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Over-collection is the act of
collecting something in excess. |
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The over-collection or overexploitation of rare plants
coveted by collectors is a serious threat to wild plants and
habitats. Over-collection is
believed likely to constitute at least a local threat, continued
over-collection of plants will eventually end in the loss of those
plants. Populations of some rare plants are so low that the slightest over-collection could
leave the species at risk, a single collecting trip could wipe them out
and lead a rare species to
extinction. Over-collection in the wild can also reduce yields and
genetic variability of the species.
The wholesale collecting, for resale, of wild plants from public lands,
especially the rarer plants, must be prohibited or limited, first of all
must be denounced the practice of misleading the public by calling such
collected plants nursery propagated plants. A way to protect wild
populations of rare plants is to increase the supply of cultivated
specimens. Increasing the amount of cultivated plants available will
decrease the pressure on wild plant populations. Unfortunately,
cultivation has historically been attempted only when wild populations
were already threatened by over-exploitation. Gardeners cannot be the
only ones expected to respect and preserve plants and their habitats.
Rare plants merit special consideration and should not be distributed or
propagules taken unless there is
sufficient local stock to successfully perpetuate the population. In
most cases this means minimal or no collecting.
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