ARPHA Preprints, doi: 10.3897/arphapreprints.e176100

Conservation gap analysis for Erica (Ericaceae)

Michael Pirie^‡, Stoffel P. Bester^§, Robbie Blackhall-Miles^|, Anina Coetzee^¶, Dan Crowley^#, Ismail Ebrahim^¤, Alan C. Elliott^«, Jaime Fagúndez^», Félix Forest^˄, Nigel Forshaw^˅, Rendert D. Hoekstra^¦, Martha Kandziora^ˀ, Rupert Koopman^ˁ, Ronell R. R. Klopper^§₵, Seth D. Musker^ℓ, Nicolai M. Nürk^₰, Salvatore Pasta^₱, Sebastian Pipins^₳₴₣, Itxaso Quintana^₮, Anthony G. Rebelo^¤, Paul Rees^˄, Daniel Rohrauer^₦, M. Marianne le Roux^₭₲, Martin Smit^‽, Victoria Willman^¤

‡ University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway§ South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Pretoria, South Africa| Fossil Plants, Gwynedd, United Kingdom¶ Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa# Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, Forestry England, Tetbury, United Kingdom¤ South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa« Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom» University of A Coruna, A Coruña, Spain˄ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom˅ Software Engineer, Cape Town, South Africa¦ Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africaˀ Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germanyˁ Freelance botanist, Cape Town, South Africa₵ University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africaℓ University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa₰ University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany₱ Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy₳ Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom₴ On the Edge, London, United Kingdom₣ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, United Kingdom₮ Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond, United Kingdom₦ HBLFA für Gartenbau Schönbrunn und Österreichische Bundesgärten, Vienna, Austria₭ University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa₲ South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa‽ University of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands

Corresponding author: Michael Pirie ( michael.pirie@uib.no )

© Michael Pirie, Stoffel P. Bester, Robbie Blackhall-Miles, Anina Coetzee, Dan Crowley, Ismail Ebrahim, Alan C. Elliott, Jaime Fagúndez, Félix Forest, Nigel Forshaw, Rendert D. Hoekstra, Martha Kandziora, Rupert Koopman, Ronell R. Klopper, Seth D. Musker, Nicolai M. Nürk, Salvatore Pasta, Sebastian Pipins, Itxaso Quintana, Anthony G. Rebelo, Paul Rees, Daniel Rohrauer, M. Marianne le Roux, Martin Smit, Victoria Willman.

This is an open access preprint distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Citation: Pirie M, Bester SP, Blackhall-Miles R, Coetzee A, Crowley D, Ebrahim I, Elliott AC, Fagúndez J, Forest F, Forshaw N, Hoekstra RD, Kandziora M, Koopman R, Klopper RRR, Musker SD, Nürk NM, Pasta S, Pipins S, Quintana I, Rebelo AG, Rees P, Rohrauer D, le Roux MM, Smit M, Willman V (2025) Conservation gap analysis for Erica (Ericaceae). ARPHA Preprints. https://doi.org/10.3897/arphapreprints.e176100

Abstract

The flowering plant genus Erica (Ericaceae) includes well over 800 species and numerous formally described subspecies and varieties. Many of these are threatened in the wild. The Global Conservation Consortium (GCC) for Erica was established under Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) in order to collaboratively prevent species extinctions. To target this work, we need fundamental information on species distributions, conservation status in the wild, and representation in ex situ collections. In large, complex groups like Erica, such data are not necessarily available or easily accessible. Here, we document the current state of ex situ and in situ conservation of threatened Erica species, identify knowledge and resource gaps, and set out priorities for future work. We further developed and consolidated the large body of data on Erica nomenclature, taxonomy, and diversity now openly accessible as a result of collaborative efforts, in particular through the World Flora Online (WFO), the e-Flora of South Africa, and contributors to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). We obtained accessions data for living plant collections from BGCI’s PlantSearch and from botanic gardens directly, and wild distribution data from GBIF. We linked and summarised data in an updated version (4.03) of the openly available Erica Identification Aid to assist in prioritising work. Through discussions in thematic working groups of GCC Erica we identified further priorities for conservation action. The volume of openly available, georeferenced records for species have increased dramatically in recent years. Although fewer than half of threatened Erica taxa are in ex situ conservation collections, many more botanic gardens hold African/Cape species and could contribute to distributed meta-collections. The most urgent research gaps include undescribed and poorly understood diversity (particularly in South Africa and Madagascar) and shortfalls in up-to-date threat assessments. Between ex situ sites we need to establish accession-level comparisons of data and sharing of conservation grade material. We must improve knowledge of seed longevity and techniques for effective cultivation. We should secure species and collect data through collaboration with landowners and the public. Priority action in situ should include clearance of invasive alien plants as well as habitat restoration and reintroduction.

Keywords

Botanic gardens, conservation, Ericaceae, taxonomy, threat status