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Feedback on the implementation process

 

Progress with the 42 targets of the ESPC

The second section of the online survey of ESPC implementation required respondents to consider each of the 42 targets of the ESPC and identify specific actions they were aware of on a national and European level. They were also asked to provide where possible a percentage guestimate of the progress made. As this was a very wide field involving very diverse objectives and activities throughout Europe, it has provided a good indication of the most successful initiatives and best aimed projects that have been able to deliver real plant conservation gains on the ground.

Illustrative case studies of progress in implementation of the ESPC& GSPC targets are presented in Part 2 of this report.

 

Objective 1: Understanding and Documenting Plant Diversity
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There has been considerable progress in implementing ESPC targets under Objective 1 throughout the region, on both national and pan-European scale. There are checklists of vascular plants and other groups in many European countries and most countries have national Red Lists of vascular plants. Tried and tested protocols for conserving and monitoring plants exist in many countries, however an effective on-line clearing house mechanism would make it easier to disseminate and use this information.

Examples of progress:

    Challenges:

      • A major challenge remains to integrate all ongoing initiatives and information into a European Red List of threatened plant species, particularly for widely distributed but rapidly declining species
      • There is very little information on models for using wild plant resources sustainably

    NEW ESPC (2008 - 2014) HIGHLIGHTS

    TARGET 1: Checklists are progressing well at national and regional levels in Europe for vascular plants, bryophytes and fungi. There is a need of dynamic lists which can be updated regularly and include bryophytes, lichen, algae, fungi and cultivated plants.

    Non-native species should be integrated into the European checklist with appropriate risk assessment for invasive alien species.

    Different European lead organisations are necessary for the different taxonomic groups and all initiatives should link to the work on GSPC target 1, coordinated by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

    TARGET 2: The lack of development of a European Red List for vascular plants remains a key obstacle for conservation.

    The IUCN RapidList tool for preliminary assessments is strongly recommended as a step towards Red List assessment.

    TARGET 3: The promotion, dissemination and information exchange on tested methods for plant conservation should be enhanced.

    For tackling many of the emerging environmental issues large amounts of data are needed, therefore effective international information sharing and cross-border cooperation should be promoted.

     

    Objective 2: Conserving plant diversity
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    It has been a major challenge to collate information to analyse progress under this objective. There have been a significant number of activities for each of the ESPC/GSPC targets, in particular at a national and sub-national level. There is, however, no mechanism in place to monitor these developments systematically on a European scale, which has hindered a cooperative approach to the development of European wide projects and activities. Only through this can Europe monitor and communicate its leading role in plant conservation, developing tools and protocols and stimulating activities beyond the region.

    Examples of progress:

      • Natura 2000 national and regional databases contain information on species, habitats and sites of European concern for plant conservation protected by EU law.
      • Micro reserves, a concept developed in Spain, have been established in several regions in Europe and technical guidance is being developed
      • Important Plant Area (IPA) identification projects have been carried out or are being carried out in more than fifteen counties in Europe. Maps, factsheets and threat statistics are available on-line for Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in several European countries (www.plantlifeipa.org/reports.asp)
      • The Royal Dutch Society for Nature Conservation, Veen Ecology ( www.veenecology.nl ) and national partner organisations have carried out a series of grassland and virgin forest assessments in 14 European countries. In Slovakia, the Daphne Institute of Applied Ecology is using the results of the grassland survey to assess farmland for agri-environment funding.
      • The European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET) holds a combined list of seed banks in the EU (8114 species), the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew holds 7066 European species, and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is currently assessing information on seed banks in Europe, available through the PlantSearch website (www.bgci.org/plant_search.php/)
      • European Strategy on Invasive Aliens by the Council of Europe, the extension of NEOBIOTA (the European Group on Biological Invasions) to all Europe, the EU funded DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe) project to provide inventories, expertise and early warning systems for invasive species and many national projects

    Challenges:

      • Base-line data for assessing current status and changes
      • An effective on-line clearing house mechanism to collate and disseminate information
      • Incorporating important plant sites within ecological networks and ‘green corridors’ to mitigate the effects of fragmented landscapes and the new threats from climate change.

