Conservation of threatened species
The University Gardens maintain examples of endangered and rare plants from Norway and the rest of the world. Our living collections of such species contribute to securing species that are under pressure in their native habitats.
Why do we conserve threatened species?
Threatened species are declining sharply in number and face an increased risk of extinction, often due to changes in land use, pollution and climate change. Norway's Red List assesses species according to the international IUCN standard: critically endangered (CR), endangered (EN), vulnerable (VU) and near threatened (NT).
By growing threatened species in the gardens, we conserve them ex situ – away from their natural habitat – as a safeguard against their disappearance.
International conservation work
The University Gardens have coordinated the BGCI Global Conservation Consortium (external link) for Erica since 2021 (external link), and are a member of the equivalent consortium for Rhododendron. The species collection is a safe haven for several critically endangered rhododendron species. The University Gardens also take part in international conservation work to save the critically endangered Wollemia nobilis (external link), and collaborate with, among others, Belgrade Botanical Garden to conserve threatened plants from Serbia, including the Serbian spruce (Picea omorika (external link)).
Threatened species in Norway
In collaboration with Norway's botanical gardens, the University Gardens collect seed for the national seed bank and grow threatened plant material in living collections. Important collections include Norwegian endemic whitebeams (Sorbus), local genotypes of burnet rose (Rosa spinosissima), and several rare lady's mantle species (Alchemilla). Individual species include saw-wort (Serratula tinctoria, EN), common gromwell (Lithospermum officinale, NT) and forked spleenwort (Asplenium adulterinum, EN). The University Gardens take part in the Norwegian Genetic Resource Centre (external link) initiative, working with NORDGEN as a clonal archive for historic cultivars, particularly roses.
Do you want to know more about the collection?
You can read more about our work with threatened species here:
- Pirie, M.D., Blackhall-Miles, R., Bourke, G., Crowley, D., Ebrahim, I., Forest, F., Knaack, M., Koopman, R., Lansdowne, A., Nürk, N.M., Osborne, J., Pearce, T.R., Rohrauer, D., Smit, M., & Wilman, V. 2022. – Botanic gardens join forces to halt species extinction: the Global Conservation Consortium for Erica. Årringen 2020–2021 (24–25): 103–110 (external link).
- Pirie, M.D. 2023. Threatened Rhododendron species in the University Gardens in Bergen. Lapprosen 26 (2): 4–9 (external link).
- Pirie, M.D. 2024. A global effort to save the dinosaur tree Wollemia nobilis. Årringen 26: 27–35 (external link).