanic gardens serving integrated conservation.

Table 1: Selected areas of emphasis of horticultural principles and practices in the commercial and botanicgarden sectors.

conservation horticulturists, speaks foritself. For instance, the discovery byKirstenbosch National Botanical Garden,South Africa, that smoke, rather than heatand ash from wild-fires is the main triggerin germination, resulted in a revolution inseed propagation for threatened species,restoration ecology and species forcommercial horticulture (Dixon, 2007).

botanic garden

ex situconservation

documented andmanaged germplasmfrom known, wild

provenances

education and leisureinterpretation,

training, recreation

researchfor example

reproductivebiology, germination,

phenology, etc.

in situconservation

recovery withgermplasm from ex situ collections

collection policy

vision missionconservationhorticulture

• Management of plants forproduction (e.g. food,ornamentals) and amenity

• Representation of fewer taxa,often major emphasis onprovision and display of cultivars

• Focus on grounds maintenanceand display

• More mechanised approachesserving large-scale production,commercialisation and amenitymanagement, short-term orfrequently changing displays

Commercial horticulture Conservation horticulture

• Management of documented,collection policy and conservationscience-based plant holdings

• Representation of a wide range ofwild taxa from diverse climates andhabitats, genetically representative ofnatural populations for research,conservation, education and display

• Aimed at integrated ex and in situconservation (species recovery andecological restoration)

• Specialised skills to determinerequirements for wild speciescollection, reproduction and long-term maintenance

Emblematic cases of germplasm held inex situ collections from populations thatno longer exist, let alone of species goneextinct in the wild include the frequentlyquoted Sophora toromiro (Fabaceae)from the Easter Island, or Encephalartoswoodii (Zamiaceae) in southern Africa.Plant material of both these species hassurvived in botanic gardens in Chile andGermany, and South Africa respectively,and is used in population reintroductiontrials. Other iconic examples includeCylindrocline lorencei (Compositae) inMauritius, Normania triphylla(Solanaceae) in Madeira and Ericaverticillata (Ericaceae) in South Africa(Gratzfeld, 2016).

Influencing environmentalsensitisation

Conservation horticulture also supports amore holistic approach to environmentaleducation. This goes beyond the meretagging of plants in display andconservation collections with the rightnames and interpretational materials as ameans of public outreach. Unlike incommercial, ornamental horticulturewhere a natural temptation to select the‘best-looking’ individuals may be apriority (Aplin, 2016), conservationhorticulture presents an opportunity toshowcase and learn about the diversityand wider genetic array within apopulation or species. ‘The oldhorticulturist in me would naturally havefavoured the most compact andfloriferous clone and disdained the rest[of the clonal differences in the collectionof Conradina grandiflora]. Today therevised horticulturist in me celebratesthese differences and the story they tellto our visitors about genetic diversity.’(Wallace, 1992).

‘Quo colis?’ – A future forconservation horticulture?

Horticulture in general is facing a crisis inmany countries (Hewett, 2015). There areinsufficiently well-trained people availableto service the broad range of occupationsin the sector, while horticultural degreeopportunities are disappearing fromresearch organisations. Horticulture islosing appeal and suffering from aperceived lack of career progressionprospects (RHS, 2014).

As with production horticulture, a declineof botanic garden horticulture staff andstandards has been witnessed in the last30 years (Rae, 2013). The fundamentalrole of conservation horticulture and ofthe personnel and volunteers who carryout this challenging work is not fullyappreciated – both within the institutionsthemselves as well as amongst widerpublic. With limited resources, botanicgardens are struggling to maintain theirliving collections appropriately usinghorticultural science and principles thatserve conservation.

Equally, few opportunities exist foradvanced capacity building inconservation horticulture. While trainingprogrammes and grants are offered bysome of the larger botanic gardens,affiliated institutions, universities andfoundations (e.g. Royal Botanic GardensKew; Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh;South African National BiodiversityInstitute; United States Botanic Garden;University of Florida, University of Hawai’iHilo; The Stanley Smith HorticulturalTrust), countries with an important sharein plant diversity and high levels ofthreatened species, often lack access tohorticultural courses and/or resources

aimed at promoting ex situ conservation.Nevertheless, there are promisingdevelopments to boost the role andimage of conservation horticulturethrough specialised curricula and careerdevelopment tailored to the particular,institutional needs. For example,recognising the fundamental importanceof retaining staff of horticulturalexcellence, the United States BotanicGarden, Washington, DC, has developeda four tier career progression system.Employees can move through the fourlevels (with commensurate pay increases)as skill sets improve. If staff are hired attiers 1 or 2, they can progress to the nexttier without competition as long as therequired competencies are met. Whenthere is an opening at a tier 4 positionthere is an internal competition for alleligible tier 3 employees (Smith andHarvey-Brown, 2017). The South AfricanNational Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)also offers a career progressionprogramme for its staff. Comprising 8tiers, SANBI’s Career Ladder forHorticulturists is designed to recognise,attract, retain and develop horticultureand horticulturists in botanical gardens,to fulfil the organisation’s mandate (See p40). Another example is Francisco JavierClavijero Botanic Garden in Xalapa,Mexico, which offers a diploma inhorticulture structured in three certificatemodules. They can be taken separatelyand are aimed at professionalizing thedistinction in horticulture, such as inpropagating native cloud forest trees forecological restoration.

In times of rapid climate change,horticultural excellence is also of vitalsignificance to plan and managegardens and plants in response toincreasing extreme weather events,including heat waves, prolonged dry or


Sophora toromiro, grown in the Jardín BotánicoNacional, Chile, and subject of an ambitiousreintroduction programme (Óscar Fernández).

National Parks and Conservation Service nursery ‘Robinson’, where several species endemic to Mauritius arebeing propagated (Stéphane Buord).

wet spells and frosts. Whilst a number ofchallenging hazards, such as a higherincidence of existing and new pests anddiseases as well as alien invasive plantsmay have to be managed with mountingfrequency, there are also opportunitiesarising from a changing climate. Thesemay provide for more flexibility ingardening practices and innovation inplant choices (Webster et al., 2017).However, this will require adaptation tochanging environmental conditions, andremaining mindful of how the speciesplanted now might be suited or not inthe medium and longer term future.

Conclusion

Improving the perception and status ofhorticulture in conservation and society,as well as its relevance in times of fastglobal change, is not only a call forgovernments and the public at large.Ultimately, it is the horticulturists atbotanic gardens themselves whose vitalwork not only must be seen, but whoneed to be better heard: still all too often,their wealth of knowledge and practicalknowhow acquired by empirical effort andbest practice based on trial and error,deserves and requires to becommunicated and publicised moreassertively. After all, it is they who provide,cultivate and monitor the plants that makea botanic garden now and in the future.

References

, Aplin, D. 2016. No Plant Collectionwithout a Strategy or Policy. In: FromIdea to Realisation – BGCI’s Manualon Planning, Developing andManaging Botanic Gardens (Gratzfeld,J. (Ed.), 2016). Botanic GardensConservation International, Richmond, United Kingdom.bgci.org/resources/2016-bgci-botanic-garden-manual

, BGCI (Botanic Gardens ConservationInternational). 2010. Ex situconservation – the value of plantcollections. BGjournal 7(1). BotanicGardens Conservation International,Richmond, United Kingdom.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/Publications/PDFs/BGJ7.1.pdf

, Dixon, K. 2007. The Science-LivingCollections Continuum in BotanicGardens. Sibbaldia: The Journal ofBotanic Garden Horticulture 5: 5-14.

, Gratzfeld, J. (Ed.) 2016. From Idea toRealisation – BGCI’s Manual onPlanning, Developing and ManagingBotanic Gardens. Botanic GardensConservation International, Richmond,United Kingdom.bgci.org/resources/2016-bgci-botanic-garden-manual

, Griffith, M.P., Calonje, M., Meerow,A.W., Tut, F., Kramer, A.T., Hird, A.,Magellan, T.M. and Husby, C.E. 2015.Can a Botanic Garden CycadCollection Capture the GeneticDiversity in a Wild Population?International Journal of PlantSciences 176(1): 1-10.

, Hewett, E.W. 2015. Is HorticulturalScience in Crisis? What is Needed toAssure Its Future? InternationalSociety for Horticultural Science.ishs.org/news/horticultural-science-crisis-what-needed-assure-its-future

, Kay, J., Strader, A.A., Murphy, V.,Nghiem-Phu, L., Calonje, M. andGriffith, M.P. 2011. Palma Corcho:A Case Study in Botanic Garden

Conservation Horticulture andEconomics. HortTechnology 21(4):474-481.

, Maunder, M., Lyte, B., Dransfield, J.and Baker, W. 2001. The conservationvalue of botanic garden palmcollections. Biological Conservation98: 259-271.

, Miranto, M., Hyvärinen, M., Hiltunen,R. and Schulman, L. 2012. Ex situconservation of threatened nativeplants in Finland: analysis of thecurrent status. Endangered SpeciesResearch 17: 227-236.

, Namoff, S., Husby, C.E., Francisco-Ortega, J., Noblick, L.R., Lewis, C.E.and Griffith, M.P. 2010. How well doesa botanical garden collection of a rarepalm capture the genetic variation in awild population? BiologicalConservation 143(5): 1110-1117.

, Pence, V. 2011. Evaluating costs forthe in vitro propagation andpreservation of endangered plants. InVitro Cellular & Developmental Biology- Plant 47(1): 176-187.

, Rae, D. 2013. Botanic GardenHorticulturists – A Threatened

Species? Sibbaldia: The Journal ofBotanic Garden Horticulture 11: 5-13.

, Rao, V.R. and Hodgkin, T. 2002.Genetic diversity and conservationand utilization of plant geneticresources. Plant Cell, Tissue andOrgan Culture 68: 1-19.

, RHS (Royal Horticultural Society).2014. Horticulture Matters. The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, United Kingdom.rhs.org.uk/Education-Learning/PDF/Training/1016-RHS-Hort-Careers-Brochure-V8.pdf

, Smith, P. and Harvey-Brown, Y. 2017.BGCI Technical Review. bgci.org/files/IAC/IAC%202017/medres.pdf

, Wallace, S. 1992. The Role ofHorticulture in Plant Conservation.bgci.org/congress/congress_rio_1992/wallace.html

, Webster, E., Cameron, R.W.F. andCulham, A. 2017. Gardening in aChanging Climate. Royal HorticulturalSociety, United Kingdom.

, Wyse Jackson, P.S. 1999.Experimentation on a large scale - ananalysis of the holdings and resourcesof botanic gardens. Botanic GardensConservation News 3(3).bgci.org/resources/article/0080

Joachim GratzfeldBGCI Director of Regional Programmes199 Kew Road, TW9 3BW, Richmond, Surrey


Normania triphylla (Solanaceae) in the conservationcollection of the Conservatoire botanique national deBrest, France (Loïc Ruellan).

http://bgci.org/resources/2016-bgci-botanic-garden-manual

http://bgci.org/files/Worldwide/Publications/PDFs/BGJ7.1.pdf

http://bgci.org/resources/2016-bgci-botanic-garden-manual

http://www.ishs.org/news/horticultural-science-crisis-what-needed-assure-its-future

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Education-Learning/PDF/Training/1016-RHS-Hort-Careers-Brochure-V8.pdf

https://www.bgci.org/files/IAC/IAC%202017/medres.pdf

http://bgci.org/congress/congress_rio_1992/wallace.html

http://bgci.org/resources/article/0080

Introduction

There is one thing that all of theworld’s botanic gardens do andthat is horticulture. Most also offer

education at various levels, someundertake research and a few areactively engaged in conservation, butevery botanic garden has a garden.Whatever the size or quality of cultivationthe garden and the activity of horticultureare usually at the heart of every botanicgarden. While gardening is seldom thestated purpose of botanic gardens,

most activities rely on the garden and horticulture for their delivery and in this sense:

“horticulture can be

thought of as the glue that

bonds all the gardens’

activities together.

”It is, however, the quality andpurposefulness of the horticulturalendeavour that dictates the strength

of that glue and the extent to whichhorticultural practice can support themission of the garden, be that a visitorattraction, research institute or both.

The purpose of this article is to describehow horticulture has developed at theRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE)over the last generation and explaincurrent attitudes to collectionmanagement and how the Garden haspromoted the importance of horticulturethrough its outreach, training andeducation programmes.


Author: David Rae

CHANGINGATTITUDES TO

HORTICULTURE ATTHE ROYAL

BOTANIC GARDENEDINBURGH

Understanding the important role horticulture plays with respect to conservation,research, education, training and international capacity building has led to thedevelopment of an exemplary and integrated horticulture programme at RBG Edinburgh.

The Woodsia ilvensis restoration project relied on close cooperation between horticulturists and scientists before plants could be returned to wild habitats (Heather McHaffie)

ARTICLE

Brief historic overview

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh(RBGE) started as a Physic Garden withthe purpose of teaching apothecariesthe identification and use of medicinalplants. Education and training havetherefore been a core activity since thestart. It was at the Garden’s third site,when John Hope was Regius Keeper,that science and research flourishedwhile education continued to be veryimportant. Hope was an able andscholarly director of the garden,introducing the Linnaean system ofnomenclature to the Garden,experimenting with the medicinalproperties of rhubarb and carrying outnumerous experiments in plantphysiology at a time when the study ofbotany was emerging from under thewings of medicine. Significantly, and ofspecial note for this article, he had a veryclose working relationship with his HeadGardener, John Williamson, and the twotogether accomplished a great deal.When he died in 1786 there was nodoubt that RBGE was regarded as aleading botanic garden where botanyand horticulture combined to deliverteaching and research.

Outstanding horticultural ingenuity andskill were clearly in evidence when theGarden moved to its fourth and final sitein 1820. Many of the mature trees fromthe previous garden were successfullytransplanted to the site and in 1834 amagnificent octagonal palm house, the

largest in Britain at the time (completedtwo years before Chatsworth’s GreatConservatory), was constructed to housethe increasing number of warm temperateand tropical plants that were now flowinginto the Garden from foreign contacts.Other innovative buildings and gardenareas followed in quick succession. The‘Golden Age of Plant Collecting’ was thenext significant phase with plant speciesnew to science flooding into Europe.RBGE became one of the centres for theintroduction and description of thismaterial. Horticulturists were busy findingways to cultivate these new pants whilebotanists were busy describing andclassifying them and, again, the twodisciplines clearly worked togetherclosely to the benefit of both.

By the 1960s the horticultural emphasisof the Garden appeared to be focussedon amenity horticulture with littleemphasis on ‘botanical’ or ‘wild origin’material. That said, it is always importantfor botanic gardens to inspire visitorswith beauty and diversity and the gardencertainly did, and continues, to do that.Numerous cultivars were being grownand much of the student course wasdevoted to municipal horticulture. Therewas little coordination with botanicalresearch with botanists focussing mostlyon herbarium material and only a few(but with notable exceptions) using theLiving Collection or glasshouses tosupport their work. At this time therewas only the weakest of emerginginterests in conservation.

During the 1970s attitudes startedchanging. Edinburgh was one of the firstbotanic gardens to computerise theirLiving Collections data, science staffwere increasingly demanding that plants,particularly those used to supportresearch, were of known provenance, afirst Collection Policy was drafted andthe two Kew conservation conferences of 1975 and 1978 (Synge, 1987) hintedthat there could be a role for botanicgardens in plant conservation. TheGarden started emerging from the periodof what might be called ‘amenitybotanical gardening’ where there waslittle connectivity between horticulturaland scientific staff into an era where theLiving Collection was increasingly beingthought of as a resource to be activelyused and there was increasingcollaboration between staff across thewhole institution. This, of course, is a bitof a generalisation and there were manyexceptions, but it is true to say that thisperiod was pivotal in moving to theGarden’s current position where:

“horticulture is relevant and

needed for fulfilling the Garden’s

mission.

”This partly stemmed internally from the strong personal friendship andcollaboration between the Director ofScience at the time and the Director ofHorticulture and also from the fact thatscience staff were increasingly invitinghorticultural staff to join them on fieldworkexpeditions. Externally, there was agrowing call for botanic gardens tomobilise their expertise to conserve plants.


International capacity building. Staff from Edinburgh teaching propagation and cultivation techniques to staffat the Oman Botanic Garden (Sadie Barber)

Sowing and recording wild collected Chilean seeds foreventual research, education and display (David Rae)

legislation, was vital for guiding theLiving Collection into the future. Afternumerous meetings with horticultural,science and education staff, and afterconsultation with senior managementand eventually with the Board ofTrustees, a 69 page comprehensive andvery descriptive Policy was eventuallypublished in 2006 (Rae et al, 2006). Theprocess and content are described indetail by Rae, 2006. One of the manynew features of the Policy was anunderstanding that the Collectionexisted to be used and enjoyed by whatwe now refer to as user groups and theHorticulture Division existed to growplants to help these user groups. Thefirst section also listed relevant policiesand conventions such as the Conventionon Biological Diversity (CBD), GSPC andthe Convention on Trade in EndangeredSpecies (CITES), described theirrelevance to the Collection and thenlisting how the Horticulture Divisionwould try and fulfil the requirements ofthese policies and conventions throughthe Living Collection. Using ‘Investors inPeople’ terminology the Policy wasdemonstrating that the Living Collectionhad internal and external ‘customers’ allof which had particular requirements andit was the job of the Horticulture Divisionto fulfil those requirements.

From the Collection Policy flowed a needto manage the Collection appropriatelyfor a wide diversity of ‘customers’ andthis required quality standards to ensurethe Collection was ‘fit for purpose’ whichin turn required monitoring (Rae, 2004).Up until this time the plant recordssystem had not generally been used tomanage the Collection, only to trackplants and store field data, but itcontained the ability to provide all sortsof statistics and analyses. To move theCollection towards being more useful itwas decided that three figures or factswere of paramount important: percentwild origin, percent verification andannual number of new accessions. Thefirst was important because wild originplants are more useful for conservationand research than plants that are ofunknown origin, the second because it isimportant for all users to haveconfidence that plants in the collectionare correctly identified and labelled (andthis was aided by the ‘TargetedVerification Process’, see Cubey &Gardner, 2003), and the third to ensurethat new material was entering the

For example, in his paper ‘The changingrole of the botanic garden’ (Heywood,1987) Vernon Heywood argued thatbotanic gardens, including theirhorticultural departments, were needednow more than ever to help stem the tideof plant extinctions and to start engagingactively in plant conservation, but theyneeded to coordinate their efforts moreeffectively.

Relevance of botanic gardenhorticulture

From the 1980s to the end of the centurythe increasing relevance of BGCI and theemergence of other networking groupssuch as PlantNetwork (the PlantCollections Network of Britain andIreland) saw practitioners and scientistsworking together to discuss how bestbotanic gardens could engage withconservation. At first discussionsfocussed on what might be done butslowly transformed into practical actionas those who were willing but didn’t knowhow to act started to understand theunique and important role that botanicgardens could play in conservation (see,for instance, Bramwell, 1981, Thibodeau& Falk, 1987; Bramwell, 1991, Heywoodand Wyse Jackson, 1991; Bramwell andHeywood, 1993). This galvanised botanic

garden horticulturists and, as the newmillennium dawned, there was a growingrealisation that living collections neededto be managed more professionally withobjectives and targets if they were to be‘fit for purpose’ and of any use toconservation. There was no doubt that atthis time the Global Strategy for PlantConservation (GSPC) had a profoundimpact on horticulture in botanic gardensas the Strategy was clearly written andcontained targets and objectives, many ofwhich relied on botanical horticulture,especially Target 8. This proved a catalystfor botanic garden horticulture withgardeners seeing a direct relevance oftheir work in delivering parts of the GSPC(Rae, 2004, Frachon, Jebb & Rae, 2005).

Living Collection management

RBGE had a draft Collections Policy fromthe late 1980s but it was never publishedand contained little description orrationale, comprising mostly lists ofpriority species to be cultivated. In theearly 2000s horticulture management atthe Garden decided that acomprehensive Collections Policy for theLiving Collection, developed with inputfrom all staff and all garden sectors, andrecognising important external factors,such as international policies and


Collecting cuttings for the Biodiversity, Taxonomy, Genetics and Ecology of Sub-Arctic Willow project withlong pruners to reach material growing free from sheep and deer grazing (Natacha Frachon)


Collection at a suitable rate to maintainnumbers and diversity. Targets for thesethree figures were set and monitoredannually. A five-yearly audit of 50 keyfamilies and genera was also establishedat this time to monitor change over alonger time period as was the ‘GoldStandard’ of curation termed ‘DataCapture’ (Frachon, Gardner & Rae, 2009)which strove for the highest standard ofcuration possible.

In tandem with raising the standards ofcollection management to better supportresearch, conservation and education,experience had shown that thepublication of a comprehensiveCatalogue of the Living Collectionapproximately every five years was ahighly worthwhile exercise (Rae, 2008).The discipline of producing a hard copybook of the Collection, while timeconsuming, creates the opportunity tostocktake the collection, update anynomenclatural changes, describe projectsand changes to the Collection since thepublication of the last catalogue andpublicises collection statistics.Furthermore, the hard copy provided a‘snapshot’ of the Collection at a particulartime and, taken with the previouslypublished Catalogues, provides aninvaluable history of the Collection.

Landscape policy

While science, conservation andeducation are, arguably, the mostimportant users of the Collection, so tooare the visiting public and for them abotanic garden needs to be attractive,well maintained and informative. Whilemost botanic gardens will have beenprofessionally designed at some stage,most continue to grow and evolve in anunplanned and organic way meaning that,over time the coherence of the landscapecan be lost. At Edinburgh, experienceshowed that the production of LandscapeAssessment and Development Plans(which are less formal and prescriptivethan fully developed Master Plans) foreach of the four gardens that make upRBGE, were helpful in describing thehistory and development of each garden,assessing aspects such as views in andout, pedestrian and vehicular routes,integration between garden areas orfeatures, and in highlighting problemareas where the landscape didn’t ‘work’well (Daniel & McDermott, 2006, 2008,2008 and 2010).

The two policies, one for collectionmanagement and the other for gardenlandscape, involved numerous staff butwere, perhaps, a fundamental step indeveloping horticulture at Edinburgh andintegrating it more closely with othergarden staff and departments. However,outputs such as international capacitybuilding, the production of Sibbaldia, thejournal of botanic garden horticultureand training and education were animportant part of the process too.

International capacity buildingand fieldwork

While horticultural staff from the Gardenhad frequently been involved in gardenadvice and development in the UK, it wasrelatively uncommon for them to beinvolved in overseas capacity buildingprojects. However, with the increasedintegration with science and educationstaff taking place from the late 1990s,coupled with targets in the GSPC callingfor such projects, and opportunities forfinancial support offered by the DarwinInitiative, assignments of this typebecame increasing common, andincreasingly asked for. Furthermore, it isprobably fair to say that the increasedscientific and methodical approach beinggiven to the management of the LivingCollection created a feeling of confidenceand professional pride that gavehorticultural staff the desire to take part inoverseas projects. Horticultural stafftherefore found themselves in places such

as Bhutan, China, Turkey, Chile andNepal, working with science andeducation staff, helping to develop newbotanic gardens, deliver trainingworkshops or working hands-on inpractical conservation projects. It alsobecame increasingly common forhorticulture and science staff tocollaborate in foreign fieldwork where theprimary purpose was to collect herbarium,seed and live plant material to supportresearch projects. It has been particularlypleasing to see the strong bonds developbetween staff in the two disciplines withboth practical and personal benefitsflowing from the collaboration.

Sibbaldia

Sibbaldia, the journal of botanic gardenhorticulture (named in honour one ofRBGE’s founders, Robert Sibbald) waslaunched in 2003 to provide anopportunity to share horticulturalknowledge within the botanic gardencommunity and also to encouragebotanic garden horticulturists to committheir knowledge to paper. Many botanicgarden horticulturists have valuable anddetailed knowledge about particularspecies and their cultivation requirementsbut are often loathe to commit thisknowledge to paper or believe that it isnot particularly special or worth sharing.However, the information is often veryworth sharing, particularly the cultivationrequirements of threatened species that are demanding to cultivate.

Staff monitoring the fern Woodsia ilvensis a year after restoration back into the wild following ex situpropagation and cultivation in Edinburgh’s nursery facilities (Heather McHaffie)

The growing realisation that horticulturehad a worthwhile part to play inconservation only made this need tocommunicate more important. The editorwas determined, however, that thejournal would be a ‘quality product’,similar to RBGE’s scientific publicationthe Edinburgh Journal of Botany (EJB)and papers are now procured, edited,peer reviewed and designed to the samehigh standard as the EJB, ensuring thathorticultural output is of the samestandard as science output. The journalalso features a guest essay from aprominent botanic garden personalityand papers on conservation, cultivation,policies relevant to botanic gardens,seed banking and restoration. It is freelyavailable on-line and hard copies areavailable to purchase(http://journals.rbge.org.uk).

