OVER-COLLECTING - AN OVERLOOKED FACTOR IN THE DECLINE OF PLANT TAXA

Botanists, both professional and amateur, can have a substantial impac t on uncommon plant taxa through over-collecting, and in some cases th is may result in extinction of uncommon taxa. This paper reviews examp les of over-collecting, mainly from die New Zealand flora, and suggest s five guidelines to reduce its impact: (1) to use photographs where p ossible, especially as a preliminary record, (2) not to collect whole plants unless there are more than 20 plants, or more than 5 % of any o ne plant, (3) not to collect flowers or fruits if only a few present, (4) not to collect duplicates, and (5) to use seeds or cuttings for cu ltivation. Awareness of the effects of over-collection and adoption of these collecting guidelines should contribute significantly to the co nservation of uncommon plants.