WA invited to be part of international flora seed conservation project

27/11/00
Western Australia's role as one of the world's biodiversity 'hotspots' has been recognised through an invitation to be part of the co-operative Millennium Seed Bank flora conservation project.
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes today said the invitation had come from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom, which was co-ordinating the world-wide initiative.
The main aim of the Millennium Seed Bank is to collect and conserve 10 per cent of the world's seed-bearing plants, mainly from the world's drylands by 2010. This is equal to 24,000 species.
It also aims to collect and conserve seeds of the entire United Kingdom native seed-bearing flora by the end of this year.
The British Government's Millennium Commission has provided $83 million towards the project. More than $800,000 will be allocated to the Department of Conservation and Land Management and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority to fund the Western Australian component over the next 10 years.
Mrs Edwardes said the project involved collecting seed samples and placing them in long-term secure storage. The seed would be regularly tested with any unviable seeds being replaced.
The stored seeds would be used to re-establish plant species that could become extinct in the wild.
Mrs Edwardes said the WA Millennium Threatened Flora Seed Conservation Project would include collecting seeds of 1,400 of the State's rarest species. Seed would be held in WA and the United Kingdom.
It also would involve seed studies within WA involving CALM and the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority to improve the knowledge of germination, storage and how seeds maintain dormancy as well as collaborative research between WA and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
"WA is well-placed to play an active role in such an important project," the Minister said.
"CALM's Threatened Flora Seed centre at the WA Herbarium is a key feature of the State's leading efforts in flora conservation.
"It will build on WA's established expertise in conserving flora in the wild, particularly threatened species, and will enhance other conservation initiatives such as CALM's Western Everlasting project and the Botanic Garden and Parks Authority's collaborative endangered plant rescue program."
Western Everlasting, initiated two years ago, is a broad ranging program which aims to reduce the impact of threats such as dieback disease and weeds and establish new populations of threatened species in suitable habitat.
Mrs Edwardes said using seed banks was a relatively new and under-used tool to combat the loss of global plant diversity.
"The aim of seed banks is not to replace wild populations, but rather to act as an 'insurance policy'," she said.
"The loss of biodiversity is of enormous concern, particularly in areas such as WA, where as many as 450 native plant species are at risk because of encroaching salinity in the species-rich Wheatbelt region.
"The emphasis and priority will continue on strategies such as Western Everlasting and Kings Park's rescue program to maintain native species in the wild.
"But, in the event a species is lost, then we at least will have a reserve of seed that can be used to re-establish populations in suitable habitat."
Mrs Edwardes said WA was fortunate in that there was a very strong commitment towards conserving the State's floral biodiversity.
"This commitment is further reinforced by the many volunteers who assist CALM and Kings Park in collecting and identifying specimens," she said.
Media contacts:
Steve Manchee on 9421 7777
Keith Morris (CALM) on 9405 5100;
Dr Steven Hopper (BGPA) on 9480 3600