National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy for ... Conservation... · National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy for the Sultanate of Oman: Structure Part 1:

National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy for the Sultanate of Oman

N. Maxted

The Point: why a strategy,

why now?

Oman’s plant genetic

resources have actual

and potential value that

can directly and

indirectly benefit current

and future generations

Policy context CBD Strategic Plan agreed in Nagoya (2010) – Target 13 of 20

"Target 13. By 2020, The status of crop and livestock genetic diversity

in agricultural ecosystems and of wild relatives has been improved.

(SMART target to be developed at global and national levels) …. In

addition, in situ conservation of wild relatives of crop plants could be

improved inside and outside protected areas."

CBD Global Strategy for Plant Conservation 2011 – 2020

(2010) – Target 9 of 16

Target 9: 70 per cent of the genetic diversity of crops including their

wild relatives and other socio-economically valuable plant species

conserved, while respecting, preserving and maintaining associated

indigenous and local knowledge.

Target 1: An online flora of all known plants = inventory of ABD

Target 2: An assessment of the conservation status of all known plant

species as guide conservation action = conservation status of ABD

UN Millennium Development Goals highlighted the need of eradicating

extreme poverty and hunger = linked conservation and use of ABD

UN adopts new Global Goals,

charting sustainable development

for people and planet by 2030

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Threat: Why actively conserve ABD now?• 7.37 billion humans in 2014 (02/11/15)

• 9.6 billion humans by 2050 (UN, 2014)

• To feed the human population in 2050 we will require food supplies to increase by 60% globally, and 100% in developing countries (FAO, 2011)

• While climate change may reduce agricultural production by 2% each decade this century (IPCC, 2014)

16 billion

10 billion

6 billion

Climate change has changed the game

Climate change may reduce agricultural production by 2% each decade while demand

increases 14%. Up to 40% of the world will develop unfamiliar climates by 2050 (IPCC,

2014)

2015 @ 12%/Oman 2020 @ 17.4%/Oman 2050 @ 2.3% of Oman

Food insecurity & human malnourishment is going to be a real problem in our lifetimes

Threat: Why actively conserve ABD in Oman now?• CWR, MP, WHS and LR are each expected to be affected by climate change and their agro-

environment;

• LR are being lost due to their replacement with modern cultivars, changing markets, family

aspirations;

• CWR, MP and WHS, like other wild species are threatened by the loss, degradation and

fragmentation of their natural habitats and competition from alien species;

• CWR are often located in disturbed habitats (e.g. field margins, forest edges and roadsides),

that are not being conserved by ecosystem conservation agencies;

• LR are often associated with low-input traditional farming systems, many of which are being

converted to more intensive high-input systems;

• CWR, MP, WHS and LR each suffers lack of knowledge of their breadth, location and real

use potential, they are largely uncharacterised, unevaluated and undervalued;

• lack of knowledge on how many LR remain extant as well as on their traditional cultivation

practices which constrains their conservation and utilization;

• MP and WHS are collected by destructive harvesting practices from wild coupled with habitat

degradation, agricultural expansion, overgrazing and urbanisation threaten MP and WHS

Phasing of conservation actions

Phase 1: ABD Conservation planning– Scope and ambition

– Collate existing ABD conservation data and expertise

– Drafting of National Plant ABD Conservation Strategy

– Omani expert review and discussion

– Publication of agreed ‘Strategy’ by stakeholders

Phase 2: ABD Conservation implementation– In situ ABD conservation action

– Ex situ ABD conservation action

– Link ABD conservation to sustainable use

Stakeholders need to

take ownership of their

Strategy

National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy for the Sultanate of Oman: Structure

Part 1: Background and Justification1.Context, justification and implementation

2.Plant and agrobiodiversity of Arabian Peninsula and Oman

Part 2: Conservation and Use Strategies3. Introduction to socioeconomic plant resources analysis

4. Conservation Strategy for Crop Landraces

5. Conservation Strategy for Crop Wild Relatives

6. Conservation Strategy for Medicinal Plants

7. Conservation Strategy for Wild Harvested Plant Species

8. Climate Change Analysis

9. Promotion of Sustainable Use of Agrobiodiversity????

Part 3: Synthesis and Recommendations10.Synthesis and discussion

10.1. Monitoring agrobiodiversity conservation

10.2. A policy and legislative context for agrobiodiversity conservation

10.3 Implications for regional and global conservation

10.4 Problems encountered

10.5 Research priorities

11. Conclusions and recommendations11.1 Overall conclusions

11.2 Action plan recommendations for implementing the Strategy

1. Context, justification and implementation

Content1.1. Plant genetic resources: concept, ecosystem services and role in livelihood

