Here Today, Gone Forever:
Plant Extinction Now and Conservation Strategies for Tomorrow

Plants are of foundational importance for ecosystems but often unrecognized (plant blindness). They constitute the base of food chains, including our own. They are essential players in the global carbon cycle and thus also in addressing climate change. The world cannot successfully address the biodiversity challenge without including plants.

About the Speaker

University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, USA

Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, an innovative conservation biologist, coined the term “biological diversity” (1980). He is the Founder and President of the non-profit Amazon Biodiversity Center and the renowned Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project.  In 2010 he was elected University Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University. He currently also is Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation based in Washington, DC. Spanning the political spectrum, Tom has served on science and environmental councils under the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations. At the core of these many influential positions are seminal ideas, which have formed and strengthened the field of conservation biology. In the 1980s, he brought international attention to the world’s tropical rain forests, and in particular, the Brazilian Amazon, where he has worked since 1965. With three co-edited books (1992, 2005, and 2019), he is credited as a founder of the field of climate change biology. He also founded the series Nature, the popular long-term series on public television. In 2001, Tom was awarded the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. In 2009 he was the winner of BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Ecology and Conservation Biology Category. In 2009 he was appointed Conservation Fellow by the National Geographic and Explorer at Large. In 2012 he was recognized by the Blue Planet Prize. Tom holds B.S. and Ph.D. (biology) degrees from Yale University.

To understand the recent rate of plant extinctions and to prevent future ones requires weaving various lines of evidence. Maria Vorontsova and her colleagues have quantified recent plant extinctions, finding them to be somewhat lower than rates of bird, mammal, and amphibian extinctions. Wesley Knapp and colleagues analysing North American extinctions in detail show these results to be robust against the inevitable debates on taxonomy and other disputes. As for vertebrates, species described in the last century have higher extinction rates than those described in the 19th. More recently described species tend to have smaller geographic ranges and so be more vulnerable to extinction that those with larger ones. This gets the question of how many more species of plants remain to be discovered. Different lines of evidence suggest about 15%. Models predict that these will be predominantly in the biodiversity hotspots—places where concentrations of small-ranged species collide with exceptional loss of habitat. Combined, this means that undiscovered species are likely to be at high risk of extinction, indeed, if they have not already succumbed.  What habitats remain in hotspots are often fragmented. Much science suggests that fragments lose species quickly. Restoring habitat connections between fragments is a cost-effective solution to prevent extinctions.

About the Speaker

Doris Duke Professor of Conservation, Duke University, USA

Dr. Stuart Pimm is the Doris Duke Chair of Conservation at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He is an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and the President of Saving Nature, a non-profit. He is a world leader in the study of present-day extinctions and what we can do to prevent them. Stuart received his BSc degree from Oxford University in 1971 and his Ph.D. from New Mexico State University in 1974. He is the author of 350 scientific papers and four books. Stuart wrote the highly-acclaimed assessment of the human impact to the planet: The World According to Pimm: A scientist audits the Earth in 2001. His commitment to the interface between science and policy has led to his testimony to both House and Senate Committees on the re-authorization of the Endangered Species Act. He has served on National Geographic’s Committee for Research and Exploration and their Big Cats Initiative. In addition to his studies in Africa, Stuart has worked in the wet forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil for decades, and is a long-term collaborator of the forest fragmentation project north of Manaus, Brazil. His international honours include the Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (2006), the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2010), and the International Cosmos Prize (2019).

Our knowledge of plants is globally uneven. Rafaël Govaerts reviewed all publications on plant extinctions over more than three decades, and compiled a global analysis of all plant extinction records documented from across the world. We found that 571 plants have completely disappeared from the wild, more than twice the number of birds, mammals and amphibians combined. Highest rates of plant extinction have been recorded on islands, in the tropics, and in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Woody plants and plants with a small geographical range are more likely to be reported as extinct. Sadly, our results are almost certainly a gross underestimate of the real situation. Establishing species extinction requires multiple field surveys, trained professionals, and infrastructure. Inequality in the availability and accessibility of plant diversity data, professional expertise, and funding interact to produce chronic differences in knowledge between countries. Inequality in global plant knowledge is likely to be a driver of unrecorded plant extinctions. Maria will use her ten years of experience studying the grasses of Madagascar to compare botanical knowledge in Madagascar versus the British Isles to show that differences in our knowledge of the world’s floras are long-standing, deep, and perpetuated by numerous modern-day factors.

About the Speaker

Research Leader (Grasses), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK

Dr. Maria Vorontsova is a plant taxonomist and a specialist in grasses (Poaceae), with an interest in grass function and grassy ecosystems, as well as integrating the traditional discipline of taxonomy with the modern sciences. She is the author of three reference books and runs the GrassBase database with descriptions of 11,369 grass species. Maria’s main research project is her 10-year multidisciplinary work on the grasses of Madagascar. Taxonomic documentation of endemic species is providing evidence for a natural origin of Malagasy grasslands. Her collaboration with phylogeneticists and functional ecologists is building an understanding of the history of grassy ecosystems and their modern function. She works in close collaboration with botanists and students at the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre, developing improved rangeland management strategies using native grasses and controlled burns, particularly at the Itremo Protected Area managed by RBG Kew. Maria has a long-standing interest in the history and philosophy of science, women’s participation in taxonomy, and decolonising the natural sciences.

