Purpose

To put in place effective protection, to take practical conservation action and raise awareness of the threatened native plants and habitats of the Falkland slands.

Context

The Falkland Islands have 13 endemic higher plants (including ferns, grasses and shrubs) and 5 globally threatened species. A further 18 are recognised nationally as threatened (13% of the native flora). Five habitats are also considered threatened but recent surveys suggest that these need revision. Mainland tussac grass on East and West Falkland is particularly threatened with only tiny remnants surviving.

Considerable effort during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and more recently 2006-08, has resulted in an improved basic plant knowledge and detailed information for some small sites. Knowledge of lower plants (mosses, fungi and lichens) is much more limited. The study of Falkland Islands lichens is the most advanced of the three lower plant groups through a current initiative at the Michigan University Herbarium in the US to catalogue and identify specimens collected during the 1960s and 2000.

The Falkland Islands Biodiversity Strategy 2008-2018 (final version to the Falkland Islands Government Executive Council Dec 08) addresses the conservation of plants within a context of sustainable grazing and tourism. The proposed project will specifically address seven action tasks identified in this Strategy:

BS Action Task 1. Provide an appropriate and adequately resourced environmental advisory service for FIG departments, the private sector and landowners.
BS Action Task 10. Develop and implement research programmes to fill the seven key knowledge gaps, including b. Lower plants
BS Action Task 15. Maintain national collections for terrestrial and marine plants and invertebrates in the Falkland Islands, and ensure collections are available for scientists and the general public.
BS Action Task 18. Ensure that there are (legislative and) management provisions for control/eradication of invasive species.
BS Action Task 28. For 12 species, species groups and habitats, (a) prepare, adopt and (b) implement Species and Habitat Action Plans.
BS Action Task 30. For the key biodiversity areas and designated lands (e.g. IPAs), (a) develop, adopt and (b) implement Site Management Plans with landowners to ensure adequate long-term protection.
BS Action Task 38. (a) Prepare and (b) implement an environmental monitoring programme that enables the assessment of management practices and policies.

The ethos of the Falkland Islands Biodiversity Strategy is that land-use and marine-use activities will be sustainable, i.e. have management systems that incorporate the protection of native plants and animals. The key threat to the long-term future of many plants and habitats in the Falkland Islands is livestock grazing and/or soil erosion exacerbated by over-grazing.

Some of the Biodiversity Strategy Action Tasks are being actively progressed (through OTEP FAL 401 which finishes in March 2008) such an updated Vascular Flora of the Falkland Islands, publication of an Important Plant Areas Directory for the Falkland Islands, producing 10 Species Action Plans for endangered native plants and a Habitat Action Plan for Mainland Tussac Grass. The establishment of 7 grazing trial sites and full rotational grazing system at Elephant Beach Farm has developed a good working relationship with the Department of Agriculture. Within this proposed project, the ties with the officers in the Department of Agriculture will be further strengthened, and plant conservation plans will be incorporated into individual farm grazing management systems, particularly where organic certification has occurred. Ten farms and 415,000 ha (representing 37%) have recently been certified organic, which requires holistic management and a percentage of the land being reserved for wildlife.

To-date, the low intensity management of farms in the Falklands has meant that management of invasive plants has not been a priority for farmers - however, it is clear that some plants are becoming increasingly problematic for farmers. Management of invasive plants will present particular challenges once farms have been certified as organic. The same invasive plants that are a problem for farmers may out-compete endemic plants in some environments, and some invasive plants may threaten Falkland Islands endemics through processes such as hybridisation (although the extent of this threat is currently unclear). Advice will be sort from members of the South Atlantic Invasive Species (SAIS) project team in year one in the drafting of relevant sections of the IPA management plans. SAIS project documents such as the Site-specific recommendations for gorse control on Carcass Island, Falklands Archipelago, and general reports on gorse and calafate will be considered when drafting these plans.

The protection of threatened habitats first requires re-definition and national agreement of a Habitat Classification system for use by farmers, agronomists and botanists alike and then preparation of Action Plans for the habitats that meet Falklands threatened status criteria. But long-term protection of threatened species and habitats will primarily be achieved through management of Important Plant Areas. Therefore, this project will focus effort on the formulation and implementation of IPA management plans with landowners. It is anticipated that these will include surveys, monitoring, education and site protection activities to better control grazing and invasive plants. Where IPAs do not encompass some threatened plants, specific Plant Species Action Plans will be implemented.

Threatened habitat types are currently being revised, but a Habitat Action Plan for mainland Tussac Grass will be available by March 08. This is recognised as a priority for implementation because not only is this the most important wildlife habitat for the Islands, but there is also a high landowner interest in the restoration of mainland tussac grass habitat linked to its sustainable use for grazing livestock. The action plan will propose a literature review and a landowner survey to assess past and current re-planting schemes plus Department of Agriculture and Falklands Conservation setting up a trial site to investigate new methodology for establishing tussac stands. Long-term monitoring sites set up on tussac stands around the islands will address key gaps in our knowledge with regard to sustainable use of tussac as a winter feed and regeneration on a range of sites differing in physical and biological characteristics. This action plan is linked to the Cobb's wren Species Action Plan, a Falklands endemic bird that relies on tussac grass habitat.

