Science Strategy
Baseline Plant Diversity - in depth
Recognising and describing the basic units of plant diversity, cataloguing that diversity, and identifying samples and specimens, have been the mainstays of Kew’s scientific programmes since the mid-nineteenth century. Sometimes described as alpha taxonomy, and often seen today as "unfashionable", this work remains fundamental to communication in plant diversity research – including work on the sustainable utilisation and conservation of plant resources.
The Baseline Plant Diversity Research Programme comprises three main sets of interconnected activities:
Cataloguing Plant and Fungal Diversity (including checklists, some Floras, and names databases) – This includes the provision of plant and fungal names as baseline data, provision of data on plant and fungal distributions, and the provision of data that underpins the definition of ecological communities at various scales. This basic activity supports a great variety of projects in the Herbarium, Horticulture and Public Education Department, Seed Conservation Department and Information Services Department.
Recognising and Describing the Basic Units of Plant and Fungal Diversity (baseline monographs and some Floras) – This includes macromorphological description of taxa, ensuring correct nomenclature, naming of new taxa, provision of identification tools (e.g. keys), highlighting areas of diversity and endemism, provision of mapping and analytical tools (e.g. GIS). These activities support work in the Herbarium, Jodrell Laboratory and Information Services Department.
Identification of Plants and Fungi (including identification services and naming, verifications and enquiries) – This includes provision of accurate identifications of living and preserved plant and fungal material as a starting point for all other botanical studies both within Kew (e.g. Herbarium, Jodrell Laboratory) and globally.
Relevance – Well documented reference specimens are vital for repeatable scientific research in many areas of plant biology, and for purposes of communication those specimens must be accurately named. This is key to understanding the close link between the Baseline Plant Diversity Research Programme and the Collections Programme. Programmes that survey and inventory plant diversity are also the basis of much of Kew‘s collaborative and capacity building work in developing countries, where the production of checklists, Floras and baseline monographs that summarise survey and inventory information is often driven by societal needs, particularly in the areas of conservation and sustainable utilisation of plant resources.
Baseline Plant Diversity Research is also directly relevant to a variety of UK and international policies including the following:
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – One of the requirements of the CBD is for individual countries to inventory and monitor their biodiversity; basic survey and inventory work, including Floras, checklists and other products are vitally important in assisting countries to fulfil this obligation.
The Global Taxonomic Initiative (GTI) – Established by the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COP), the GTI aims to remove or reduce the ‘taxonomic impediment’ to the sound management of biodiversity. Since knowledge gaps in our taxonomic system are acknowledged as a primary element of this impediment, the provision of validated taxonomic treatments (databases, Floras, monographs etc.) is one of the most important ways in which Kew as an institution can contribute to the reduction and eventual elimination of the taxonomic impediment.
The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) – Adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the CBD (COPVI) highlights the importance of understanding and documenting plant diversity in order to achieve its ultimate and long-term objective of halting the current and continuing loss of plant diversity.
Connections to Other Kew Programmes – Collections are the essential springboard of all baseline plant diversity research work, while at the same time curation of collections is not possible without identification and baseline monographs and revisions. Baseline plant diversity research activities also often generate high quality targeted material, which increases the overall value of the collections. Thus the Collections Programme and Baseline Plant Diversity Research Programme are highly interconnected and activities in both areas have a mutually reinforcing effect on each other.
Kew's work in comparative plant biology also relies in part on targeted material acquisition through the Baseline Plant Diversity Research Programme. Without fieldwork undertaken for baseline plant diversity research much important material utilised in comparative biology research would simply be unavailable. Baseline plant diversity research work generates accurate identifications, regional inventories and baseline monographs which lead to synthetic monographs: key outputs of comparative biology. Synthesis that is maximally useful and effective also requires up-to-date and reliable distribution and ecological data, including, ideally, analysis using GIS.
Kew's work on the sustainable utilisation of plant resources also relies on targeted acquisition and accurate identification. Information on plant uses is often gained through baseline plant diversity research work and this is an important part of global efforts to document the uses of plants.
Accurate identification, ecological and distribution information and analytical data, including GIS, are vital for conservation and monitoring activities. This work also relies on data about endemic status, rarity and threat which is best assessed by fieldwork undertaken with baseline plant diversity research objectives. Ex situ conservation is fundamentally dependent on targeted acquisitions that also often occur as a component of baseline plant diversity research work.
Baseline Plant Diversity Research Strengths – The primary internal strength of the baseline plant diversity research programme is that Kew systematists have access to one of the best-curated and most comprehensive sets of botanical collections (together with an excellent library) in the world. As such, Kew has a well established and justified reputation as a premier centre for alpha level systematics and nomenclature. The quality and quantity of Kew's baseline plant diversity research products, over a long period of time, are such that they have become an essential and widely appreciated resource for a range of secondary products that have wider audiences (e.g. field guides). Kew's tropical Floras such as Flora Zambesiaca and Flora of Tropical East Africa are counted among the best and most useful in the world. They are also relatively complete compared to most other floristic efforts of similar scope. Through its work on Floras and checklists, Kew has built up extensive, well developed networks of collaboration with colleagues in tropical countries.
Kew possesses a core of regional specialists with a huge knowledge about plants in different parts of the world. Due to the size of the collections and the quality of the permanent staff, Kew is in a unique position to tackle large, long term, projects that involve regional or global (rather than national) considerations of variability and nomenclature. To move information production and dissemination forward, Kew also possesses a uniquely qualified and experienced software development team. GIS fully supports Kew`s research with innovative techniques being applied to core work. This multi-user facility, although only started in 1997, is probably unmatched in any other botanical institute. The combination of staff, resources and research activities enables Kew to offer a wide range of high quality training opportunities that range from specialist courses to undergraduate training and PhDs.
Key Objective
Maximise the value of Kew's baseline plant diversity research work, such as providing basic information on the units of plant diversity and their distribution, for the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity by developing the relevance, quality and utility of the information that Kew provides, and improving its dissemination through a focus on service, synthesis, partnership with others and more effective use of technology.
Measures of success:
· Total visits to Kew website
· Total research publications and compilations
· Total species use reports, species conservation assessments and species conservation plans supported
· Total habitat conservation assessments supported through contributions of information or advice.
Strategy for Baseline Plant Diversity Research – The overriding objective for the Baseline Plant Diversity Research programme is to increase and maximise the relevance and utility of Kew's baseline plant diversity research programmes for work in the sustainable utilisation and conservation of plant resources, while at the same time increasing the speed of the work so as to put it on a timescale that is appropriate to the urgency of the current environmental crisis.
Actions 2006-2011
To help meet our objectives the following general actions have been agreed for the period 2006-2011. More specific actions are set out in the science team documents.
· Develop and recognise excellence in regional specialists who can provide timely basic information on plant diversity across a broad systematic front in different parts of the world. Link to the development of regional synoptic collections and increased provision of conservation data.
· Secure ongoing expertise in botanical nomenclature at Kew.
· Complete and publish Flora of Tropical East Africa and Flora Zambesiaca.