Extinction rates are expected to increase during the Anthropocene, yet current extinction rates of plants and many animals remain unknown. To assess vascular plant extinction rates in the continental United States and Canada, I led a team of experts from across the country to assess and compile data on apparently extinct species by querying plant conservation databases, searching literature, and vetting the resulting list with botanical experts. Because taxonomic opinion varies widely, we developed and utilized an Index of Taxonomic Uncertainty (ITU) to assess taxonomic merit. Our data suggest 65 taxa (51 species and 14 infraspecific taxa) representing 33 families and 49 genera have become extinct in our study area since European settlement. This figure represents a 109% increase over previously reported extinctions in the U.S. and Canada. Seven of these taxa exist in cultivation but are extinct in the wild. We found most extinctions in western North America, but that disparity may reflect the timing of botanical exploration relative to settlement. Unexpectedly, 64% of extinct plants were single-site endemics, and many occurred outside recognized biodiversity hotspots. A renewed and refocused effort utilizing in-situ and ex-situ techniques is needed to prevent future extinctions.

About the Speaker

Mountains Field Ecologist/Biologist, North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, USA

Wesley Knapp has a B.S. from Catawba College in Environmental Sciences. He earned the M.S. in Plant Science with a focus in Plant Systematics from Delaware State University. Wes worked for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service for 15 years, until 2016 when he took the Mountains Ecologist/Botanist position with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. He explores and inventories some of the best remaining natural areas in North Carolina and by extension, the eastern United States. His work helps identify conservation targets by prioritizing sites for acquisition, conservation, and management. Wes is an expert in numerous plant groups, including extinct plants of North America. He has written major treatments of the Rush Family (Juncaceae). He is a regional reviewer for the Flora of North America Project, has described new plant species and natural communities, is lead author of forthcoming Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Maryland, and founding member of the Digital Atlas of the Maryland Flora (MarylandPlantAtlas.org). He has a long list of scientific publications and has presented his research internationally. Additionally, Wes teaches plant identification workshops for governmental and non-governmental organizations. His current research interests include endemism, identifying extinction events, preventing extinction events, and describing undescribed species.

South Africa has an incredible floral heritage that has medical and psycho-cultural significance locally. Diverse ethno-cultural utilization is thus encouraging entry of new products into global markets based on South African endemics, placing new threats to the sustainability of wild populations, especially those of the Cape Floristic Region and succulent Karoo. Here, I will discuss unique bioprospecting opportunities presented by interfacing multi-omics technologies to study medicinal plants whose uses stem from the practices of the Khoi-San. Narrow endemics facing imperilment through overexploitation for the medicinal plant trades, agricultural and urban development, and changing habitat and geo-climactic patterns indicate routes towards possible extinction. Participation of indigenous knowledge holders in assessments of plant use highlighted several wild harvested species that are now noticeable in their decline by user-communities. This particular study illustrates the exciting potential of medicinal biodiversity that still remains chemically under-explored but can provide new socioeconomic developments for the bioeconomy of South Africa. However, such endeavors need to be undertaken with a consciousness that will artistically balance ancient traditions of plant exploitation with conservation imperatives.

About the Speaker

Professor of Medicinal Plant Biology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Dr. Nokwanda Makunga’s research uses a multidirectional approach that combines the areas of biotechnology, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry. During her tenure at Stellenbosch University (2005 to present), she established the area of medicinal plant biotechnology. Her group uses cutting-edge multi-omics technologies, in order to try to understand plants from the genetic level through to their responses to the environment. This approach allows production of quality-assured, economically suitable phytopharmaceutics Nokwanda has an interest in people-plant interactions, and so her research is also focused on medicinal plants, their cultural significance, and opportunities presented for socioeconomic development. The over-exploitation of plants as part of indigenous knowledge systems is often seen as a route that may possibly lead to extinctions. Through use of cultivation as a conservation system, her work aims to develop strategies using biotechnology that may preserve rare and endangered genotypes. In 2011, she was a recipient of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Annual Award under the category Distinguished Young Black Researcher (Female), TW Kambule NRF award for 2011/12. Recent awards include the Fulbright Fellowship, where she was positioned at the University of Minnesota in 2017 to 2018. She is a founding member of the social movement founded in 2020 that seeks to promote Black botanists globally, whether they be formally or informally trained.

As accelerated rates of extinction threaten global biodiversity, communities, researchers, and governments need resources to combat this onslaught of loss. Collections, ranging from herbaria of pressed specimens to botanical gardens of ex-situ living plants, are reservoirs of unparalleled depth, which are held in trust by institutions for the benefit of all people. Sometimes misguidedly derided as facilitating extinction, collections stretching over centuries are the only resources that can contextualize species loss in place and time across the tree of life, providing insights to the very processes and causes of extinction. Collections also provide a continual spring of new species discovery, often from landscapes that have been fundamentally transformed, ultimately holding the last records of species that are extinct in the wild. Our collections give us a window into lost diversity, and with continued protection and growth, provide tools and resources for actively combating extinction.

