Insights from a century of data reveal global trends in ex situ living plant collections
Ángela Cano, Janet T. Powell, Anthony S. Aiello, Heidi Lie Andersen, Thomas Arbour, Aleisha Balzer, Dennise Stefan Bauer, Jeremy Bugarchich, F. Cano, Maria Paula Contreras, Robert Cubey, Ignacio Czajkowski, Milton H. Díaz‐Toribio, Thomas Freeth, Nicolas Freyre, Martin Gardner, M. Patrick Griffith, A-M Gustafsson, Mats Havström, Leslie R. Hockley, Peter M. Hollingsworth, Tina Jørgensen, Kristen Kindl, Donovan Kirkwood, Denis Larpin, Øystein Lofthus, Cornelia Löhne, Adriana López‐Villalobos, Dan Luscombe, D. William Molloy, Clara Morales-Rozo, Inese Nāburga, Anna Nebot, Christoph Neinhuis, Cindy S. Newlander, Joke Ossaer, Greg Payton, J Miedziak Peter, Raúl Puente‐Martínez, Anne‐Cathrine Scheen, David Scherberich, Anna Maria Senekal, Clare Shearman, John Siemon, Stephanie A. Socher, Rebecca Sucher, Alex Summers, Joanna M. Tucker Lima, Alison Vry, Jessica Wong, Damian Wrigley, Frédéric You, Samuel F. Brockington
Abstract
Ex situ living plant collections play a crucial role in providing nature-based solutions to twenty-first century global challenges. However, the complex dynamics of these artificial ecosystems are poorly quantified and understood, affecting biodiversity storage, conservation and utilization. To evaluate the management of ex situ plant diversity, we analysed a century of data comprising 2.2 million records, from a meta-collection currently holding ~500,000 accessions and 41% of global ex situ species diversity. Our study provides critical insights into the historical evolution, current state and future trajectory of global living collections. We reveal sigmoidal growth of a meta-collection that has reached capacity in both total accessions and total diversity, and identify intrinsic constraints on biodiversity management, including a median survival probability of 15 years. We explore the impact of external constraints and quantify the influence of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which we link to reduced acquisition of wild-origin and internationally sourced material by 44% and 38%, respectively. We further define the impact of these constraints on ex situ conservation but highlight targeted initiatives that successfully mitigate these challenges. Ultimately, our study underscores the urgent need for strategic prioritization and the re-evaluation of ex situ biodiversity management to achieve both scientific and conservation goals.