Rare vascular plant species at risk: recovery by seeding?

. Rare vascular plant species are endangered worldwide. Population losses are most commonly caused by human-related factors. Conservation management seeks to halt this adverse trend and if possible, to enhance long-lasting self-sustainable populations. In general, rare species are poorly recruited from seed banks, or disperse themselves very poorly. It may be a management option to translocate such plants by seeds and/or transplants. This paper asks which problems may be faced. It is argued that translocation is only acceptable if it is based on knowledge of species biology and ecology and the size and structure of its geographic range through time. Such knowledge of rare species is often lacking. The finite management goal can only be achieved if conservationists closely cooperate with both ecologists and geneticists.

[1]  Nigel Maxted,et al.  Plant Genetic Conservation , 2020, Springer Netherlands.

[2]  A. Bergsma,et al.  Dispersal distance and achene quality of the rare anemochorous species Arnica montana L.: implications for conservation , 1998 .

[3]  J. Andel,et al.  Nutrient responses as a key factor to the ecology of orchid species , 1997 .

[4]  J. Bakker,et al.  Seed dispersal by mowing machinery in a Dutch brook valley system , 1997 .

[5]  K. Thompson,et al.  Plant dispersal: the role of man. , 1997 .

[6]  P. Reich,et al.  The Influence of Functional Diversity and Composition on Ecosystem Processes , 1997 .

[7]  D. Wardle,et al.  The Influence of Island Area on Ecosystem Properties , 1997 .

[8]  P. Vitousek,et al.  The Effects of Plant Composition and Diversity on Ecosystem Processes , 1997 .

[9]  G. K. Theron,et al.  Predicting competitive interactions between pioneer plant species by using plant traits , 1997 .

[10]  S. Díaz,et al.  Plant functional types and ecosystem function in relation to global change , 1997 .

[11]  J. Bullock,et al.  Translocations of native species in the UK: Implications for biodiversity , 1997 .

[12]  N. Shigesada,et al.  Biological Invasions: Theory and Practice , 1997 .

[13]  F. Sarrazin,et al.  Reintroduction: challenges and lessons for basic ecology. , 1996, Trends in ecology & evolution.

[14]  P. Poschlod,et al.  Experimental studies on the dispersal of plants and animals on sheep in calcareous grasslands , 1996 .

[15]  J. N. Thompson,et al.  Evolutionary ecology and the conservation of biodiversity. , 1996, Trends in ecology & evolution.

[16]  E. Bignal,et al.  Low-intensity farming systems in the conservation of the countryside , 1996 .

[17]  William G. Lee,et al.  Species redundancy: a redundant concept? , 1996 .

[18]  S. Sultan.  Phenotypic plasticity and plant adaptation , 1995 .

[19]  D. Conover,et al.  Phenotypic similarity and the evolutionary significance of countergradient variation. , 1995, Trends in ecology & evolution.

[20]  C. Whelan,et al.  The relationship of rarity to plant reproductive biology , 1994 .

[21]  H. Mooney,et al.  Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function , 1994, Praktische Zahnmedizin Odonto-Stomatologie Pratique Practical Dental Medicine.

[22]  Martin T. Sykes,et al.  Small-scale plant species turnover in a limestone grassland: the carousel model and some comments on the niche concept. , 1993 .

[23]  B. Walker.  Biodiversity and Ecological Redundancy , 1992 .

[24]  J. Andel,et al.  Variation of Relative Growth Rate and Survival in Ecologically Contrasting Populations of Agrostis stolonifera , 1991 .

[25]  R. Allard,et al.  AN EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE RECOVERY POTENTIAL OF RYEGRASS POPULATIONS FROM GENETIC STRESS RESULTING FROM RESTRICTION OF POPULATION SIZE , 1989, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[26]  T. McNeilly,et al.  DIVERGENCE AND GENETIC STRUCTURE IN ADJACENT GRASS POPULATIONS. I. QUANTITATIVE GENETICS , 1988, Evolution; international journal of organic evolution.

[27]  J. Roy,et al.  MODULAR AND DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF PLANT LEAF AREA IN SWARD AND WOODLAND POPULATIONS OF DACTYLIS GLOMERATA AND BROMUS ERECTUS , 1988 .

