International IPA brochure 2010_Layout 1 20/04/2010 11:58 Page 1 IMPORTANT PLANT AREAS Target 5 AROUND THE WORLD of the CBD Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Successes & case studies in implementing the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) International IPA brochure 2010_Layout 1 20/04/2010 12:05 Page 2 Acknowledgements Plantlife International would like to Plant Areas methodology can thank the following organisations for Mr. Ahmed accommodate data from a variety of their assistance in preparing this Djoghlaf sources and this means that it can be report, and for information on the (Executive used to identify priority sites for projects on which it is based – Algeria Secretary of the plants in any country, despite University of Sciences and Technology; Convention on differences in the resources available. Bhutan Ministry of Agriculture, Royal Biological This is evident in the numerous Government of Bhutan; China Diversity) Important Plant Areas countries where the IPA methodology Kunming Institute of Botany (CAS), (IPAs), championed by Plantlife has been successfully applied, from Yangzhou University; Egypt Tanta International, provide a backbone for the UK to Mozambique. University; Ethiopia & Eritrea implementing Target 5 of the Global National Herbarium (ETH), Addis Strategy for Plant Conservation agreed Ababa University & IUCN/SSC Global under the Convention on Biological Dr. Marco Trees Specialist Group; Falklands Diversity. A growing number of Lambertini (Chief Islands Falklands Conservation; Israel countries apply the IPA guidelines and Executive, BirdLife Hebrew University of Jerusalem; India criteria to identify sites of exceptional International) Applied Environmental Research botanical importance. The programme BirdLife Institute (AERF) & Pragya; Japan has brought together government and International is Ministry of Environment, Nature non-government stakeholders - pleased to have Conservation Bureau; Jordan botanical experts, conservation supported the Important Plant Area University of Jordan; Lebanon practitioners and local communities - programme from its inception. IPAs, American University of Beirut & to focus on the conservation of plants along with Important Bird Areas, are Lebanese University; Libya Alfateh and their habitats. I congratulate all crucial components of the Key University; Mexico The National the national IPA teams as well as Biodiversity Area network - sites of Commission for the Knowledge and Plantlife for the significant progress global significance for biodiversity Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) & the they have made over the last ten conservation. From our experience, National Commission of Protected years. I also congratulate them for directories of such sites are a Areas (CONANP); Madagascar producing this publication as a formidable tool to guide governments, Missouri Botanical Garden; Morocco contribution to the International Year private sector, investment banks and Forest Research Centre & The of Biodiversity and COP10, which will donor institutions in order to avoid Scientific Institute of Rabat; be held in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture, adverse impact of development Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Japan in October 2010 and will be projects on priority sites and species, Mondlane; Namibia National preceded by a high-level segment of and to direct conservation funding Botanical Research Institute (NRBI); the UN General Assembly attended by towards clearly defined priorities. Oman Oman Botanic Garden, Muscat; heads of state and devoted to BirdLife hopes that all Key Biodiversity Pakistan WWF Pakistan & biodiversity. Areas will become a recognised focus Government Postgraduate Jahanzeb for increased conservation activity in College; Palestine Al Quds University; the coming years. Congratulations to Prof. John Philippines National Museum of the Plantlife International for this Donaldson Philippines; Saudi Arabia Saudi remarkable work. (Chairman of the Wildlife Commission; Seychelles IUCN Plant Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles; Text by Seona Anderson & Conservation Sub- Syria The Syrian Society for the Elizabeth Radford Committee) I am Editorial comments by Joanna Bromley & Conservation of Wildlife; Turks & delighted that so Luke Morton Caicos Islands Imperial College many botanical and mycological Maps prepared by Beth Newman & London and Royal Botanic Gardens specialists from IUCN’s Species Anna McBride Kew; Tunisia Institut National Survival Commission have helped to Design by timjulierdesign Agronomique de Tunisie; Yemen identify Important Plant Areas across Agricultural Research and Extension Front cover image: Wildflowers on Table the world and are engaged in Authority(Taiz); International and mountain in Cape Town, South Africa © promoting their conservation. Data regional organisations – Botanic Louis Hiemstra/iStockphoto from the IUCN Red List programme is a Gardens Conservation International; significant aid to IPA identification Citation: Plantlife 2010, Important Plant Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (part and in turn IPA projects have Areas Around the World: Target 5 of the of the Royal Botanic Gardens stimulated new national level CBD Global Strategy for Plant Edinburgh); IUCN; IUCN Office for initiatives that assess the conservation Conservation. Plantlife International. Mediterranean Cooperation; IUCN status of plant species. Both the Red Salisbury, UK. Mediterranean Islands Specialist Lists and IPAs provide important Group; Missouri Botanical Garden; Copies of this report can be downloaded from information to support and improve WWF Medpo the Plantlife International website conservation efforts. The Important (www.plantlife.org.uk) 2 Important Plant Areas around the World International IPA brochure 2010_Layout 1 20/04/2010 12:40 Page 3 Executive identified which include priority plant sites summary: IPAs around the (Langhammer et al, 2007). The IPA projects in this report highlight the range of methodological tools world available and also some key factors in IPA identification and conservation – the fundamental role • IPA teams in 66 countries from across the globe of local experts, a participatory approach, and raising awareness and engagement among local communities. are engaged in IPA projects: countries with diverse ecological conditions and data Governments committed to this target in 2002 and, although there has been progress much more needs to availability. Their work can provide a template be done. Experts in many countries have prepared the for other countries to identify and conserve IPAs. groundwork but need the support of government and international donors. A relatively small investment of money will provide invaluable data for prioritising • Governments across the world have committed conservation action. Important Plant Areas are not an to identifying and protecting their most optional extra. In many countries they support the important plant areas under the Convention on livelihoods of many of the world’s poorest people and in all countries they provide undervalued services such Biological Diversity. Criteria and many water and flood control, carbon capture, the prevention additional tools for identifying and conserving of desertification and a reservoir of genetic and species diversity. sites already exist - now is the time to act to conserve these priority sites! The projects highlighted in this report illustrate the range of organisations and individuals who are taking the lead in identifying and conserving the world’s most Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are internationally important sites for plants . We hope that these case significant sites for wild plants and threatened studies will inspire others to identify their IPAs and habitats. Identified at a national level, they provide a encourage governments and donors to play their part in framework for implementing target 5 of the CBD Global conserving the diversity of plant life of earth and all the Strategy for Plant Conservation (ensuring the other forms of life which reply on wild plants and their protection of at least 50% of important areas for plants) habitats. and are a vital tool in conserving wild plants and their habitats in situ. 1 We have tried to include information on all projects that we are aware of, however, if there are omissions we Global criteria for identifying IPAs were published in will be happy to update the information on our website. 2004 and are based on 3 criteria: threatened species (A), If you have information on IPA/target 5 projects not species richness (B), threatened habitats (C). In several covered by this report please send the details to Seona countries Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are also being Anderson ([email protected]) Important Plant Areasare not an optional extra Important Plant Areas around the World 3 International IPA brochure 2010_Layout 1 20/04/2010 12:40 Page 4 IPAs in Africa and the Middle East IPAs in IPAs in Ethiopia & Eritrea Madagascar Researchers are actively looking for funds to prepare a This plant-rich island contains about 8.8 million hectares of Conservation Atlas for the Threatened Flora of Ethiopia and primary forest and through the Durban Vision Process there Eritrea. This is project will help to conserve one of Africa’s are plans to triple the current protected area system up to 6 most floristically diverse regions, with its c.6000 plant taxa, million hectares of land managed for conservation several hundred endemic species, and native populations of purposes. From 2001-4 Missouri Botanical Garden analysed