Eighth meeting of the Steering Committee: Item 4 - Programme Evaluation
REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON
WILD SPECIES CONSERVATION IN GENETIC RESERVES
Nigel Maxted, September 2001
Report of activities
The Task Force was established as a recommendation of the ECP/GR Steering
Committee, during its seventh meeting in 1998, to initiate activities within the
framework of a Technical Cooperation Network for Phase VI, and agreed on a budget
to for one meetings (to be held jointly with the On-farm Conservation and
Management Task Force) and produce a publication of the proceedings. The first
Task Force meeting was held in Isola Polvese, Italy between 18-20 May 2000, the
task force was composed of eleven members, with Nigel Maxted as Chair and
supported by the ECP/GR secretariate. The members are detailed below:
Yehoshua Anikster Israel
Mats Gustafsson Sweden
Inger Hjalmarsson Sweden
Jose Iriondo Spain
Nigel Maxted United Kingdom
Vladimir Meglic Slovakia
Martine Mitteau France
Valeria Negri Italy
Stelios Samaras Greece
Zdenek Stehno Czech Republic
Ruth Wingender Germany
During its first inaugural meeting in Isola Polvese, the Task Force agreed several
work-plans; progress towards meeting the goals of these work-plans is reviewed
below:
Theme 1 - Inventory of Genetic Reserve Conservation Projects of PGRFA in
Europe
1. Short-term: circulate a questionnaire within the In Situ Network members
during the meeting and revise the presentation on this for inclusion in the
workshop publication.
i Achieved.
2. Longer-term: circulate the questionnaire more broadly to all European countries
via various newsletters and networks (Nigel Maxted / 6 months), these will
include.
i Achieved - Circulated questionnaire with IPGRI Regional Newsletter for
Europe and Optima Newsletter.
ii Both questionnaires elicited a very poor response, indicating there are
only approximately ten protected area in Europe where the management
regime is focused on in situ plant genetic conservation.
3. Collation and analysis of information on wild Species conserved in genetic
reserves in Europe. Publication of the information via the ECP/GR website.
i Not achieved – Because of the relatively small number of reserves
involved it was not felt worthy of publication.
4. When contacting ECP/GR National Coordinators for the details concerning
genetic reserves in their countries, they will also be asked to clarify which
agency and who is the named person responsible within that agency for in situ
conservation of PGRFA in their country (ECP/GR Secretariat).
i Not achieved
Theme 2: Preliminary list of priority target species for in situ conservation
1. Maintain a watching brief on the generation of novel lists of PGRFA species in
Europe.
i Not achieved – The revision of the Heywood and Zohary list of PGRFA
species in Europe was included as an integral part of the research and
thematic network projects discussed below.
Theme 3: List of guidelines for practical implementation of genetic reserve
conservation
1. The On-farm Conservation and Management Task Force is asked to consider
the conservation of wild and weedy species along with the traditional varieties
of crops in on-farm conservation projects
i Achieved – request made during the workshop.
2. Compilation of existing guidelines for the establishment and management of
genetic reserves for the conservation of wild PGRFA species.
i Not achieved.
3. Once the list of existing genetic reserves in Europe is available (see Session 1),
an attempt will be made to elucidate the establishment and management
methodologies utilised. Publication of the information via the ECP/GR Internet
page or hard-copy guidelines by IPGRI
i Not achieved – This was included as an integral part of the research
projects discussed below.
4. Novel genetic reserves should be encouraged to incorporate an element of
experimentation with establishment and management guidelines
i Achieved
Theme 4: Identification of research elements to study genetic diversity
1. The compilation of a bibliographic list of research papers related to the genetic
reserve conservation of wild PGRFA species. Publication of the information
via the ECP/GR Internet pages.
i Not achieved
2. The compilation of a bibliographic list of research papers related to
mathematical modelling systems for predicting changes as a result of reserve
management interventions. Publication of the information via the ECP/GR
Internet pages.
i Not achieved
3. The various products of the task force (listed above) should be collated and
published by IPGRI, as they have much wider relevance than to just the task
force members within Europe.
i Not achieved
4. The task force should reconvene in two years time. Funding for such a meeting
will be incorporated into any funding application made by members of the
group.
i Not achieved – This was included as an integral part of the research
projects discussed below.