The current "Falkland Islands Plants Conservation Project" will not be able to achieve surveys of all remaining unsurveyed sites. However, part of FAL401 Output 9 (GIS capacity) is the development of models that can predict where certain species and habitats may be found. Therefore, further baseline surveys will be conducted in areas where threatened plants and habitats are predicted to occur. Baseline surveys in new areas also offer an opportunity for botanists to connect with more landowners and discuss how plant conservation needs may be incorporated into the landowner's system of land-use.

There is a clear need for a comprehensive and cohesive environmental monitoring programme in order to monitor the effectiveness of land-use management practices, the viability of threatened plants and habitats and the effects of climate change. This programme needs to be achievable given available local resources and to incorporate plant needs identified in IPAs, SAPs and HAPs, rotational grazing trials and national Site Management Plans and policies. A botanist with specific skills and experience is needed to produce this programme - such expertise is not available in the Islands.

Whilst much of the current plants programme has focussed on raising awareness with the landowners, there now needs to be specific effort to educate people living in Stanley, where the majority of people in the Falkland Islands live. The availability in Stanley of native plants for planting in gardens will be an innovative new way to capture interest. Some seed has already been collected for the RBG Kew Millennium Seed Bank and a subset can be used for production of seedlings of target species at the nursery. Native seedlings would be made available through assisting a landowner to set up a small-scale native plant and seed nursery or building capacity at the Stanley nursery. Plants would be sold to the public as well as being available for plant restoration schemes, e.g. tussac grass replanting trials.

Outputs

1. For the 15 Important Plant Areas (IPAs), production and adoption of formal management plans, where these can be agreed on with the respective landowners.

2. Implementation of management plans at 5 priority IPAs

3. Implementation of 10 Species Action Plans

4. National vegetation classification system in place and ready for publication

5. Preparation of 5 Action Plans for threatened habitats.

6. Implementation of a Tussac Grass Habitat Action Plan

7. Baseline plant species data for sites not previously surveyed

8. Development and initiation of a Falklands wide long-term plant monitoring programme

9. Establishment of a small-scale native plant and seed nursery

10. Production and national adoption of a conservation strategy for lower plants

11. Publication of a popular guide to Falkland Islands lichens.

Main Activities

• Conduct surveys to produce detailed vegetation maps of identified core zones within IPAs that cover the key populations and/ or habitat to be protected. Liaise with landowners seeking agreement in order for Management Plans to be adopted.

• Undertake management at five key IPAs, including further survey and mapping activities and control of invasive species and grazing

• Commence with implementation of 10 Plant Species Action Plans, including survey and monitoring work, genetic analysis, site protection activities and legal protection.

• Perform systematic vegetation surveys over two field seasons to produce a national vegetation classification system

• Re-evaluate priority threatened habitats previously identified and produce action plans for 5 most threatened habitat types.

• Implement the Tussac Grass Habitat Action Plan, including a review of literature, past practice and procedures used for current restoration work and an Islands-wide interview survey with landowners. Set up long-term monitoring sites where tussac is used as winter feed, has been planted or is naturally regenerating. In addition the project will collaborate with the Department of Agriculture to conduct trials in order to identify recommended practices for the establishment of tussac stands.

• Collect data from previously unsurveyed areas to fill knowledge gaps on areas where threatened species and habitats may occur.

• Devise and initiate a long term plant monitoring system, including requirements identified in IPA management plans, species and habitat plans, rotational grazing trials and adopted national Site Management Plans and policies.

• Identify suitable areas for long-term seed collection.

• Establish a small-scale plant and seed nursery or an establishment of this within the existing nursery to support sustainable restoration work, a local demand for native plants, and an annual 'Native Plant Day' in Stanley.

• Research and review the current state of knowledge on lower plants (mosses, liverworts, lichens and fungi) of the Falkland Islands in order to develop a conservation strategy for these.

• Support current work at Michigan University in order to publish a popular identification guide to Falkland Islands lichens.

Stakeholders

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew:
RBG Kew works closely with Falklands Conservation on plant initiatives in the Islands and there is a 10 year Memorandum of Co-operation now in place between the two organisations. In addition RBG Kew have committed staff time and resources to technical assistance in the following areas: training in propagation and plant nursery techniques, support and technical advice with vegetation classifications, monitoring systems and vegetation maps, seed collection, and genetic analysis. In addition to an initial training period, a mid project visit to Kew to review progress is planned. This project proposal has their support.

EU-funded South Atlantic Invasive Species Project:(Increasing regional capacity to reduce the impacts of invasive species on the South Atlantic United Kingdom Overseas Territories).
This overlaps with the first year of this Native Plants Project. It will support and assist with elements associated with invasive plant species where action needs to be taken to address such problems within Important Plant Areas.

Farmers and Landowners:
Landowners and farm managers will be working closely with Falklands Conservation to develop species and habitat action plans, to assist in the production of management plans for Important Plant Areas and sites, and implement plant protection measures on their land. There is evidence of a keen interest in this work from a number of them.

Michigan University
The University is committed to progressing identification of Falkland lichen specimens in its collection (the largest known for the Falklands with over 3,000), to producing an annotated check list of lichen taxa reported from the Falkland Islands and producing papers on newly identified specimens. It has expressed a keen interest in producing a key to the lichen flora of the islands and advising on effective management for the lichen biota including species of particular importance, sites with high diversity, guidance on lichen conservation, where further survey and identification work is needed. This work will be progressing with the expressed wish to work with local stakeholders, the Falklands' Government and Falklands Conservation.

Critical Assumptions

Risk 1: Landowners permission not given to access surveys or study sites
Probaility: Low
Impact: Some areas may not be surveyed
Managment: Every effort will be made to involve landowners

Risk 2: Fieldwork logistics/equipment or vehicles not available when required
Probability: Low
Impact: Fieldwork programme timetable limited
Management: Careful fieldwork planning to fit with other FC commitments undertaken at the same time.

Risk 3: Lack of Government support
Probaility: Low
Impact: Agreement of SAPs and HAPs not adopted. IPAs not recognised. Difficulty in accessing Government owned land. Restricted resources limits contribution.
Management: Regular meetings and progress reports will be provided. There may be a gap in Environment Officer post at the start of the project but not seen as a significant problem.

Risk 4: Suitably qualified person not recruited/wrong person appointed
Probability: Low
Impact: Late start with outputs not achieved to satisfactory standard, disruption and extra cost if Project Officer returns to UK. Stakeholder alienation if flow of information is not achieved.
Management: Sufficient lead in time will ensure that stringent recruitment can be followed with detailed job and person specifications in place. References to be taken up.

Risk 5: Co-partners fail to provide support/service
Probability: Low
Impact: Key elements of Project cannot be fulfilled.
Management: Close working with Partners will be essential and an integral part of the programme.

Wider Significance

• 5 Important Plant Areas actively and effectively protected

• Long term monitoring sites established for threatened species and habitats.

• Priority threatened habitats improved and enlarged to promote thriving populations and encouragement for such work amongst landowners.

• Further links developed with the agricultural sector to ensure sustainability - tussac trials and a nursery.

• A greater understanding of the native flora of the Islands, including little known lower plants

• A national vegetation classification providing a valuable tool for monitoring work and ideally becoming commonly used and understood.

This Project will provide information and practical demonstrations on how tussac grass can be used beneficially to support the farming community - by improving winter feed for sheep, preventing spread and further damage from eroded areas, and restoring areas damaged by fire (all real problems for agriculture in the Falklands). In addition, a farm based native plant nursery is proposed as a new enterprise, which will diversify farm income and provide a sustainable source of native plants for restoration.

Other Information

Funded by FCO/DFID Overseas Territories Environment Programme, 2009, project no FAL601

Multilateral Environmental Agreements

Convention on Biological Diversity and Global Strategy for Plant Conservation

The Falkland Islands are working towards ratification of the CBD. CBD implementation in the Falkland Islands will be supported by the soon to be adopted Falkland Islands Biodiversity Strategy 2008 - 2018. The specific action tasks that this proposed project will implement are identified in the background section of this document. The CBD has adopted the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The production of management plans for Important Plant Areas will help meet the stated international target of protection of 50% of the most important areas for plant diversity and implement the CBD articles 6, 7 and 8 on biodiversity strategies. This Project is also applicable to target 13, which aims to use plant diversity sustainably to support livelihoods.

Ramsar Convention

Seven potential IPA sites are also designated or proposed Ramsar sites. Therefore Ramsar objectives will be achieved by preparing and implement plans for IPAs.

CITES

Four orchids are listed by CITES. By having an experienced botanist in the Falkland Islands, local advice would be available to guide the appropriate export of these species.

National legislation

The Falkland Islands is directed nationally by the "Islands Plan 2008-12", Biodiversity Strategy and various environmental legislation, including the Conservation of Nature and Wildlife Ordinance 1999, under which some but all threatened plants are protected and some proposed IPAs are designated National Nature Reserves. Further work is required to designate remaining threatened plants and where landowners request it, making IPAs secure through NNR designation. Having an experienced botanist in the Falkland Islands will assist FIG to uphold national legislation, when for example determining planning permission etc.

UK Government- FI Government Environment Charter

The project will help to implement UK Commitments 1 & 2 and Falkland Island commitments 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 and 10. These involve environmental management, legislation, protection and restoration of key species, sustainable production, availability of baseline data and environment education and awareness.