The role of the Council of Botanic Gardens of Russia in the conservation of the national flora
Yuri GORBUNOV & Alexander DEMIDOV
Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden RAS, Borok, Russia
There are 100 botanic gardens in Russia and their work on the conservation of flora
is coordinated by the Council of Botanic Gardens of Russia (CBGR). “Russian
Botanic
Gardens Conservation Strategy” and “Methodical recommendations on
reintroduction
of plants” were prepared and published. An inventory of rare plant
species
conserved ex situ was made in 2003-2005 and in 2008-2009. About a third
of Russian flora and 64 % of Red Data Book species are kept in living collections
and meristem banks of Botanical Gardens. Thirty four species classified in category
1 (E) are cultivated, making 48 % from the general number of species of this
category.
Another 20 species are represented in collections of three and more
botanic
gardens (i.e. they have sufficient numbers in cultivation to provide an insurance
for the future). A comparative analysis of two databases developed by
the CBGR in 1988 and in 2008 was carried out. Results of the analysis show that
for the period between 1988 and 2008 there has been an increase in the number
of the botanic gardens in Russia maintaining collections of rare species, as well
as a marked increase in the overall number of conserved species and samples. A
report
on Plants of Russian Red Data Book in collections of Botanic Gardens and
Arboreta
was published. Different projects on reintroduction of rare species are
being carried out. Russian Botanicl Gardens contributed significantly to achieving
the aims of Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. They took an active part in
study
of regional floras (“Flora of East Europe”, “Flora of Siberia”, “Check list of
Siberian
flora”, “Vascular plants of the Soviet Far East”), identification of the key
botanical
areas, and preparation of a new “Red Data Book of Russia”. Specialists
of Botanical Gardens conceived and prepared for publication a range of regional
Red Data Books of: the Altai Republic, Altai Krai, Murmansk, Moscow, Tver, Rostov,
Volgograd, Sakhalin and other territories. Methods of ex situ conservation of
rare species were improved; education programs in the field of conservation of
biodiversity
of plants were developed.
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© 2012 Organizing Committee
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