5. A list server should be established for the In Situ Network to encourage
discussion of genetic reserve and on farm issues.
i Not achieved
Theme 5 - Genetic Reserve Conservation Research Proposals
1. Ammiad genetic reserve
a. IPGRI will write formally to the appropriate authorities in Israel and stress to
them the importance of maintaining this reserve for wild wheat conservation, as
well as the need to continue the established long-term research programme at
the site (IPGRI and ECP/GR Secretariat / 1 month). IPGRI will also assist in
locating potential funding sources to secure the future of the reserve.
i Achieved
2. Strategic, species comprehensive proposal
a. Revise project document in the light of discussion at the workshop.
i Achieved
b. Identify additional project partners to the members of the genetic reserve task
force drawn as broadly as possibly from throughout Europe, but partners must
be interested in genetic conservation and PGRFA.
i Achieved
c. Arrange a visit to the European Commission in Brussels to investigate sources
of EU funding for the project
i Achieved
- Visit made to EC Brussels to discuss the strategic research grant
applications on the 13th Sept 2000
- Meeting of In Situ Conservation of European Crop Relative research
in Rome December 2000
- Visit made to European Topic Centre on Nature Protection and
Biodiversity (EEA) and EC Brussels to discuss the strategic thematic
network grant applications on the 30th July 2001
d. Investigate non-EU sources of funding for the project.
i Not achieved
e. Submit grant application for In Situ Conservation of European Crop Relatives
i Achieved.
- First Application - Research and Development grant application
submitted to Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment
and Sustainable Development - Key action 2 ‘Global change, climate
and biodiversity’ - 2.2.3 ‘Assessing and conserving biodiversity’
- Submission date: 13.02.01
- Title: In Situ Conservation of European Plant Genetic Resources
- Objective: The European Community Biodiversity Strategy
acknowledges that a critical loss of species and genetic biodiversity
is occurring in Europe at present. It also states that conserving
European biodiversity is being seriously hampered by a lack of
biodiversity data. The project will address this problem by for the
first time collecting vital ecogeographic data for the socio-
economically important species native to Europe. The proposed
project will apply the multidisciplinary skills required to assess,
quantify and monitor plant genetic resources (200 wild species from
14 families related to crop plants) in Europe and thus improve the
monitoring of long-term trends, enhance future utilisation and
European wealth creation.
- Cost: € 2,200,331
- Status: Unsuccessful
- Second Application – Thematic Network grant application submitted
to Fifth Framework Programme for Energy, Environment and
Sustainable Development - Key action 2 ‘Global change, climate and
biodiversity’ - 2.2.3 ‘Assessing and conserving biodiversity’
- Submission date: 15.10.01
- Title: European Wild Plant Diversity Assessment & Conservation
Forum
- Objective: PGR Forum’s objective is to provide a European forum
(Network of Excellence) for the assessment of taxonomic (species)
and genetic diversity of European wild crop relative plant genetic
resources and develop appropriate methodologies that can be applied
to conserve their genetic diversity.
- Cost: € 300,000
- Status: Still to be submitted
3. Species Specific Cereal Project Proposal
a. Writing project document for genetic reserve conservation of wild wheat, barley
and oats in Europe
i Not achieved
b. Investigate potential European project partners
i Not achieved
c. Collate existing ecogeographic and genetic information
i Not achieved
d. Investigate possible sources of project funding
i Achieved – During visits to EC Brussels on 13th Sept 2000 and 30th July
2001 funding under 1467 was discussed.
e. Establish genetic reserves to conserve wild wheat, barley and oat genetic
diversity in Europe, with possibly locations in Israel, Turkey, Greece, etc.
4. Species Specific Brassica Project Proposal
a. Writing project document for genetic reserve conservation of wild Brassicas in
Europe
i Not achieved
b. Investigate potential European project partners
i Not achieved
c. Collate existing ecogeographic and genetic information
i Not achieved
d. Investigate sources of project funding
i Achieved – During visits to EC Brussels on 13th Sept 2000 and 30th July
2001 funding under 1467 was discussed.
e. Establish genetic reserves to conserve wild Brassicas in Europe
i Not achieved
Structure And Functioning Of The Task Force
Like other ECP/GR task forces the active function is hindered by the lack of funds
and funding opportunities. A major effort, with full ECP/GR Secretariat, has been
focused on obtaining external funding for the research projects envisaged as Task
Force actions – when this funding is obtained many of the priority actions outlined
above will be achieved.
The task force has operated largely in isolation from the bulk of other ECP/GR
activities, mainly because of lack of interest and/or expertise in common with most
active members in the network. But it is felt this is a weakness of the Network as a
whole and certainly collaboration with the other Task Forces is considered essential
The existence of the Task Force has allowed those members in ECP/GR, who have an
interest in in situ genetic reserve conservation to come together and discuss future
plans and has provided a platform for funding applications, two thus far focusing in
the strategic area with another three crop specific applications planned.
Future Planning
It is proposed to maintain this Task Force on its current modest budget on the
assumption that one or more of the project proposals can be funded, resulting in active
in situ genetic reserve conservation of European Wild Crop Relatives.