Education and training

Education and training have been at theheart of the Garden since the firstapothecaries were trained in the 1670s.Later, in the 18th and 19th centuriesmedical students subscribed to lecturesin botany and the medicinal properties ofplants and in 1892 the ‘Course ofInstruction for Practical Gardeners andForesters at the Royal Botanic GardenEdinburgh’ was established (Oldham,1992). This slowly morphed into a

training course for plantation crops toequip graduates to manage tea, coffeeand fruit estates in the British Empire.The course was modernised in the 1960sand became the Diploma in HorticultureEdinburgh (DHE). While much of thecontent was based on municipalhorticulture there was a strong practicalbotanic garden element and the ableststudents found employment in botanicgardens around the world. The changingrequirements of education in the late1990s, such as validation and scrutiny bygovernment education departmentsforced a change to a fully accreditedDiploma course that was run inconjunction with the Scottish RuralUniversity College (SRUC). While thisreduced the practical content, theaccreditation was welcomed byemployers who could more easilyunderstand the level of the course.Bespoke modules were created insubjects such as botanic gardenmanagement and conservation and thecourse’s growing success lead to theintroduction of a four year BSc levelcourse which articulated seamlessly withthe two year Diploma and was madeadministratively easy through the existingaccreditation system. Horticulturestudents from RBGE, whether graduatingafter two or four years, now enter thelabour market with a range of skills andknowledge encompassing horticulture,botany, conservation, plantsmanship andan understanding of policies such as theCDB, CITES and the GSPC and howbotanic gardens, and particularly botanicgarden horticulturists, can contribute totheir delivery and success.

These courses are taught and accreditedwithin the British education system and,while they appeal to many overseasstudents, their duration and entryrequirements are not really flexibleenough to offer them as part ofinternational training and capacitybuilding projects. Staff therefore foundthemselves spending many days creatingone-off courses in, for instance,propagation and cultivation, with theresult that there was wasted time andduplication of effort. However, the Headof Education at the time, created anexcellent, short, practical and easilyunderstood course, tailored to botanicgarden horticulture and called theCertificate in Practical Horticulture (CPH)(Morris & Cohen, 2010). A common set ofnotes, images, video clips and

powerpoint presentations weredeveloped that staff could use if theyattended a short familiarisation course.Furthermore, the course could beadapted to local situations and offered ona daily or weekly basis. Using minimaltext and lots of visual material, the coursewas also relatively easy to translate intoother languages and it has now beenoffered in more than seven countries andin five languages. It is endorsed by BGCIand offered in partner organisations suchas the Eden Project and has provedincredibly valuable in capacity buildingprojects as well as an entry level coursein horticulture. The CPH has undoubtedlyenhanced RBGE’s horticultural reputationboth at home and abroad.

In addition to horticulture courses RBGEhas been offering an MSc in theBiodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants, runin conjunction with the University ofEdinburgh, for many years. This course,which is especially popular withoverseas students, equips graduates fora career in botanic gardens, universities,government conservation andenvironment departments andconservation NGO’s. The Garden alsooffers an incredible diversity of schoolsand further education classes rangingfrom single days to courses lastingseveral weeks and aimed at students ofall ages and abilities and ranging fromwell-being and recreational coursesthrough to herbology, botanical art,photography and garden history. Allthese courses rely on horticulture tosome extent for plant specimens,teaching materials and garden spaceand in this way horticulture underpinseducation and training at the Garden.


Teaching propagation techniques at Oman BotanicGarden (David Rae)

Research, in this case on the evolutionarydevelopment of Begonia, relies on both acomprehensive collection of the genus and also ondetailed and accurate plant records (David Rae)

Conclusion

Attitudes and practices in horticulture atRBGE have changed a lot in the last 40years and this has been brought aboutby an understanding that horticulture hasan important part to play inconservation, research, education,training and international capacitybuilding, and that horticulturists canwork effectively in partnership withothers to the benefit of all. This does notdiminish the need for botanic gardens tolook beautiful and contain interestingplants as it is always important to inspirevisitors with the beauty and diversity ofplants and this still requires themaintenance of good horticulturalstandards of cultivation. These factors,in turn, have led to a need for bettercollections and landscape managementto support user groups and a need todisseminate specialist knowledgethrough publications, capacity building,training, presentations and networkinggroups. However, just at a time when thevalue and importance of horticulture inbotanic gardens is being realised, it isalso important to note that the numberof trained botanic garden horticulturistsis dwindling due to the decreasingnumber of students entering horticulturaltraining (Rae, 2013; RHS, 2013), but thatis a separate issue.

References

, Bramwell, D. 1981. Conservation-orientated research in local botanicalgardens. Bot. Jahrb. Syst., 102: 125-132.

, Bramwell, D. 1991. Botanic gardens inconservation: re-introduction into thewild. In: Heywood, V.H. & WyseJackson, P.S. (eds). Tropical BotanicGardens, pp 209-215. AcademicPress, London.

, Bramwell, D. & Heywood, V.H. 1993.Guidelines for the “ex situ”Conservation of Germplasm in BotanicGardens. BGCI/Cabildo Insular deGran Canaria.

, Cubey, R. & Gardner, M. 2003. Targetedverification. Sibbaldia, 1: 19-24.

, Daniel, P. & McDermott, S. 2006.Benmore Botanic Garden; LandscapeAssessment and development Plan.Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

, Daniel, P. & McDermott, S. 2008.Dawyck Botanic Garden; Landscape Assessment anddevelopment Plan. Royal BotanicGarden Edinburgh.

, Daniel, P. & McDermott, S. 2008. LoganBotanic Garden; LandscapeAssessment and development Plan.Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

, Daniel, P. & McDermott, S. 2010. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh;Landscape Assessment anddevelopment Plan. Royal BotanicGarden Edinburgh.

, Frachon, N., Jebb, M. & Rae, D. 2005.PlantNetwork’s Target 8 project, thesurvey stages. Sibbaldia. 3: 67-82.

, Frachon, N., Gardner, M. & Rae, D.2009. The data capture project at theRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.Sibbaldia, 7: 77-82.

, Heywood, V.H. 1987. The changing roleof the botanic garden. In: Bramwell, D,Hamann, O., Heywood, V. & Synge, H.(eds). Botanic Gardens and the worldConservation Strategy, pp 3-18.Academic Press, London.

, Heywood, V.H. and Wyse Jackson, P.S.(eds). 1991. Tropical Botanic Gardens.Academic Press, London.

, Morris, L. & Cohen, L. 2010. Thedevelopment of the Royal BotanicGarden Edinburgh ‘Certificate inPractical Horticulture’. Sibbaldia, 8, 165-178.

, Oldham, S.A.J. 1994. Scotland, thehome of good gardeners. In:Horticulture 100, Proceedings of aconference on horticulture in educationand conservation, held at the RoyalBotanic Garden Edinburgh, 7-11September 1994. Royal Botanic gardenEdinburgh, 1994.

, Rae, D. 2004. The role of horticulture inthe Global Strategy for PlantConservation. Sibbaldia, 2: 95-100.

, Rae, D. 2004. Fit for purpose? Thevalue of checking collection statistics.Sibbaldia, 2: 61-74.

, Rae, D., Baxter, P., Knott, D., Mitchell,D., Paterson, D. & Unwin, B. 2006.

Collection Policy for the LivingCollection. Royal Botanic GardenEdinburgh.

, Rae, D. 2006. Developing a newcollection policy for the livingcollection of plants at the RoyalBotanic Garden Edinburgh. Sibbaldia,4: 9-24.

, Rae, D. 2008. The value of livingcollection catalogues and cataloguesproduced from the Royal BotanicGarden Edinburgh. Sibbaldia, 6: 115-132.

, Rae, D. 2013. Guest essay: Botanicgarden horticulturists- a threatenedspecies? Sibbaldia, 11: 5-14.

, Royal Horticultural Society. 2013.Horticulture Matters. RHS, London.

, Synge, H. 1987. Introduction in‘Botanic gardens and the worldconservation strategy. Edited byBramwell, D, Hamann, O., Heywood,V. & Synge, H. Academic press,London, p xxi-xxxv.

, Thibodeau, F.R. & Falk, D.A. (987.Building a national ex situconservation network - the U.S.Center for Plant Conservation. In:Bramwell, D, Hamann, O., Heywood,V. & Synge, H. (eds). Botanic Gardensand the world Conservation Strategy,pp 285-294. Academic Press, London.

David Rae, Director of the Stanley Smith (UK)Horticultural Trust and former Directorof Horticulture and Learning Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh20A Inverleith RowEdinburgh EH3 5LR United Kingdom


The Scottish Government-funded Biodiversity,Taxonomy, Genetics and Ecology of Sub-ArcticWillow project, a collaboration between eightScottish research institutes, required horticulturalskills to collect and cultivate the material, in thiscase Salix lanata (Natacha Frachon)

Introduction

ABG ‘Plant Collections Guidelines’states that our primaryconservation goal is to “conserve

plant species with a particular emphasison regionally and nationally threatenedNZ native plants through using ourresources and horticultural expertise in


Authors: Jack Hobbs and Emma Bodley

PLAYING TO OUR STRENGTHS: APPLYING HORTICULTURE ANDADVOCACY TO THREATENED PLANT CONSERVATION

For conservation purposes, the primary strengths of

Auckland Botanic Gardens (ABG) are our horticultural

expertise and high visitor numbers (~1 million annually).

Applying these strengths in partnerships with other

agencies has underpinned our conservation efforts for

the past 25 years.

Overlooking the water to the Euphorbia glauca beach habitat

ARTICLE

relevant partnerships’. This primarilyinvolves growing nationally andregionally threatened plants in cultivatedcollections for advocacy, education,research and for restoration of wildpopulations. It includes establishingseed orchards to provide plants forreturn to the wild, and to produce seedsfor long term storage.

Our conservation goals are achievedmainly through ex situ collections ofthreatened NZ native plants. We alsohold collections of threatened cultivars,both exotic and native. These collectionsalso underpin our programmes toengage the broader community with theplight of threatened native plant speciesand generate widespread support fortheir protection.

Our plant conservation strategy requiresthe integration of many disciplines. Ourexpertise in horticulture underpins muchof what we do, but environmentaleducation programmes, garden design,marketing and interpretation areimportant contributors. To raise theirprofile and promote their use, we usethreatened plants with ornamentalqualities, such as Tecomanthe speciosaand Muehlenbeckia astonii extensively in

amenity situations, We have longunderstood that to harness theresources necessary to meet thechallenges faced by threatened plantswe must capture the hearts and minds ofour community as well as communityand political leaders. This is challengingwhen many NZ threatened native plantslack the beauty of similarly threatenednative birds and therefore struggle forequivalent attention and resourcing.

Background

Over the past 25 years ABG has appliedhorticultural and propagation skillstowards many threatened native plantsspecies recovery projects, mainly inpartnership with the Department ofConservation (DOC).

In these partnership projects ABG hastraditionally undertaken the ex situconservation component, but we alsosupport some habitat-based threatenedspecies recovery projects although thisis primarily the responsibility of DOC.Our ex situ work involves both cultivatingcollections and seed banking, and wepropagate threatened plant species forin situ restoration projects.

ABG is a member of Botanic GardensAustralia NZ (BGANZ), an umbrellagroup for Australasian botanic gardens.In April 2017 BGANZ signed amemorandum of understanding withDOC that will provide a framework forfuture cooperation and enable a morestrategic approach to threatened plantconservation.

Threatened Native Plant Garden

Our Threatened Native Plant Garden(TNPG) is central to our endeavours toengage visitors with the plight ofthreatened plants in NZ as it affordsvisitors an easily accessible opportunityto view threatened plants andunderstand their stories.

The TNPG contains 17 replica habitats,each of which showcases onethreatened plant species. Most NewZealanders are familiar with the chosenhabitats that include a beach, wetland,rocky bluffs and a sand dune. The factthat most visitors recognise and have astrong emotional connection to suchenvironments helps overcome the

nondescript appearance of many of ourthreatened plants. Our aim is to transferthe community interest in these specialplaces to the plant species nowstruggling to survive in them.

