ENSCONET : The European Native Seed Conservation Network
La Red Europea para la conservación de semillas silvestres
Simon Linington
Seed Conservation Department, RBG Kew, Wakehurst Place, Sussex, UK
What is Seed Conservation?• Use of seed storage
for ex situ (off-site) plant genetic resource conservation
• Very efficient form of ex situ conservation
• Collections underpin in situ (on-site) conservation and act as a usable resource
Threatened European native vascular plants
• One of best studied floras – 12 000 species
• Among the world’s most threatened floras
• 21% species are threatened
• 50% endemics ‘in danger of extinction’
• Much genetic erosion at population level
ENSCONET Project Purpose
Improved quality, co-ordination and integration of European seed conservation practice, policy and research for native plant species - to assist EU conservation policy and its obligations to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Mejorar la calidad, la coordinación y la integración de las practicas de conservación de semillas en Europa, las legislaciones y la investigación sobre la plantas silvestres,
Participar en la política de conservación de la CE y sus obligaciones en respecto a la convención sobre la diversidad biológica y la estrategia global de conservación de plantas.
ENSCONET Project Purpose• 19 European institutions
• 16 with seed banks for native species; 3 with associated interest
• Seed banks range in experience:
2 months (Lombardy Seed Bank, Pavia)
40 years (Universidad Politecnica de Madrid)
• Local, national, regional remits
Disparate Co-ordinated
Dispar Coordinados
Bring together isolated activities and institutions to maximum effect
Basic ENSCONET information
• A Co-ordination Action funded under the Research Infrastructures Activity of EU Framework Programme 6 (comprises 18 Integrated Infrastructure Initiatives and 3 Co-ordination Actions)
• Grant of € 2.54 m plus significant institutional ‘in kind’ support
• November 2004 – November 2009
• Co-ordinated by RBG Kew
History
2001 Application for Thematic Network under EU Framework Programme 5 (unsuccessful)
2002 Preparation for application under FP 6
2003 Application for Co-ordination Action under FP 6 (successful)
2004 Preparation and signing of contract with Commission. November start
European native plant conservation context
• Berne Convention (Bern 1982)– Conservation of European wildlife and natural habitat
• Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio 1992)– Conservation of biological diversity– Sustainable use of biological resources– Equitable sharing of benefits National Biodiversity Action Plans – e.g. UK 1994
• EC Directive 92/43/EEC (Brussels 1992)– Habitat and species conservation directives
European native plant conservation context
• EU 6th Environment Action Programme (2001)– To 2010– Biodiversity Action Plans
• European Plant Conservation Strategy (Průhonice 2001)– Halt loss of wild plant diversity in Europe
• Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (Hague 2002)– 16 targets for 2010 including (viii) 60% of threatened plant species in
accessible ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and 10% of them included in recovery and restoration programmes
National reports e.g. Plant Diversity Challenge, UK 2004
European native plant conservation context
Recent European recognition of the importance and loss of biodiversity
– Gothenburg European Consul (2001)
– Kyiv Resolution (2003)– Killarney Declaration (2004)– Countdown 2010 (2004)
European native plant conservationSome key players
• National government agencies
• Planta Europa
• European Botanic Gardens Consortium
• National botanic garden networks
• BGCI
• IPGRI (crop wild relatives)
• National seed bank networks
• REDBAG – Spain
• RIBES - Italy
• Regional seed bank network - GENMEDOC
• Individual seed banks
• Organisations with interest in seed conservation
ENSCONET ParticipantsAustria
Belgium
Cyprus
France
Greece (2)
Hungary
Ireland
Italy (3)
Poland
Slovakia
Spain (5)
UK
New members (5)
ENSCONET Participants
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK (Co-ordinator)• University of Athens, Greece• Institute of Botany, Bratislava, Slovakia• Budapest Zoo & Botanic Garden, Hungary• Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece• Jardin Botánico de Córdoba, Spain• Trinity College Dublin, Ireland• Jardin Botánico Viera y Clavijo, Gran Canaria, Spain• Agricultural Research Institute, Lefkosia, Cyprus• Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain• National Botanic Garden of Belgium, Meise, Belgium• Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France• Universita di Pavia, Italy• Universita di Pisa, Italy• Jardí Botànic de Sóller, Mallorca, Spain• Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento, Italy• Universitat de Valencia, Spain• University of Vienna, Austria• Warsaw Botanical Garden, Poland
Organisation of ENSCONETManagement Team
Annual Network Meeting
External Arbiters
Collecting Activity Group
Curation Activity Group
Data Management Activity Group
Dissemination Activity Group
Progress reports
Proposals for future actions
Co-ordination of Activity Groups
Progress monitoring
Links to European conservation & research communities
Management Team 1st Meeting
Wellcome Trust Millennium Building, Wakehurst Place, Sussex, UK – 3 March 2005
Collecting Activity GroupOutput
Development of integrated seed collecting programmes (all European bio-geographical regions) for native plant species of conservation and sustainable use value
Bio-geographical regions
Atlantic
Continental
Alpine }
Boreal }
Macaronesian }
Mediterranean }
Collecting Activity GroupLeader / Deputy – Jardin Canario / Chania
Deliverables
• Baseline of species held in European banks
• Prioritised list of species for collection
• Prioritised seed collection programme developed for the 6 bio-geographical regions
• Common, high standard of seed collecting adopted - maximises genetic diversity / seed longevity
Curation Activity GroupOutput
Enhancement of quality and security of seed conservation for native species within Europe through improved curation achieved by sharing of expertise / facilities
Curation Activity GroupLeader / deputy – Warsaw / Trento
Deliverables
• Baseline documentation on facilities available
• Agreed common protocol - maintain genetic diversity / seed longevity and overcome dormancy
• Co-ordinated programme for
(1) sharing facilities
(2) dissemination of information / good practices among participants
(3) duplicate storage - enhance quality /security of seed conservation
• Regionally-based research programme established - improve quality and security of work
Data Management Activity Group
Outputs
A virtual European seed bank for wild-collected native species through integration of collection data held by ENSCONET partners
Easier access to seed collections by researchers across Europe and improved use of electronic data relevant to seed conservation
Data Management Activity Group
Leader / deputy – Dublin / Chania
Deliverables
• Common data exchange standards / tools adopted - facilitate data integration
• Protocol for recording seed germination data adopted
• Data management system with relational database structure to support consistent data entry / control in developing banks
• Virtual European native species seed bank
Dissemination Activity Group
Output
Provide seed conservation managers, researchers, policy makers and other relevant representative organisations with information and understanding of ENSCONET’s work and its results
Dissemination Activity Group
Leader / deputy – Valencia / Chania
Deliverables
• Dissemination policy and programme
• Website and e-forum
• Knowledge and technology from ENSCONET activities available in printed form
The Vision for ENSCONET• Plays a key role within European conservation activity and
particularly the delivery of the GSPC• Links well to related initiatives, groups and databases• Influences policy• Develops into a long-lasting and wider network
• Actuar un papel clave a dentro de las actividades de conservación Europeas y en particular en la entrega de la Estrategia Global de Conservación de Plantas (EGCP)
• Establecer buenas conexiones con las iniciativas, los grupos y las bases de datos relacionados
• Influir en las legislaciones
• Desarrollar una red mas amplia y durable
Acknowledgements
• The European Commission
• The ENSCONET participants
• Dr Monique Henry (Project Co-ordinator [email protected])
• Roger Smith, Clare Tenner & Steve Alton
• The Fundación Areces
• Professor Esteban Hernández Bermejo
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