Patterns of harvesting foliage and bark from the multipurpose tree Khaya senegalensis in Benin: Variation across ecological regions and its impacts on population structure

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) represent important resources for millions of communities worldwide. Concerns over NTFP overexploitation has led to a growing number of studies on the ecological impacts of harvest. Few studies however, have addressed species harvested for multiple parts or investigated how spatial variation affects harvest patterns and their impacts. We documented rates and patterns of pruning and debarking and their impacts on density and population structure, for 12 populations of the multiuse tree, Khaya senegalensis (Meliaceae) in two ecological regions (Sudano-Guinean versus Sudanian) of Benin, West Africa. Half of the populations had low or no harvest and half were highly harvested. Patterns of pruning and debarking were size-specific, with harvesters tending to prefer larger trees. Foliage harvest pressures were very high across both regions, with >70% of trees harvested for 100% of their crowns. A significantly greater proportion of trees were harvested for foliage in the wetter Sudano-Guinean region than in Sudanian region. The reverse was true for the proportion of foliage and bark-harvested per tree. In the Sudano-Guinean region, high harvest populations had significantly lower densities of seedlings and saplings than low harvest populations. The size-class distribution coefficient of skewness was significantly correlated with rainfall, habitat, and soil type. Variation in harvesting patterns and their ecological impacts can be explained in large part by differences in water availability between the two regions. Effective conservation plans for K. senegalensis require close consideration of the environmental and land-use context in which populations occur.     

Towards the conservation of crop wild relative diversity in North Africa: checklist,prioritisation and inventory

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are wild species that are more or less genetically related to crops that can be used to introgress useful genes for improvement of productivity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and quality of cultivated crops. They are important in crop improvement to achieve food security for an increasing population and to overcome the challenges caused by climate change and the new virulence of major diseases and pests. These genetic resources are increasingly threatened in their natural habitats through over-exploitation and land reclamation and degradation. Therefore, their efficient and effective conservation would be taxonomically and genetically valuable and will contribute to maintaining and promoting the sustainability of crop diversity, facilitating agricultural production and supporting the increasing demand for food, feed and natural resources. A checklist of 5780 Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) taxa from North Africa was obtained using the CWR Catalogue for Europe and the Mediterranean (PGR Forum). Of which consists 76% of the flora of North Africa. The checklist contains 5588 (~97%) native taxa and 192 introduced. Families with higher taxa richness are Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae. These three families constitute more than 33% of the total taxa included in the checklist. About 9% (502) CWR taxa identified as a priority for conservation in North Africa using four criteria, the economic value of the crop, the relatedness degree of wild relatives to their crop, threat status using IUCN red list assessment, and finally the centre of origin and/or diversity of the crop. Of these, 112 taxa were assigned high, 268 medium and 122 low priorities for effective conservation. Those assessed as threatened using IUCN Red list and national assessment represent approximately 2% (119 taxa) of the CWR in the region. However, 21 taxa are assessed as critically endangered (CR), 53 as endangered (EN), and 45 as vulnerable (VU). Wild relatives of some globally important crops are present, with those related to wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and T. durum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) among the highest priority crops for the North Africa region. Amongst CWR assessed as threatened, only 8 (6.7%) CWR are related to food crops, Avena agadiriana B.R. Baum. et G. Fedak (VU), A. atlantica B.R. Baum et G. Fedak (VU), A. murphyi Ladiz. (EN), Beta macrocarpa Guss. (EN), Olea europaea subsp. maroccana Guss. (VU), Rorippa hayanica Maire (VU) and Aegilops bicornis (Forssk.) Jaub. et Spach (VU). The wild relative of Safflower Carthamus glaucus M. Bieb is restricted to Egypt and Libya and assessed as rare in Egypt. The information available about the conservation and threat status of CWR in North Africa still lags behind, and more investigations are required.     