1.2. Plant genetic resource conservation

1.3. Plant conservation and national strategies

1.4. Threats

1.5. Policy and ethical drivers of national PGR conservation

1.6. Breadth of National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy

1.7. Implementing of National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy

1.8. Structure of National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy


Methodology

• What is PGRFA

• Overview of conservation methods

• Approaches to national strategies

• Review of threats and threat assessment

• Policy context

• Scope, mission & vision for PGRFA conservation and

use in Oman

Scope and ambition

• Scope: LR, CWR, MP & WHS

• Ambition: Effective, complementary conservation linked

to sustainable use that benefits the people of Oman

Strategy visionScope: The wealth of agrobiodiversity (including crop

landraces, crop wild relatives, medical plant and wild

harvested species) native and introduced to the Sultanate

of Oman.

Mission: To halt diversity loss, effectively maintain and

sustainably utilize agrobiodiversity, with the aim of

enhancing their contribution to national, regional and global

development, food security and human well-being.

Vision: The value of agrobiodiversity and its importance in

contributing to the overall development of ecosystem,

environment and food security in Oman is recognised, with

the aim of improving the livelihood of the people of Oman

by promoting policies and viable programs for the

conservation and the enhanced use of plant diversity.

Building on existing expertise!


Outstanding questions?

2. Plant and agrobiodiversity of Arabian Peninsula

and Oman

Content

2.1.Introduction

2.2.Geology, climate, and vegetation of the Arabian Peninsula and Oman

2.3.Floristics of the Arabian Peninsula

2.4.Floristic introduction to Oman

2.5.Cultivated plant resources of Oman

2.6.Conservation of plant genetic resources in Oman

2.7.Use of plant genetic diversity in Oman


and Oman

Methodology

• Introduction to ecogeography, floristics, plant cultivation,

existing plant conservation and plant use in use


and Oman

Outstanding questions

• New section 2.4+

– Threats in Oman to crop landraces, crop wild relatives, medical

plant and wild harvested?

– Threat assessment (Red List for plants) of Oman

• 2.5 Cultivated plants of Oman - more detailed

information on crops of Oman

• 2.7 Use of PGR in Oman - more detailed information on

current and potential uses

3. Introduction to socioeconomic plant resources

analysis

Content

3.1 Cultivated and wild socioeconomic plant resources of Oman

3.2 Scope of crop and other socio-economic plant checklists

3.3 Data sources for checklist creation

3.4 Checklist content

3.5 Data sources for gap analysis of CWR and MP diversity

3.6 Ecogeographic Land Characterization


analysis

ABD CWR taxa

Crop 109

CWR 659

Medicinal 423

Forestry 184

Ornamental 285

Combined 1,062

Methodology• Generate checklists

• Using

– Floristic checklist of Oman

(OAPGRC, 2015)

– Handbook of Arabian

Medicinal Plants

(Ghazanfar, 1994)


analysis

Methodology• Data sources (passport data)

– GBIF (2,132 accessions)

– Oman Natural History Museum

(13,200 accessions)

– Total = 15,332

• Match to CWR and MP checklist

– CWR (2,640 accessions)

– MP (1,349 accessions)


analysis

Methodology• ELC Map for plant species of

Oman produced using

CAPFITOGEN tool

• 14 (out of 103) variables from

bioclimatic, geophysical and

edaphic components

Specific ELC projection for M. sativa locations in Oman, it is found in 5 ELC zones


analysis


• Additional passport data

source discussion?

• Extension of ELC mapping for

all taxa with sufficient data?

(75 species >10 presence

points and 13 species >20,

more the better)

4. Conservation Strategy for Crop Landrace

Content

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Prior conservation of landraces in Oman (MAF, ICARDA and

USDA)

4.3 What constitutes landrace diversity?

4.4 Actual scope of a landrace inventory for Oman

4.5 Proposal for collation of landrace diversity information in Oman?

4.6 Data collated for a national landrace inventory

4.7 Post-inventory follow-up


Methodology• Triage discussion and systematic

LR surveys

– Expert advice

– Commercial companies

– Scientific literature

– ‘Grey literature’ archival materials

– Internet searches.

– Official documents

– Farmer interviews

• Ethno-agronomic survey– Continue work of Directorate General of

Agricultural Research in LR hotspots


Methodology• LR database

– Crop scientific name

– Name of LR

– Date of collection

– Maintainer details (e.g. name, contact details, age, gender, family structure, education,

main source of income, owned or rented land, size farm, organic status, arable or mixed

farming system)

– Geographic location (e.g. province, nearest settlement, latitude, longitude, altitude,

edaphic conditions)

– LR characteristics (e.g. characterization and evaluation details, maintainer perceived

value, length of seed saving, relationship to other LR)

– Cultivation details (e.g. area currently sown, history of area sown, time sown, time

harvested, cultural practices, cultivation inputs, etc.)

