Ex Situ Gap Analysis for High Priority Species of Conservation Concern

The southeastern United States is a biodiversity hotspot – an area rich in unique habitats and plants that, because of anthropogenic influences and climate change, is at increased risk of loss. The region is home to over 11,000 native plant species, 30% of which are endemic. Of the 65 plants that have vanished in North America since European settlement, nearly 40% (25) are native to the Southeast. Of an additional seven plants extinct in the wild (only known in ex situ collections), four are from the Southeast.

Ex situ plant conservation is the maintenance and care of living plant material outside a species’ natural habitat, in the form of whole plants, seeds, pollen, tissues, and other viable germplasm. With growing environmental threats to wild plant populations, ex situ conservation is often of vital importance for long-term species survival. In addition to providing a safe haven to prevent a species’ complete extinction, ex situ collections support awareness-building for millions of botanic garden visitors and students each year by providing important and relevant plant conservation information. When produced from wild and genetically diverse material, ex situ plants can also supply material for reintroduction programs that return plants to the wild (in situ).

For ex situ conservation collections to be most effective, botanical and conservation organizations must collaborate and communicate with one another, to ascertain which threatened plant species are currently abundant in global conservation collections, and which species are absent or poorly represented.

The Southeastern Plant Conservation Alliance (SE PCA), in partnership with the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, U.S. (BGCI-US), and NatureServe, conducted an ex situ collections survey in early 2021. The analyses presented in this report provide a framework for assessing current ex situ representation and gaps for Southeastern plants of greatest conservation need. The results show fantastic progress for ex situ collections of plants from the Southeast and compares favorably to other regional ex situ analyses recently completed by BGCI. This demonstrates the valuable work of ex situ institutions in the southeastern United States. Our collective achievements and goals will guide ongoing efforts for the region and promote global standards for biodiversity conservation. These include securing the majority of rare plants of the Southeast in seed banks and cultivated (ex situ) living collections and implementing recovery and restoration programs that return ex situ material to the wild (in situ).

Learn more about ex situ conservation of Southeastern plants in this new report, accessible below:

Partners

Atlanta Botanical Garden

The Atlanta Botanical Garden has more than 30 years of experience in the conservation and recovery of rare and threatened plant species through research, propagation, collaborative restoration and habitat management. Through its Southeastern Center for Conservation & Research, the Atlanta Botanical Garden advances the science of conservation through research, collaborations, and native species recovery programs that include conservation collections at the Garden and applied conservation activities that support preservation of species in their native habitats.

NatureServe

For nearly 50 years, NatureServe has been the authoritative source for biodiversity data throughout the Americas. To protect threatened biodiversity, NatureServe works with nearly 100 organizations and over 1,000 conservation scientists to collect, analyze, and deliver standardized biodiversity information, providing comprehensive spatial data to meet both regulatory and conservation needs.

SE PCA

The SE PCA is a public and private partnership of professionals bridging gaps between local and national plant conservation efforts and collaborating to prevent and restore the loss of plant diversity in the southeastern United States. The Alliance is tailored to address multiple interests, to provide training opportunities, fill information gaps, identify conservation needs, prioritize efforts, and work collaboratively to conserve imperiled plants. The SE PCA achieves its goals by promoting best practices, adapting successful models, novel partnerships, and creative solutions to challenges while leveraging shared resources.
Learn more about SE PCA’s plant conservation in this info sheet.