Plants on the Edge
PLEDGE is a transnational collaboration working to preserve Plants on the Edge - Edge of Europe - Edge of their Range - Edge of Extinction. PLEDGE is a commitment to conserve some of our most vulnerable species.
A Shared Challenge
Countries of the Northern Periphery & Arctic regions of Europe have a shared ecology, due to their similar artic, subarctic & oceanic climates. Habitats throughout the area include peatlands, forests & uplands where hardy plant species & arctic-alpine communities occur. These habitats reflect a shared post-glacial flora adapted to cool, moist conditions. The region shares glacial relic species surviving since the Ice Age & globally important bryophyte (moss species) assemblages. Climate change is rapidly altering these ecosystems: warmer temperatures & shifting precipitation patterns are causing habitats to become degraded & placing stresses on rare & threatened plant species. As a result, a number of arctic-alpine, subarctic & oceanic plant species are threatened with extinction throughout the area. Some of these threatened plants share genetic lineages making them unique globally while others are at the edge of their global range in the NPA region; making them especially vulnerable to climate warning & global environmental change.
A Shared Solution
PLEDGE will address climate-driven biodiversity loss by creating a coordinated transnational ex-situ conservation network. We will develop & share specialist ex-situ conservation techniques for threatened plants, protecting them outside of their natural habitats. Using seed banking & cryopreservation technology, PLEDGE will trial, develop & adopt ex-situ conservation measures to safeguard the genetic diversity of threatened flora. While some methodologies are already deployed in the region for plants of economic interest, the infrastructure is in its infancy for the conservation of wild flora in much of the area. A coordinated transnational effort to advance the infrastructure, knowledge base, skillset and capacity of the region will have a lasting effect on the conservation of threatened plants. We will establish a science-based system that builds resilience to climate-driven biodiversity loss and ensures climate adaptation capacity for future restoration events across the NPA area.
Our approach
Transnational Cooperation
A suite flowering plants and mosses have a transnational range in the NPA area. Some species are globally rare & vulnerable to the impacts of climate change at the edge of their range. There is thus a need for cooperation in developing ex-situ conservation methods, optimising seedbank & cryopreservation techniques. Ex-situ conservation capacity must be deployed equitably across the NPA; currently, capacity varies across the NPA countries, this project will share experience, democratise knowledge & resources, upscaling capacity in the area. Botanic gardens, as centres of excellence in plant ecology, conservation & research, are well placed to undertake ex-situ plant conservation at scale. Few other organisations have the skills, expertise & infrastructure to undertake large scale ex-situ of plants. Our partnership comprises six leading botanic gardens (3 partners, 3 associated partners) of 5 NPA countries. The partnership includes 3 national & sectoral agencies with national remit for nature conservation, policy & enforcement. The partnership incorporates wide geographical range with diverse habitats & species. Partner countries are at different stages of developing ex-situ conservation capacity, from well established-infancy-absent, and thus offer a breadth of opportunity to democratise and make adaptation capacity equitable.
Meet the partnersAbout the Interreg Northern Periphery & Arctic Programme
This funding programme supports cooperation between communities and organisations in the northernmost part of Europe and Arctic (Ireland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Norway, Sweden & Finland). It promotes working with joint challenges and joint opportunities that can best be overcome and realised by transnational cooperation. It enables cooperation, making communities in the NPA area more sustainable and resilient in ways that recognise the demands of the geographical characteristics of the area. Co-funded roject partnerships from the region work together to develop sustainable solutions to improve the environment and quality of life of people living in the NPA.
www.interreg-npa.eu
Project Details
PLEDGE in numbers
Project Duration
September 2026 - February 2029
Project Budget
919.799,74 EUR
NPA Co-financing
597.869,82 EUR
Project Partnership
4 x Project Partners & 7 x Associated Partners
Transnational Cooperation
5 x Countries
Species Conserved
TBC