Setting conservation priorities for crop wild relatives in the Fertile Crescent

The aim of this paper is to contribute directly to the systematic, long-term conservation of crop wild relatives (CWR) in the Fertile Crescent by setting conservation priorities to secure and improve CWR conservation in situ and ex situ as a means of underpinning global food security. We established the first priority list of CWR within the Fertile Crescent following several criteria comprising production value (m × p), projected production value (m × p), production area (ha), projected production area (ha), native status, energy supply (kcal/capita/day), protein supply (g/capita/day), fat supply (g/capita/day), occurrence status, gene pool, taxon group, and threat status. An inventory of 220 priority CWR was established for the Fertile Crescent region. We followed twelve prioritisation approaches and assessed 21,080 species. About 4% of the total species (835 species) were identified as CWR that have socio-economic value for the region. These 835 CWR species were prioritised to create the CWR priority list which consisted of 220 species (1% of the total species assessed). The majority of the CWR priority list (185 species) were related to cereal, vegetable, and industrial crops and 35 of them are related to fruits and trees. The CWR priority list includes crop wild relatives of the genera Aegilops (20 species), Lactuca (11 species), Avena (11 species), Carthamus (11 species), Allium (9 species), Thinopyrum (10 species), and Triticum (3 species). We present the first inventory of 220 priority CWR for the Fertile Crescent. The inventory helps to improve in situ and ex situ conservation and the genetic diversity of CWR. Both the inventory and the methodology applied in prioritisation can be used in setting national, regional, and global conservation strategies. The recommendations will help the Fertile Crescent meet its targets in conserving CWR diversity as well as making sure that CWR genetic resources are preserved to prevent and tackle global food insecurity.     

Ethnobotanical knowledge and agrobiodiversity in subsistence farming: case study of home gardens in Phong My commune, central Vietnam

Ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 101 randomly selected home gardens of Phong My commune, central Vietnam, situated in the buffer-zone of Natural Reserve. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and direct observation. Sixty-seven species belonging to 35 families were identified to be used for various purposes. For each species the botanical and vernacular names, plant parts used and main purposes of use are given. The major use categories reported for plant species were food (86%), medicine (32%) and firewood (32%), however, seventy-seven percent of all inventoried plants have multiple uses. The species Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., Citrus grandis Osbeck, Citrus reticulata Blanco, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. and Musa spp. were identified as the main sources of plant foods consumed within the households. Statistical analyses indicated by Shannon-Wiener and Margalef indices have shown that local species diversity and richness is affected by home garden size. On the contrary, no relationship between diversity and home garden age was found. On the basis of a cluster analysis of plant species diversity, five home garden types were differentiated. In comparison to previously reported studies on tropical home gardens, the diversity in Phong My is lower, probably due to market-oriented strategy. Nevertheless, based on the results achieved, we can conclude that useful plants cultivated in local home gardens provide valuable foods complementing daily diet and subsequently contributing to socioeconomic status of the households.     

National inventories of crop wild relatives and wild harvested plants: case-study for Portugal

Crop wild relatives (CWR) and wild harvested plant species (WHP) constitute an important element of a nation’s plant genetic resources (PGR) available for utilisation. Although their natural populations are threatened like other wild species by habitat lost and fragmentation, little attention has generally been paid to their systematic conservation. The development of checklists and inventories is considered by the convention on biological diversity (CBD) and the global strategy for plant conservation (GSPC) as the first step in any national strategy for conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity. Methodological approaches to the development of a national inventory of wild PGR are discussed in the light of a case-study for the CWR and WHP growing in mainland Portugal. The resultant inventory comprises 2319 taxa, of which 97.5% are CWR, 21.4% are WHP and 19.0% are both CWR and WHP. Approximately 6.1% are endemic to mainland Portugal; 24.1% occur in 1 to 4 Portuguese administrative regions; 15.6% are threatened, but only 5.9% are covered by legislative protection. Taxonomic misalignments and the dispersed nature of biological literature were the major impediments to the production of the national inventory, but once the inventory was established it has proven to be a powerful tool in conservation management.     

Development of a national crop wild relative conservation strategy for Cyprus

Growing research interest in crop wild relatives (CWR) has highlighted their value for crop improvement, particularly to mitigate the impact of climate change and contribute to global food security. As most conservation activities are implemented at national level there is a requirement for each country to develop and implement a national CWR conservation strategy. This will contribute to regional and global CWR conservation actions and so help achieve CBD Aichi Targets 13 of improved genetic conservation of socio-economically important taxa. Cyprus has historically lacked systematic CWR conservation but is rich in CWR diversity being located in the eastern Mediterranean Vavilov centre and abutting the Fertile Crescent. Therefore a more coherent approach to CWR conservation is desirable. From an initial checklist of 1,722 Cypriot CWR taxa, 178 CWR were prioritized and eco geographic data was collated and analysed using GIS techniques. The Troodos and Pafos mountains are CWR hotspots and ten priority sites containing the genetic diversity of 74.7 % of priority CWR taxa were identified. These will form the basis of a national network of in situ genetic reserves and 78 priority CWR taxa that have no accessions in the national Cyprus gene bank are highlighted for collection and ex situ storage.     

