Resources related to conservation of threatened trees. To contribute a resource to the Tree Science and Conservation database, please contact the ArbNet Coordinator at arbnet@mortonarb.org.
Conservation Organizations and Initiatives
- The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF application)
- Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
- A Global Conservation Consortium for Oak (BGCI)
- Capacity for Conservation online organizational self-assessment
- Center for Plant Conservation (CPC)
- Center for Plant Conservation: Rare Plant Academy (CPC)
- Center for Tree Science (CTS)
- Chicago Regional Trees Initiative (CRTI)
- Fauna & Flora International (FFI)
- Perthshire Conifer Conservation Programme (PCCP)
- International Conifer Conservation Programme (ICCP)
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
- Plant Collections Network
- Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA)
- Sustainable Sites Initiative
- "Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant Opportunities"- American Public Gardens Association Conference 2018
- Metacollections management: New approaches for improving living conservation collections - American Public Gardens Association Conference 2023 workshop resources
Grants & Funding
In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation Tools
- BGCI's Online training platform--tree conservation training modules
- Guidelines for establishing and managing an oak metacollection site
- Chiang Mai University, Forest Restoration Research Unit Resources
- Propagation Manual for Mexican and Central American Oaks (Spanish)
- Adaptation Workbook: climate change tool for land management and conservation
- Building living plant collections to support conservation: A guide for public gardens (BGCI and Montgomery Botanical Center)
- Red Listing e-learning modules (BGCI)
- Center for Plant Conservation Poster, "Conserving Genetic Diversity ex situ: Updates on Practical Advice" (Hoban et al., 2020)
- Conservation practices - key terms
- Seedlot Selection Tool
- What to do when we can't bank on seeds: What botanic gardens can learn from the zoo community about conserving plants in living collections
- Integrated conservation of tree species by botanic gardens: a reference manual (BGCI; Oldfield & Newton 2012)
- Strengthening the Conservation Value of Ex Situ Tree Collections (Cavender et al., 2015 in Oryx)
- Cycads: A model group for ex situ plant conservation
- Manual for Rapid Botanic Survey (RBS) (Oxford University Herbarium)
- Field Techniques Used By Missouri Botanical Garden
- IUCN Species Survival Commission Guidelines on the Use of Ex situ Management for Species Conservation
- IUCN Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations
- IUCN Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology- rapidly identify and analyze areas primed for forest landscape restoration
- "PRE Pairing for Success: Emerging Invasives, Contentious Cultivars, and Common Ground" -
American Public Gardens Association Conference 2017 - "Gap Analysis to Support Ex situ Collections Development"- American Public Gardens Association Conference 2018
- Biodiversity and Conservation (Attribute of the Public Gardens Sustainability Index) - (APGA)
- Working list of commerical timber tree species- to encourage further research and assessment (BGCI)
- Forest Restoration Learning Modules
- The Global Biodiversity Standard: Manual for Assessment and Best Practices- assessment methodology for evaluating and certifying global restoration projects (Society for Ecological Restoration and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, 2024)
Seed Collecting and Plant Propagation
- Propagation Manual for Mexican and Central American Oaks (Spanish)
- Seedlot Selection Tool
- Tropical Nursery Manual (USDA)
- Hardwood Nursery Guide
- National Nursery and Seed Directory (RNGR)
- Seed Conservation Hub - Training and Resources (BGCI)
- Seed Conservation Directory of Expertise (BGCI)
- Global Seed Conservation Challenge Learning Module Quizzes (BGCI)
- Your Garden's Impact for Research: Uses, Tracking and Getting Credit (American Public Gardens Association Conference, June 2019)
- APGA Breeding and restoring American Elm Webinar
Entering into Science & Conservation
- Small Gardens in Research - Tips & Resources (2025 APGA Annual Conference presentation handout)
- Center for Plant Conservation's Rare Plant Academy: provides free, public resources for those seeking to learn the science of rare plant stewardship
---Applied Plant Conservation Course: free, online professional development course current and future botanical practitioners in the best practices of rare plant stewardship and conservation - "How-To's" from the Global Trees Campaign
---How to survey an area for threatened tree species
---How to collect botanical information for identification
---How to make a monitoring plan for threatened trees
---How to design and manage a tree nursery
---How to collect seeds from threatened tree species
---How to store seeds and prepare them for germination
---How to germinate seeds and care for young seedlings
---How to solve germination problems
---How to plant and establish trees in the wild
Conservation and Biodiversity Databases
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- GlobalTreeSearch (BGCI)
- Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN)
- Red List of Timber Species (IUCN)
- ThreatSearch (BGCI)
Conservation Policies and Progress Reports
- Insights from a century of data reveal global trends in ex situ living plant collections (Cano et al., 2025)
- Global Biodiversity Standard (BGCI)
- State of the World’s Trees report
- Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- 10 Golden Rules for Reforestation (BGCI)
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation
- Global Strategy for Plant Conservation - A guide to the GSPC - All the targets, objectives and facts
- GSPC Toolkit
- Species Recovery Manual (BGCI)
- Integrated Collections Development Report (The Morton Arboretum)
Conservation Interpretation
- Care for the Rare (BGCI)
- Conservation and protection of plant species (Arboretum Wespelaar)
- Discover Conifers Exhibit (The Morton Arboretum)
Tree Conservation Publications from the ArbNet Community
- Report: Global Expertise in Conservation Horticulture at Botanic Gardens (Botanic Gardens Conservation International, 2024)
- Tree Conservation, Research, and Climate Change Session – ArbNet Conference (2021)
- Restoration Presentation - ArbNet Conference (2021)
- Propagation Manual for Mexican and Central American Oaks (Spanish)
- 2019 Tree Conservation Needs Assessment (ArbNet)
- Botanic Garden Solutions to the Plant Extinction Crisis
- The benefits of trees for livable and sustainable communities
- Conifer Care Report--Bartlett Tree Experts
- Ex situ conservation of plant diversity in the world's botanic gardens
- Building capacity and implementing tree conservation in Mexico, Puebla University Botanic Garden
- Botanic Garden Meise: the digital Flora of Central Africa
- Toward the Metacollection: Coordinating conservation collections to safeguard plant diversity 2019
- Tree Conservation and the role of botanic gardens (BGJournal)
- The role of botanical gardens in scientific research, conservation, and citizen science (Chen & Sun 2018)
- Genetic Diversity and conservation evaluation of a critically endangered endemic maple, Acer yangbiense, analyzed using microsatellite markers Yang
- Global Tree Conservation: A world tour of threatened trees - Video
- Rescuing Magnolia sinica (Magnoliaceae), a Critically Endangered species endemic to Yunnan, China Wang
- Red List of Magnoliaceae
- Towards a global tree assessment ORYX Newton
- Conservation Priorities of PSESP in Yunnan Province Yang
- Identifiying target species and seed sources for the restoration of threatened trees in Braizil ORYX Hoffman
- Botanic gardens can positively influence visitors' environmental attitudes BIOCONS Williams
- Botanic Gardens - using databases to support plant conservation. BG Journal
- Botanic gardens can positively influence visitors' environmental attitudes BIOCONS Williams
- Sampling for effective ex situ plant conservation IJPS Guerrant
- Can a BG cycad collection capture the genetic diversity in a wild population - IJPS Griffith
- Curatorial Practices for Botanical Gardens Hohn
- "Leading Audiences to Take Action! A New Approach from the Field of Conservation Psychology" - American Public Gardens Association Conference 2017
- Optimizing Conservation Strategies
- CPC Best Plant Conservation Practices to Support Species Survival in the Wild 2018