    NEW ESPC (2008 - 2014) HIGHLIGHTS

      TARGET 4 and 5: The focus of the IPA programme, along with the legally protected areas such as those within Natura 2000 network must change from identification to long term protection and conservation. Measures to enlarge and connect the sites should be taken in order to promote connectivity and mitigate the effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation.

      Plant micro-reserve programme offers a practical method for protecting smaller sites and has been used sucessfully in regions with high levels of endemism.

      TARGET 6: There is a need to work with a wider range of conservation and policy organisations to demonstrate to politicians, farmers and foresters the benefits of conserving plant diversity. Also there is a need to illustrate that sustainable agriculture/forestry and economic stability and growth are not contradictory and engage with EU CAP to ensure greater support for efective environmental` management schemes.

      TARGETS 7 and 8: Due to the significant variability of species diversity across Europe, ESPC recommends that resources should be targeted at those countries with the highest number of species per unit area and lowest capacity to deliver conservation.

      The cooperation of in-situ and ex-situ conservation projects shuold be enhanced to optimise results.

      TARGET 10: As climate change will increase the threat posed by invasive species, research, information exchange on methods of tackling these species, early warning systems and effective action plans are required. Also, development of transboundary projects to avoid the spreading of invasive species due to trade should be implemented.

      Objective 3: Using plant diversity sustainably
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      Activities under Objective 3 currently focus on the sustainable use of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP). European and global activities are closely linked, as Europe is not only a key consumption area for globally traded MAP harvested from the wild, but some European countries are also among the world’s most important trade centres (e.g. Germany and France). Europe also serves as a supply area; in particular the Balkans where over-harvesting is a severe problem.

    Examples of progress:

      • An International Standard for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP) has been developed in a joint initiative with WWF, TRAFFIC, BfN and IUCN-MPSG and is currently being piloted to stakeholders
      • WWF and TRAFFIC have carried out research into the trade and utilisation of medicinal plants in several key locations and a review of existing initiatives on sustainable use
      • The MAP in the Balkans project implemented by WWF Germany and TRAFFIC has provided information on the collection of MAPs, relevant legislation and the potential for MAPs to provide finances for nature conservation and protected areas.

    Challenges:

      • Lack of information on tried and tested methods for sustainable use of wild plant resources
      • Engagement with local people who use wild plants for all or part of their livelihoods

    NEW ESPC (2008 - 2014) HIGHLIGHTS

    Using plant diversity sustainably is one of the most challenging objectives of the ESPC and also offers the most potential for engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and new audiences on the need for protecting plant species and the benefits of conserving plant diversity.

    Plant conservationists need to work with land managers, farmers and wild plant collectors to develop working methods for managing resources sustainably and to promote those models which have been demonstrated to work.

    TARGET 11: Although CITES and policies in most countries are internationally acknowledged methods for delivering this target there is the need for strong national implementation agencies.

    As a key tool for the implementation of this target the New International Standard for Sustainable Wild Collection of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ISSC-MAP) offers valuable information and methods for all those involved in trade and management of medicinal and aromatic species.

    TARGET 12: There is a need for greater information on the plant resource 'footprint' in Europe: evaluate the sustainability of the plant-based products grown and consumed in Europe or imported from outside its borders. Certification systems for sustainable, biodiversity-friendly agricultural/forestry management systems should be established.

    There is a need to engage with other specialised organisations to ensure that messages to promote sustainability, including risk assessments, biofuels and carbon offsetting are taken into account.

    TARGET 13: Ethnobotany in Europe is considered as a not very relevant and 'exotic' science, therefore, investments towards its development are still few. The promotion of Ethnobotany and the understanding of the connections between people, places and the plants they use could revive interest in plants, engaging more people in conservation of wild flora.

      The development of the ESPC has made a significant impact on promoting plant conservation, especially among scientific and specialist communities. The 700 botanic gardens in Europe all have education and communication programmes and are contributing significantly to these targets. However, there are many areas where more effort and projects would have great benefits for plant conservation. The ESPC, and plant conservation in general, need a higher profile among national and EU decision makers.