Diversity patterns of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with rhizosphere of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) in Benin,West Africa

Assessment of diversity and understanding factors underlying species distribution are fundamental themes in ecology. However, the diversity of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species in African tropical agro-ecosystems remains weakly known. This research was carried out to assess the morphological diversity of indigenous AMF species associated with rhizosphere of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) in different agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of Benin and to examine the effects of soil chemical properties, climatic factors and agricultural practices on this diversity. Results showed that, in Benin, cowpea was grown by farmers in very exhausted soils, where available phosphorus and potassium were deficient. The indigenous AMF spore density was on average 202 spores per 100 g dry soil and there was no difference in the density among the agro-ecological zones (P = 0.56). Fifteen AMF morphospecies belonging to eight genera (Gigaspora, Scutellospora, Racocetra, Acaulospora, Funneliformis, Rhizophagus, Glomus and Claroideoglomus) were detected. The computed species richness estimators indicated that a limited number of additional undetected morphospecies are probably present in cowpea fields. According to analysis of similarity (ANOSIM), the arbuscular mycorrhizas community composition of the Sudanian zone and Guinean zone were not significantly different (r = −0.01; P = 0.517). The diversity of AMF morphospecies in the fields was weak with prevalence of Glomeraceae (92%). Furthermore, AMF diversity and evenness indices were negatively correlated with annual rainfall (P < 0.01) and with available phosphorus (P < 0.05). However, no significant correlation was observed between AMF diversity indices and soil organic carbon. Ultimately, this study tends to confirm that soil management practices (tillage, soil disturbance) have negative effect on AMF diversity.     

National inventory and prioritization of crop wild relatives: case study for Benin

Species prioritization is a crucial step in any development of conservation strategy, especially for crop wild relatives (CWR), since financial resources are generally limited. This study aimed at: assessing the biodiversity of crop wild relatives in Benin and identifying priority species for active conservation. Data were collected through literature review to establish an exhaustive list of CWR in Benin. Eight prioritization criteria and different prioritization systems were used. The top 50 species obtained by each of these methods were identified and twenty final top CWR were shortlisted as those occurring as priority across methods. A total of 266 plant species belonging to 65 genera and 36 families were identified. The most represented are: Cyperaceae (12.50 %), Leguminosae-Papilionoideae (11.87 %), Convolvulaceae (11.25 %), Poaceae (10.31 %), Asteraceae (7.81 %), Solanaceae (6.87 %) and Dioscoreaceae (5.31 %). Among the 20 species of highest priority for conservation, Manihot glaziovii Müll. Arg. and Piper guineense Schumach. et Thonn., appeared as the most represented species on top of the list.     

Forest disturbance and river proximity influence chameleon abundance in Madagascar

Many chameleon species are thought to be restricted to primary rainforest where they are threatened by the continued fragmentation and degradation of natural vegetation. We surveyed chameleon abundance in forest subject to high disturbance, low disturbance and in a riparian zone in Madagascar. Four Calumma species and Brookesia thieli were present in all habitats, but B. minima was not recorded from the high-disturbance forest. Chameleons were more abundant in rainforest subject to low-disturbance (e.g. selective timber extraction) than in patches of high-disturbance forest that was recovering from burning. Riparian zones within low-disturbance forest provided linear patches of high chameleon abundance and are therefore an important conservation resource because they also protect a range of other endemic and threatened species. Carefully designed management plans are needed to conserve biodiversity and allow the sustainable use of forest products by people in Madagascar.     

Diversity characterisation of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenck) landraces for their on-farm (in situ) safeguard and use in breeding programs

Brassica oleracea L. is an important species that originated in the eastern Mediterranean area. From there, B. oleracea L. subsp. capitata (L.) DC. convar. botrytis (L.) Alef. var. italica Plenck (broccoli) was introduced into Italy where considerable diversification took place. Several landraces of broccoli, which are highly appreciated by local people for their organoleptic traits, are presently cultivated in both large fields and home gardens. In this study, 10 landraces, 4 synthetics derived from landraces and 4 of the most used F1 hybrids were characterised for morpho-physiological and molecular traits with the principal aim of feeding information into the landrace protection schemes being developed in Italy and into breeding programs. The landraces and derived synthetics are well differentiated from each other and from the F1 hybrids for important agronomic and genetic traits. The principal component analysis based on analysis of morpho-physiological traits showed that overall the 2 main components accounted for 67.74 % of the total variation. The neighbour joining tree, based on 23 microsatellite markers, grouped accessions into 2 main clusters. One includes one synthetic variety and 2 F1 hybrids, while the other cluster includes all the other accessions. There were also several sub clusters. Most of the materials examined showed within-accession diversity. The information gathered in this study can be used to protect landraces through the schemes presently being developed in Italy and to register them in the European common catalogue of “conservation varieties”. In situ (on-farm) conservation of landrace diversity is discussed with reference to landrace use.     

