Tools and Resources for Endangered and Exceptional Plant Species (TREES)

Zoe Diaz-Martin, Chicago Botanic Garden

As global biodiversity continues to decline, how can we ensure the long-term conservation of exceptional plant species? Our collaborative project is addressing this question by developing tools and resources that will position botanic gardens as key players in global plant conservation. In adopting the successful framework used in the zoological community, we will provide the digital infrastructure needed to cooperatively manage and breed exceptional plant species across botanic garden collections with the goal of maximizing the genetic diversity of these populations and enhancing their capacity for reintroduction efforts. More specifically, we are working with BGCI to update PlantSearch to host accession data and with Zoological experts to modify the software used to manage captive animal populations. This presentation will review the approach and tools we are developing and provide results from a pilot species, Brighamia insiginis, a Hawaiian endemic.