Supporting Wild Populations

Erythranthe rhodopetra ©Naomi Fraga, RSABG

Ex situ collections are an important conservation tool to conserve plants and plant diversity in California. Building off this tool, our work supports in situ conservation as well, that is conservation of natural populations. Find out more about how CaPR supports wild populations below. 

Monitoring

Brodiaea matsonii ©Aaron E. Sims and CNPS

It is a primary objective of this initiative to support wild populations through fieldwork. The most common way we do this is by monitoring rare plant populations, many of which are not visited on a regular basis or may not have been visited in decades. 

​Recording information from wild populations increases our knowledge about the status of the population (whether it is likely extirpated, declining, or even increasing), the threats it is facing, and more. This added knowledge helps land managers and agencies best determine management needs and priorities to maintain wild populations. 

Outplantings and
​Seed Enhancements

Our ex situ collections are made in support of wild populations, to ensure the flora of California persists with healthy genetic diversity within each taxa. Whether for use soon after a collection is made or years down the road, the seed or other plant material from our collections can be used to enhance or restore wild populations of rare plants. For more common species, our collections can help ensure that plant material is suitable to the habitat being restored, and thus more likely to establish successfully.
 
For some species, especially the uncommon ones, the research on germination and general propagation requirements done at many of our institutions serves as a starting point for eventual return to the wild. For annuals, it is common for seed to be "bulked" or increased by growing plants in nurseries to generate large amounts of seed, again requiring some know-how for growing the plant.
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