Morphological and genetic diversity of shea tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vitellaria paradoxa</Emphasis>) in the savannah regions of Ghana

Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn., commonly known as shea tree or Vitellaria, is ranked the most important tree species of the savannah regions in the most African countries due to its ecological and economic importance for livelihoods and national economies. However, the savannah regions are the most vulnerable areas to the global climate change. Moreover, the Vitellaria populations on farmlands are threatened by the dominance of old trees with low or lack of regeneration. In this study both morphological and genetic diversity were assessed using several phenotypic traits and 10 microsatellite markers, respectively, to assess the impact of land use and agro-ecozone types on Vitellaria in Ghana. The land use types were forests and farmlands, and the agro-ecozone types included the Transitional, Guinea, and Sudan savannah zones. The mean values of morphological traits, such as diameter at breast height (DBH) and canopy diameter (CD), were statistically different between forest (DBH = 22.20, CD = 5.37) and farmland (DBH = 39.85 CD = 7.49) populations (P < 0.00001). The Sudan savannah zone with mean petiole length of 4.96 cm showed significant difference from the other zones, likely as a result of adaptation to drier climate conditions. Genetic data analysis was based on 10 microsatellite markers and revealed high genetic diversity of Vitellaria in Ghana: mean expected heterozygosity, H _e was 0.667, and allelic richness, measured as number of effective alleles A _e , was 4.066. Both farmlands and forests were very diverse indicating lack of negative influence of farmer’s selection on genetic diversity. Fixation index was positive for all populations (mean F _IS = 0.136) with farmlands recording relatively higher values than forests in all ecological zone types studied, probably indicating less gene flow in the farmlands. Moderate differentiation (F′ _ST = 0.113) was comparable to other similar tree species. Both land use and ecological zone types influenced genetic differentiation of Vitellaria at varying levels. The species was spatially structured across three ecozones and following climatic gradient. The forest reserves are used in situ conservation for Vitellaria in Ghana. High diversity observed in the most arid zones provides opportunity to find and use appropriate plant materials for breeding climate change resilient trees.     

Three-dimensional partitioning of diversity informs state-wide strategies for the conservation of saproxylic beetles

Global conventions on biological diversity force governments to develop region-wide conservation strategies. Such strategies are difficult to design for all taxa because little is known about the important spatial scales. Here we applied additive partitioning of the diversity of saproxylic beetles in Bavarian forests in Southern Germany using a nested hierarchical design of five increasingly broader spatial levels: trap, strata, forest stand, forest site, and ecoregion. We consistently found a significantly higher percentage than expected by chance of between ecoregion diversity and significantly lower α diversity within traps. A significant proportion of β diversity was also found between stands. Analysis of species represented by <0.005% of all specimens in our samples and of species classified as threatened revealed similar results. Critical spatial scales for threatened species encompassed the critical levels of common species. Within habitat substratum guilds, the proportion of β diversity increased from species associated with fresh wood to those associated with rotten wood to those associated with fungi. Our results suggest that the most effective way to ensure saproxylic beetle diversity in a state-wide strategy is to add new conservation sites within different ecoregions and to establish new conservation areas in additional forest stands, rather than to enlarge reserves. Our findings further suggest that monitoring of saproxylic beetle diversity on a broader scale in European temperate forests can be restricted to “monitoring species”, i.e. a subgroup of families easy to identify, and that canopy sampling can be neglected without a substantial loss of information.     

Diversity patterns in butterfly communities of the Greek nature reserve Dadia

Traditionally, nature reserves have been centered mainly around areas that are important for vertebrate diversity. This practice has not gone unchallenged and may be a suboptimal choice for overall conservation planning. To investigate this problem, we sampled butterfly species richness in a nature reserve in north eastern Greece that was originally established for the protection of birds of prey. Patterns of butterfly species richness and abundance were investigated by means of transect walks across a range of the seven predominant habitat types (wet and dry meadow, pine, oak and mixed forest, grazed, and agricultural land). Data analysis, including ANOVA and DCA (detrended correspondence analysis), revealed that the main gradients in butterfly species richness (low to high) were from sites dominated by the pine forest matrix of the core areas of the reserve, to peripheral sites in landscapes of mixed or oak forest, and from sites with little human impact to more disturbed areas with high grazing pressure. Species of conservation interest were concentrated at sites of low human impact. Ten of them are endemic to Europe and/or threatened in Europe. In this respect, the most important species are Lycaena ottomanus, Thymelicus acteon, and Pseudophilotes vicrama which are declining all over Europe. Our results suggest that (1) traditional agricultural practices in areas surrounded by forest can be considered as important management tools in butterfly conservation, (2) highest butterfly species richness is found in the periphery of the reserve rather than in the core areas, and (3) for butterfly conservation the zones surrounding the strictly protected areas are equally important as the core areas.     

Treasuring crop wild relative diversity: analysis of success from the seed collecting phase of the ‘Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change’ project

The seed collecting phase of the ‘Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change’ project was, to the best of our knowledge, the most comprehensive crop wild relatives (CWR) collecting and conservation mission to-date and provides priceless genetic diversity for ongoing and future crop breeding efforts. The seed collecting started in 2013 and was concluded in 2019, it was carried out in 22 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, involving CWR taxa of 28 different crop genepools. 3002 target seed accessions of 242 taxa were collected and are currently stored long-term in the countries of collection and, in most of the cases, backed up at the Millennium Seed Bank (UK). Considering also non-target species, 3854 seed accessions were collected. For the genepools of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.), barley (Hordeum L.), grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), and wheat (Triticum L.), the collecting phase was highly successful in terms of diversity of both, species and populations. Despite the overall success of the project, in our analysis we discovered several issues that were encountered in the seed collecting. In particular, comparing the initial collecting targets with the seed accessions effectively collected it emerges that: (1) some important crop genepools were characterized by a low collecting success (e.g. banana/plantain (Musa L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), rice (Oryza L.), (2) genepool 1 (the most important for breeding efforts) of some crop genepools was under-collected (e.g. eggplant (Solanum L.) and sorghum), (3) some important centres of plant biodiversity (especially the Indian Subcontinent) were underrepresented in the seed collecting. This analysis can guide further collecting missions in order to fill gaps in the long-term conservation of CWR of great importance for crop improvement.

     

The importance of cenotes in conserving bat assemblages in the Yucatan, Mexico

In the Yucatan, cenotes or water sinkholes formed by the dissolution of limestone and surrounded with a characteristic dense layer of heterogeneous vegetation, are the main sources of water for plant and animal assemblages. We investigated their importance to bats by comparing the assemblage structure and diversity between tropical forest and pastureland, with and without cenotes. We set ground level mist nets, sub-canopy nets and harp traps for 96 nights and caught 2819 bats of 26 species and six families. Forest had a greater bat species diversity and abundance than pastureland, as well as rare and threatened species. In forest, sites with and without cenotes had a similar bat assemblage structure and diversity, whereas in pastureland there was a greater species diversity and abundance and number of rare and threatened species at cenotes than sites without cenotes. Chrotopterus auritus and Micronycteris schmidtorum, both threatened in Mexico, and Eptesicus furinalis, were exclusively captured at cenotes. We suggest that it may be the vegetation around cenotes rather than the water bodies per se that attracts many bat species in pastureland. Cenotes are threatened by nitrate contamination from untreated domestic and animal waste and fertilizers and the removal of vegetation to allow livestock access to water. In Yucatan’s agricultural landscapes, protection of cenotes and their characteristic vegetation is key not only for bat conservation but also because they represent potential seed sources for the regeneration of the lowland forest, in which bats play key roles as pollinators and seed dispersers.     

Estimating floristic integrity in tallgrass prairie

Indices are needed in habitat conservation and restoration to provide repeatable measures relevant to conservation goals. A monitoring and research program was established at Nachusa Grasslands in north-central Illinois (USA) to assess progress in tallgrass prairie restoration and reconstruction efforts and evaluate the effectiveness of indices used to measure community-level properties related to vegetation integrity. Indices selected for comparison included standard diversity measures (e.g., Shannon-Weiner Index, Evenness, Species Richness) and indices developed specifically to estimate vegetation integrity. These latter indices included two unweighted diversity indices, the Species Richness Index and Native Richness Index, and two indices weighted by characteristics of species composition, the Floristic Quality Index (FQI) and its component Mean Coefficient of Conservatism (Mean C). A coefficient of conservatism (CC) is an integer ranging from 0 to 10 assigned a priori to each taxon in a regional flora that estimates the fidelity of a species to natural areas (non-native and most ruderal species are assigned 0 or low values, respectively; species known primarily from natural areas are assigned higher values). All indices compared in this study were calculated using vegetation data collected from equal-sized sampling grids stratified across seven prairie units. The units included remnants and plantings representing a wide range of habitat quality. The FQI and Mean C explained the most variation among sites and were most effective at distinguishing recognized qualitative differences indicating they can be more informative than traditional species-diversity measures in assessing floristic integrity within community types. The FQI and Mean C are applicable to both quantitative ecological monitoring and plotless survey methods.     

