Summary
South West Western Australia has a rich endemic flora of global significance. The threats facing this floral diversity are increasing in type, severity and scale, demonstrated by the rising numbers of species threatened with extinction. In particular, the root-rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is causing widespread destruction, threatening the survival of many of the region’s unique plants. In situ conservation of wild plants is considered the most essential component of a flora conservation program, but the ability to conserve some species adequately is often unachievable in the short term and urgent management intervention is required to prevent extinction. We present data on the status and management of wild populations of four threatened species from the region, including an ex situ program, and describe our efforts to bridge the gap between these two components. Such inter situ conservation recovery work enables monitoring of biological attributes, research into reproductive biology and collection of genetic material for further ex situ conservation, and provides the source of material for future restoration of wild populations.
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Acknowledgements
Financial support for inter situ plantings was received from the Australian Government through the South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc. and the Western Australian State Government through the Biodiversity Conservation Initiative. The capacity of the Threatened Flora Seed Centre to address ex situ conservation of threatened species in Western Australia was greatly improved through the support of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, through the Millennium Seed Bank Project international seed banking partnership. We thank the latter for many years of close collaboration and partnership. The authors would also like to thank the many volunteers and DEC staff who assisted in the projects, from the collection of seeds, to planting and monitoring of seedlings.
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Cochrane, J.A., Barrett, S., Monks, L. et al. Partnering conservation actions. Inter situ solutions to recover threatened species in South West Western Australia. Kew Bull 65, 655–662 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-010-9233-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-010-9233-0