About the Author
Roger MacGibbon is a founding Tane’s Tree Trustee and has operated his own environmental restoration consultancy in the upper North Island for 15 years. He is a strong advocated of increased utilisation of native plants on farmland for productive, water quality management and biodiversity purposes. Email:[email protected]
Introduction
Interpretation of the term “ecosourcing” and the way in which it is applied to the planting of native trees and shrubs varies greatly from region to region and between organisations. For some it is an important guiding doctrine; for others it is a hindrance to the planting of native vegetation. The objective of this workshop, one that will be pursued by Tane’s Tree Trust after this conference is the examination of current ecosourcing policy and practice.
We will attempt to answer the following questions:
- Is ecosourcing being applied consistently across the country?
- Is current ecosourcing policy based on sound science?
- Is there any evidence that ecosourcing is working – i.e . are we safeguarding the genetic integrity of natural plant populations?
- Is it appropriate to have one generic ecosourcing policy that applies to all plant species in all locations?
- Is current ecosourcing policy practical and affordable?
- Can ecosourcing accommodate the use of selective breeding methods for productive purposes?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “No”, we need to start a process of refinement. We may even need to develop a new set of guidelines for practitioners that meet the necessary ecosourcing criteria.