[28]  F. Bazzaz,et al.  Differentiation Among Nine Populations of Phlox: Response to Environmental Gradients , 1987 .

[29]  D. Pegtel.  GERMINATION IN POPULATIONS OF SOLANUM DULCAMARA L. FROM CONTRASTING HABITATS , 1985 .

[30]  O. H. Frankel,et al.  Conservation and Evolution , 1983 .

[31]  Rob Hengeveld,et al.  The distribution of abundance. I. Measurements , 1982 .

[32]  J. P. Huntley,et al.  FACTORS CONTROLLING THE DISTRIBUTION OF TILIA CORDATA AT THE NORTHERN LIMITS OF ITS GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE III. NATURE AND CAUSES OF SEED STERILITY , 1981 .

[33]  M. Barbour,et al.  Terrestrial Plant Ecology , 1981 .

[34]  J. V. D. Toorn.  On the ecology of Cotula coronopifolia L. and Ranunculus sceleratus L. I. Geographic distribution, habitat, and field observations , 1980 .

[35]  S. McNaughton.  Comparative Photosynthesis of Quebec and California Ecotypes of Typha Latifolia , 1973 .

[36]  O. Langlet.  Two hundred years genecology. , 1971 .

[37]  H. Mooney,et al.  Comparative Physiological Ecology of Arctic and Alpine Populations of Oxyria digyna , 1961 .

[38]  S. Brush,et al.  Locally based crop plant conservation , 2000 .

[39]  R. V. D. Meijden,et al.  Standaardlijst van de Nederlandse flora 1996. Overzicht van wijzigingen sinds 1990 , 1996 .

[40]  E. Boerrigter.  On the perspectives of populations of the rare plant species Phyteuma nigrum , 1995 .

[41]  P. Pyšek,et al.  Plant invasions : general aspects and special problems , 1995 .

[42]  P. Bremer.  Wilde flora en natuurontwikkeling in Flevoland , 1995 .

[43]  J. Lawton,et al.  The biogeography of scarce vascular plants in Britain with respect to habitat preference dispersal ability and reproductive biology , 1994 .

[44]  C. Fenster,et al.  Restoration of Endangered Species: Genetic considerations for plant population restoration and conservation , 1994 .

[45]  Thomas M. Smith,et al.  Plant Functional Types , 1993 .

[46]  A. D. Bakker,et al.  Europese en mondiale verspreiding van Nederlandse vaatplanten , 1992 .

[47]  D. Marshall,et al.  A Century of Evolution in Spartina anglica , 1991 .

[48]  T. McNeilly,et al.  Population variation in Spartina anglica C. E. Hubbard , 1991 .

[49]  K. Holsinger,et al.  Conservation of rare and endangered plants: principles and prospects. , 1991 .

[50]  K. Holsinger,et al.  Genetics and conservation of rare plants. , 1991 .

[51]  K. Holsinger,et al.  Off-site breeding of animals and implications for plant conservation strategies. , 1991 .

[52]  T. McNeilly,et al.  Population variation in Spartina anglica , 1991 .

[53]  T. McNeilly,et al.  Population variation in Spartina anglica C. E. Hubbard. I, Evidence from a common garden experiment , 1991 .

[54]  R. V. D. Meijden,et al.  Floron-Rode Lijst 1990 , 1990 .

[55]  E. J. Weeda.  Phyteuma nigrum F.W. Schmidt en P. spicatum L. in Nederland , 1989 .

[56]  J. Wilson,et al.  Non-adaptation in Agrostis capillaris L. (Poaceae). , 1988 .

[57]  F. Woodward.  Climate and plant distribution , 1987 .

[58]  S. Cairns,et al.  Seven forms of rarity and their frequency in the flora of the British Isles , 1986 .

[59]  E. V. D. Maarel.  Florastatistieken als bijdrage tot de evaluatie van natuurgebieden , 1971 .

[60]  J. Marshall.  Factors Limiting the Survival of Corynephorus canescens (L.) Beauv. in Great Britain at the Northern Edge of Its Distribution , 1968 .

[61]  H. G. Baker,et al.  Characteristics and modes of origin of weeds. , 1965 .

[62]  S. M. Walters,et al.  Atlas of the British Flora , 1962 .

[63]  J. Clausen,et al.  Effect of varied environments on western North American plants , 1940 .