The contribution of citizens to threatened plant conservation

Abstract There is growing recognition of the importance of citizens in biodiversity conservation, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin—a global biodiversity hotspot and cradle of several civilizations—where human actions have influenced the introduction, extinction, and relocation of plant species, determining their current distribution. This research aimed to understand the role of citizens in conserving flora of conservation interest in Sardinia. We used questionnaires administered to individual citizens to investigate whether their activities included intentional movements of endemic and threatened plants for conservation purposes (namely translocations). We documented 68 translocations; 69.5% of these were directly confirmed in the field, involving 22 plants, mainly woody and endemic to the island. Most of them were introductions and were successful, with 73.53% having live individuals surviving and 67.65% also having reproductive plants. Although our analysis covers a limited period of time and probably provides only a small snapshot of the total, these data reveal an important contribution of citizens to the practical conservation actions for threatened plants. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first attempt to quantify such contributions and suggests that the undocumented, spontaneous initiatives of citizens may far outnumber institutional efforts in both quantity and effectiveness. The contribution of citizens may represent a crucial component of regional biodiversity strategies if integrated and valued in more inclusive conservation strategies.