Examples include the ‘Saltmarsh’ habitatwhere we have highlighted Tetragoniatetragonioides, the edible NZ spinachthat now rarely grows wild on shellbanks and rocky foreshores. The‘Coastal rocky bluff’ habitat is home tonapuka (Hebe speciosa), a populargarden subject that is nationallythreatened with very few remainingnatural populations. Our ‘Offshore island’features Tecomanthe speciosa which iscommon in cultivation but almost extinctin the wild on Three Kings Island.Euphorbia glauca can be found in the‘Pebble beach’ habitat with othercommon associates. Once it would havebeen found on beaches all overAuckland but disappeared long ago.

The story of each of the threatened plantspecies we showcase is told throughinterpretation that focusses on theirplight, their relationships with otherorganisms such as birds and insects andtheir importance to plant diversity. Wealso highlight any medicinal properties ortraditional indigenous uses.


Threatened Native Plant Garden

Emma Bodley collecting Euphorbia glauca seedfrom the seed orchard

Flowers of Clianthus puniceus

To further engage visitor interest, theTNPG contains artworks by leading NZartists that relate to the stories in thisgarden. ‘Caught in the act of losing you’is a striking representation of thethreatened rush Sporadanthusferrugineus that sits within our ‘Coastalwetland’ habitat. ‘Tuna’ (a bronzerepresentation of the threatened longfinned eel) is located near the ‘Wetland’and ‘Stream’ habitats.

Seed banking

In April 2012 NZ botanic gardens signeda seed banking agreement with TheMillennium Seed Bank, and they alsohave a formal arrangement to supplyseed to the New Zealand IndigenousFlora Seed Bank (NZIFSB) in PalmerstonNorth. ABG also has established a long-term seed storage unit as required underthe Millennium Seed Bank partnership.

In our experience seed production andcollecting seed is much easier incultivation than in the wild where plantsare often difficult to access, particularlyon a regular basis. Our agreement withthe Millennium Seed Bank requires a

minimum of 10,000 seeds per collectionso there is significant advantage in usingbotanic gardens for seed production.

Seed sent by ABG to the NZIFSB to dateincludes Clianthus puniceus, Epilobiumhirtigerum, E. glauca and Pomaderrishamiltonii.

Clianthus puniceus

The beautiful kakabeak (C. puniceus) iswidely cultivated in many countries, butonly one population remains in the wild.Since 1995 ABG and DOC havecollaborated on the recovery of this lastknown wild population on MoturemuIsland in the Kaipara Harbour, Seed wascollected in 1995 and the firsttranslocation back to the island tookplace in 1997. All relevant informationfrom the original collections of kakabeakis held at ABG.

To protect the genetic purity of thisnationally critical species, ABGestablished a seed orchard of C.puniceus that continues today. No otherforms of Clianthus puniceus arecultivated at ABG, and we also avoid thepopular C. maximus.

With only one plant of C. puniceusknown in the wild this species hasminimal genetic diversity so our seedorchard is suitable for collection.Approximately 17,300 seeds of C.puniceus have been supplied by ABG tothe NZIFSB to ensure sufficient viableseeds are available for germinationtesting during their long storage period.

Euphorbia glauca

In the mid 1990’s a single plant of theshore splurge (E. glauca) was discoveredgrowing on a sheer cliff on Motukorea(also known as Browns Island), just ashort boat ride from central Auckland. Itis considered extinct on the Aucklandmainland, the only other known locationbeing Hauturu, or Little Barrier Island.

The solitary wild E. glauca plant onMotukorea did not produce flowers orseeds, but fortunately plants cultivated inour seed orchard produce copious seedthat has been used in many restorationprojects. The seed orchard is located inthe main ABG public carpark so it alsoconnects visitors with the threatenedshore spurge when they arrive.

Experimentation has resulted in aneffective harvesting practice of pickingwhole seed heads and placing themstring mesh bags to capture seeds whenthe capsules explode. It has proved


Edible leaves of Tetragonia tetragonioides can be added to a salad just like spinach

Interpretative signage for Tecomanthe speciosahighlighting the threats to this plant Euphorbia glauca seed orchard in the ABG carpark

much simpler to collect seed fromcultivated plants than in the wild as thecapsules distribute seeds widely whenthey explode.

Green mistletoe

Green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus) isregionally threatened in the Aucklandarea. A recovery partnership with DOCcommenced in 1997 when seed wascollected at Miranda in east Auckland.The initial ABG role was producingCoprosma propinqua plants forestablishment at Miranda as mistletoehost plants. The first of these wereplanted in 1998. Over several years ABGand DOC successfully established athriving mistletoe population in theoriginal roadside habitat at Miranda, and

also in a nearby regional park. ABG hasundertaken seed dispersal training andsupplied mistletoe seed to the Universityof Auckland for research projects.Mistletoe plants have also beenestablished at ABG, originally on C.propinqua hosts but they have sincespread to other Coprosma species andPlagianthus divaricatus. In May 2017material of I. micranthus was collectedfrom a roadside population at WhakatiwaiRegional Park in Auckland to re-establisha new population of mistletoe at ABG.

Experimental propagation ofannual fern

The Anogramma leptophylla recoveryproject is another example of ABGapplying horticultural and propagationskills to cultivate a nationally vulnerableplant species. We are researching theassociation this small annual fern haswith a liverwort that grows with it andexploring techniques for sporecontainment and capture. In future weaim to restore this species into wild sites.

ABG collected spores in July 2014 fromplants growing on the bare vertical southside of an ancient kumara pit onMaungarei (Mt Wellington) in Auckland.Material was collected and cultivated in atray of sand with two scoria rockscollected from the translocation site setin the sand. We have successfully grownplants to produce spores and populationnumbers have multiplied.

Conclusion

ABG continues to play an important rolein plant conservation through utilisingour horticultural skills and theopportunity to advocate for threatenedplants to a large audience. Our successto date has resulted from carefullyprioritising which projects we becomeinvolved with, and workingcollaboratively to optimise threatenedplant conservation outcomes.

References

, Auckland Botanic Gardens (2017).Managing our plants and gardens:Plant collections guidelines.

, New Zealand Plant ConservationNetwork (2017). New Zealand PlantConservation Network Search Flora.Retrieved from http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/page.aspx?nzpcn

Jack Hobbs and Emma Bodley, Auckland Botanic Gardens102 Hill RoadManurewaAuckland2105 New Zealand


Children playing among the Euphorbia glaucahabitat

Tuna sculpture in TNPG

When leaving the visitors centre to the gardens are topiary Muehlenbeckia astonii, a threatened plant, which isutilised in amenity horticulture

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/page.aspx?nzpcn

Introduction

One of the most important goals ofbotanical gardens is the studyand ex situ conservation of

biodiversity. The creation of modernseed and spore banks is undoubtedlynecessary for such conservation work.However, is there any guarantee that thematerial that has been stored in suchbanks for several decades will be able toadapt successfully to real environmentalconditions in the future?

Changes in the environment can besignificant: the atmosphere'scomposition, the temperature regime,the chemistry of soils and other

substrates are all changed due to theinfluence of human activity. Where is theguarantee that the material grown fromthe spores and seeds from these bankswill be able to adapt to these newconditions? And how to engage peoplein the importance of rare speciesconservation, with only seeds in a seedbank to see?

Another way for rare and endangeredspecies to be conserved is through exsitu methods based on horticulture. Thisallows plants to adapt gradually toenvironmental changes and, importantly,it allows these plants to be displayed topeople in the garden and for storiesabout plant vulnerability to be told.Growing plants ex situ also results in


Authors: Ulyana Spirina and Yuri Naumtsev

BRYOPHYTE HORTICULTURE: MYTH OR REALITY?

Part of the display “Secret Garden” with mosses, ferns and horsetails

ARTICLE

Tver State University Botanical Garden has developed

cultivation techniques for over 50 species included in its

bryophyte collection and has a special display dedicated to

these and other spore plants.

improved horticultural practices, asgardeners work with plants of variousecological and taxonomic groups.Creation and maintenance of living plantcollections is one of the traditionalactivities of botanical gardens, and itremains no less important today.

Bryophytes are the second mostnumerous group of land plants, andmany of them are threatened. However,people are generally not familiar withthem, because mosses are small and donot have bright eye-catching flowers orfruit. This group is highly specialised,rather difficult in horticulture but it cangive new opportunities to gardens.

Beyond doubt, gardens bring beauty toour lives; they have an importantaesthetic value. The monochromeaesthetics of mosses presents a specialcase, providing subtly and specialistinterest. Moreover, garden designs todayoften seek to mimic natural ecosystems,and without a moss component, suchdisplays cannot be complete.

Bryophytes also contribute to theeducation and outreach activities whichare so integral to the activities of the

modern botanical garden. Living mossesallow children to get acquainted with thereal biodiversity of their region, to seerare species and learn about them.

Cultivating bryophytes

Since 1994, the Botanical Garden ofTver State University has conductedexperiments on ex situ conservation ofrare and endangered plants of the Tverregion.

With regard to bryophytes, initially thesewere studied extensively in naturalecosystems. The living collection wasdeveloped on scientific principles andaimed to determine the possibility of exsitu conservation of rare species ofmosses and liverworts of Tver region.

Eight bryophytes from the collection arelisted in the Red Data Book of TverRegion. All species are brought into thegarden as living plants from naturalhabitats.

In Tver Botanical Garden, developinghorticultural techniques for bryophytesfollows a number of steps:

1. Preliminary studies of the bryophytesspecies in their natural habitats inorder to understand their ecologicalpreferences and biologicalcharacteristics;

2. Definition and choice of habitatsallowing plants to be taken forexperimentation without endangeringthe ecosystem or identification ofhabitats with rare species which willdefinitely be lost in the short term;

3. Preparation of a place in the gardenwith artificial substrate mostappropriate to the ecologicalcharacteristics for the species;

4. Transfer of a fragment of moss turf tothe garden and its establishment onartificial substrate;

5.Maintaining and recording thehorticultural techniques used andmonitoring the plant condition;

6. Estimating the stability of the speciesex situ and determining the possibilityof using it in the displays in thegarden.

In order determine the ex situ stability ofbryophyte species, an 18-pointestimation scale was created (Table 1).


Anomodon viticulosus – rare species of Tver region in the display “Gateway to Staritsa”Garden stuff at work: weeding in the display “Secret Garden”

Plagiomnium cuspidatum with sporophytes in thedisplay “Secret Garden”

“In total 46 species of

mosses, 4 species of liverworts

and 1 species of hornwort have

been cultivated since the living

bryophyte collection was

established in the garden 23

years ago.

”

Ecological groups

We have identified five ecologicalgroups. These groups are: calciphilousbryophytes; mosses of the basiphil-epiphytic group; species ofminerotrophic marshes; mosses thatfavor habitats with discontinuousvegetation; and ground mosses offorests and meadows. Calciphilousbryophytes and ground mosses are moststable in the garden; bryophytes ofminerotrophic marshes are less stablebut can also be grown.

Horticultural techniques have beendeveloped for all 51 species of thebryophyte species included in our livingplants collection (estimation scales for allspecies are provided in Table 2).Alongside rare and endangeredbryophytes, we also grow commonspecies representing vulnerableecological groups. This approachenables us to single out suitable modelspecies that have the same ecologicalpreferences as the rare ones, and tochoose the best horticultural techniques.

Initially, the bryophytes were grown inthe nursery. Later they were planted outin the garden displays, imitating thenatural vegetation of the Tver region.Finally a special display “Secret Garden”dedicated to bryophytes and other sporeplants was created.


Table 1: Estimation scale to measure ex situ stability of bryophyte species

\\\\\\\

Artificial vegetativereproduction

Growth condition

Competitive ability

Horticultural technique

Vegetative proliferation

Sporophyte production

Total estimation

Criteria Estimation scale

1 Species not well established, in most casesperishes at this stage;

2 Species well established (50 % of cases and more); 3 Species always well established.

1 General condition in the garden deteriorates; 2 General condition in the garden is stable, doesnot change;

3 General condition in the garden improves.

1 Neighbouring plants substantially oppress themoss species;

2 Character of competitive relations is the same asin natural habitats;

3 Moss species becomes more dominant than innatural habitats.

1 Species demands creation of a specific nicheenvironment and the constant control of conditions;

2 Species does not require creation of a specificniche environment, but the regular control ofconditions is necessary;

3 Species does not require any special horticulturaltechniques or environment.

1 Vegetative proliferation is not observed; 2 Insignificant vegetative proliferation; 3 Active vegetative proliferation.

1 Sporophytes are not formed in the garden; 2 Sporophytes form sometimes in the garden; 3 Sporophytes form regularly in the garden.

1-7 Species is not stable in the garden;8-13 Species in the garden is stable;14-18 Species in the garden is very stable.

“Growing bryophytes in

botanical gardens requires

special attention to the needs of

these plants.

”

Fragment of artificial bog in the garden with Betulanana, Malaxis monophyllous, Sphagnum speciesand ferns: this display imitates an endangeredecosystem of Tver region

Encalypta spreptocarpa – rare calcephyllous moss of Tver region in the garden nursery

Horticultural methods

Horticultural methods developed forvascular plants are not generallyappropriate for bryophytes. The specificfeatures of moss biology and life cycleneed to be taken into account, as well asthe fact that bryophytes have no roots.When collecting mosses, the plantmaterial must be taken from naturalhabitats in large fragments with a layer ofthe substrate. If not, the appropriatesubstrate has to be created artificially butclosely corresponding to that found innature.

In our estimation scale (Table 1), we firsttake into account the possibility ofartificial vegetative reproduction by tuftfragmentation. The success of thisprocess essentially affects furtherhorticultural results because all materialcomes into our collection as living plants.

Our experiments have shown that somebryophytes of the basiphil-epiphytic groupcan be planted on limestone substrateinstead of tree trunks. For example,Anomodon species grow well on limestonepowder. We are continuing the experimentand testing other basiphil- epiphyticspecies on carbonate substrates.

Another issue is that accompanyingvascular plants become more vigorousand start to suppress the growth ofbryophytes when planted into the richgarden soil. For this reason the substrateon which the mosses grow must beisolated from the soil with a layer of sandor non-woven fabric. This technique hasproved its efficiency and also reducesweeds.

In the garden we witness changes inbryophyte vitality. Even in nature mosseshave low competitive capacity incomparison with vascular plants.Therefore special attention has to bepaid to the relationships betweenmosses and vascular plants. Ourexperiments have shown that idealaccompanying plants for bryophytes areterrestrial orchids, ferns and club-mosses. It is noticeable thatgraminaceous plants and Marchantia arevery competitive with bryophytes anddisplace them in nearly all cases. In thegarden Cratoneuron filicinum becomesrather vigorous and suppresses othersspecies from minerotrophic marshes.

In relation to horticultural techniques,the focus needs to be on careful, regularweeding and removal of leaf litter. In thedisplays, we have not encounteredpests and diseases, but there is a needto protect mosses from birds andmammals that mechanically disturb theintegrity of the turfs. The species ofminerotrophic marshes are the mostdifficult in horticultural terms, becausethis group of bryophytes requires a veryspecific substrate and watering regime.The main concern is an increase ofeutrophication of the substrate, whichthese species do not tolerate.

The species studied in the gardenexhibit different levels of vegetativeproliferation. Intensive proliferation is

noted in Anomodon viticulosus andAbietinella abietina. The materialobtained from such proliferation hasbeen used for new displays.

Finally, we observe the possibility ofsporophyte production. In the garden allacrocarpous mosses constantly producesporophytes, as in the wild.Pleurocarpous mosses producesporophytes irregularly, but we haveobserved sporophytes in Helodiumblandowii and Anomodon species whichnever produce them in natural habitats inTver region.

Displaying bryophytes

In 1998 we started the development ofthe living plant displays and exhibitionsdevoted to the unique natural vegetationof the Tver region.

The display “Gateway to Staritsa”demonstrates the most interestingfragments of the Volga Valley with itslarge outcrops and rich andheterogeneous flora. The displaycontains 25 species of vascular plantand 10 species of bryophytes. Overtime, the display has evolved fromimitation into natural landscape. Ourgoal is achieved when visitors refuse tobelieve that this is a man-made display,which has been systematicallymaintained for more than 15 years, and itis not a natural fragment of the territory.


Lesson on bryology for schoolchildren in the garden

Garden visitors interested in mosses in the display“Secret Garden”

The display “Flora of MinerotrophicMarshes” demonstrates the rarehydrophytes from the different districtsof the region. Not all of them weresuccessfully grown. This means thatfurther work with these groups isneeded, rather than indicating the failureof ex situ conservation.

The “Secret Garden”

In 2000 we created a special displaynamed "Secret Garden" in which wecollected both rare and commonbryophytes, ferns, horsetails and club-mosses to introduce spore plants tovisitors. The meaning of the displayname is that in the world of plants, aswell as in the human world, not all isspectacular, and there are things thatonly become apparent on closeinspection.

Special classes and excursions in thegarden allow children and adults to learnabout the structure, life cycle andecology of mosses. In modern times,people have lost the integrity ofperception and attention to detail. Our"Secret Garden" is trying to return this.

It is a great pleasure to see peoplechanging their customary patterns ofobserving living organisms: peopleviewing plants not from the level of thehuman height, but crouching and sitting down to see better. This displaygives people the opportunity to explorethe mysteries of spore plants and is a part of a multipurpose projectdedicated to studying and conservingbryophytes entitled “Kneel down before the plant!”

Spore plants have considerableaesthetic potential, and this isnoticeably different from the beauty offlowering plants. It is difficult to comparethe subtle details of monochromemosses with the splendor of colorfulflower beds, but the development ofaesthetic taste is of particularimportance in the modern world, and itis one of the aims of botanical gardens.

One of the important trends inlandscape architecture is "aestheticswith meaning", which is opposed totrivial embellishments. Any display in the garden should bear a semanticmeaning, and we invite visitors to reflect on what they see.

BGCI • 2017 • BGjournal • Vol 14 (2)32

Species in the

garden are very

stable (Score

14-18)

Species in the

garden are stable

(Score 8-13)

Totalestimation

16

16

16

15

15

15

15

14

14

14

14

14

14

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

13

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

11

11

11

11

11

11

Totalscore

Species

MOSSES (BRYOPHYTA)

Brachythecium salebrosum (Hoffm. ex F. Weber & D.

Mohr) Schimp.

Pogonatum dentatum (Menzies ex Brid.) Brid.

Polytrichum strictum Menzies ex Brid.

Anomodon viticulosus (Hedw.) Hook. & Taylor

Bryum argenteum Hedw.

Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid.

Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Hedw.) T.J. Kop.

Amblystegium serpens (Hedw.) Schimp.

Anomodon longifolius (Schleich. ex Brid.) Hartm.

Brachythecium rotaeanum De Not.

Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.

Polytricum juniperinum Hedw.

Pylaisia polyantha (Hedw.) Schimp.

Abietinella abietina (Hedw.) M. Fleisch.

Calliergon giganteum (Schimp.) Kindb.

Climacium dendroides (Hedw.) F. Weber & D. Mohr

Encalypta streptocarpa Hedw.

Eurhynchium hians (Hedw.) Sande Lac.

Leskea polycarpa Hedw.

Orthotrichum pumilum Sw.

Orthotrichum speciosum Nees

Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (Hedw.) Warnst.

Sanionia uncinata (Hedw.) Loeske

Seligeria campylopoda Kindb.

Barbula unguiculata Hedw.

Brachythecium oedipodium (Mitt.) A. Jaeg.

Brachythecium populeum (Hedw.) Schimp.

Brachythecium rutabulum (Hedw.) Schimp.

Bryum caespiticium Hedw.

Homalia trichomanoides (Hedw.) Schimp.

Thuidium philibertii Limpr.

Brachythecium albicans (Hedw.) Schimp.

Brachythecium mildeanum (Schimp.) Schimp.

Brachythecium rivulare Schimp.

Calliergonella cuspida (Hedw.) Loeske

Campylium chrysophyllum (Brid.) J. Lange

Didymodon fallax (Hedw.) R.H. Zander

Table 2: Estimation of the horticultural stability of bryophytes in the Botanical Garden of Tver State University

Climacium dendroides in the display “Secret Garden”

Bryophytes and vascular spore plants inthe garden in this case could be a modelobject, especially because of thespecific structure and functioning ofthese plants that requires one not only to see, but to analyze and reflect.

Conclusions

The conservation and cultivation ofbryophytes allows the botanical gardento carry out the following activities at anew higher level:

1. To implement programs of ex situconservation for rare species from theregional flora;

2. To conduct scientific research onbiology, ecology and taxonomy;

3. To conduct school and universitytraining in biological, environmentalsciences and in landscape designusing live material of all taxonomicand ecological groups of biodiversityof the region;

4. To acquaint garden visitors with thebiologically and aesthetically uniqueoriginality of the region's flora, todemonstrate fully-fledged displaysand to influence aesthetic taste;

5. To use investment funds for theimplementation of multipurposeprojects.

We would like to emphasize that,through having a living bryophytecollection in Tver Botanical Garden, we are able to combine scientificexperiments on ex situ conservation and in situ studies of bryophytes witheducational and outreach work. Themission of our garden is to open theworld of plants for visitors and topromote harmonious relations betweenman and nature and this could not becarried out completely without our workon bryophytes.

Ulyana Spirina and Yuri NaumtsevBotanical Garden of Tver StateUniversityZhelyabova Street 33, Tver, 170000 Russian Federation


Totalestimation

Totalscore

Species

Species in the

garden are not

stable (Score 1-7)

Species in the

garden are stable

Species in the

garden are not

stable

Species in the

garden are not

stable

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

11

10

10

10

10

10

10

8

8

8

7

7

7

7

7

7

7

7

12

9

7

7

7

Didymodon rigidulus Hedw.

Drepanocladus aduncus (Hedw.) Warnst.

Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) Schimp.

Orthotrichum obtusifolium Brid.

Plagiomnium undulatum (Hedw.) T.J. Kop.

Racomitrium canescens (Hedw.) Brid.

Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (Hedw.) Warnst.

Sphagnum girgensohnii Russow

Sphagnum squarrosum Crome

Barbula convoluta Hedw.

Campyliadelphus stellatus (Hedw.) Kanda

Cirriphyllum piliferum (Hedw.) Grout

Fissidens taxifolius Hedw.

Leptodictyum humile (P. Beauv.) Ochyra

Leskeella nervosa (Brid.) Loeske

Cratoneuron filicinum (Hedw.) Spruce

Ditrichum flexicaule (Schwaegr.) Hampe

Tomentypnum nitens (Hedw.) Loeske

Bryum schleicheri Schwaegr.

Helodium blandowii (F. Weber & D. Mohr) Warnst.

Meesia triquetra (L. ex Jolycl.) Aongstr.

Paludella squarrosa (Hedw.) Brid.

Philonotis fontana (Hedw.) Brid.

Pseudocalliergon trifarium (F. Weber & D. Mohr) Loeske

Scorpidium cossonii (Schimp.) Hedenaes

Scorpidium scorpioides (Hedw.) Limpr.

LIVERWORTS (MARCHANTIOPHYTA)

Preissia quadrata (Scop.) Nees

Plagiochila porelloides (Torr. ex Nees) Shust.

Barbilophozia hatcheri (A. Evans) Loeske

Mesoptychia badensis (Gottsche) L. Söderstr. & Váňa

HORNWORTS (ANTHOCEROTOPHYTA)

Anthoceros agrestis Paton

Plagiomnium undulatum in the display “Secret Garden”

Collections of succulent plants are aregular feature of the horticultural

displays in botanic gardens. Water-storing tissues in the plant body – thedefining feature of succulence – sustainmetabolism under drought conditions,and are common to a variety of plantsthat are taxonomically distributedthroughout the angiosperm tree of life,and occur throughout the world. Themost diverse of these groups include thecacti (Cactaceae: 139 genera/ 1,860species), ice plants (Aizoaceae: 125genera/ 2,000 species) and succulenteuphorbs (Euphorbioideae: 39 genera/2,800 species). In the botanical garden,succulent plants provide a strikingfeature, but even a modest display ofone or two succulent plants caneffectively illustrate the diversity of theplant kingdom and the adaptations ofplants to desert environments.

Beyond the horticultural display, curatedliving collections in botanical gardensare vital for the ex situ conservation ofsucculent plants. Succulent plants are,typically, narrowly distributed with highrates of endemism and specialisedhabitat requirements, making themchallenging horticultural subjects.Closely curated collections such asthose of the Royal Botanic Gardens,Kew (e.g. 650 accessions of Aloe,approximately 70% from wildpopulations, representing about 60% ofall taxa) and the Desert Botanic Garden(more than 13,000 accessions ofCactaceae, mostly from wildpopulations, including the largestcollection of subfamily Opuntioideae96%) are valuable for conservation andresearch (Hultine et al., 2016), becausethe horticultural expertise ensures theyare well curated and accessible.

