Page 8, The PAL'\oiETTO, Fall 1992

by Mike Schwartz and jora Young

Scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge, one of thecommunities The Nature Conservancy is tryingto preserve.

Those of us interested in Florida'snative plants owe a debt of gratitude toour botanical forebears such as J.K.Smal,. These pioneer botanists foundand gathered new specimens for scien-tific description and study. Part of theactivity of these early botanists was topropagate these specimens.

One of the unfortunate conse-quences of those collectors' foraysinto southern Florida, however, was adramatic reduction in populations oforchids and bromeliads. Today it isdifficult to find any but the most com-mon species of this once rich nativeflora. For fear of plant collectors, infor-mation on the locations of rare orchidsis no longer given even to those who

may legitimately want to view them inthe wild.

The surge of interest by hobbyistsand entrepreneurs in rare plants in par-ticular is putting additional pressureon already threatened species. Whilesome would argue that collecting rareplants helps to insure the survival ofendangered species, most of us wouldprefer to save them within their naturalhabitat through preservation of land.Endangered plants are not merely fordisplay, like paintings in a museum.

Unfortunately, plants are not alwayssafe even in preserves. In the past year,several preserves belonging to The

Nature Conservancy have been van-dalized by plant collectors stealingseeds, cuttings, and occasionally entireplants. Perhaps the most flagrant ofthese transgressions happened in

northern Florida last fall. A native

nursery operator (not an FNPS mem-ber) was found to have collected en-dangered plants from an experimentalplot on one preserve. Not only did thiscollector break the law, but also de-

stroyed two year's worth of research

directed toward saving an imperiledspecies from extinction in the wild.

Illegal collection of rare plantmaterial is exceedingly damaging to

efforts to save species. Any activities

that decrease population size, seedpool, or the health of individual plants

them, we may try to restock these

species back into the wild. To do this,

we must, of course, have plant material

in cultivation. Native nurseries and per-sonal collections won't help in thiseffort, however, because a sound resto-

J ration plan must include documenta-,~- tion of source material, which is usually

5> lacking in commercially available'1 material. Reconstruction of habitats. without a plan is of questionable con-

servation value.Bok Tower Gardens and Fairchild

Tropical Garden have organized anddocumented collections that allow

tracking of material from different

populations. These two Florida institu-tions are members of the Center forPlant Conservation, a private, non-profic organization of botanicalgardens that oversees the systematiccollection of our most threatenedspecies. Restocking the wild withendangered species from these collec-tions can bedonewith a sound, scien-tific plan that includes consideration ofgenetic variability.

Federal, state, and private conserva-tion organizations, such as The NatureConservancy (TNC), also are doingwhat they can to protect Florida's richnatu ral heritage. Over the last 40 yearsTNC has worked to create the highestquality private preserve system possi-ble. TNC's purpose in owning andmanaging these sanctuaries is - aboveall else - to protect the native biota.

Recently these preserves havebecome a magnet for illegal collectors

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Guzmania monostachya, an endangeredbromeliad of the tropical hammock, has beencollected nearly to extinction.

increases the probability of extinction.The most harmful activity is, of

course, digging up whole plants. Thelikelihood of extinction is related topopulation size, and removal of plantsresults in a decrease in the size of thelocal population.

Many threatened plants rely onepisodic reproduction, yet we usually

cannot predict which years will be

good for reproduction. Thus, eachyear's seed production is important tothe health of the population.

Also, many rare plant species areunder physiological stress. Extractingcuttings can further endanger thehealth of the individual plant. Thecol-

lection of plant material from rare

plants in the wild needs to be con-ducted under carefully controlled con-ditions where the health of the entirenatural population is being monitored.

Rare plants that are targeted by col-lectors, are, in turn, integral to com-plex natural communities. Sadly,researchers still have only rudimentaryunderstand i ng of the com plexity of theinteractions within natural communi-

ties. But we do know that exti rpation ofone species will affect the ability of

other species in the ecosystem to sur-

vive. By jeopardizing the continued

existence of one species in the native

flora, we likely are jeopardizing other

species as well.

If populations of rare species be-come extinct despite efforts to save

The PALMETTO, Fall 1992, Page 9

lora Young is Director for Science andStewardship for The Nature Conser-vancy, Florida Region; and MikeSchwartz is Assistant ProfessionalScientist with the University of IllinoisNatural History Surver

for proof that the vendor legally ac-quired the plant material. The vendor

should have two pieces of proof: writ-

ten permission from the owner of the

land from which the propagules were

obtained, if the seed sou rce was notonland owned by the nursery; and a per-mit issued by the Florida Division ofPlant Industry to sell the species. If thevendor cannot provide this informa-tion, you may be contributing to thedemise of a native species by pu rchas-ing the plant. Instead, report the ven-dor to the Florida Division of Plant

Industry2.Share the responsibility for watching

for illegal harvest of plant material. Ifyou see anyone collecting plants on

preserve lands, inform the manager as

soon as possible. Be cautious about

accosting anyone you think may be il-legally collecting, for fear of possibleretaliation and harm to yourself.

