A Metacollection Model for Effective Tree Conservation

Effective species conservation requires ex situ conservation approaches. Botanic gardens and arboreta have the expertise to propagate plants of conservation concern, but they often lack the space or resources needed to capture sufficient genetic diversity. This is particularly true for large and long-lived plants like trees. A network of coordinated living collections at multiple sites managed as a single population—​a metacollection​—is therefore the most effective and efficient way to conserve ex situ genetic diversity of many threatened plants. Establishing a metacollection requires thoughtful and strategic planning to ensure the collections are of high conservation value, and are monitored and managed to ensure their sustainability long-term. The Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (GCCO), led by The Morton Arboretum, brings together the world’s oak experts, conservationists, and the botanic garden community to ensure that no wild species of oak becomes extinct. Because oak acorns cannot be seed banked for long-term conservation, one of the core objectives of the GCCO is to conserve genetic diversity of priority oak species via metacollections in the form of conservation groves across their respective native ranges. The GCCO, in working with partners across sectors, has established oak metacollections for several priority species, including Quercus boyntonii, Q. austrina, and Q. engelmannii. In addition to conserving valuable wild genetic diversity, the trees in the metacollections can be used for provenance testing, common garden experiments, genetic diversity studies, selective breeding, phenological studies, restoration and reforestation source material, and public education and outreach. By integrating conservation, research, and education, these metacollections serve as a model for safeguarding the genetic diversity of threatened tree species and ensuring their resilience in a changing world.