– Relative uniqueness of LR (e.g. grown on single farm or more widespread, genetic

distinction)

– Usage and traditional knowledge (e.g. description of main usage, secondary usage,

home consumption or marketed, marketing, current and past values, member of grower

or marketing cooperative)

– Threats (e.g. perverse incentives, lack of sustainability of farming system, lack of market)



• Scope of surveys?

• Would triage approach work, any other

sources of data?

• Who will lead triage?

• Once LR hotspots identified what

resources will required to undertake

surveys?

• Use of LR diversity?

– Novel and niche marketing?

– Participatory breeding to benefit farmers?


Content

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Development of a national CWR strategy

5.3 Gap analysis of collated data

5.2.4 Gap analysis result and conservation

recommendations

Why conserve CWR?

• They are useful– CWR are rich in genetic diversity and provide potential resistance to biotic

and abiotic stresses (e.g. P&D, drought, flooding, extreme heat, salt)

• They are threatened– 16–22% of Arachis, Solanum and Vigna CWR extinct by 2055, others have

reduced range (Jarvis et al. 2008)– 16% of priority European CWR threatened with extinction; brassicas, beet,

lettuce, wheat and onion gene pools of particular concern (Kell et al. 2012)

They are not well conserved 9% of European ex situ accessions of wild origin, these represent only 6% of

CWR in Europe (Dias et al., 2012); CWR vastly under-represented How many in situ genetic reserves in Europe meet Iriondo et al. (2012)

guidelines? None?

They have significant economic value $120 billion toward increased crop yields per year (PWC, 2013)


Methodology

• Oman has 1,576 plant species

• 659 CWR species from 217

genera and 69 families

• 2,640 CWR accessions with lat /

long for 569 CWR taxa (90 CWR

with no available data)


Methodology

CWR observations in Oman CWR richness in Oman


Methodology

Predicted CWR richness in Oman


Methodology

Result of ex situ gap analysis Result of in situ gap analysis


Outstanding questions• Expert and ground truth results

– Ex situ = Northern range of Al Akhdar and Jabir mountains and the

Southern coastal mountains of Dhofar (Al Jabal Al Akhdar Scenic

Reserve, the Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve, Musandam and Janaba)

– In situ = Al Jabal Al Akhdar Scenic Reserve in the north and the Jabal

Samhan Nature Reserve in the south

– Possible re-analysis with prioritised CWR inventory


Content

6.1 Selection of target taxa and MP checklist

6.2 Survey and collation of ecogeographic data

6.3 Gap analysis of collated data

6.4 Gap analysis result and conservation recommendations

Why conserve MP?

• They are useful– over 50% of prescription drugs are derived from chemicals first identified in

plants

• They are threatened– 400 medicinal plants at risk of extinction using IUCN Red List criteria from

over-collection and deforestation, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease

– five billion people still rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary form of health care

• They are not well conserved 9% of European ex situ accessions of wild origin How many in situ genetic reserves in Europe meet Iriondo et al. (2012)

guidelines? None?

They have significant economic value Annual global export value of pharmaceutical plants in 2011 accounted for

over US$2.2 billion (TRAFFIC)


Methodology

• Handbook of Arabian Medicinal Plants

(Ghazanfar, 1994)

• Extracted Omani species

• Final MP checklist for Oman contains 423

species from 272 genera and 92 families

• 1,349 MP accessions with lat / long for 272

MP taxa (151 CWR with no available data)


Methodology

MP observations in Oman MP richness in Oman


Methodology

Predicted MP richness in Oman


Methodology

Result of ex situ gap analysis Result of in situ gap analysis


Outstanding questions• Expert and ground truth results

– Ex situ = Al Jabal Al Akhdar

Scenic Reserve and the Jabal

Samhan Nature Reserve, Al

Akhdar / Jabir mountains and

Dhofar, Musandam and Janaba

– In situ = Al Jabal Al Akhdar Scenic

Reserve in the north and the Jabal

Samhan Nature Reserve in the

south

7. Conservation Strategy for Wild Harvested Plants

Content

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Proposal for collation of WHS diversity information

7.3 Data collated for a national wild harvested species

inventory

7.4 Post-inventory follow-up


Methodology• Triage discussion and systematic

WHP surveys

– Expert advice

– Commercial companies

– Scientific literature

– ‘Grey literature’ archival materials

– Internet searches.

