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1. What
is the Center for Plant Conservation? TOP
The Center for Plant Conservation is dedicated solely to preventing
the extinction of America’s imperiled, native flora. The Center
is a network of America’s leading botanical institutions.
2. Where is the Center for Plant Conservation?
TOP
The Center for Plant Conservation’s national office is hosted
by the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri. The Center
for Plant Conservation’s 33 participating institutions are located
throughout the country, from Hawaii to Massachusetts.
3. What does the Center for Plant Conservation
do? TOP
The Center for Plant Conservation recovers America’s vanishing
flora. The Center maintains the National Collection of Endangered Plants,
a collection of cultivated plants and seeds of imperiled, native plants
in the United States. The Center’s participating institutions
work with these imperiled plants off-site and in the wild. In the greenhouse,
institution scientists conduct horticultural research and learn how
to grow the plants from seed or from cuttings. The Center’s scientists
then provide plant material for restoration efforts in the wild. Institution
scientists also assist in monitoring populations in the wild, managing
habitat and restoring plants to native habitats.
4. What is the National Collection of Endangered
Plants? TOP
The National Collection of Endangered Plants contains plant material
for more than 600 of the country’s most imperiled native plants.
An important conservation resource, the Collection is a back-up in case
a species becomes extinct or no longer reproduces in the wild. The Collection
provides the material needed for restoration work for the species. It’s
also an important resource for the scientific study of plant rarity,
rare plant life cycles and rare plant storage and germination requirements.
5. Where
is the National Collection of Endangered Plants stored? TOP
The National Collection is stored at the Center’s participating
institutions across the country. Parts of the Collection are stored
and maintained at the USDA’s National Center for Genetic Resources
Preservation.
6. Why
is the Center for Plant Conservation important? TOP
The Center for Plant Conservation is important because the Center works
to recover imperiled plants in the wild. Each of the 50 states is home
to at least one imperiled native plant species. One in 10 native U.S.
plant species is of conservation concern. Nearly five percent of native
flora is on or qualifies for the federal Endangered Species List. Of
all native U.S. plant species, 15 percent are found in 20 or fewer places,
have experienced steep declines or are considered at-risk, according
to NatureServe.
7. What
is an imperiled plant? TOP
Some species are naturally rare and have limited habitats due to unique
climate conditions or geology. Imperiled plants are those considered
vulnerable to extinction due to very low numbers or serious threats
to the population. Most plants have declined and become imperiled because
of habitat loss or degradation, invasion by exotic species, over-collecting
or pollution. Imperiled plants are in danger of becoming extinct if
they are not protected and properly managed for recovery.
8. Why
should I care about imperiled plants? TOP
Plants provide us with food, fiber, flavor, fragrance, flowers, fuel,
medicine and inspiration! Plants have economic and intrinsic values
that cannot be measured. Our imperiled plants have evolved over millions
of years to live in the varied ecosystems that now constitute our country.
What’s more, we still know very little about imperiled plants.
We are destroying plants and their habitats much faster than we are
protecting and studying them. If we lose these species, we will be losing
a part of our heritage, valuable scientific treasures and the potential
gifts these plants might offer.
9. What can I do to help protect America’s
vanishing flora? TOP
There are a variety of ways to keep America’s vanishing flora
from being lost forever.
Donate money to the Center for Plant Conservation.
Sponsor an imperiled plant from your state.
Volunteer at the participating institution
nearest you.
Prevent the spread of invasive
species.
Support the conservation
efforts in your local community.
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