The conservation of threatenedplants in ex situ collections is a key feature of the work of

botanic gardens the world over.Such conservation work isincreasingly important as the threatsto species survival in situ increase,and is only possible thanks to thespecialist skills of conservationhorticulturists.

The following three case studiesprovide examples of howhorticultural skills are being used: (i) to ensure the survival of succulentplants in botanic gardens around the word; (ii) to address threats to thenative flora in Chile; and (iii) to allowthe restoration of criticallyendangered ferns in Hawaii.

Countless similar examples existthroughout the botanic gardencommunity – but they frequently go un-recorded and the specialisthorticultural skills involved are notrecognised.

A recommendation from BGCI’srecent Technical Report is:

“Botanic gardens should

value and measure their

horticultural specialisms

at the institutional level.

….The unique plants and

plant assemblages that a

garden grows define that

botanic garden.

”


Authors: Olwen M. Grace and Lucas C. Majure

HORTICULTURE AND THE CONSERVATIONOF THREATENED SPECIES

Aloe polyphylla, the national flower of Lesotho, on display at RBG, Kew. The species is endangered in the wildbut increasingly common in cultivation (O.M. Grace)

ARTICLE

CASE STUDY 1: SUCCULENT PLANT COLLECTIONSIN BOTANIC GARDENS SUPPORTING EX SITUCONSERVATION AND RESEARCH

Conservation assessments (e.g. IUCNRed List) indicate grave threats to globalsucculent plant diversity, while traderegulations such as CITES that apply toall species in some succulent plantgroups, highlight the taxonomiccomplexities of species-levelidentification. The first comprehensiveassessment of the ex situ conservationof succulent plants (Oldfield, 1997)revealed that only a few well-documented collections in botanicalgardens could be quantified, while asubsequent analysis of BGCI records forCactaceae showed that the mostendangered species were absent frombotanical garden collections (Oldfieldand Hunt, 2010). This implies a worryingvacuum in which very rare taxa are notadequately conserved ex situ. The statusof succulent plant collections and anassessment of genetic diversity of thosecollections is now a priority, to guidebotanical garden acquisition targets andplant collecting programmes that willcompliment in situ conservationmeasures.

The value of living collections inbotanical gardens depends uponhorticultural expertise to maintainhealthy, well-curated collections.Paradoxically, ornamental horticulture isalso the driver of an unsustainabledemand for succulent plants and seldomresults in equitable benefit being sharedwith the people who have sovereignownership of the plants in the wild(Grace, 2011). For example, Aloe


Succulent plant collections at the Desert Botanic Gardens, where the majority of accessions are from naturalpopulations (L.C. Majure)

Controlled pollination of Aloe polyphylla at RBG,Kew (O.M. Grace)

polyphylla, a species endemic toLesotho, was once very valuable tocollectors due to its rarity, but it is nowcommonly available, due to thedevelopment of micropropagationmethods. Movement of the species isrestricted by CITES Appendix 1, inrecognition of the demand for materialand threats to natural populations. Thegenetic diversity of Aloe polyphylla in exsitu collections is currently unknown.

Succulent plants are increasinglypopular for water-wise gardening andlandscaping in arid environments, andhave been recognised for their potentialas future sources of green energy. Asthese plants assume greater value formanaging the effects of environmentalchange, well-curated collections inbotanic gardens will becomeincreasingly important to conserve thediversity of these exceptional drought-prone plants.

References

, Grace, O.M. 2011. Currentperspectives on the economic botanyof the genus Aloe L.(Xanthorrhoeaceae). South AfricanJournal of Botany 77 (4), 980-987.

, Hultine, K.R., Majure, L.C., Nixon,V.S., Arias, S., Búrquez, A., Goettsch,B., Puente-Martinez, R., Zavala-Hurtado, J.A. 2016. The role ofbotanic gardens in the conservation ofCactaceae. BioScience biw 128.

, Oldfield, S. 1997. Status survey andconservation action plan: Cactus andsucculent plants. IUCN, Gland,Switzerland & Cambridge, UnitedKingdom.

, Oldfield, S. & Hunt, D.R. 2010. Theconservation of cacti and succulentsin botanic gardens. BGjournal 7:1.

Olwen M. GraceComparative Plant & Fungal Biology,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey,United Kingdom Email: [email protected]

Lucas C. Majure Dept. of Research, Conservation andCollections, Desert Botanical Garden,Phoenix, Arizona, United States

The ecosystems of the Mediterraneanecoregion in Chile (33-38°) host a

large percentage of flora growing insituations of high vulnerability. In theseecosystems there are a total of 3,160taxa, of which 52% are endemic to thecountry and 30% are exclusivelyendemic to the region (Arroyo et al.,2003), making this a biodiversity hotspotof global importance. In spite of this,these plants have limited representationin the national protected areas system(SNASPE).

The most vulnerable ecosystems arethose regions such as Coquimbo, ElMaule and the Metropolitan area, withless than 1% of its territory underprotection (Sierralta et al., 2011). Until theend of the last century, such lowrepresentation was also reflected in thelimited information published onphenology, types of seed dormancy andcultivation requirements for most of thesespecies. Additionally, as can be seen fromthe forest plantations, parks, privategardens and public spaces of our cities,nurseries for forest and ornamental plantshave not shown any interest in cultivating,introducing or making known native andendemic plants from these ecoregions.

Within this context, and in accordancewith its mission to promote thedevelopment of a culture valuing thenatural heritage of the Mediterraneanclimate area through ex situ conservationof its flora, Chagual Botanic Garden hasundertaken several initiatives to establishpractices and procedures for the geneticconservation of target species,integrating conservation and displaycollections. Among these collections arevulnerable endemic species and speciesin conservation categories, includingBromeliads; communities of sclerophyllforests - Beilschmiedia miersii-Cryptocarya alba, Cryptocaryaalba-Peumus boldus, Lithraea caustica-Quillaja saponaria-Jubaea chilensis;deciduous trees Nothofagus

macrocarpa, and N. obliqua-N. glauca-N. alessandrii; the subandeanKageneckia angustifolia andAustrocedrus chilensis; the thornyAcacia caven and Prosopis chilenis; andshrubs from Ecuatorial slopes.

For each of the collections, different andspecific places for collecting seeds wereidentified and guidelines and criteriawere established for obtaining, handlingand maintaining seeds and plants.

The search for propagation methods fornative species is of vital importance fortheir conservation, particularly seed


Authors: M. Victoria Legassa,Daniela Escobar and Ángel Cabello

CASE STUDY 2: PROJECT CHAGUAL BOTANIC GARDEN, CHALLENGES ANDRESULTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE COLLECTIONS OFTHE CHILEAN MEDITERRANEAN ECOREGION

Puya venusta collection at Chagual Botanic Garden, Santiago de Chile (M. Victoria Legassa)

Lardizabala biternata, Lardizabalaceae (DanielaEscobar).

Myrcianthes coquimbensis, Myrtaceae (M. VictoriaLegassa).

propagation which allows the geneticvariability of the specimens obtained tobe preserved. Taking particular care ofthis genetic variability, seed collectionhas been carried out following therecommendations included in INIA’s andKew’s manual for seed from nativespecies (Gold et al., 2004). Data on thespecimens and collection sites areregistered on cards which include:collection place and date, scientificname, common name, botanic family,latitude, longitude, altitude, thesurrounding habitat and vegetation, andthe collector’s identity.

Over more than a decade, ChagualBotanic Garden has been working with alltypes of plants from the Mediterraneanzone of Chile - some 292 species, ofwhich 242 are endemic and 50 are native.

The seed laboratory which has been setup has allowed us to obtain informationon physical parameters such as purity,number of seeds per kilogram and theirviability. Germination pre-treatmentshave been applied to increase the speedand germination capacity of seeds,through which a significant number ofspecimens were obtained.

Out of the 82 species from theMediterranean ecoregion presentlyclassified as under some threat, thefollowing 19 have been studied at BGChagual’s laboratory and publicationshave been produced: Alstroemeriagaraventae, A. spathulata, Austrocedruschilensis, Austrocactus spiniflorus,Avellanita bustillosi, Beilschmiediaberteroana, B. miersii, Jubaea chilensis,Kageneckia angustifolia, Menodoralinoides, Myrceugenia rufa, Nothofagusalessandrii, N. glauca, N. macrocarpa,Phyrrocactus curvispinus, Porlieriachilensis, Puya venusta, Rhodophialatiltilensis and Tarasa umbellata.

Where the collection of seeds ischallenging, be it due to massive attacksby insects, high degree of non-viableseeds, or the small number of motherplants, vegetative propagation has beentried - by bulbs (Rhodophiala tiltilensis),by cuttings (Avellanita bustillosi,Myrceugenia rufa), or through in vitroculture (Alstroemeria garaventae, A.spathulata, Avellanita bustillosi).

97 species (85 endemic and 12 native)are maintained in the nursery, of which29 are classified in some category ofconservation; these last plants in turncome from samples taken from 39different sites, such as: Austrocedruschilensis (2), Beilschmiedia berteroana(2), B. miersii (4), Calydorea xyphioides(1), Jubaea chilensis (4), Menodoralinoides (1), Monttea chilensis (1),Myrceugenia rufa (2), Myrcianthescoquimbensis (2), Nothofagus glauca (1),Pouteria splendens (1), Porliera chilensis(1), Prosopis chilensis (4), Puyaboliviensis (1), Puya venusta (2) andTarasa umbellata (1).

On the other hand, plantations havebeen created from collections of thesclerophyll communities Lithraeacaustica-Quillaja saponaria, whichinclude Jubaea chilensis from twoclusters of palms, Cocalán y Ocoa andBeilschmiedia miersii-Cryptocarya albaamong which specimens of B. miersistand out, coming from three differentplaces of origin.

Information gathered at collection sitesand through laboratory analysis, as wellas that obtained from observations onsowing, germination, cultivation andhorticultural practices, are integratedwith each registered accession. Inaddition, an inventory is being kept toallow the follow-up of these collectionsat the nursery as well as those plants

already established in the garden atplaces shown in the Master Plan.Results obtained from the speciesstudied under Project BG Chagual haveresulted in 19 publications in scientificoutreach journals or book chapters.

References

, Arroyo M.T.K., D. Rougier, F. Pérez, P.Pliscoff & K. Bull. 2003. La flora deChile central y su protección:antecedentes y prioridades para elestablecimiento del Jardín BotánicoChagual. Revista del Jardín BotánicoChagual 1: 31-40.

, Gold. K., P. León-Lobos & M. Way.2004. Manual de recolección desemillas de plantas silvestres paraconservación a largo plazo yrestauración ecológica. Instituto deInvestigaciones Agropecuarias,Centro Regional de InvestigaciónIntihuasi, La Serena, Chile. BoletínINIA N° 110, 62 p.

, Sierralta L., R. Serrano, J. Rovira & C.Cortés (eds.). 2011. Las áreasprotegidas de Chile. Ministerio delMedio Ambiente. 35 p.

M. Victoria Legassa, Daniela Escobarand Ángel CabelloJardín Botánico ChagualSantiago de Chile


Menodora linoides, Oleaceae (left) and Peumus boldus, Monimiaceae (right) (Natalia Smith).

Calydorea xyphioides, Iridaceae (M. VictoriaLegassa).

Introduction

As a result of long-term research atTallinn Botanic Garden (TBG),

Estonia (R. Aguraiuja, since 1999), exsitu propagated plants of three globallycritically endangered endemic fernspecies Asplenium dielpallidum N. Snow,Asplenium dielmannii Viane andAsplenium diellaciniatum Viane havebeen propogated and returned to theircountry of origin – Kauai island in Hawaiiin 2015. All three federally listed species(Endangered Species Act) are extremelyendangered (less than 50 extant matureindividuals) due to their very smallpopulations and very local distribution.Their natural habitats are heavilydisturbed and natural recruitment is veryslow in these conditions, the extinctionrate of individuals of A. dielpallidumbeing about three times higher thanestablishment of new individuals(Aguraiuja, unpublished data).

Propagation at Tallinn BotanicGarden

Germination tests at Tallinn BotanicGarden (TBG) were initated in 2011. Therewas no preliminary evidence about anyother type of sporophyte production thansexual for this group of ferns (Wagner1952). Single individual gametophytecultures never showed any sporophyteformation, which indicated that thesespecies were obligatory out-crossers.

