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Why should we protect plants ? | The role and work of botanical conservation centres
Set up in 1975, the Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest was the first establishment in the world to devote itself exclusively to protecting plants threatened with extinction. Its conservation programmes concern both the local flora of the Armorique massif and the flora of tropical ecosystems. At national level, it is part of a network of eight state-approved French conservation centres which have as their mission conservation, study and research, information and awareness raising among the public. It also participates in international programmes aimed at safeguarding the world's plant heritage.
Its methods combine two approaches:
in situ conservation preserves the ecosystem in its entirety, which is necessary to maintain species in the wild and restore near-threatened plant populations;
ex situ conservation protects critically endangered species whose natural habitat is seriously degraded or even lost. Plant numbers are increased by cultivation or in vitro, then replanted in the wild, where necessary, to strengthen the natural plant populations.The national botanical conservation centres work in partnership with local authorities (departmental, regional), national and regional parks, nature parks, nature reserves, the coastline protection organisation and the regional centres for conservation of natural areas. Their aim is to evaluate and conserve wild flora and natural environments.
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