KBCC spurs Taiwan plant conservation efforts

2014-10-31

Dr. Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Center in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County is helping boost local plant conservation efforts and serving as model for similar undertakings worldwide.

Established in 2008 on 12,500 hectares, KBCC is a private sector endeavor with contributions and support from central and local government agencies, as well as individuals and research organizations at home and abroad.

Center CEO Li Chia-wei, who doubles as a professor with the Department of Life Science at Hsinchu City-based National Tsing Hua University, said KBCC is striving to become a Noah’s Ark of tropical and subtropical plants, with the ultimate goal reintroducing endangered species into the wild.

Starting with 4,600 species, the center originally aimed to expand its collection to 30,000 by 2028. At latest count, it boasts more than 25,000 species in 13 categories and families, including Orchidaceae, which tops the list at 7,517, followed by succulent plants and Bromeliaceae at 4,909 and 2,179, respectively.

Unlike other plant conservation programs, KBCC maintains live species instead of storing their seeds in a controlled environment, such as the approach adopted by the U.K.’s Millennium Seed Bank Project.

“Since the seeds of tropical plants have a limited life span and cannot stand low temperatures, vivo conservation is a superior preservation technique,” Li said. “Taiwan’s rich biodiversity and planting prowess make it an ideal location for such efforts.”

In addition to preserving endangered species and enhancing awareness of ecological conservation, the center is committed to promoting exchanges with counterparts and nongovernmental organizations around the globe.

For example, KBCC assisted Honiara Botanical Gardens of Solomon Islands set up the first greenhouse in the South Pacific nation. It also offered training for researchers from a Tibetan biology research institute.

“We are stepping up efforts to promote ecological conservation through our offices in the Solomon Islands and Shenzhen, mainland China,” Li said, adding that additional overseas representations are in the pipeline.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=223464&CtNode=413)