Florida requires everyone's dedica-tion as stewards of its native flora. Withthe help of FNPS, The Nature Conser-vancy hopes to resolve the problem of

illegal collecting so that its policy ofopen access to its preserves cancontinue.

I Florida Natu ral Areas Inventory

1018 Thomasville Rd., Suite 200-CTallahassee, Fl32303

904/224-8207; or 224-0626

'Florida Dept. of Agriculture & ConsumerServices

Division of Plant IndustryP.O. Box 1269Gainesville, Fl 32602

of native plants. Besides being explicit-ly against the regulations of preservelands to collect anything, it is illegal tocollect any species protected by thestate anywhere without express writtenpermission of the landowner. Illegalcollection of protected plants is prose-cuted under state trespass laws. Any-one found in violation of state law for

illegally collecting federally protectedplants is also subject to further penal-ties under federal law.

The problem of illegal collecting ofrare plants is no longer an occasionalevent, and it appears to be escalating.Preserve and park managers are becom-ing increasingly alarmed, and illegalplant collecti ng has become a manage-ment issue on natural lands.

Unfortu nately, the state agencycharged with protecting native flora,the Florida Division of Plant Industry,does not have the resources to beeverywhere at once. As concernedcitizens, it is our responsibility to stepup our vigilance in protecting nativeflora.

All FNPS members can help. Each ofus must resolve never to collect nativeplant materials from the wild without

written permission of the owner. Asconsumers, assure yourself that any

nursery from which you buy plants

observes the highest ethical standards.Before you buy any plant, ask if thespecies is native, and if it is rare or en-dangered. (This information is availablefrom the Florida Natural Areas Inven-tory in Tallahassee'.)

If the species is protected by law, ask

FNPS Policy on TransplantingNative Plants from the Wild

(adopted by FNPS Board of Directors,Nov. 19, 1988)

By promoting the use of native plants inlandscaping, the Florida Native Plant Societyhas helped create a demand for nativeplants. This has prompted some individualsand companies to offer for sale native plantsdug from the wild. Selling harvested plantsavoidsthetime and expense of growing theplants under nursery conditions, but thisharvest of native plants is, in most cases, notsustainable in the long run, and damagesland that has potential for preservation.

FNPS does not approve of transplantingnative plants form natural areas for landscap-ing, mitigation, or restoration purposes. Suchtransplanting is in direct conflict with thesociety's goal of preservation and conserva-tion of native plants in their natural habitats.

From its beginning, the society has pro-moted the preservation of existing nativeplants in their natural habitats, while en-couraging the planting of addditional nativeplants grown under nursery conditions fromseeds or cuttings. This position should resultin a net gain of native plants. Transplantingfrom the wild merely transfers native plantsfrom natural to manmade habitats, and

results in a net loss of native plants becausea good percentage of transplanted plants failto survive the transplanting process.

The society recognizes that there shouldbe an exception to this policy to allow thesalvage of native plants from areas whereland clearing activities are both imminentand assured. This type of transplantingsaves plants that would otherwise be lost. Itis expected, however, that salvage activitiesnot take place until all planning approvalsfor the site have been obtained and allpossiblities for preservation have beenexhausted. Salvage and plant rescue oper-ations should be undertaken only in com-pliance with all state and local native plantprotection laws.

Members of the society are asked to abideby this policy as a matter of ethics. Specifi-cally, members are asked to inquire aboutthe origins of plant material and not buyplants that have been transplanted from the

wild. Landscape architects and designersare asked, when writing plant materialspecifications, to specify only nursery-grownnative plants. Government agencies withjurisdiction over landscaping, mitigation,and restoration projects are asked to requirethose projects to use only nursery-grownnative plants or those from on-site or near-

by salvage operations.While it is unrealistic to think that FNPS

can totally stop the practice of transplantingfrom the wild, it can supply needed leader-ship on this issue and, with the support of itsmembers, help dry up the market for suchplants. It is critical that native plant com-munities remain as undisturbed and un-damaged as possible so that potential sitesfor preservation remain intact.

Ten Suggestionsfor stopping illegal collection of Florida's native plants

(This list was developed by participants at Jora Young's presentation at the FNPS 1992 An-nual Spring Conference.)

1. Launch an educational campaign.

2. Spearhead a task force of public and private agencies to recommend changes to strengthenexisting laws.

3. Develop and disseminate lists of areas that have development permits so that collectors mayfocus attention on areas slated for destruction.

4. Write the Commissioner of Agriculture, urging that more resources be devoted to enforce-

ment of existing laws.

5. Increase legitimate production of rare species in demand.

6. Establish a formal code of ethics for the Florida Native Plant Society and the Associationof Florida Native Nurseries. (This was done by FNPS in 1988, and has been adopted by AFNN;see sidebar.)

7. Urge regulatory agencies, which mandate wetlands restoration, that as much material aspossible from altered sites be used for re-stocking.

8. Request that government regulatory agencies require documentation of source material forall habitat restorations, creations, and enhancements.

9. As consumers, insist that nurseries indicate sources of all native material, particularly rareand endangered species.

10. Police each other.