Spores were collected from all currentlyknown populations of the study species.The number of reproductive individualswas smallest for A. dielpallidum, thereforethe spores from different individuals fromdifferent locations were mixed forcultures. For A.dielmannii only a singlepopulation is currently known, the sporesof its different individuals were combinedper sowings. More numerous butmorphologically variable A. diellaciniatumwas handled as consisting of three local(sub-) populations, and these were keptseparate during germination tests.

The spores were sown on moist neutralsoil substrate in covered phytatrays(SIGMA CellCulture P 1662). Thecultures were grown under fluorescentlight (OSRAM L 30W/77) on a 16-h light,8-h dark cycle at 22-24 C. Thegermination and gametophyte growthwere examined weekly by dissectingmicroscope (Leica S4E).

Average germination rates varied from30 to 35 days. The growth anddevelopment of the gametophytes wasmuch slower. Full maturity ofgametophytes was reached 3.5 to 4months after the sowing. As thegametophyte growth extended over themonths and years, the trays becamedensely filled and the gametophyteswere replanted repeatedly. Thus an exsitu collection of gametophyte cultureswas established at TBG.

Replanting of gametophtes was adelicate task conducted with the help ofstereomicroscopes using dissectingneedles and tweezers. The gametophyteswere soaked in distilled water for a fewminutes before replanting into new trays.Fern gametophytes produce motilesperm and for sexual reproduction theyare totally dependent on the availability offree water. Soaking them, in addition tothe misting of the trays helped to speedup the formation of sporelings.

Tests demonstrated that oldergametophytes remained capable ofvegetative and regenerative growth.Gametophyte cultures could thereforeserve well for preserving the gene poolfor ex situ research and propagation forrestoration, particularly for species whichhave short and non-branching rhizomeswith a single apical meristem.

The full cycle from the spore to maturespore-producing individuals took 4-5years in cultivation.


Author: Ruth Aguraiuja

CASE STUDY 3: RESTORING CRITICALLY ENDANGERED FERN SPECIES

Left above: Ferns re-potted at NTBGLeft: Un-packing ferns after successful arrival at NTBG

Gametophyte cultures being soaked in distilled water for few minutes before replanting into new trays

Translocation from TBG inEstonia to NTBG in Hawaii,United States of America

The route of the ferns propagated inEstonia was as follows: Tallinn BotanicGarden Estonia , National TropicalBotanical Garden (NTBG), Kauai ,Kauai Mesic Elevation Nursery in Kokee, natural habitat within their naturaldistribution area.

As there was no guarantee that the fernswould survive long travel flights acrossthe world, it was decided to send out theplants in all different life stages –gametophytes, young sporophytes andmature individuals. Full documentationof the plant material was conducted,including collecting DNA and sporesamples and mounting voucherspecimens for TBG and NTBG.

All living plant material had aphytosanitary check upon departurefrom Estonia and also on entering thecountry of origin. As the ferns weregrown on soil substrate, the soil had tobe replaced with certified subtstrate. Thesoil was removed by washing the rootsin a flow of purified water. Cleaned rootswere covered with a mix of hydrogel andvermiculate, wrapped in thin shadecloth. For protecting the rhizome andfronds from occassional damage duringtransport, the plants were placed in TetraPak cartons and packed tightly intosealed thermoboxes.

The first three thermoboxes with plantswere carried as checked luggage withHawaii State Botanist Dr. MargaretSprock-Koehler, because this was thequickest way to get them back to Kauai.The condition of the plants wasunexpectedly good upon arrival. Therest of the ferns travelled to Kauai asairfright deliveries by Fedex.

Altogether 13 thermoboxes with 1,790specimens reached Kauai (Aspleniumdielpallidum – 848 specimens, Aspleniumdielmannii – 465 specimens, Aspleniumdiellaciniatum – 477 specimens) togetherwith 90 units of gametophyte cultures.

The ferns were replanted into pots atNTBG and later relocated to Kauai MesicElevation Nursery in Kokee for furtheracclimatization to the local climate.

Planting out and first-yearsurvival rates

Planting in the natural habitat began in2016 and continued in 2017. Altogether276 individuals have so far been plantedin natural habitats in four locations withinfenced exclosures:

Asplenium dielpallidum – 143 individualsin two locations in Kuia Natural AreaReserve, survival 91.6% after the firstyear in the habitat.

Asplenium dielmannii – 114 individuals inone location, in Na Pali Kona Reserve,96.5 % alive after the first year in thehabitat.

Asplenium diellaciniatum – 19 individualsin one location, in Na Pali Kona Reserve,all alive after the first year in new location.

Partners

The return of the ferns to Kauai wasmade possible thanks to internationalcooperation and the joint efforts ofseveral institutions - Tallinn BotanicGarden, National Tropical BotanicalGarden (NTBG), Plant ExtinctionPrevention Program (PEPP), University ofHawaii Department of Botany, Division ofForestry and Wildlife Department of ofLand and Natural Resources (DOFAW-DLNR) State of Hawaii, United StatesFish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

References

, Wagner, W.H.Jr., 1952. The FernGenus Diellia. Its Structure, Affinitiesand Taxonomy. University o CaliforniaPress.

Ruth Aguraiuja, Senior Researcher, Tallinn BotanicGarden, Kloostrimetsa Rd. 52, Tallinn 11913, Estonia.

Research Associate, National TropicalBotanical Garden, 3530 Papalina Rd., Kalaheo, HI 96741, U.S. A.


Gametophyte culture of Asplenium dielpallidum at TBG

Leena Horma weeding out contaminating mossesfrom gametophyte cultures.

Dr. Margaret Sprock-Koehler (Statewide Botanist ofHawaii) with the first fern delivery

Introduction

In the South African NationalBiodiversity Institute’s (SANBI)nationwide network of national

botanical gardens, horticulturists, andthe work they do, are varied. They canbe highly specialised in a particular area,but most often, they are multi-disciplinarians. SANBI’s horticulturistsare unique in their work, with a mandate

specialising in indigenous plants. Keybroad focus areas for their work arehorticultural research and development,conservation, garden management andpublic information management. As inother professional fields, they alsomanage resources and human capital.

Horticulturists in SANBI are qualifiedprofessionals responsible primarily forthe development, maintenance and

curation of living plant collections tosupport or drive research, education andconservation, generating knowledge anddisseminating it in various ways,including public talks, and publishing inpopular and/or peer-reviewed journals.To be eligible for consideration under the‘Hort Ladder’ a horticulturist mustperform a minimum of 60% of theirduties in horticultural pursuits.

A horticultural pursuit concerns itselfwith plants or landscape managementassociated with botanic gardenmanagement and development,including such activities as:

• living collections curation; • ex situ and in situ conservation;• taxonomy; • developing/utilising techniques andprotocols to grow a diverse range ofplant species;

• education and communication on theimportance of conserving plants andhow to grow or use them reaching adiverse audience;

• landscaping to achieve public displays;


ARTICLE

CAREER LADDER FOR HORTICULTURISTS INTHE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BIODIVERSITYINSTITUTE (SANBI) “HORT LADDER”

The career ladder for horticulturists follows a multi-dimensional approach and is aimed at recognizing,attracting, retaining and developing horticulture and horticulturists in botanical gardens, to fulfilSANBI’s mandate.

Authors: Christopher Willis, Andrew Hankey, Thompson Mutshinyalo,Werner Voigt, Berenice Carolus, Phakamani Xaba, Monique McQuillan,Elias Moeng, Rene du Toit and Kaashiefa Bassier

Mashudu Nndanduleni hand pollinating Serruriaflorida in the motherstock for threatened species (Vuyani Nqumla)

Anthony Hitchcock inspecting Erica verticillata restored to Rondevlei (Adam Harrower)

• sustainable development of plantslinked to people’s well-being;

• conserving indigenous or localknowledge, research and development.

Although horticulture in SANBI’s nationalbotanical gardens is a specialized andcore profession, its growth anddevelopment has been limited by a lackof a career pathing and development. To address this, a career ladder forhorticulturists was launched by SANBI in2015/16 to recognise, attract, retain anddevelop horticulture and horticulturists.

The Career ladder

Objectives

• To develop a clear progression andcareer path for horticulturists withinSANBI.

• To standardize performance andmanagement tools for horticulturists.

• To advance horticultural science tobenefit SANBI’s mandate.

• To encourage, recognize and rewardspecialization in horticulture withinSANBI.

• To encourage academic advancementin horticulture.

• To attract, develop and retainhorticultural skills in the Institute.

The career ladder applies to bothpermanent and fixed-term contracthorticultural staff.

Rungs and requirements

The career ladder for horticulturists inSANBI has eight rungs. The rungs are:

Rung 1: Candidate Horticulturist –works under close supervision.Rung 2: Horticulturist 1 – works undersome supervision but shows ability tobecome more independent.Rung 3: Horticulturist 2 – worksindependently and starting to developtheir record of accomplishmentshereafter referred to as track record.Rung 4: Senior Horticulturist 1 – startingto establish their track record locally.Rung 5: Senior Horticulturist 2 – locallyestablished, and starting to establishtheir track record regionally.Rung 6: Principal Horticulturist 1 –regionally established track record withconsiderable and increasing recognitionas a leader, leads projects in SANBI witha team of national collaborators.

Rung 7: Principal Horticulturist 2 –nationally established track record withconsiderable and increasing recognitionas a leader, leads projects in SANBI witha team of national collaborators.Rung 8: Chief Horticulturist – highlyrecognised at national and internationallevel. Leads teams of collaboratinghorticulturists or professionals, insideand outside the Institute, which includesinternationally based members.

Career ladder criteria

The career ladder is based on a series ofinputs and outputs that describe andmeasure the skills and experiencerequired to fulfil different rungs on the

career ladder. Inputs can loosely bedefined as what an individual brings tothe job, in terms of their learnt skills andexperience. Outputs are the measurabledeliverables of the job and for whichevidence of achievement can beprovided.

• Input: quantifiable measure ofcapability based on qualification,experience and leadership

• Output: quantifiable measure ofproductivity identified as relevant to aspecific profession

Capability indicators have been definedto help in the measurement ofindividuals’ suitability to a specific rung.


Roger Oliver inspecting buchu at Kirstenbosch (SANBI collection)

Dineo Dibakwane collecting Athanasia grandiceps seeds in the Drakensberg (Sthembile Zondi)

Each input and output is weighted andcontributes to an overall score. Ahorticulturist’s position on the ladder isestablished by determining the weightedsum of levels of competency regardingInputs and Outputs. Expectations arecumulative, and at each rung, additionalachievements are added to those of therung immediately below.

The inputs for evaluation are:

• Input 1: Required qualificationsThis Input refers to appropriateacademic or professional qualificationsneeded to perform horticultural dutiesto achieve the required levels ofacceptance by peers, stakeholdersand clients nationally andinternationally at different levels of ahorticulturist career ladder.

• Input 2: Relevant working experienceThe appropriate working experiencewill specifically be related to botanicalgarden management and horticultureneeded to successfully performhorticultural duties e.g. gardenmaintenance operations, gardendevelopment, the support of humancapital development, curation of livingcollections and specialised botanicalgarden services to the Institute.

• Input 3: Strategic horticulturalleadershipStrategic horticultural leadership refersto skilled-based leadershipcomplemented by the proven ability todevelop and implement horticulturalstrategies in horticultural subject areasand/or areas of competency. Strategichorticultural leadership has an impactat a local, regional, national andinternational level.

The outputs for evaluation are:

• Output 1: Horticultural research anddevelopmentHorticultural research and anyconservation research and restorationmust be guided and undertakenaccording to scientific researchmethodology principles and policy.Knowledge dissemination involvesreporting on the results of research in anumber of different ways. It includespublication of peer-reviewed papers inscientific journals, books, popular

articles, web-based articles, public orinstitutional lectures, debates andpanels, and information leaflets. Theseare used to engage not only with thescientific community, but also withusers of research outputs, including arange of end-users and policy-makersand ultimately interested members ofthe public. The emphasis should be onrecent achievements, and for thispurpose, the incumbent’s track recordover the past seven (7) years is usedwhen determining appropriate levels.Requirements for this output includethe ability to undertake scientifichorticultural research and the ability tocommunicate research results andoutcomes.

