This topic is to further investigate a new connection regarding Centres of Plant Diversity (CPD), as introduced in this week's blog post.

One of the main issues is that I have not been able to find a full list of the CPD's - so we cannot really match WHS to them, except for those cases when it is explicitly mentioned in the IUCN evaluation.

Re "Centres of Plant Diversity" and their coverage by WHS –
a. As Els states in her blog the "list" was created in a 3 Volume series of printed books published in 1994 under the auspices of IUCN/WWF. Copies are still available on the Web – but not cheap!
b. There was never any intention to "maintain" or "update" the list and, as far as I can discover (confirmed by Bard/Gemini!), it has never been published as a "List" on the Web
c. There IS however a Map of the Centres within the "UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre" (UNEP-WCMC) Web site. Unfortunately, as far as I can make out, only those registered with UNEP-WCMC to do so can access it!!! Are any of our Forum Members in this elite category??!!
d. In 2000 a report was published by UNEP-WCMC titled "A GLOBAL OVERVIEW OF PROTECTED AREAS ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE FOR BIODIVERSITY - A contribution to the Global Theme Study of World Heritage Natural Sites". It is available for download in PDF here
e. It seems to be the "Natural WHS" equivalent of the ICOMOS "Gap analysis" for Cultural WHS which we have often referred to across the years. I do not remember us having done so with this document.
f. It sets out a framework for categorising Natural sites and identifying gaps which could be/need to be "filled" on the WH List. It works with the Natural/Mixed inscribed sites as of Nov 1999. There were then 150 – now 266.
g. It looks at 141 of these WHS and which of 6 categories they "Fill" (presumably the missing 9 were all Geological sites outwith this analysis?)
h. The analysis is as follows – Note Category 3.
1. Criterion iv (significant biodiversity) (95 sites)
2. A WWF "Global 200" site (124 sites)
3. A Centre of Plant Diversity (CPD) (74 sites)
4. A Conservation International (CI) biodiversity hotspot (57 sites)
5. Vavilov Centres of Plant Genetic Diversity (40 sites)
6. An Endemic Bird Area (EBA) (71 sites)
7. Contains "Critically Endangered" taxa (60 sites)
8. Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar site) (16 sites)
9. An area of marine importance (contained coral reefs (14 sites), mangroves (18 sites) or turtle nesting beaches) (15 sites)
i. Table 6 lists all those "WHS within a CPD". Unfortunately it does not state which of the CPDs each of the 74 WHS are situated in. Nor are the Annexes containing the maps available. Nevertheless it shows that even in 1999 there were rather more WHS situated in CPDs than Els has initially identified in her blog. And the number will presumably have increased since then with the additional 116 Natural/Mixed inscriptions.
j. It would clearly require some work to go through the 74 both to identify those missing from our current analysis and to identify the relevant CPD (e.g from the AB evaluations etc) – and even more to trawl the subsequent 116. A further possible area of interest could be to identify the WHS in each of the other significant categories!!! The first task should be reasonably easily "doable"
k. Table 7 consists of a list of "Regional Centres of Plant Diversity not represented in the current WH List". What I do not understand is why this is based on a list of "Regional CPDs" (it identifies 421 of those not represented on the WH List) rather than the higher level of 231. Els also identifed this issue of higher and regional level CPDs. Unfortunately this list doesn't show the "higher" CPD for each of the Regional ones
l. Table 14 consists of a list of "Potential Natural WHS" showing the categories they could cover – including those in a CPD

I think your 'task 1' is a good place to start and get this connection extended beyond the ones I already identified in the blogpost. I picked Tassili N'Ajjer for example and indeed in the UNEP-datasheet there is a reference to the CPD (although again it does not give it a name). Will start working on it!

This is an odd one: Australian Fossil Mammal Sites. In the list of 'Table 6', but not in the UNEP or IUCN docs. Could only be as part of a wider area, the fossil caves would be unlikely. Similar for Miguasha Park and Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino.

I have also looked through the Web for Tassili and "CPD". I fear that there is no widely agreed "list" of CPDs which would result in such WHS being assigned a recongisable/referencable "CPD title" and that the best we are going to get is that WHS "X" is said to be a CPD in such a place/Area etc - there may or may not sometimes be a name of a wider (or smaller?) area than the WHS . I would suggest that we "accept" a connection to a "CPD" wherever a UNEP (or similar doument) states that to be the case...... we may also sometimes be able to include WHY that is so...... types of vegatation or speciifc species. We would then link to whatever doeument provded the "evidence"?