Micro-hotspot determination and buffer zone value for Odonata in a globally significant biosphere reserve

Reserves are frequently constrained in design and size by various financial, social or political factors. Maintenance of existing reserves must therefore rely on strategic management practices, and prioritization of conservation activities within them. Identification of global and regional hotspots have been effective for prioritizing conservation activities. Yet, identification of micro-hotspots, or overlapping areas of endemic and rare species that are under threat at the landscape scale, have largely been ignored. From a reserve management point of view, knowledge of critical micro-hotspots within a reserve, are focal points for directing cost effective, conservation initiatives, especially removal of invasive alien plants which are a major threat to biodiversity.Using diversity patterns of dragonfly assemblages, many endemic and threatened, within a biosphere reserve located in the core of a global biodiversity hotspot, we investigated the concept of micro-hotspots. As biosphere reserves contain zones with varying degrees of anthropogenic impact, we also investigated the value of buffer and transition zones for complementing the dragonfly fauna of the reserve core. We found a distinct micro-hotspot within the protected core zone which shows concordance for both endemism and species richness. We conclude that focused conservation actions to remove invasive alien plants within this micro-hotspot would help insure its continued integrity. Furthermore, while there is greater habitat degradation within the buffer and transition zones, they support many additional species, but not those necessarily endemic or threatened. The complementary value of buffer and transition zones therefore lies in increasing habitat heterogeneity and species richness of the whole reserve.     

Use of the Biological Flora framework in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories: Euphorbia origanoides L.

The United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are globally important for a high diversity of endemic and threatened plant species but are poorly represented in plant ecological literature. This lack of ecological research is compounded by a lack of funding and skills. Cost effective approaches of compiling conservation relevant information are required. Here we present the first examination of a species from the UKOTs presented within the standard framework of a Biological Flora. This framework allows a convenient way to compile ecological information and assess missing data. The account reviews all available information on Euphorbia origanoides L. (Ascension spurge) from Ascension Island (South Atlantic Ocean) relevant to understanding its ecology and conservation, including soil chemistry, climate and plant community data. E. origanoides is an endemic perennial, found in dry, lava plains of Ascension Island with soils comprised of weathered volcanic scoria. E. origanoides has suffered habitat loss through the introduction of invasive species and survival in the wild is currently under threat. We relate the information gathered for this Biological Flora to the conservation of the species in the wild and propose the framework should be used as one way of compiling information relevant for conservation managers. The framework is beneficial as it allows an evidence-based approach to conservation but also permits the prioritisation of research and can help conservation managers to meet targets for the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.     

Castanea spp. biodiversity conservation: collection and characterization of the genetic diversity of an endangered species

Centuries of co-evolution between Castanea spp. biodiversity and human populations has resulted in the spread of rich and varied chestnut genetic diversity throughout most of the world, especially in mountainous and forested regions. Its plasticity and adaptability to different pedoclimates and the wide genetic variability of the species determined the spread of many different ecotypes and varieties in the wild. Throughout the centuries, man has used, selected and preserved these different genotypes, vegetatively propagating them by grafting, for many applications: fresh consumption, production of flour, animal nutrition, timber production, thereby actively contributing to the maintenance of the natural biodiversity of the species, and providing an excellent example of conservation horticulture. Nonetheless, currently the genetic variability of the species is critically endangered and hundreds of ecotypes and varieties are at risk of being lost due to a number of phytosanitary problems (canker blight, Chryphonectria parasitica; ink disease, Phytophthora spp.; gall wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus), and because of the many years of decline and abandonment of chestnut cultivation, which resulted in the loss of the binomial male chestnut. Recently, several research and experimentation programmes have attempted to develop strategies for the conservation of chestnut biodiversity. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the status of biodiversity conservation of the species and to present the results of a 7?year project aimed at the individuation and study of genetic diversity and conservation of Castanea spp. germplasm.