• Output 2: Human capitaldevelopmentHuman capital development is the on-going development of self, staff,work-integrated learning (WIL)students, post-graduate students andinterns through coaching (skillsdevelopment), mentoring, workassignments, structured training andappropriate supervision in order tomaximise human potential, in line withthe needs of the Institute.

Requirements for this output include:the ability to transfer skills andknowledge, the drive for self-development, the ability to be anaffective mentor, and to deliver formaland informal training.


Bathabile Ndlovu pruning Plectranthus saccatus (Philisiwe Sibiya)

Mashudu Nndanduleni monitoring and doinginventory of Leucadendron argenteum (Silver tree)at Cecilia Forest (Chamell Pluim)

Bathabile Ndlovu plant collection Midlands (Dineo Dibakwane)

• Output 3: Curation of livingcollectionsLiving collections require dedicated,skilled staff to develop and grow theminto useful assets of the Institute andthe country. Competent individuals arecrucial to the success of any livingcollection. Requirements for thisoutput include skills related to ensuringthe viability and genetic integrity of thecollection, to managing a range ofspecies, to ensuring accuracy ofcomplex data recording, to conductingfield collecting and to identify and setliving collection norms and standards.

• Output 4: Horticultural maintenanceand developmentHorticultural maintenance includes allaspects of daily operational processesand development of botanicalgardens, associated nurseries, and theneed for planning to meet themandate of SANBI. Requirements forthis output include the ability todevelop and implement horticulturalmaintenance processes, the ability toplan long and short term targets forhorticultural development, and theability to align strategic GardenDevelopment Plans to meetexpectations and align them to thebotanical garden’s vision.

• Output 5: Plant conservation andcollaborationCollaboration through engagingstakeholders or partners internally orexternally is an integral part ofSANBI’s mandate in fulfilling itsmission and reaching its objectives.Collaborations may entail a simpleproject with two or three role playersor a complex project with multiplestakeholder organisations and

individuals entailing several and moreinvolved facets. Collaborations andpartnerships should first benefit theparticular garden where the incumbentis based, but may later lead tonational, network-wide andinternational benefits for allstakeholders. Requirements for thisoutput include the ability to harnessunique expertise or capabilities formutual benefit, establishing orstrengthening co-operative linkagesand thereby increasing productivity,avoiding “re-inventing the wheel” toreach inter-related goals quicker, andgaining support and mitigating risks.

Applying the Hort Ladder

Horticulturists are assessed according tothe level of competence displayed foreach of the three inputs and five outputs.Value points are assigned for theappropriate level of competence in eacharea and then added to give an overallscore, which is then used to determinethe appropriate placement on the careerladder. It is important to note thathorticulturists can be assessed as beingat different levels for different inputs oroutputs (e.g. a horticulturist can be at level3 for Output 1, but level 5 for Output 5).

An illustration of the application of theHort Ladder is provided for ahorticulturist submitting a ‘portfolio ofevidence’ as follows:

Input 1 – Required qualifications:Completed NQF (National QualificationFramework) level 7 qualification inrelevant discipline. (e.g. BTech orAdvanced Diploma, or any qualificationdeemed to be equivalent by the SouthAfrican Qualifications Authority, SAQA).Equates to level 4 = 40 points.

Input 2 – Relevant working experience:5-6 years working experience inhorticultural field. Equates to level 5 = 80 points.

Input 3 – Strategic horticulturalleadership:Provides strategic horticultural leadershipwithin subject areas locally. Equates tolevel 4 = 40 points.

Capability indicator:• Evidence of independent development ofcomponents of strategy in subject areaswithin a garden. May includecomposition of sections of writtenstrategy, review or analysis of past trendsor current situation (1 over 7 years).

Output 1: Horticultural research anddevelopmentConducts horticultural research andwrites popular articles independently.Equates to level 4 = 40 points.

Capability indicators: • Takes responsibility for designing andcompleting horticultural experiments.


South Africa’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership team harvesting seed from the threatened succulent Frithiahumilis (Mesembryanthemaceae) at a coal mining site in Mpumalanga, South Africa (Erich Van Wyk)

Monique McQuillan restoring Erica verticillata,extinct in the wild, to Kenilworth RacecourseConservation Area (Anthony Hitchcock)

• Evidence of acceptance forpublication of 2 popular articles peryear (14 over 7 years).

• Presents research findings, doneunder supervision at local conferencesor professional forums; 2 over 7 yearsworked (either poster or oralpresentation).

• Evidence of acceptance forpublication of 1 co-authored peer-reviewed publication over 7 years.

Output 2: Human capital developmentFocuses on developing own skills andshows ability toward the coaching andmentoring of ground staff and students.Equates to level 3 = 20 points.

Capability indicators: • Evidence of self-development bymeans of an achieved careerdevelopment plan.

• Evidence of 2 ground staff and 3 WILstudents development over 7 yearsworked.

Output 3: Curation of living collectionsCurates basic living collection(s)independently (a basic collection requiresless specialist understanding and mayhave limited taxonomical challenges, beeasier to propagate, cultivate and oracquire than a complex collection).Equates to level 4 = 40 points.

Capability indicators:• Annual work plan reflects independentcuration of basic living plantcollection(s).

• The submitted and reviewed curationplan/continuance plan accuratelyreflects the collections, which isevident in the Garden State of theCollections review every three years.

• Fieldwork conducted introduces newappropriate accessions,independently.

• Accurate collection records areinventoried and submitted to thegarden Plant Recording offices every1-3 years.

Output 4: Horticultural maintenanceand developmentIndependently develops and implementscomplex maintenance and basicdevelopment plans. Contributes to theNBG Garden Development Plan andimplements section development.Equates to level 5 = 80 points.

Capability indicators:• Evidence of independently developedand reviewed complex maintenanceplans and submitted annually.

• Evidence of horticultural norms andstandards developed and are includedin maintenance plans.

• Evidence of contributions to individualGarden Development Plan.

• Evidence of section developmentplans and can provide long term(greater than 5 years) plans.

Output 5: Plant conservation andcollaborationRuns multiple complex plantconservation projects through internaland external collaborative engagementsand provides input into the developmentof SANBI’s regional conservation plans.Equates to level 6 = 120 points.

Capability indicators:• Evidence of successfully leading andcoordinating, multiple, concurrentcomplex projects that engagedmultiple stakeholders.

• A record of at least 2 regionallycompleted complex projects over aperiod of 7 years worked.

• Produces quarterly progress reportson current regional collaborativeinitiatives (e.g. the implementation of anumber of regional plantconservation/restoration programmes).

In the above example, the overall scorefor both inputs (160) and outputs (300)combined = 460 points, which wouldindicate the incumbent should be placed

on Rung 4 of the Career ladder andwould equate to Salary level 9: SeniorHorticulturist 1.

Evaluation process

At regular intervals (the standard beingevery three years), horticulturists arerequired to submit a portfolio of evidence,based on the three inputs and all fiveoutputs, using evidence from the previousseven-year period only. This portfolio isassessed by a SANBI-appointedModeration Panel. Horticulturists arerequired to show consistent satisfactoryperformance in order to progress to thenext rung of the ladder.

Career Development Plans

These are developed to outline themilestones required for horticulturists toprogress to the next rung of the ladderand cover a 3-5 year period. CareerDevelopment Plans are translated on anannual basis into the work plan of thehorticulturists and also link with theirPersonal Development Plans.

Christopher Willis, Andrew Hankey,Thompson Mutshinyalo, Werner Voigt,Berenice Carolus, Phakamani Xaba,Monique McQuillan, Elias Moeng,Rene du Toit and Kaashiefa BassierSouth African National BiodiversityInstitute, South Africa.

For further enquiries contact Ms Rene duToit, [email protected].


Sthembile Zondi experimenting with Protea seeds (Dineo Dibakwane)

The MSBP staff targeting endemic Watsoniaumtamvunense for seed collecting at UmtamvunaNature Reserve in Pondoland

The manual is intended for botanicgardens and arboreta as ever-evolving institutions that respondto environmental and societalneeds, changes and challenges.

It is not meant to be prescriptive but to offerguidance and ideas with case studies fromaround the world. As a comprehensiveresource, the guidance provided aims atnewly developing institutions with limitedexperience as well as at established botanicgardens that may seek advice or informationfor instance as part of a re-development oran organisational review.

The manual is organised in 4 main parts and 8 chapters.

Part A: From Idea to Realisation – Bringing a Big Idea to LifeThis section is primarily aimed at stakeholders who wish to create a newbotanic garden or substantially modify an existing garden. It covers the processinvolved in transforming the idea of a botanic garden into reality with all of theplanning, building and development in between.

Chapter 1: Planning and Implementing Botanic Garden Design Projects

Part B: Organisational and Operational EssentialsThis section sets out the governance models, processes, human resources andfinancial mechanisms required to operate a botanic garden.

Chapter 2: Governance Models, Human and Financial Resources Development

Part C: The Plant Collection – Linchpin of the Botanic GardenThis section discusses the plant collection that the botanic garden is builtaround. Topics include the development of a collection policy; collection recordmanagement systems; horticultural management; and uses of the collection.

Chapter 3: No Plant Collection without a Strategy or PolicyChapter 4: The Plant Collection in the International Policy ContextChapter 5: Collection Record Management SystemsChapter 6: Horticultural ManagementChapter 7: Using the Plant Collection – Research, Conservation, Education,

Public Engagement, Recreation and Tourism

Part D: Botanic Gardens as Models of Environmental SustainabilityThis section sets out how botanic gardens around the world are addressingsustainability challenges such as energy, water and recycling.

Chapter 8: Managing Environmental Sustainability

From Idea to Realisation •••• BGCI’s Manual on Planning, Developing and Managing Botanic Gardens

AFrom Idea to Realisation – Bringing a Big Idea to Life

B 03/08/2017 08:51 Page 1


BOrganisational and Operational Essentials

03/08/2017 08:52 Page 27


CThe Plant Collection –Linchpin of the Botanic Garden

03/08/2017 08:53 Page 45


DBotanic Gardens as Models of Environmental Sustainability

© Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

B 03/08/2017 08:54 Page 226

4 Parts - 8 Chapters

Available now: bgci.org/resources/2016-bgci-botanic-garden-manual/

From Idea to RealisationBGCI’s Manual on Planning, Developing

and Managing Botanic Gardens

From Idea to RealisationBGCI’s Manual on Planning, Developing and Managing Botanic Gardens

Botanic Gardens Conservation International

http://bgci.org/resources/2016-bgci-botanic-garden-manual/

Membership benefits include

BGCI’s directory of botanic gardens, GardenSearch, lists2,500 botanic gardens that conserve a third of knownplant diversity and attract 500 million visitors a year.

BGCI is a leadership and catalyst organisation that worksto promote botanic gardens as a professional community,share knowledge and skills and mobilise funding for plantconservation.

• BGCI’s publications, including ourjournals, BGjournal and Roots

• Botanic garden technical support andadvisory services

• Major discounts on registration feesfor BGCI Congresses

• Access to advanced collections dataanalysis services

• Eligibility for BGCI project funding• Eligibility for subsidized BGCI training

courses• Eligibility for BGCI’s conservation

accreditation scheme

JOIN THE WORLD’S LARGESTPLANT CONSERVATION NETWORK

For 30 years Botanic Gardens Conservation International hasrepresented the botanic garden and arboretum community.

Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Volume 13 • Number 2 • July 2016

Restoring damagedecosystems:The role of botanic gardensand the Ecological Restoration Alliance

New features in this issue:

• Talking plants: an interview with a plantconservation champion

• Plant hunting tales fromSouth Africa

• Featured gardens: focus on Malawi

Volume 13 • Number 2 • September 2016

Botanic Gardens Conservation International Education Review

Volunteers for publicengagementVolunteers - invaluable or of limited value?

Voluteers - botanical guardiansSupporting scientists as volunteers

• Eligibility for BGCI twinning/mentoring scheme

• Eligibility for BGCI prizes and awards• Use of the BGCI website to promote

your events and news• Use of BGCI’s logo and name• A membership pack, including

a Certificate of membership

Printed on 100% recycled paper

Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Descanso House, 199 Kew Road,Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3BW, U.K.

Tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5953 Fax: +44 (0)20 8332 5956E-mail: [email protected]: www.bgci.org

ISSN 1811-8712

www.congressline.hu/eastcentgard3budapest2017

Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation …...Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International...

Documents

Transcript of Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation …...Journal of Botanic Gardens Conservation International...