      Examples of progress:

      • ESPC translated into 8 European languages and available on-line
      • There are nearly 700 botanic gardens in Europe and all are active in education and awareness raising to some extent; the PlasciGarden Programme funded by the EU Sixth Framework Research Programme aims to increase awareness of plant conservation at the primary level in schools
      • The British Lichen Society has developed a series of teaching materials and information for teachers available on-line (www.thebls.org.uk/content/proj.html)
      • A wake-up call for plants in Europe is being undertaken by Planta Europa in 2007, and several countries have launched public awareness projects for plants
      • Volunteer plant recorders are active in several countries in Europe, for example the UK, the Netherlands, Turkey

    Challenges:

      • Raising the profile of the ESPC/GSPC among national and EU decision makers
      • Including plant conservation information in national school curricula
      • Increasing the awareness of the importance of wild plants among the general public
      • Funds for awareness raising work

    NEW ESPC (2008 - 2014) HIGHLIGHTS

    TARGET 14: There is an urgent need to engage the interest of a much wider range of people in the value of plants and their conservation to achieve the aims of the ESPC.

    There is a need for effective and innovative communication elements about plant conservation that should provide specific information according to the different target audiences (policy makers, young people, teachers and students, land managers and spatial planners, general public and trade, business and tourism sectors)

    Information on plant conservation should be clear and regularly updated, so as to maintain/increase the interest of the audiences along with the implementation of methods to measure the success of the campaigns.

    Partnerships with businesses that deliver conservation benefit should be promoted.

    Botanic Gardens play an essential pivotal role in awareness raising of the value of plants and their conservation as a key link between plant specialists and the general public and are well placed to publicise both the aims of the activities of international policies (GSPC and ESPC) and the value and threats to their national floras.

      Objective 5: Building capacity for the conservation of plant diversity
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      Effective cooperation is impossible in a highly complex conservation arena such as Europe without the focussed cooperation of networks and working groups. Planta Europa, European Council for the Conservation of Fungi (ECCF), The European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET), European Committee for Conservation of Bryophytes (ECCB) and the newly established European Mycologists Association (EMA) are just a few examples of cooperation for plant conservation in Europe. European Botanic gardens are linked through the European Botanic Gardens Consortium. EU botanic gardens meet every three years at the EuroGard conference to exchange experiences on issues related to plant conservation. The triennial Planta Europa Conferences are proven key events for bringing together players from all sectors and countries to discuss a joint vision and strategy for the protection of Europe’s wild plants. One of the weaker points of the implementation of the GSPC and governmental input into the ESPC is the lack of a formal network for lead organisations and national focal points, and the lack of communication between the CBD Secretariat and the regional and national focal points.

    The second part of this target calls for an increase in the number and capacity of trained specialists who are essential to implement the ESPC. The number of trained taxonomists is rapidly declining and there is a lack of clear information on the progress of this target and very few examples of ongoing projects.

    Examples of progress:

      • The ECCB have used their network to complete a Europe wide checklist of bryophytes and liverworts, and the ECCF are working on a European Red List for fungi
      • Planta Europa membership currently stands at 73 members in 37 countries
      • The fifth Planta Europa Conference in Romania in September 2007 focused on the role of networks in enhancing plant conservation in Europe
      • EDIT, a project funded by the Sixth Framework Research Funding of the EU to create a European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy
      • From 2004-2006 Scottish Natural Heritage funded the British Lichen Society to train 7 apprentices as lichen recorders. After completing their training the recorders now carry out surveys, established a churchyard lichen group and set up a travelling lichen exhibition.

    Challenges:

      • Lack of funding for either network-building or taxonomy and specialised training
      • Lack of a clear strategy on a national or European level for increasing the number of trained taxonomists and other specialists

      NEW ESPC (2008 - 2014) HIGHLIGHTS

      This is an essential yet under-resourced element of plant conservation in Europe.

      There is an urgent need for funding to ensure the long term training of specialists and for developing and maintaining networks, still in the list of least eligible projects for funders and governmental schemes.

      TARGET 15: Trained people for plant conservation includes not only field botanists and taxonomists but ecologists, agriculture and forestry specialists, and those who engage in policy, education, fund-raising and awareness raising.

      TARGET 16: Networks should strengthen relations and cooperation with other networks and relevant organisations from the fields of agriculture and forestry, wildlife conservation, legislation and policy, plant genetic resources and ex-situ conservation.

      The establishment of national or regional networks should be promoted and undertaken by Planta Europa members, cooperating with established organisations so as to develop specific responses to the issues in these areas and ensure the adoption of the principles of the international strategies (GSPC and ESPC).

       

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