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Eurogard V: Botanic Gardens in the Age of Climate Change

 

 

 

We cordially invite researchers, students, decision makers, authorities, non-governmental organisations and botanic garden staff to participate in EuroGard V. The congress covers topics crucial for the conservation of plant diversity and other tasks of botanic gardens in a world with a changing climate. The focus is on the theoretical base and best practice examples for ex situ collections as a conservation tool.

 

This congress is part of a series of European Botanic Gardens Congresses or EuroGards which aim to strengthen the capacity and collaboration among European botanic gardens as well as deepen their role in the society at large. EuroGard is organised every three years by the European Botanic Gardens Consortium and the hosting institution with support from Botanic Gardens Conservation International. EuroGard V is hosted by the Botanic Garden of the University of Helsinki.

 

The Congress will be held in Helsinki , the green and lively Capital of Finland situated on the coast of the Gulf of Finland . Helsinki offers a rich variety of experiences from the cultural centre to the archipelago and the surrounding nature, see (more information).

As a programme highpoint, a new Botanic Garden will be inaugurated during the congress. The six-hectare Kumpula Garden is an additional collection area of Helsinki University Botanic Garden. It includes rich geographically organised plantings composed of wild-collected plants only, which makes it globally unique and highly valuable scientifically.

 

The aim of EuroGard V is to bring together scientific and applied expertise in order to build bridges between

- biological theory and ex situ (off-site) conservation of plants
- ex situ and in situ (on-site) conservation of plants
- the horticultural expertise of botanic gardens and ex situ conservation
- all European botanic gardens in order to strengthen their capacity and efficiency
- botanic gardens and other research institutions
- botanic gardens and other conservation actors
- botanic gardens and decision-makers and the general public

By building these bridges we hope to share and increase knowledge for developing visions about future research and strategies to continue the multifaceted work started under the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

 

The practical targets include contributing to the European and Global Strategies for Plant Conservation as well as taking the initiative of creating a network of ex situ and in situ conservation sites and actors to function together to slow down biodiversity loss. This network would also allow for international comparative research on reintroductions, population genetics of cultivated taxa, conservation prioritisation and phenological changes related to climate change.

 

The focus of EuroGard V is the potential of ex situ conservation in reducing biodiversity loss caused by climate change. The programme consists of five themes that may include parallel sessions, depending on the number of qualified contributions. The themes are:

1) Biological theory in ex situ conservation
Keynotes: Academy Professor Ilkka Hanski (The Academy of Finland) and Professor, Chair of Systematic Botany Susanne Renner (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich)

What are the implications of modern biological theories, such as metapopulation and evolutionary theory, to the collecting and maintenance of plant material for ex situ conservation? What are the implications of modern taxonomy and systematics to ex situ conservation collections? Can the most threatened species and populations be recognized? Practical examples of the application of theory in the work of botanic gardens are welcome.

2) Linking ex situ conservation with in situ conservation
Keynotes: Director Rauno Väisänen (Natural Heritage Services, Finland) and Professor Georg Grabherr (University of Vienna)

How could ex situ conservation most efficiently support in situ conservation efforts? What are the theoretical findings in habitat restoration and recreation? Are there research experiments and case-histories of successful and unsuccessful reintroductions? What are the implications of modern genetics and modelling to introduction from cultivation to the wild? What is the role of botanic gardens in the dilemma of invasive alien species? Problems and promises of seedbanking. What would be the most efficient division of labour between in situ and ex situ actors in public education on plant conservation?

3) Botanic garden horticulture as a resource in ex situ conservation
Keynotes: Professor Emeritus Vernon Heywood, and Director of Horticulture Dr. David Rae (Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh)

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the horticultural expertise of botanic gardens? How much have hardiness zones moved northwards and what does this mean for botanic gardens? Have germination and growth experiments of endangered plants been successful? What are the roles of horticulture, in vitro cultivation, and seed banks in ex situ conservation? How to maintain viability, genetic purity, and diversity in plant cultivation and seed banks? Ecophysiological research papers concerning seed storage, germination, and cultivation are welcome.

4) Botanic Gardens’ conservation work in the age of climate change
Keynote: Secretary General of BGCI, Sara Oldfield

What can botanic gardens do to mitigate the effects of climate change on plant diversity? How should gardens develop their collection policies? What is the role of the conservation of plant genetic resources in the age of climate change? How can plant conservation benefit from the cultural heritage in botanic gardens? What are the characteristics of efficient public education programmes for plant conservation? How do international conventions (CBD, CITES etc.) affect the work of botanic gardens?

5) The Global and European Strategies for Plant Conservation: how beyond 2010?
Keynote: Chair, Global Partnership for Plant Conservation, Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson
Workshops will discuss various topics under the theme and present their outcomes in a general session.

 

What should be the aims, priorities and actions after 2010, the deadline for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation? Which role should botanic gardens take in the European and Global Strategies? How to link ex situ and in situ conservation researchers, experts, sites, and actions most efficiently? What are the research priorities?

Short comments and critical questions may be submitted for 5 minute oral presentations and posters to stimulate the discussion.

See congress program for details.

 

Registration & Fees
Registration started on 1st September. More information about registering and fees.

 

Organising and Scientific Committees
Scientific Committee
Dr. Leif Schulman (chair), Dr. Marko Hyvärinen, Dr. Susanna Lehvävirta, Prof. Elina Oksanen, Phil. Lic. Leo Junikka, Dr. David Aplin, Dr. Julia Willison, Dr. Alexander Sennikov and members/observers of the European Botanic Gardens Consortium (Michael Kiehn, Jan Rammeloo, Peter Wyse Jackson, Sara Oldfield, Suzanne Sharrock, Biserka Juretic, Dora Chimonidou, Jette Dahl Møller, Heiki Tamm, Maité Delmas, Wolfram Lobin, Eleni Maloupa, Antal Radvanszky, Esteban Hernández Bermejo, Steve Waldren, Carlo del Prete, Mathew Jebb, Ludmila Vishnevska, Vida Motiekaityte, Thierry Helminger , Joseph Buhagiar, Bert van den Wollenberg, Jerzy Puchalski, Dalila do Espirito Santo, Petr Hanzelka, Anca Sarbu, Sergej Mochnacky, Joze Bavcon, Antoni Aguilella, Magnus Liden, Sophie Dunand Martin, Eva Thorvaldsdottir, Liv Borgen)

 

Organising Committee
Dr. Leif Schulman (chair), Dr. Susanna Lehvävirta, Laura Hiisivuori, Marko Pesu, Dr. Marko Hyvärinen, Dr. Heiki Tamm, The Network of Finnish Botanic Gardens

Further Information
EuroGardV@luomus.fi

 

Susanna Lehvävirta
Botanic garden
P.O.B. 44
FI-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland

 

tel. +358 9 191 50054
fax +358 9 191 50033