Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 09:51:28 -0700 From: chamb@u.arizona.edu To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1246$foo@default> Subject: Re: wild-collected....
At 06:37 AM 4/23/2000 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>The one thing about age is that there is the chance it
>brings with it experience and wisdom (sometimes....)
>I, once upon a time, would never have agreed that
>taking plants from the wild would be a wise thing.
>Now, though, I see that native populations will never
>survive. Therefore, Paul, I agree with your idea that
>we need to collect as much variety of the plants left
>in the wild and proprogate them, AND SHARE them with
>everyone who truly appreciates these plants. If we
>don't, we will risk losing important traits forever to
>the bulldozers and uncaring people who think
>carnivorous plants are in the same category as
>dandeleons or crab grass.
These important traits are the product of evolution and adaptation to
habitat. In cultivation these traits are divorced from function. They are
as functional in the greenhouse as double-flowered rose cultivars or fancy
mums.
I don't think there are enough people interested in these
plants to keep all the species of CP in cultivation, let alone all the
variation in all the species. There are too few people into growing CPs.
Of those who are interested, too few have the space and time to grow a
significant proportion of the species.
Of the few that have the interest, space and time, there remains the matter
of keeping it up--keeping up both the interest in the collection, and the
ability. Personal collections are delicate. I know I've said it before,
but hobby collections depend on the well-being of their (usually
one-person) caretaker. A week without water and most greenhouse
collections are toast. Natural disasters, personal hardships, (and
vacations! :-) can fall on any collection. Successfully avoid all this and
you still must deal with growing older and eventual inability to maintain
the plants. Who can these be passed on to and maintain the growing
expertise, will they be passed on in time? The change in growing
environment alone can take its toll.
In summary I think most plants have a better chance of surviving even in
imperiled habitats than in personal hobby collections. Only a select few
of the most popular CP can be considered "secure" in cultivation. And this
is not even counting the additional measures (regarding genetic diversity,
pollinator survival, etc.) that need to be considered to ensure this is
proper conservation material that could be used for reintroduction to the
wild.
Fortunately there are some botanical institutions which are engaged in
bona-fide conservation programs (ie. the CPC). These utilize seed banking,
pollination research, reintroduction plans, and authorized plant salvage
efforts from doomed habitats. They are insitutions with a staff, which
provide more security than a single independent caretaker. In short, these
conservation programs are structured very differently from any personal
collection I've seen, or heard described on this list. The effort usually
isn't even focussed on growing a collection of plants, but rather, seed
banking. Unfortunately, these efforts are limited by the usual factors of
time and money, but perhaps with more help from conservation-minded CP
folk...?
Michael
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