We Cannot Do It All!

At least 350 taxa of cycads are known today. Once fieldwork and taxonomic research are completed in unexplored areas such as Asia, Central America, and South America, we will probably exceed 500 cycad taxa. Sadly, the threatened status for the majority of cycad taxa is unknown.

The Table lists 64 cycads that are considered threatened taxa by Osborne (1995a). The World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) database, as of March 20, 1993, considers 107 cycad taxa threatened, extinct, or endangered. Let us assume that each of the 107 threatened taxa, taking an extremely conservative and rather unlikely scenario, consists of only one known population. To preserve the 107 taxa, and assuming that we need to manage approximately 15 plants per population, this would mean off-site collections containing a minimum total of 1,605  plants. If these taxa consist of more than one population, this minimum would increase based on the number of population samples required.

With the above in mind, there are a number of objectives that urgently need to be focused on with respect to a realistic program for development of world-wide, off-site preservation collections of cycads.

·         Set priorities for which taxa need to be preserved in off-site collections.

This objective can begin by evaluating Osborne’s (1995a) and the WCMC’s (1993) lists on the threatened species status of cycads. Osborne (1995a) based his 1991 and 1992 study on the 200 described species of cycads known at that time. The study listed 15 taxa as critical, with a count of less than 250 mature plants in the wild. Obviously, these 15 taxa would be considered high priority for off-site preservation.

It is vital that the reader understand that data concerning the threatened status for many cycad taxa were not available for the above studies. In addition, since the completion of these studies, many new taxa have been described, especially within the genus Cycas, and data concerning the threatened status of taxa are still not available on cycads from Central and South American and south and southeastern Asia.

It is clear that the list of cycads in the Table is based on regions of the world where intensive research on wild populations has occurred. Note the lack of any endangered species from South America, Cambodia, and Thailand. Also note that the  greatest number of endangered species occurs in the Republic of South Africa, the country that has had, and continues to have, the most active cycad field research. A number of taxa are listed as endangered in Mexico, another country that has a strong history of cycad field research activities. Therefore, one should consider that this list is far from complete; it is biased for countries with active cycad field research programs.

Before setting priorities on what taxa need preservation, Osborne’s (1995a) and the WCMC’s (1993) listings must be updated based on recent field investigations and taxonomic studies.

·         Identify existing off-site preservation collections.

The next logical step following the above objective would be to evaluate the taxa on the lists with respect to whether off-site collections already exist and, if not, what institutions might support an off-site collection for each taxon.

A census similar to Osborne’s 1995a census should be sent to all individuals, gardens, and institutions that might have off-site cycad collections to determine where existing off-site collections occur, what taxa are part of the collections, and the quality of documentation for each of the plants within the collections.

·         Countries with native cycads must evaluate the health of their cycad populations.

In countries where native cycad populations occur, botanical gardens, field stations, arboreta, and other related institutions within the country must evaluate the status of their cycad populations, decide which institution should develop off-site collections for which populations or taxa, and immediately begin the development of the core collection, either on their own site or in collaboration with a foreign institution.

·         Appropriate institutions and private collectors need to offer and commit to providing long-term space and financial support for off-site cycad collections representing a population, taxon, or taxa.

The IUCN Cycad Specialist Group should canvas tropical and subtropical botanical gardens, arboreta, agricultural experiment stations, and educational institutions to seek financial and space support for developing and managing at least one off-site collection of a taxon for those taxa that require immediate preservation.

Osborne (1995b) listed 25 of the world’s “top” cycad collections. Obviously, these institutions and private collectors already have a long-term commitment and devotion to cycads. If each of them committed to obtaining and managing one off-site collection for a taxon, this would at least be preserving the majority of taxa known to be critically endangered.

Botanical institutions within a country with native cycads that are not able to provide space, time, monies, or trained personnel for developing and maintaining an off-site collection for their native species must initiate a collaborative relationship with a foreign institution to support the preservation of their cycads. The native institution would provide the foreign institution wild-collected, thoroughly documented seeds for the development of the collection. Both institutions would develop a “Memorandum of Understanding,” whereby the collection remains the property of the native institution, and the foreign institution ensures that the collection is maintained, propagated, and available for educational purposes. Research on the off-site collection must be encouraged by both institutions. The more accessible the collections are for scientific study, the greater the opportunity to obtain vital data for future resource management practices for the taxon in its native habitat. Any commercial research would require approval from the native institution. All resulting activities, including seed production and research activities, would be reported to the native institution by the foreign institution.

·         Local and national governments, as well as CITES offices, must support and encourage, instead of restricting, the development of these off-site collections and the future distribution of seeds resulting from these collections.

Regulations, permit requirements, and logistics of obtaining material for off-site collections place very strong obstacles in the path to their development. A more positive approach, encouraging the timely and efficient development and long-term management of these collections, must be supported and put in place by government regulators and permitting offices. In addition, international distribution of seed generated by off-site collections must be encouraged and supported by all the regulatory offices of all CITES countries.

Author’s Note: I would like to thank William Tang and Tom Broome for their comments and suggestions on an original draft of this article. The opinions expressed in this article are strictly the author’s.

Literature Cited

Osborne, R. 1995a. The 1991—1992 world cycad census and a proposed revision of the threatened species status for cycads. In: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Cycad Biology, ed. P. Vorster. The Cycad Society of South Africa, Matieland, South Africa.

Osborne, R. 1995b. The world cycad census and a proposed revision of the threatened species status for cycad taxa. Biological Conservation 71:1-12.

TABLE

Cycad taxa that are considered endangered, critically endangered, or extinct in the wild according to Osborne (1995a). The author has removed some taxa from the original list based on recent field investigations and updated the taxonomy of other taxa in the original list. Taxa are arranged alphabetically by taxon.  

Note: This article first appeared in the The Cycad Newsletter and is reprinted here with permission from the author.

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