ID: 613 / 45

Category: Symposia

Track: Pending

Proposed Symposium Title: PRIORITISE, PLAN, ACT AND MONITOR - PROMOTING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THREATENED TREE CONSERVATION

Abstract: Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) promotes a holistic, integrated approach to the conservation and management of plant diversity. BGCI’s Tree Conservation Program is integrating threatened tree conservation through four actions – prioritise, plan, act and monitor - to protect the world’s tree species from extinction with partners worldwide. PRIORITISE The Global Tree Assessment (GTA) is an initiative to assess the conservation status of all world’s tree species, led by BGCI and the IUCN Species Survival Commission Global Tree Specialist Group. Tree extinctions can only be avoided if the best possible information is available and then used to inform conservation decisions made by practitioners, policy makers and funders. PLAN Conservation action can be planned at species level but also at the national, regional and taxonomic group levels. BGCI’s resources such as the Global Tree Portal, Conservation Action Tracker, Recovery Plans, national conservation planning work and taxonomic group-level conservation planning, inform the selection of priority sites and species to develop integrated tree conservation initiatives and funding applications. ACT BGCI’s direct tree conservation action has worked to conserve over 400 threatened tree species in more than 50 countries collaborating closely with local partners worldwide. Their full engagement and participation is key to the success and lasting impact of all tree conservation initiatives. Technical challenges can be complex, building stakeholder capacity and partnerships facilitates the sharing of experiences, improves practices and increases success. MONITOR Project monitoring is the routine collection and analysis of information about project progress and whether expected results are being achieved. To track progress annually, BGCI has developed a thorough system of monitoring and evaluation where project activities are reviewed and amended as necessary, based on new findings or on unforeseen events, including natural and man-made hazards and changes.

Speaker 1: Emily Beech Botanic Gardens Conservation International emily.beech@bgci.org Prioritise and Plan: Harnessing the Global Tree Assessment and associated data to best inform target action to prevent tree extinction,

Speaker 2: Noelia Álvarez de Román Botanic Gardens Conservation International noelia.alvarez@bgci.org Act: Implementing Tree Conservation Projects Locally

Speaker 3: Joachim Gratzfeld Botanic Gardens Conservation International joachim.gratzfeld@bgci.org Monitor: Introduction of BGCI’s tree project implementation monitoring system

Topics (Up to three): Conservation Biology

Topic 2: Ecology and Plant Communities

Topic 3: Restoration Ecology

Justification: The amazing range of nearly 60,000 different tree species that have evolved over the last 300 million years is under threat. The State of the World’s Trees, published in 2021, shares the results of the Global Tree Assessment (GTA) - the first conservation assessment of all of the world’s trees. The results tell us that 30% of all tree species are threatened with extinction. However completing IUCN Red List assessments isn’t enough. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) has developed over the last 20 years an integrated approach to tree conservation collaborating with local partners worldwide.