About the Speaker

Assistant Curator, William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, The New York Botanical Garden, USA

Dr. Matthew Pace completed his undergraduate degree in Plant Science at Cornell University, and earned his Ph.D. in Botany from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Matthew is the Assistant Curator of The New York Botanical Garden’s William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest collection of dried, pressed plants in the Western Hemisphere, with 7.8 million specimens. In addition to helping run and manage this important biodiversity collection, Matthew’s research focuses on the systematics, evolution, and conservation of the Orchid Family. He is currently leading a multi-institution effort funded by National Science Foundation to digitize 2 million herbarium specimens of rare species with unusual adaptations to extreme environments.

Of all global crises, extinction alone is irreversible. Although there is no acceptable level of human-caused extinction, some extinctions will continue no matter how desperately conservationists try to stop them. We must prioritize actions to prevent as many extinctions as possible. Many approaches to preventing extinction have been suggested and, to some extent, implemented. The challenge is determining which approach or combination of approaches has the greatest probability of success for each particular case. The “irreplaceability vs. vulnerability” approach of systematic conservation planning is the most generally applicable. This approach includes the identification of biodiversity hotspots (of endemism and threat) at global and continental scales but can be scaled down to ecoregions and landscapes. Scaling-down is important because many extinctions are of single-site endemics outside recognized large-scale hotspots. In most cases regional hotspots correspond to climatic macrorefugia; in at least some cases local hotspots correspond to microrefugia. A more specific threat-based approach also holds promise. Although ultimate threats such as population and economic growth are challenging to address, at least some proximate threats can be mitigated through better conservation and land-use planning. Finally, ex-situ conservation is critical for species with little or no chance of survival in the wild.

About the Speaker

President, Florida Institute for Conservation Science, USA

Dr. Reed Noss is a writer, photographer, lecturer, and consultant in natural history, ecology, and conservation. He was formerly Provost’s Distinguished Research Professor of Biology at the University of Central Florida. He received a B.S. in education from University of Dayton, an M.S. in ecology from University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology from University of Florida. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Conservation Biology, Science Editor for Wild Earth magazine, and President of the Society for Conservation Biology. He is an Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His recent research topics include disturbance (especially fire) ecology; ecosystem conservation and restoration; road ecology; and vulnerability of species and ecosystems to climate change and sea-level rise. He has more than 340 publications, including eight books. His most recent books are Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation (Island Press, 2013) and Fire Ecology of Florida and the Southeastern Coastal Plain (University Press of Florida, 2018). He is currently working slowly on a book on the endangered ecosystems of North America.

All around the world, across habitats, across taxa, and for all kinds of reasons, once-discovered species have fallen off our radar. These lost species are animals and plants that have gone unseen for decades and are feared possibly extinct. In order to save these species, we first need to find them. In collaboration with more than 100 experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Global Wildlife Conservation has compiled a list of over 1,200 species that are missing to science. Of the 1,200 species identified, only 20% are plants—probably a vast underestimation of the need of rediscovery. The goals of the Search for Lost Species are to build hope and optimism within the conservation community and catalyze conservation efforts on species at high risk of extinction. To promote searches, we have identified a top-25 “most wanted” species list and top-10 lists by taxa and geography, the latter often with partners interested in catalyzing searches. The small percentage of plants on the list, and the even smaller search effort for plants is concerning. How can we all collaborate to find and protect the plant species most in need of conservation?

About the Speaker

Senior Director of Species Conservation, Global Wildlife Conservation, USA

Dr. Barney Long works on the conservation of endangered species and the thematic approaches required to achieve the recovery of their populations. He has worked extensively on Saola, Sumatran and Javan Rhino, Tiger, Gibbons, Doucs, and a host of other species across the world. Foci of his work are protected area management effectiveness and the prevention of poaching. Prior to joining Global Wildlife Conservation, Barney led the Species Program at WWF-US. He started his career in Southeast Asia exploring the region during baseline biodiversity inventory surveys and searching for presumed extinct primates. Initially using community-based and protected area approaches to conserve species, he expanded to the integration of species conservation within wider landscape and socio-economic development processes on which he conducted his doctoral research. A key interest of Barney’s is how to raise the quality of implementation at scale through developing thematic approaches to improving protected area management effectiveness, the prevention of poaching, and species conservation and recovery planning. Barney is also a strong believer in the power of partnerships for conservation and works extensively with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the SMART, Shoal, Sumatran Rhino, and URSA partnerships.

Dr. Robert Naczi is a plant systematist whose research focuses on the flora of North America, plant conservation, the Sedge Family (Cyperaceae), and the Western Hemisphere Pitcher Plant Family (Sarraceniaceae). He leads the project to prepare the comprehensive account of the Northeast’s spontaneous plants, New Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Prior to working at NYBG, Rob was Associate Professor of Botany at Northern Kentucky University, and Herbarium Curator and graduate professor at Delaware State University. Rob earned the B.S. in Biology from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, and the Ph.D. in Botany from University of Michigan.