International Sentinel Plant Network

BGCI is working with the United States Forest Service and other partners to assess the potential for development of an international sentinel plant network, where living plant collections at botanic gardens around the world are connected and capable of serving as early warning systems to help predict and prevent the incursion of new pests (insects, pathogens, or plants).

THANK YOU TO THE NEARLY 300 BOTANIC GARDEN STAFF AROUND THE WORLD THAT TOOK OUR SURVEY in 2011. Your collections and expertise are important and we are thrilled that you made them count by taking the survey.

The survey asked questions about pest and pathogen identification expertise and policies at botanical institutions with living plant collections, and was available electronically through March 31, 2011. Survey results are now summarized in a recent article published in BGCI's BGjournal (click here for the article).

For additional information, contact Andrea Kramer (BGCI US Executive Director) at andrea.kramer at bgci.org or check out these publications:

Kramer, A. and A. Hird. 2011. Building an international sentinel plant network. BGjournal 8(2): 3-6.

Britton, K.O., White, P., Kramer, A., Hudler, G., 2010. A new approach to stopping the spread of invasive insects and pathogens: early detection and rapid response via a global network of sentinel plantings. New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science 40, 109-114.

Kramer, A.T. 2010. Using BGCI’s databases to connect plant collections and expertise to support the development of an international Sentinel Plant Network. Proceedings from the 4th Global Botanic Gardens Congress. Dublin, Ireland, June 2010.