– Official documents

– Community interviews

• Ethno-agronomic survey– Continue work of Oman Botanic Garden in

WHP hotspots


Methodology• WHP database

– WHP scientific name

– Harvester details (e.g. name, contact details, age, gender, family

structure, education, main source of income)

– Geographic location (e.g. province, nearest settlement, latitude,

longitude, altitude)

– WHS characteristics (e.g. use of WHS, necessary preparation details,

harvesters perceived value, market sale or self-consumption)

– Harvesting details (e.g. area where WHS found, time harvested, any

cultural practices, method of harvesting, method of product storage,

harvest product chain through to final consumer, local or national

harvesting incentives)

– Relative uniqueness of WHS (e.g. found in a single location or more

widespread, genetic distinction)

– Usage and traditional knowledge (e.g. description of main usage,

secondary usage, home consumption or marketed, marketing, current

and past values, member of grower or marketing cooperative)

– Threats (e.g. perverse incentives, lack of sustainability of harvesting,

lack of market)



• Scope of surveys?

• Would triage approach work, any other

sources of data?

• Who will lead triage?

• Once WHP hotspots identified what

resources will be reqired to undertake

surveys?

• Use of WHP diversity?

– Novel and niche marketing?

– Cultivation to benefit communities?

8. Climate change analysis

Content8.1 Introduction

8.2 Impact of climate change on wild plant species

8.3 Impact of climate change on crop plants

8.4 Projected impact of climate change on

species/biodiversity/food productivity in Oman

8.5 Methods of Assessing Climate Change Impact

– IUCN Red List Assessment

– IUCN Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

– Species Distribution Modelling

8.6 Critique of Methods Used to Assess Climate Change Impact

8.7 Further suggestions to mitigate the likely impact of climate

change on agriculture

8.8 Discussion

Background

Oman specific

Background

Oman specific


Methodology• Medicago sativa chosen as exemplar of analysis because has most location points

• SRES-A2 emission scenario and the General Circulation Model (GCM) UKMO-HadCM3

• Potential species distribution maps for 2015, 2020 and 2050

2015 @ 12%/Oman 2020 @ 17.4%/Oman 2050 @ 2.3% of Oman



• Omani plant taxon CC SDM analysis

(75 species >10 presence points and

13 species >20, more the better)

• Omani in situ site CC SDM analysis

9. Promotion of Sustainable Agrobiodiversity Use

Content

To be written ...

9. Promotion of Sustainable

Agrobiodiversity Use

• Conventionally ABD are obtained by breeders, farmers and other users from ex situ genebanks, but also from in situ genetic reserves (is in situ untenable without active link to user)

• How?– Novel omics approaches to

characterization and evaluation;

– Predictive characterization for mining genetic resources;

– End user-orientated informatics (e.g. GLIS + extension).

• Establish a modus operandi for the routine use of ABD diversity found in situ in genetic reserves or ex situ in genebanks

9. Promotion of Sustainable

Agrobiodiversity Use

Users

• Conventionally ABD are obtained by breeders, farmers and other users from ex situ genebanks, but also from in situ genetic reserves (is in situ untenable without active link to user)

• How?– Novel omics approaches to

characterization and evaluation;

– Predictive characterization for mining genetic resources;

– End user-orientated informatics (e.g. GLIS + extension).

• Establish a modus operandi for the routine use of ABD diversity found in situ in genetic reserves or ex situ in genebanks

9. Promotion of Sustainable Agrobiodiversity Use


10. Synthesis and Discussion

Content

10.1 Monitoring agrobiodiversity conservation

10.2 A policy and legislative context for agrobiodiversity

conservation

10.3 Implications for regional and global conservation

10.4 Problems encountered

10.5 Research priorities

11. Conclusions and Recommendations

Content

11.1 Overall conclusions

11.2 Action plan recommendations for implementing the

Strategy

11. Conclusions and Recommendations


Conclusions

Increased global awareness of the importance of ABD conservation and use, particularly due to climate change and the need for food security

Primary conservation of ABD will be via in situ, genetic reserves in Pas and outside of PAs, with complementary ex situ holdings

Knowledge and expertise is available in Oman to implement a holistic CWR conservation strategy and national efforts could contribute to a global network of ABD conservation and use

ABD use can benefit Oman, as well as Middle East as a whole, they are a unique national and regional resource

Documents

National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy for ... Conservation... · National Plant Agrobiodiversity Conservation Strategy for the Sultanate of Oman: Structure Part 1: