State of the World's Plants and Fungi Symposium programme
What to expect from 11 – 13 October 2023
The symposium is based around five themed sessions in which invited experts will address topical questions through presentations and Q&A panel discussions.
In addition, in-person attendees will have the opportunity to participate in four workshops to contribute their ideas and expertise towards the development of a symposium declaration. The declaration will set out a shared agreement and action plan for where scientific institutions aim to focus their collecting and research efforts to achieve the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Please note, the workshops are not available to online attendees.
All timings are in UK time (UTC +1h). The exact timings and order may change slightly as details are confirmed. Please visit this page for up-to-date programme information.
You can find abstracts for each of the speakers listed in the below full programme on our speaker abstracts page.
10:45–12:15 Registration and refreshments
Welcome and opening address
Host: Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:15–12:30 The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK
12:30–12:45 Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Session 1: Where are the diversity hotspots and critical knowledge gaps? (Part 1)
Chair: Dr Iain A. Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:45–13:10 Dr Timothy Utteridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Plant diversity of Indo-Australia: Understanding knowledge gaps from Thailand to New Guinea
13:10–13:35 Dr Janaína Gomes-da-Silva, Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Unveiling hidden gems: Research and conservation priorities for endemic and undescribed Brazilian angiosperms
13:35–14:00 Professor Aída M. Vasco Palacios, University of Antioquia, Colombia
Colombian funga
14:00–15:00 Lunch and Fungarium tour
Workshop 1: Drafting the declaration part 1 – objectives, structure and process
Chairs: Dr Jordan Teisher, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA & Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
15:00–16:00 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
Workshop 2: Taxonomy training to support the declaration
Chairs: Professor Emily Sessa, New York Botanical Garden, USA & Dr Ana Rita Simões, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Panellists: Professor Maria Teresa Buril, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Brazil; Dr Sofie Meeus, Meise Botanic Garden, Belgium & Dr Richard Gianfrancesco, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
16:00–17:00 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
- What are the opportunities for knowledge, skills and capacity strengthening?
- What are the challenges for knowledge, skills and capacity strengthening?
- How can the vast and increasing demand for taxonomic training be best met?
- What commitments can represented organisations make under current and new/future funding?
17:00–17:30 Refreshment break
Flash poster presentations
Chair: Professor Phil Stevenson, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
17:30–18:30 One-minute flash talks selected from abstracts submitted
View the poster titles and authors
View the full list of poster abstracts
18:30–20:00 Drinks reception and poster session – available to in-person attendees only
Workshop 3: Drafting the declaration part 2 – organisational commitments
Chairs: Dr Jordan Teisher, Missouri Botanical Garden, USA & Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
10:30–11:30 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
11:30–12:00 Refreshment break
Session 2: Where are the diversity hotspots and critical knowledge gaps? (Part 2)
Sponsored by Annals of Botany
Chair: Dr Iain A. Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:00–12:25 Ms Domitilla Raimondo, South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa
Strategic filling of knowledge gaps leads to effective policy development to protect plants in the megadiverse country South Africa
12:25–12:50 Mr Ian Ondo, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), UK
Plant diversity darkspots for global collection priorities
12:50–13:15 Professor M. Catherine Aime, Purdue University, USA
Illuminating the dark fungi
13:15–13:30 Q&A panel discussion
13:30–15:00 Lunch and tours – free time to explore the Gardens
Session 3: What do we know about extinction risk?
Chair: Dr Malin Rivers, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), UK
15:00–15:20 Professor Rachael Gallagher, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia
Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora
15:20–15:40 Dr Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
Drivers of extinction risks in Madagascar vascular flora
15:40–16:00 Professor Anders Dahlberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
What do we know about extinction risk in fungi?
16:00–16:30 Q&A panel discussion
16:30–16:45 Group photo
16:45–17:15 Refreshment break
Workshop 4: Green finance to support the declaration
Chairs: Divya Seshamani, Greensphere Capital LLP, UK & Dame Amelia Fawcett DBE CVO, State Street Corporation, UK
Panellists: Matthew Ryan, Nestle, UK, Mr Alex Seddon, M&G, UK & Ms Helen Edmundson, Defra, UK
17:15–18:45 Available to in-person attendees only - a smartphone, tablet or laptop are necessary for full participation
- What are the opportunities for green finance to contribute to biodiversity research and conservation?
- Why is science important in quantifying and managing economic risk?
- What can companies and financiers do to support implementation of the Declaration?
Symposium dinner
19:00–22:00 Available to in-person attendees only (pre-booking required)
Dinner speech: John E. Scanlon AO, Trustee, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Session 4: How do we accelerate our understanding of plant and fungal diversity?
Chair: Dr Isabel Larridon, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
10:00–10:20 Professor Keping Ma, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Mapping Asia plants for conservation and sustainable use
10:20–10:40 Professor Daniele Silvestro, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
New methods to predict biodiversity patterns and threats and to optimise conservation action
10:40–11:00 Professor Lynne Boddy MBE, Cardiff University, UK
Accelerating our understanding of fungal diversity
11:00–11:30 Q&A panel discussion
11:30–12:00 Refreshment break
Session 5: How can we achieve global and national targets for biodiversity protection and restoration?
Chair: China Williams, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
12:00–12:20 Dr Paul Smith, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), UK
Co-ordinating and catalysing tree species recovery globally and nationally
12:20–12:40 Ms Giuliana Furci, Fungi Foundation (FFungi), Chile & USA
Funga: A firm step towards mainstream fungal conservation
12:40–13:00 Professor Kalemani Jo Mulongoy, Institute for Enhanced Livelihoods, Canada & Democratic Republic of Congo
Africa’s opportunities and challenges for restoring degraded ecosystems and expanding effective conservation and protected areas in line with the 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework
13:00–13:30 Q&A panel discussion
13:30–14:30 Lunch & Fungarium tour
Summary and key points for declaration
Chair: Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
14:30–14:45 Dr Iain A. Darbyshire, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Summary of theme 1: Where are the diversity hotspots and critical knowledge gaps?
14:45–15:00 Dr Malin Rivers, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), UK
Summary of theme 2: What do we know about extinction risk?
15:00–15:15 Dr Isabel Larridon, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Summary of theme 3: How do we accelerate our understanding of plant and fungal diversity?
15:15–15:30 China Williams, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Summary of theme 4: How can we achieve global and national targets for biodiversity protection and restoration?
15:30–15:50 Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
Agreement of next steps
15:50–16:20 Refreshment break
Making biodiversity research count: Winning hearts and driving change
Host: Carolyn Quinn, Broadcaster and former BBC Radio 4 presenter, UK
16:20–17:20 In conversation with...
Mr James Wong, TV/radio presenter and author, UK
Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland, University of Oxford, UK
Poster awards and closing remarks
Sponsored by New Phytologist Foundation & Botany One
17:20–17:30 Host: Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK
