Global strategy for plant conservation
Encyclopedia
The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) is a program of the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity
. The GSPC sought to slow the pace of plant extinction around the world by 2010. The GSPC began as a grass-roots movement in 1999 with discussions at the 16th International Botanical Congress
in St. Louis. A group of specialists subsequently met in Gran Canaria
and issued the Gran Canaria Declaration Calling for a Global Plant Conservation Strategy. Following extensive consultations, the fleshed-out GPSC was adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in April 2002. The heart of the GSPC are five goals, expressed as a total of 16 targets.
The 16 targets of the GSPC are:
Target 1: A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete world flora
Target 2: A preliminary assessment of the conservation status
of all known plant species, at national, regional and international levels
Target 3: Development of models with protocols for plant conservation and sustainable use, based on research and practical experience
Target 4: At least 10% of each of the world’s ecological regions effectively conserved
Target 5: Protection of 50% of the most important areas of plant diversity assured
Target 6: At least 30% of production lands managed consistent with the conservation of plant diversity
Target 7: 60% of the world’s threatened species conserved in situ
Target 8: 60% of threatened plant species in assessable ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and 10 per cent of them included in recovery and restoration programmes
Target 9: 70% of the genetic diversity of crops and other major socio-economically valuable plant species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained
Target 10: Management plans in place for at least 100 major alien species that threaten plants, plant communities and associated habitats and ecosystems
Target 11: No species of wild flora endangered by international trade
Target 12: 30% of plant-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed
Target 13: The decline of plant resources and associated indigenous and local knowledge, innovations and practices that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care, halted
Target 14: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, educational and public-awareness programmes
Target 15: The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities in plant conservation increased, according to national needs, to achieve that targets of this Strategy
Target 16: Networks for plant conservation activities established or strengthened at national, regional and international levels
The GSPC is being put through a formal review of progress by the Convention on Biological Diversity, culminating in major discussions in May 2008 in Bonn, Germany at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the CBD.
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty...
. The GSPC sought to slow the pace of plant extinction around the world by 2010. The GSPC began as a grass-roots movement in 1999 with discussions at the 16th International Botanical Congress
International Botanical Congress
International Botanical Congress is a large-scale meeting of botanists in all scientific fields, from all over the world. Authorized by the International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies , congresses are held every six years with the venue circulating around the world. The XVIII...
in St. Louis. A group of specialists subsequently met in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is the second most populous island of the Canary Islands, with a population of 838,397 which constitutes approximately 40% of the population of the archipelago...
and issued the Gran Canaria Declaration Calling for a Global Plant Conservation Strategy. Following extensive consultations, the fleshed-out GPSC was adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in April 2002. The heart of the GSPC are five goals, expressed as a total of 16 targets.
The 16 targets of the GSPC are:
Target 1: A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete world flora
Target 2: A preliminary assessment of the conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
of all known plant species, at national, regional and international levels
Target 3: Development of models with protocols for plant conservation and sustainable use, based on research and practical experience
Target 4: At least 10% of each of the world’s ecological regions effectively conserved
Target 5: Protection of 50% of the most important areas of plant diversity assured
Target 6: At least 30% of production lands managed consistent with the conservation of plant diversity
Target 7: 60% of the world’s threatened species conserved in situ
Target 8: 60% of threatened plant species in assessable ex situ collections, preferably in the country of origin, and 10 per cent of them included in recovery and restoration programmes
Target 9: 70% of the genetic diversity of crops and other major socio-economically valuable plant species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained
Target 10: Management plans in place for at least 100 major alien species that threaten plants, plant communities and associated habitats and ecosystems
Target 11: No species of wild flora endangered by international trade
Target 12: 30% of plant-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed
Target 13: The decline of plant resources and associated indigenous and local knowledge, innovations and practices that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care, halted
Target 14: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, educational and public-awareness programmes
Target 15: The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities in plant conservation increased, according to national needs, to achieve that targets of this Strategy
Target 16: Networks for plant conservation activities established or strengthened at national, regional and international levels
The GSPC is being put through a formal review of progress by the Convention on Biological Diversity, culminating in major discussions in May 2008 in Bonn, Germany at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the CBD.
External links
- Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Official site
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International Key contributor to the GSPC
- Global Partnership for Plant Conservation NGO partnership aiding in achieving the GSPC
- Gran Canaria Declaration on Climate Change and Plant Conservation Background information with link to a downloadable pdf of the Declaration
- The GSPC - A Plan to Save the World's Plant Species Link to downloadable pdfs of the GSPC 2010 and GSPC 2020 in several languages