Agreed..... perhaps we should only include WHS whose OUV is related in some way to Plant Diversity - rather than just include every one which happens to be situated in such an area irrespective of its inscription reasons.

El Vizcaino includes non marine aspects and I found this "Approximately 8.3% of the flora is known to be endemic to the geographical region of the El Vizcaino Desert." and Crit x states "The surrounding wetlands attract an extraordinary diversity and abundance of resident and migratory bird species with several hundreds of thousands of wintering birds. The drier terrestrial areas belong to the Sonoran Desert, well-known for its remarkably diverse flora and fauna and a high degree of endemism."

But Fossil Sites and Miguasha can have no relevance to the local contemporary Flora???
,
Found this re Vizcaino Desert "North America regional centre of endemism: CPD site NA I 6g; vernal pools; California, USA, and Baja California, Mexico pp. 82-85. In S. D. Davis, V. H. Heywood, and A. C. Hamilton [eds.], Centres of plant diversity: a guide and strategy for their conservation. World Wide Fund for Nature and International Union for Conservation of Nature, Cambridge, UK "

Looks like a quote straight out of the volume - a ref no of 6g and a title of "Vernal Pools". I am beginning to think that this cannot be done without reference to the 3 volumes???

Maybe we should look out for a reasonably priced copy of one of these books! I do see some on e-bay, let me have a look...

Just ordered Volume 3 for about 20 EUR. Now we have to wait 10 days...

Maybe I can later resell it as I see it advertised for 100 EUR+ as well.

While we are waiting for the books to arrive .. I will narrow down the connected sites to only those that are inscribed on Crit X (and include a rationale about plants), so that will leave the Australian Fossil Mammal sites etc out.

Well, that's an interesting exercise. We would lose (most of) the following:

Australian Fossil Mammal Sites
Desembarco del Granma
Garajonay -> Criterion (ix): The Canary Islands are renowned for their relict and endemic species of plants and animals, and present outstanding examples of island evolution. Garajonay National Park contains the best-preserved examples of this evolution in the region, with a recorded flora of 450 vascular plant species, of which 34 are endemic to the island and eight found only in the national park [propose to include]
Garamba -> X but only fauna
Göreme
Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Huanglong
Huascaran -> Crit vii: Among the rich flora, the famous Queen of the Andes, known for its colossal inflorescence, stands out. (propose to include if CPD is appropriate)
Jiuzhaigou (just as neighbouring Huanglong only inscribed for its scenery)
Kilimanjaro
Lagoons of New Caledonia -> Crit X indeed, hope the CPD includes seagrasses
Los Glaciares
Machu Picchu: has no X, but has Criterion (ix): Covering part of the transition between the High Andes and the Amazon Basin the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu shelters a remarkably diverse array of microclimates, habitats and species of flora and fauna with a high degree of endemism. The property is part of a larger area unanimously considered of global significance for biodiversity conservation.
Miguasha
Mount Kenya: has no X, but has Criterion (ix): The evolution and ecology of the afro-alpine flora of Mount Kenya provides an outstanding example of ecological processes in this type of environment.
Pirin: has no X, but has Criterion (ix): The property is a good example of the continuing evolution of flora, as evidenced by a number of endemic and relict species,
Pyrenees: has no X, but has Criterion (vii): The property is an exceptional landscape with meadows, lakes, caves, mountains and forests. In addition, the region is of great interest for science and conservation, possessing a panoply of geological, panoramic, faunistic and floristic elements that make it one of the most important Alpine protected areas in Europe.
Redwood: has no X but has Criterion (ix): Redwood National and State Parks preserve the largest remaining contiguous ancient coast redwood forest in the world in their original forest and streamside settings.
Salonga: has no X but has Criterion (ix): The plant and animal life in Salonga National Park constitute an example of biological evolution and the adaptation of life forms in a complex equatorial rainforest environment. The large size of the Park ensures the continued possibility for evolution of both species and biotic communities within the relatively undisturbed forest.
Tassili n'Ajjer
Uluru
Yakushima: has no X but has Criterion (vii): The property is home to a number of extremely large diameter Japanese cedar trees, thousands of years old with the oldest and most spectacular individuals of the species found on Yakushima Island. It contains the last, best example of an ecosystem dominated by the Japanese cedar in a superb scenic setting.
Yellowstone: has no X, has VII but seems related to scenic beauty only instead of biodiversity (three groves of giant sequoia

Whatever criterion, I think it needs a reference to plant species diversity and/or endemic plant species.