Harnessing the power of botanical gardens: Evaluating the costs and resources needed for exceptional plant conservation

Abstract

Premise The effective ex situ conservation of exceptional plants, whether in living collections or cryo‐collections, requires more resources than the conservation of other species. Because of their expertise with rare plants, botanical gardens are well positioned to lead this effort, but a well‐developed strategy requires a clear understanding of the resources needed. Methods Grant funding was obtained from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support a three‐year project on cryobanking, and to provide smaller grants to 10 other botanical gardens for one‐year projects on either (1) seed behavior studies or (2) the development of protocols for in vitro propagation or cryopreservation. Results Nine of the partner gardens worked on 19 species (one was unable to continue due to the COVID‐19 pandemic), while the larger project focused on 14 species. A point system was developed for tasks accomplished, and the average costs per point of the larger and smaller projects were similar. Labor accounted for half the costs. Projects focused on species in the Asteraceae and Orchidaceae had lower costs per point than other species. Discussion Both large and small projects can contribute to a strategy for exceptional plant conservation for similar costs. Prioritizing species with lower costs could help advance the field while allowing time for work on more difficult species to develop.

Supporting long‐term sustainability of ex situ collections using a pedigree‐based population management approach

“…Research is also currently underway to test the ability of B. insignis pollen and seeds to survive storage in liquid nitrogen, to explore their potential for long‐term storage via cryopreservation. Cryopreservation of endangered, exceptional Hawaiian species is in the early stages, with at least 14 species recently focused on for development of cryopreservation protocols and banking (Philpott et al, 2022 ).…”

Seed dormancy and germination of the endangered exceptional Hawaiian lobelioid Brighamia rockii

“…For many exceptional species, cryobiotechnologies (and, to some extent, in vitro propagation) have been the main focus of preservation research (Pritchard, 2018 ; Pence et al, 2020 ; Philpott et al, 2022 ), but the storage of dry seeds at −18°C would be less expensive than cryobiotechnology. However, seeds of various species, including those of some EF3 species with intermediate storage behavior such as Brighamia , do not survive the long‐term combined stresses of desiccation and freezing at −18°C.…”

Building capacity in the conservation of exceptional plant species

“…Long‐term storage in liquid nitrogen provides many benefits, including reducing the space and labor needed to maintain living collections ex situ, extending the lifespan of many species in storage, and allowing for the banking of many different types of tissues besides seeds. Philpott et al ( 2022 ) investigate the costs and resources needed for the cryopreservation of several exceptional species, information that can be used by practitioners considering the use of cryobiotechnologies in their management plans.…”

“…Before undertaking the stewardship of an exceptional species, practitioners often have concerns about the associated costs and specific challenges. Philpott et al ( 2022 ) provide an overview of the costs involved and approaches utilized by a variety of botanic gardens targeting exceptional species. While the magnitude of costs can be unpredictable due to the challenges of working with these species, labor consistently accounts for the largest proportion of costs, indicating the need to invest in practitioners themselves to improve conservation outcomes.…”

“…This special issue grew out of a number of collaborative exceptional plant conservation initiatives, including the collaborative grant approach detailed in Philpott et al ( 2022 ) and the virtual Conservation of Exceptional Plants Symposium/Workshop hosted by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) in October 2021. The goal of the symposium was to increase the number of resources available to practitioners around the world by hosting a free, online, workshop‐style conference, with the majority of conference materials made permanently accessible online through the Exceptional Plant Conservation Network ( https://cincinnatizoo.org/conservation/crew/exceptional-plant-conservation-network/ ).…”